Category Archives: Dessert

Sweet Puff Pastry Twists and the view out my kitchen window…

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Sweet Puff Pastry Twists

I love living in Southern Oregon but sometimes the weather can be cold and drab at times…  Rain, fog and snow are not uncommon during the cold winter months.  Many of the wild birds that chose to spend their winters here in the Rogue Valley rely on backyard bird feeders for their food sources.  That’s precisely why I always make sure that my bird feeders are stocked with thistle seed, suet and sunflower seeds and that my hummingbird feeder is filled with sweet nectar.

While preparing my Sweet Puff Pastry Twists this morning, I noticed a flurry of activity outside my kitchen window.  Several species of birds were visiting the feeders that I have placed out in our backyard.  The usual visitors that show up every winter are dark-eyed juncos, house finches, scrub jays, black capped chickadees, lesser goldfinches and spotted towhees.  Sometimes I am treated to less common birds to my feeder such as California quail, red breasted nuthatches, and evening grosbeaks.  Then there are birds that I would rather not have visit at all…  Sharp shinned hawks, great blue herons and great egrets.  Sharp shinned hawks hunt the little birds that frequent my feeders.  The herons and egrets try to make a fish dinner of my koi in my pond…  Don’t get me wrong, I think that they are all beautiful but I’d rather not observe their eating habits in my yard.

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A female dark eyed junco.  The males have darker heads and rusty backs.

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A female lesser goldfinch.  The males are bright yellow and have a black cap on the tops of their heads.

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A ruby crowned kinglet zipping through the air towards the suet feeder.  This bird constantly is moving back and forth so it was hard to snap a picture of him.  It seemed that every time I would focus, he would pop out of the frame. His face looks so intent as he bounced his way to the feeder.  I see this bird nearly every winter.  Whenever he would get excited, he would display a large red crown of feathers on his head.  What a cool little bird!

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A female house finch.  The males are brightly colored with a purplish red breast.  Do you see the sunflower seed in her bill?

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A sharp shinned hawk in the tree above my feeders.  When he is around, all the little birds quickly fly away and hide…  When there is no activity at my bird feeders, you can bet he is the reason why. This little hawk is lightning fast and even tries to take down birds his own size!  He is such a beautiful and skillful hunter.  I like him better when he stays away from my hawk bird feeders :).

Back to the cookies… My Sweet Puff Pastry Twists are reminiscent of a cookie that I used to purchase years ago at the old Harry and David country store here in Southern Oregon.  They called their cookies “Croustilles”.  Unfortunately, they don’t sell them anymore but I think my cookies are a pretty good “knock off”.  They’re easy to make, light and airy, crispy and delicious.  They taste wonderful with a hot cup of coffee or your favorite tea.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg (beaten)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees farenheit. Begin by rolling out the puff pastry into a 12″ square.  Combine both sugars in a small bowl.  Sprinkle half of the sugar on the puff pastry dough.  Be sure to cover it evenly with the sugar.  Take a rolling pin and lightly press the sugar into the dough.  Gently, flip the dough and repeat on the other side.  On one side of the dough, lightly brush with the egg.

Take a pizza cutter or knife and slice the puff pastry down the middle.  Do the same for the remaining two halves.  You should have four rectangles…  Each 12″ by 3″.

Now, slice each rectangle into 3″ by 3/4″ strips.  You should now have about 64 puff pastry strips.

On a silpat or silicone lined baking sheet place each strip about 1 1/4″ apart.  Twist each strip 360 degrees in the middle, making sure the egg brushed side is up.  They should all look like little bow ties.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until a golden brown.  Remove from oven and immediately place the twists on a wire rack to cool.  Makes about 5 dozen Sweet Puff Pastry Twists.

*** Note: This recipe is not rocket science.  Not all brands of puff pastry are the same size when you unroll it out of the package.  Some puff pastries are larger that what I described.  The key to this recipe is even coverage of sugar and uniformity in size and twists of the dough strips.  And of course, keeping an eye on the twists while baking is also important.  They do brown quickly!

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Caramel Apples

 

Caramel Apples

Do you ever get so busy with your life that you can’t seem to finish all that you set out to accomplish?  That’s where I’ve been for the past couple of weeks…  And I don’t like it one bit.  It’s not like me.  For example, a couple of days ago we had a Halloween potluck at my work and I planned to bring a veggie tray and a bunch of hand dipped caramel apples.  The only thing that I was able to complete was the veggie tray.  The apples sat in a large bowl on our kitchen counter until this morning.  Seriously?  Nobody knew that I missed the mark except me.  Oh, and of course Bruce noticed too.  Poor man.  He made the mistake of asking me why I bought so many apples :D.

What a lovely bowl of fresh picked Red Delicious Apples!  Bright red, sweet and crisp.  Aptly named.

Well, there is good news.  I am slowly but surely catching up.  Three days later and I finally tackled that bowl of apples.  I know that it is not good to always place high expectations on myself but in reality that is how I operate.  The bottom line is that my self imposed expectations is what motivates me to get things done.

These Caramel Apples turned out so delicious and without a doubt I will be making them again.  They’re so easy!  Enjoy!  Tessa

Slightly adapted from Land O’ Lakes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 12 – 14 small apples (washed and dried)
  • 12 – 14 Popsicle sticks

Begin by adding brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, sweetened condensed milk to a large saucepan.  Constantly stir over low heat for about 30 minutes or until the temperature of the mixture reaches 248 degrees Fahrenheit or hard ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.  Place a Popsicle stick in each apple and swirl in the caramel mixture.  Place each coated apple on lightly greased wax paper.  Let caramel harden on the apples and serve.  And with the leftover caramel, I placed in a lightly greased pan, covered and refrigerated for later use.

***Please be careful when dipping the apples.  The caramel is really hot.***

Note: Using a candy thermometer is crucial with this recipe.  Over cooking or under cooking your caramel may yield disastrous results.  Trust me on this one… Go out and get a candy thermometer.

 

 

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Peach Pie

Peach Pie

As I was poking around the produce section of my favorite cooperative, I spied some gorgeous local peaches.  Not only were they pretty, they gave off an amazingly wonderful sweet peachy aroma…  I could not pass them up and so I gently place 3 pounds in my grocery basket.  I knew exactly what I was going to do with them when I got home.  I was going to make a Peach Pie!

See?  These peaches were gorgeous!  Makes one 9″ pie.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds peaches (peeled, pitted and sliced)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • milk
  • 2 – 9″ unbaked pie crust pastries (I used store bought)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Roll out your pastry and line the bottom of a pie plate.  In a large bowl toss together the peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, zest and cinnamon.  Add peach mixture to pie crust.  Add top crust.  You can get all fancy and make a lattice crust like I did or just add a top crust with slits in it so the pie can vent while cooking.  Crimp edges of the pie.  (I used the backside of a fork to crimp the edges of the pie)

To make a lattice crust see this tutorial.  I must point out that my pie crust did not turn out as pretty as the tutorial.  Meh…  Maybe next time…

Brush the top of pie crust with a bit of milk and bake 45-50 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.  Remove pie from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  Serve Peach Pie warm or cold.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream is a perfect addition to a slice of this pie!

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Pear Sauce

Pear Sauce

The Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon is known worldwide for its wonderful pears.  Pear orchards surround our towns and much of our local economy depends on our pear crops.  There are so many varieties grown here such as comice, anjou, seckel, bosc and bartlett.  I must say that my favorite pears are the bartlett variety because they are sweet, juicy and very versatile.  I bought some local bartlett pears the other day to share at a meeting that I had hosted earlier this week.  Luckily for Bruce and I, there were three leftover…  Bruce reminded me this morning as he was heading out the door that we had some pears that were really ripe and needed to be eaten up.

Bartlett Pear

It’s been a while since I made homemade Pear Sauce.  Pear Sauce is similar to apple sauce but you use way less water in the cooking process.  The reason is that ripe pears are really juicy and when you start to cook them, the water is quickly released from the fruit.  As a result, you end may end up with pear soup rather than pear sauce.

If you have any leftover pears or if you want to try something a bit different than applesauce then by all means prepare this dish.  Makes about 2 cups.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe pears (I used Bartlett)
  • 1 Tbs water
  • 1 Tbs brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Begin by washing, peeling, coring and chopping your pears.  Toss all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan.  Over medium low heat, uncovered, cook for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.  If the pears look a bit too watery, drain some of the water off.  Remove from heat.  Using a potato masher or stick blender puree the pear mixture.  Let cool. Top with a bit of brown sugar for garnish and serve.  Makes about 2 cups.

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Triple Chocolate Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies

It’s time for me to send a care package up to my son who is away at college.  Today, I decided to make a batch of Triple Chocolate Cookies.  I started with my usual cookie dough base of flour, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and salt.  What makes these cookies “triple chocolate” is the addition of extra dark cocoa powder, chocolate extract and white chocolate chips.  The extra dark cocoa powder is what makes these cookies one of the most chocolatey cookies that I have ever made.  Makes about 4 dozen.  Enjoy!  Tessa

And for my son G…  You’ll get these Friday afternoon.  Be sure to check your front porch.  Love you!  Mom

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 5 Tbs EXTRA DARK cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 sticks or 1 cup  butter (softened)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp chocolate extract
  • 10 oz. package white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with a silicone liner.  In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together the flour, extra dark cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  In a large mixing bowl with a mixer, cream the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs and chocolate extract.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend well.  Fold in the white chocolate chips.  Drop the dough using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop onto the cookie sheets.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.  Store in a tightly covered container.   Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

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Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread

I know that I am in deep trouble when I see my husband Bruce open a freezer door and something falls out.   Every time that happens I hear him say my name.  Not just Tessa but, a long drawn out Tesssaaa….!  Then I cringe.  I know what he is thinking and what he is going to say next.  I know that it is way past time to use up freezer inventory.

I opened the freezer this morning and out fell a frozen banana.  Fortunately Bruce was at work and didn’t see.  I picked my evidence off of the floor and snagged the remaining bananas from out of the freezer.  It was time for banana bread.

My Chocolate Banana Bread is easy to make and is the perfect use for bananas that need to be eaten up or have been stored in your freezer (like mine!).  It is moist, chocolatey, and has a wonderful banana flavor.  Makes 1 luscious loaf.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 3 – 4 RIPE bananas (peeled and mashed well)
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 tsp chocolate extract
  • dash of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup extra dark cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grab a 4 X 8 loaf pan and spray it with non stick cooking spray.  In a medium sized mixing bowl mix the bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and chocolate extract.  In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and extra dark cocoa powder.   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Spoon the mixture into the baking pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Slice and serve.

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Lime Currant Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lime Currant Cookies

Nine times out of ten, whenever I shop at the grocery store I will have limes in my grocery basket.  I love limes.  If I lived in a warmer climate you could comfortably bet that I would have a lime tree in my yard.  No, wait, I would have two…oh… maybe three!  There is something about limes that draws me toward the bright green color and the sourness of the fruit.  My Lime Currant Cookies have a distinctive lime flavor, sprinkled with tart little dried zante currants and a have a wonderful hint of ginger.  These cookies are so good that you might be able to exchange these for currency! Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 stick of butter (softened)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbls lime zest
  • 1/2 cup dried zante currants
  • powder sugar for dusting

Begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees.  Using a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger and salt to the mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Add butter, eggs, lime juice and zest and mix well.  Add currants until blended.  Using a small cookie scoop or by spoonfuls, drop on silicone lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through.  Remove from heat, let cool on wire racks, and then dust with the powdered sugar.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.  Enjoy!  Tessa

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Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been almost a month since my son moved back up to the university and I gotta tell you that I really miss him.  I hear about other parents enjoying the fact that they are finally empty nesters but not me.  I don’t like it one bit.  The house is eerily quiet and my husband and I  have to get used to cooking for two.  Fortunately, we stay in touch via cell phones, email, Facebook and Skype.

However, the one thing that helps me deal with this situation is the opportunity to send care packages up to my son.  It helps me feel like I  am still a mom by baking and mailing him some of his favorite cookies.  My Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are deliciously chewy and are perfect for packing in a box to send up to a busy college student while at school.  Make these cookies for your college student and they just might miss you too!  Enjoy!  Tessa

(adapted from Everyday Food)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
  • 6 Tbls. butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl mix together the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, dried cranberries and the optional white chocolate chips.  Set aside.  In another mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugars until creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla.  Mix well.

Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continue to mix until well incorporated.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a silpat or silicone lined cookie sheet (I like to use a cookie scoop for more precise portions).  Bake for 12-16 minutes until a light golden brown.  Place cookies on wire racks to cool.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A short while ago my family and I spent a week vacationing in a town a called Bandon on the Oregon Coast.  Bandon is a small touristy town with beautiful golf courses, gift shops, art galleries, fishing, boating, and cranberry bogs. Whenever we go to Bandon for a visit, I like to pick up a pound or two of the their locally grown Oregon cranberries and a couple of bottles of Sea Mist cranberry wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is not unusual to stroll along the beach in Bandon and not see other people.  While on a walk early one morning I fortunate enough to see deer tracks heading back from the ocean.  How cool is that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A  deserted beach.  The perfect place to walk and clear a busy mind…

Oregon grown cranberries are sweet, tart and perfect for my White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies.  These cookies are similar to a traditional chocolate chip but with white chocolate chips and bright little red cranberries.  Next time you see a bag of dried sweet Oregon grown cranberries, snag some and make these cookies.  Oh, and by the way, the dried cranberries and the cookies freeze well.  Enjoy!  – Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
  • 2 sticks or 1 cup  butter (softened)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (use the real not imitation)
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 12 oz. white chocolate chips
  • 8 oz. dried cranberries

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease your cookie sheets or use a silicone liner on the sheets.  In a large mixing bowl with a mixer, blend together all the ingredients except for the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  Mix well.  Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  Drop the dough using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop onto the cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.  Store in a tightly covered container.  Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

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Fried Bananas with Blackberry Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite desserts is a Fried Banana with Blackberry Sauce.  Fried Bananas are amazingly simple to make, look elegant on a plate, and they taste wonderful.  The blackberry sauce is made with fresh picked Oregon blackberries and has a splash of Grand Marnier.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • One small banana per person
  • One lumpia or egg roll wrapper per banana
  • canola oil for frying
  • One scoop vanilla ice cream per person
  • garnish with blackberry sauce, powdered sugar and a sprig of mint.

Let’s begin.  Put enough canola oil in a pan to cover the bananas.  Heat oil until hot.  Wrap each banana in the egg roll wrapper (roll like you would a burrito) using water to seal.  Make sure the banana is completely covered. Place the banana in the hot oil and fry until golden.  Place cooked bananas on paper towels to drain.  Meanwhile, make your blackberry sauce.  See recipe below.  Slice banana in half, arrange on plate, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with blackberry sauce and garnish with powdered sugar and mint leaf.   Serves as many people as you have bananas…  Enjoy!  Tessa

Blackberry Sauce:  Heat together 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1 1/2 cups blackberries in a saucier on the stove for about 20 minutes.  Add 1 Tbls. Grand Marnier.  Remove from stove and let cool.  Drizzle on fried bananas, pancakes, ice cream or whatever.  The possibilities with this blackberry sauce are endless.

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