Browsing Tag

sweets

Cookies, Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies, with Toasted Almonds

These are not Christmas Cookies. OK, they aren’t Christmas Cookies this year as they were just an experiment to see how they worked out. Every year I do try to add a new cookie type to the Christmas Cookie Madness, but I try them out first before hand. These turned out lovely and I think they work well as a harvest / Thanksgiving-type cookie as well. Lots of orange and cranberry flavor.
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Cookies, Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Maple Pecan Shortbread Bars

Thought I would make another Thanksgiving-appropriate, yet “Handheld” and easy to share trat, in case anyone is looking for ideas for the big Turkey Day coming up in a few weeks. These Maple Pecan Shortbread bars are very much like Pecan Pie (with a whole lot of maple!) yet double as “blondies” in essence. They hold up nicely in the fridge for at least 4-5 days (if they last that long) and can be eaten “on the go” … or stick one in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, top with ice cream, and your back to eating pie. No matter what the question, pie is always the answer.
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Sides

Cranberry-Ginger-Red Onion Chutney

Not even 5 days past Halloween and I am already focusing on things to make for Thanksgiving. Every year I make a variation on the usually “cranberry sauce” and this year is no different. In that I added Ginger and Red onion and made more of a chutney than a plain sauce. There are cloves and cinnamon in there too, and orange juice, so a whole lot of flavors. It’s lovely though: tart and sweet and savory and complex. The best part about it: you can make it up to three weeks in advance, keep refrigerated in jars (like you would “freezer jam) and it’s lovely and fresh on Thanksgiving Day.
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Breakfast/Brunch

Salted Caramel-Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

So what does one do on the morning after Halloween? One sneaks over to the neighbors, steals their pumpkin, hacks it to pieces, roasts and the purees it, and then makes … these lovely doughnuts. I guess that means I could call them Dead Jack-o-Lantern Donuts, but that’s not very appetizing sounding.

PS: the neighbor’s Jack-o-Latern is still on their porch. I may be a pumpkin murderer, but I’m not a thief!
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Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Sweet Snacks

Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins

Sunday Morning Breakfast: Seriously the easiest muffins ever. Bananas, pecans, a bit of oatmeal crumble. On the breakfast table, all warm and delightful, in under an hour (under 45 minutes if you hurry a bit).

So, in reference to the photo that looks like claws are coming to steal the muffins: my parents have this decorative metal lobster hanging on the porch railing, with the claws just above railing level. I thought that it was funny in a halloween like way, to have the clws coming up from the deal to steal my Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins. Nom. Happy Halloween. 🙂
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