Cranberry Apple & Blueberry Galettes

makes 2 medium “free-form” tarts

Ingredients

• 2 pre-made pie crusts
• 2 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries
• 2 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• a splash of spiced rum
• a pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp course (or regular) baking sugar
• 1 tsp butter, melted

• some vanilla ice cream (!!!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNQIFlFBUk0/?taken-by=sdblaine

Directions:

Defrost pie crusts (if you bought them) and roll them out on a large baking tray.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together filling.

Spoon filling as evenly as you can into the middle of  both your soon-to-be galettes.

Fold up the edges of the pastry and use cold water to seal the crust edges together.

Brush crust with melted butter and then generously sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes on a middle oven rack or till the crusts are golden brown and the filling bubbles.

Let the pasty cool for 10 or so minutes and then serve warm with a scoop ( or 2!) of vanilla ice cream.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Ingredients
– 4 Large to 6 Medium Sized Baking Apples
– ½ Cup Fresh Cranberries
– ⅓ Cup Salted Butter
– ¾ Cup of Brown Sugar
– ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour
– ½ Cup Oats
– ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
– ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
– Pint of Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Peel, core, and chop apples till they fill the bottom of a 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish. Stir in the fresh cranberries or just pour on top.

3. In a large bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and spices mixing everything together with your hands till a soft cookie-like dough forms. Crumple with your fingers on top of the apples and cranberries.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or the top of the crisp has gone a nice golden brown.

5. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Serve warm in bowls with a scoop or two of ice cream and enjoy.

Om nom nom

Also just as good, if not better, the day after.

Safe travels and have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

♥~ Alyssa

White Asparagus and Cauliflower Soup

Let’s revisit a recipe I posted back in 2010, shall we?

White Asparagus and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients
– 1/2 an Onion
– 2 Tablespoons Butter
– 1.5-2 lb. White Asparagus
– 32 oz Chicken (or Vegetable) Broth
– 1 Head of Cauliflower
– Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
– Bottle of Hard Cider (or Dry White Wine)
– 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

Directions:

1. Chop onions and peel outer layer of asparagus below the bulb like tip before cutting into 1-2 inch pieces.

2. Soak head of cauliflower for 30 minutes in lightly salted water to clear out any sediments. Blot dry and then cut stem side up, removing the stalk. Split the florets till you are left with pieces around the size you’d find in a bag of frozen broccoli. Add cauliflower to a pot of boiling water. Cook till fork tender. Drain and set aside.

For me it took around 25 minutes over high heat.

3. Saute onions in butter over medium heat till soft and translucent. Add asparagus.

Note: You can either reserve the asparagus tips at this point to cook at the end for a bit more texture, or leave them in to be pureed along with everything else.

4. Cover and cook over medium heat for around 5 minutes. Add broth. Let boil lightly for around 30 minutes or the asparagus is done.

5. At this point you can either set the onion and asparagus mixture aside till it cools befor pouring it, and the cauliflower, into a blender or food processor, or blitz it all in your pot with one of those fancy stick blenders (you lucky dog you).

This is when you’d add your reserved asparagus tips back in by the way.

6. Stir and let cook uncovered for 3 or so more minutes (or the asparagus tips are done).

7. Add salt, black pepper, dried Parsley, and a Tablespoon or so of your Hard Cider, tasting for seasoning and adjusting accordingly.

8. Garnish with more parsley and ground pepper, serve, and enjoy!

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This soup is especially good with lightly toasted slices of bread with butter.

Just… don’t expect to have any leftovers.

Hot Buttered Rum

Made a point of getting this recipe while visiting with the G-Units this week!

Ingredients
– ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
– 6 Tablespoons packed Brown Sugar
– ¼ Cup Molasses

Directions:

1. Mash together softened butter, packed brown sugar, and molasses with the back of a spoon till it forms a brown paste.

2. Store in airtight container in fridge till you’re ready to make it.

To Serve:

1. Place 2 heaping teaspoons in a mug of boiling hot water (around 12 oz) and stir till the mix has dissolved.

2. Add 1 oz rum per serving and enjoy your Tasty & Festive beverage!

Should keep in fridge for a week or two,
though I always finish it well before then.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

25 Days of Christmas Music!

Feeling pretty crummy at the moment (cold and flu season FTW) so I thought I’d keep things interesting by linking to the Music Meme post I’ll be updating every day on Tumblr leading up to Christmas Day.

Enjoy, and if you have any songs or videos to add comment or message me a link and I’ll credit you if I reblog it!

♥ Alyssa Blaine B.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My new fav Fall recipe!

Ingredients:
– 1 can of pumpkin
– 1 cup white sugar
– ½ cup vegetable oil
– 1 egg
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
– ½ teaspoon ground ginger
– 1 teaspoon curry powder
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
– 1 + ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).

2 . Combine the canned pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla.

3. In another bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, curry powder, nutmeg, and ginger.

4.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.

5. Add chocolate chips.

6. Drop batter by the spoonful onto a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for around 10 minutes or the cookies are lightly browned and firm to the touch.

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Modified from this recipe.

Happy National Voter Registration Day!

Don’t miss the deadline!

Register in September so you can make it count in November.

 

Register to vote TODAY!

Stove Top Mac and Cheese

My favorite comfort food, hands down.

Ingredients:

– 8 oz rotini pasta
– ½ cup butter
– ¼ cup all purpose flour
– ½ tsp salt
– 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
– 2 cups milk
– 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
– ½ tsp dry (or 2 squirts spicy brown) mustard
– pinch or 2 of paprika

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions.

2. Melt butter over medium heat and using a whisk stir in flour, salt, and pepper.

3. Add milk a bit at a time, stirring constantly.

4. Cook sauce a minute or two till bubbly.

5. Stir in cheese, mustard, and paprika. Taste for additional seasoning.

6. Pour sauce over pasta, stir to coat, and serve.

Weekly Round-Up #1

I’m in love with this mirror by anthropologie.

Gorgeous, right?

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Also thrilled that it’s finally warm out!

Yaaaaay

photo by °Bracket on Flickr.

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And (of course)

The Hunger Games Movie!

Seeing it later today with a bunch of friends after sitting on my tickets for weeks.

Finished the first of the trilogy back in November after watching a teaser trailer…  and am currently devouring book two.

Aw yeah.

So if you’re into actiony, sci-fi, young adult fiction def give the series a shot.

Hopefully the movie’s as good as the book!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Irish Cupcake Recipe by the Brown Eyed Baker

I’ve made this recipe twice now and cannot recommend it enough.

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Now for some tunes.

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One of my favorite versions of the song.

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For more related links check out my St. Paddy’s Day Pinterest Board.

Now I’m off to buy some Baileys to make a batch of these cookies or maybe buttermilk for Irish Soda Bread.

Laters peeps,