Is it cold where you are?

Here in Salem, MA, it’s fr-eeeee-zing. Like, freezing freezing. I think we hit 8 degrees last week.

Let me tell you…weather like this makes me want to do one thing, and one thing alone: Cook.

(And winter is the season for feasting, after all, right?)

How do you entertain?

The last few years, I’ve thrown fewer and fewer formal parties. I’ve had my fill with fussy and formal. And while fancy dinners definitely have their place, I find myself doing a lot more impromptu entertaining lately.

You know how it goes. Friends stop by, we get to talking in the kitchen, and before we know it, a few minutes turns into a few hours.

As a result, we keep our freezer and fridge stocked with lots of stuff that makes it easy to whip out a nice spread in no time. Cheese, olives, crackers, pickled veggies, salami, cold beer…you get the idea.

(Want to stop by? The kitchen is open most days after 7!)

Puff pastry is definitely one of those indispensable things on my list of pantry staples. Grab a package or two, pop ‘em in the freezer, then forget about ‘em until you need to feed folks in a flash.

It’s really versatile. I use it to make tarts. I use it to wrap fish and shrimp.

Hands down, though, this turnover recipe is one of my favorite new uses for the stuff.

These little guys are freezer friendly

Make these in advance, wrap them well, and freeze them. They’ll keep happily for about 3 months.

When you’re ready to make them, pop them right from freezer to a 400-degree oven, and you’ll have hot treats in just about 20 minutes.

So, what’s in them?

These turnovers are stuffed with a sweet and savory filling made with tart apples, salty bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. I could eat the tangy apple & onion filling by itself with a spoon. (Did I just say that out loud?)

The whole business is fragrant with autumn spices (think cinnamon, clove, and cardamom) and sweet maple syrup.

They’d make a perfect addition to a Sunday brunch—or a great late-night snack after a good movie.

Thank you, Pepperidge Farm!

So, recently, Pepperidge Farm hired me to do a little recipe development for them. I’m never one to shy away from a challenge, especially when it involves ingredients I use all the time anyways, like their puff pastry.

You know, this stuff.

You can find it in the freezer aisle of almost any big grocery store. Look for it by the frozen berries and pie crusts.

The good folks at Pepperidge Farm were even kind enough to test my recipe and even do a celebrity photo shoot! (Oooh la la, right?) Take a peek at my recipe on their website.

So let’s whip up a batch, shall we?

New England Harvest Turnovers

For the filling
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chunked up
1/2 a large sweet onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground star anise
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
pinch of salt
1 Tbls. maple syrup, grade B

(Yields about 3 cups)

For the turnovers
1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon
1 cup shredded Vermont cheddar cheese
2 sheets Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
flour for dusting
1 egg, beaten

Makes 8 turnovers

Thaw the puff pastry

This will take about a half an hour, maybe a little more, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Unwrap it and set it out on the counter to thaw.

Make the filling (up to 2 days ahead of time)

While the puff pastry is thawing, get your filling cooking. Grab your apples.

Peel ‘em on up.

Cut the apples into small chunks.

Peel and dice your onion.

Put the cut apples and diced onions into a large pot.

Toss in the apple cider vinegar. (I love Bragg brand. It’s so good for you. Learn more about it here.)

Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, star anise, black pepper and brown sugar.

Stir the whole shebang until the apples are coated fairly evenly.

Drizzle in the maple syrup and stir to combine.

I used Grade B syrup from a little farm up in Vermont.

Grade B syrup is deeply flavorful and fantastic for cooking. (As opposed to Grade A, which is more delicately flavored and is perfect for finishing or drizzling on pancakes.)

Set on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to bubble and steam.

Partially cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the apples and onion are tender, stirring occasionally.

While the apple mixture cooks, fry up your bacon.

I used Black Forest bacon from Whole Foods. I can hear you groaning about fancy, gourmet bacon from here…but! It actually costs just about as much as a pound of regular bacon when it’s not on sale at the grocery store. If you’re a bacon lover, it’s a total treat. If you don’t have it, by all means, use your favorite bacon.

Dice it up.

Set the diced bacon in a large pan over medium-high heat.

Fry ’til crisp, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain, and set aside in a small bowl.

Back to the apple mixture. When your 20 minutes is up, uncover the pan.  Increase the heat to medium.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, transfer the hot mixture to a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.

Assemble the turnovers

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Beat one egg in a small bowl. Set both aside while you put the turnovers together.

Oh, and grate up the cheese and set it aside, as well.

OK. Lightly flour a board.

Unfold one sheet of thawed puff pastry.

Whack it into quarters with a sharp knife.

Grab one square. Position it like this in front of you.

Put about 1/4 cup of the cooled apple/onion mixture on the bottom half of the square. Don’t spread it right to the edges. You’ll see why in a minute.

Top with a little crisped bacon. Aim for about 1 Tablespoon, but don’t make yourself nuts. This isn’t neurochemistry.

(Mmmmm, crispy bacon. Nom, nom, nom…)

Sprinkle with a little cheese. Again, don’t make yourself nuts. Both these things are kind of hard to measure exactly.

Fold the pastry over the filling.

Grab a fork and crimp the edges shut. (This is why you left a little room.)

Your finished turnover should look about like this.

Now, puff pastry is very forgiving. If yours look a little mangled, don’t sweat it. They will be glorious and golden when they come out of the oven. The main thing is to ensure that you have a good seal around the edges. You don’t want the juice from the filling to come out as they bake.

Brush the top of the turnover with beaten egg. If you don’t have a pastry brush, use your (very clean) fingertips.

Set the turnover on your prepared pan.

Last but not least, punch a little X in the top center of the turnover with a sharp knife. This is your steam vent, and will keep your turnovers from exploding if they get overly excited in the oven. (They should be fine, but I like to err on the safe side.)

Repeat with the rest of your ingredients until you’ve used all your puff pastry.

Bake the turnovers

Pop your pan into your pre-heated 400-degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastries have poofed up and are golden brown. When they’re done, yank the pan out of the oven.

Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Stay tuned for exciting news about my cookbook!

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I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I could eat these all night.

These shrimp are a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. Their crisp coconut coating is made with eggs and sour cream, a combination that keeps them ridiculously moist.

Because you butterfly the shrimp, then stand them on end, they also make an impressive opener for a holiday feast.

Serve them as an appetizer, or go nuts and double the recipe to make it a main course.

Vote Hungry Mouse!

OK, so here’s the deal.

This is my entry in the Breakstone’s Battle of the Kitchen Bloggers, hosted by Sandra Lee. (Yep, the same folks who hosted last year’s Triple Churned Challenge.) I’ll have three more posts coming: one for an entree, one for a dessert, and a wrap up.

For the Showdown, Kraft invited me and 2 other bloggers to duke it out. Picture American Idol meets Iron Chef and you’ve kind of got the idea. (Our secret ingredient? Breakstone’s Triple Churned Sour Cream.)

The participating bloggers have a chance to win a cash prize (1^st place is $350, 2^nd place is $250, and 3^rd place is $150).

Enter to win!

As part of the Holiday Showdown, you can enter win a handful of different prizes. If you enter, you’ll have a chance to win a $50 gift card (one winner each week).

You’ll also automatically be entered to win a grand prize of $2,500!

Sound enticing? I thought it might. Click here to enter to win. You can go back and vote and enter every day!

Alrighty, to the ovens!

Sweet & Spicy Coconut Shrimp

1 lb. large shrimp (21/25 count), peeled (leave the tail on), deveined & butterflied
½ cup flour
2 – 3 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
1 Tablespoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Breakstone’s sour cream
2 extra-large eggs

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Set up your dredging station

Toss the flaked coconut, chili flakes, parsley, and kosher salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the sour cream and eggs together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Put the flour in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside. Your counter should look kinda like this at this point:

Prep the shrimp

Rinse your shrimp and pat them dry with paper towels. If you didn’t buy butterflied shrimp, here’s how to do that.

Grab a shrimp.

With a small, sharp knife, slit the shrimp down its back, cutting about halfway through. (If your shrimp weren’t deveined prior to purchase, you’ll want to yank out the black stuff you see when you make this cut. This is the shrimp’s intestinal track, and you never want to serve it. It’s perfectly edible, but a lot of folks will balk at it.)

And…voila! One butterflied shrimp. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

Once you’ve butterflied all your shrimp, grab one by the tail and dip him in the flour. You want to coat all the shrimp except for the tail shell.

Give him a quick shake over the bowl to knock off the excess.

Again, holding him by the tail, dip the floured shrimp into the egg mixture.

Holding him by the tail, drop the coated shrimp in the flaked coconut, and roll him around until he’s completely coated.

When he’s coated in coconut, set him down on your prepared sheet pan, butterflied end down. His tail should curl up and over his body.

Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

Roast the shrimp

Roast the shrimp in your pre-heated, 425-degree oven for about 15-17 minutes.

When done, yank the pan out of the oven. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then serve immediately.

When they’re done, the shrimp will be crisp and lightly browned, on both the top and the bottom.

Serving tips

Now, these are great as is. If you’d like to serve them with a sweet dipping sauce, try warmed apricot preserves. For a more savory sauce, serve with equal parts light soy sauce and grated ginger.

Keep the cooked shrimp for up to one day in the fridge. Honestly, though, they’re best when they’re hot out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Please vote for The Hungry Mouse!

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I put figs in the same camp as black licorice: People love them—or hate them. There never seems to be a middle ground.

If you’re in the first group, then man-oh-man, are you in for a treat.

Personally, I love figs. (And black licorice, if you’re keeping score.) They’re sweet; they’re earthy. Not to mention, they’re also nutritional powerhouses. Fresh figs are a great source of vitamins B6 and K, manganese, potassium, and fiber.

Ya, ya, I know it’s questionable to call them healthy when they’re drenched in maple syrup…But still.

I think the only thing that would make these better is if they were sprinkled with crispy bits of bacon. (Hmm, now there’s an idea.)

I got on my most recent fig kick when I was testing recipes last month for my cookbook, Slushed. The Whiskey & Fig Gelato I came up with is now a house favorite. This would make an amazing topping.

These little babies are really simple to make. Just find the ripest figs you can. (I used black mission, but you could do this with Turkish, too.) Slice them in half. Drench them with maple syrup. Sprinkle with spices and roast for about 15 minutes.

As the figs heat up, they start to let out their luscious juice. It mingles with the maple syrup and creates a heavenly sauce that’s fragrant with thyme and black pepper.

That’s it.

How can you tell when figs are ripe?

Good question. A ripe fig will feel be soft to the touch—but not too soft. It should feel like a ready-to-eat peach or avocado. You want it to have a little give to the skin and flesh, but not feel mushy.

Figs are one of those fruits that need to be picked when ripe (they won’t continue to ripen after picked, like an avocado). For this reason, be sure you’re happy with the ones you bring home from the market, ’cause they ain’t gonna get any better on your counter.

What do you do with roasted figs?

The short and not-very-helpful answer is: What can’t you do with them?

The longer but still not very precise answer is: Roasted figs work well in both sweet and savory dishes. Here are a handful of ideas.

• Serve as part of a cheese plate with goat cheese, brie, Stilton, briny olives, and a loaf of crusty bread (oh and maybe some creamy roasted garlic for good measure)
• Use to top ice cream—or add to homemade ice cream in the last five minutes of churning
• Toss them into pancake batter
• Spread them on toast
• Nestle between the layers of an autumn spice cake
• Eat them straight out of the bowl. (Let’s face it, they’re delicous!)

You get where I’m going.

This recipe uses 1 lb. of figs and serves about 8 as an app. Scale it up or down to fit your needs.

Alrighty, To the ovens!

Maple Roasted Figs

1 lb. black mission figs (about 28)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon thyme
Freshly cracked black pepper

Serves about 8 as an appetizer

Prep the figs

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Grab a fig.

Nip off his stem with a sharp little knife.

Slice him in half and put him on your prepared pan.

Repeat until you’ve assembled a happy little army of sliced figs.

Season the figs

Douse the figs with maple syrup.

Toss gently with your hands to coat. (I do all of this in one pan to save on dishes. You could certainly mix them up in a bowl, if you’d prefer.)

Sprinkle with thyme and freshly cracked black pepper. I only had dried thyme on hand, but by all means, use the fresh herb if you have it.

Roast the figs

Pop the pan into your preheated 375-degree oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the juice starts to run and they’re deliciously fragrant. You don’t want to cook them too long or they’ll turn to mush.

Yank the pan out of the oven.

Cool to room temperature on the pan. (The sauce will get thicker as it cools.)

Serve however you like (see above for suggestions). Enjoy!

Storing roasted figs

If you need to keep them, ideally store them covered, in a single layer on a plate. If you don’t have that much room to spare in the fridge, stack them up neatly in a container and scrape all that lovely syrup over them.

One warning about storing them like this. If you’re going for a big aesthetic bang with them, they may get a little squashed like this (but they’ll still be just as delicious).

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See, I do eat vegetables. (Granted, they’re almost always wrapped in some kind of pork product, but still.)

Asparagus, even! Some folks would say it’s not possible. When I was a kid, I hated asparagus so much that I used to hide it behind the couch. True story.

Oh, how times have changed.

So, this is a fancy and fun way to serve asparagus, the springtime queen of green veggies. It’s easy to throw together, and makes a totally impressive table presentation.

This appetizer recipe is my contribution to the Kraft Breakstone’s Holiday Celebration Program. Check out a handful of other great Easter recipes from the other program bloggers here.

The short version of the recipe goes like this

Basically, you take three spears of asparagus, wrap them in prosciutto and puff pastry, then bake for about 20 minutes.

The asparagus is fork tender. The prosciutto is crisp and salty. The puff pastry is golden and buttery.

I served it with a tangy sauce made with Breakstone’s Sour Cream and Parmesan cheese that’s laced with cracked black pepper and fresh, minced sage.

Use regular, medium sized asparagus

The huge stalks might not cook through before the pastry burns. The super skinny stalks will get mushy on you (you know the ones I mean…the little scrawny guys that could double as toothpicks and barely stand up on their own).

Buy domestic prosciutto—not imported

When I’m cooking with prosciutto, I always buy domestic prosciutto—not imported. It’s significantly less expensive, and tastes just as good. Save the imported stuff for antipasto platters or other cold apps.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles with Sage Infused Sour Cream

Asparagus Bundles
12 spears asparagus
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
12 slices prosciutto
Olive oil
kosher salt
1 egg, beaten

Sage Infused Sour Cream Sauce
1/2 cup Breakstone’s Sour Cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. fresh sage, minced + a few whole sage leaves for garnish
freshly cracked black pepper

Serves 4

If you can, make the sauce a day ahead of time

This will let the flavors mingle. If you can’t, don’t sweat it. It’s still really good if you make it the same day.

Put the Breakstone’s Sour Cream in a medium-sized bowl.

Toss in the grated Parmesan.

Mince up your fresh sage. Five or 6 leaves should give you about a teaspoon.

Toss the sage in the bowl. Add a little freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Skip adding any extra salt until you taste the sauce at the end. It should have plenty from the cheese.

Mix with a whisk or wooden spoon.

Give it a taste and correct the seasoning if you think it needs it.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Right before serving, garnish it with a few whole sage leaves.

Do a little prep

Take your puff pastry out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you want to use it. Unwrap one sheet and let it sit on the counter to thaw.

Rinse your asparagus under cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels.

Trim the asparagus

Asparagus ends can get a little woody. Nip off the bottom half inch with a sharp knife.

Wrap the asparagus bundles

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Lay a slice of prosciutto down. Set three spears on top of it, so that they’re centered.

Roll the asparagus up in the prosciutto.

Grab your puff pastry. It’s most likely folded in thirds. Unfold it so you have one big sheet.

Cut off a long strip that’s about an inch or so wide.

Basically, you want to cut the pastry so that it makes a band around the prosciutto, like this:

Wrap the puff pastry strip around the prosciutto.

Trim it so that the ends just meet underneath.

To make the bow, cut a thin strip of puff pastry.

Fold one end over in a loop.

Then cross it with another loop to form a bow.

Dab the pastry with a little cold water, and set the bow down in the center. The water will help it to stick. Press down gently in the center (where the knot on the bow would be) to help secure it. If you’re not crazy about bows, definitely make another shape decoration. Hearts would be good. Stars. You get the picture.

Carefully transfer the bundle to your parchment lined pan.

Repeat until you’ve made all your bundles.

Brush & bake

Beat one egg in a medium sized bowl.

With a brush (or your fingertips), gently dab the puff pastry with beaten egg. This will give the baked pastry a really nice gloss.

Brush the exposed parts of the asparagus with a tiny bit of olive oil.

Pop the pan into your pre-heated oven. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Serve & enjoy!

When the pastry is puffed and golden, remove the pan from the oven.

The bottoms should be brown, as well.

Transfer to a serving platter.

Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the sage-infused sour cream sauce.

If you’re going to plate them individually, put a smear of sauce on the plate, and nestle an asparagus bundle on top. (Do this *right* before serving, so the sauce doesn’t make the pastry soggy.)

Enjoy!!!

Please note: This is a sponsored post for Breakstone’s Sour Cream. All ideas, thoughts, experiences, photos are my own.

Enter to win $2,500!

Don’t forget, Breakstone’s is hosting a big sweeps on Better Homes and Gardens, where one lucky winner will win $2,500! Enter today!

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I’m pretty sure I’d be tempted to eat almost anything if you wrapped it in bacon or prosciutto.

This is my take on the classic appetizer, bacon-wrapped scallops. My issue with bacon-wrapped scallops is that, depending on the thickness, the bacon doesn’t always get crisp by the time the scallops are cooked through.

This recipe swaps in prosciutto, bacon’s paper thin, salty cousin, which practically guarantees that your scallops will always come out of the oven wearing a crisp little coat.

This is more method than recipe. Make as many or as few as you need.

A tip for buying prosciutto

I love prosciutto, but it’s one of the pricier things you can find at the deli counter. However, most delis carry two kinds: imported and domestic.

When I’m going to use it in cooking, I always go for domestic prosciutto, which is a lot cheaper (~$5/lb. at my local deli) than imported (~$17/lb.). Save the imported stuff for simple but lux apps like prosciutto wrapped melon or an antipasto platter.

How to buy scallops

Much like shrimp, scallops are often sold by the “count,” a number which tells you how many scallops there are per pound. The lower the “count” number, the bigger the scallops.

And just like with shrimp, if you don’t have a good seafood shop nearby, you’ll be just fine (if not better off) with frozen scallops.

For example, the scallops I got were “U/10″ count, which means that there are under 10 scallops per pound.

Which means, they were huge. As in, HUGE:

Alrighty…to the kitchen!

Roasted Scallops Wrapped in Prosciutto

Extra large scallops
Prosciutto
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Olive oil

Plan on 2-3 scallops per person for an appetizer, or 5-8 for a main course, depending on their size.

Thaw your scallops

If you’re using fresh scallops, skip ahead to the next step.

If your scallops are frozen, thaw them out by letting them sit in a bowl of icy cold water for an hour or so. You can do this on the counter (just make sure the water doesn’t get remotely warm…warm, raw seafood = poisoning waiting to happen), or keep the bowl in the fridge (which will take a little longer).

Wrap the scallops (do up to a few hrs. ahead of time)

Once your scallops are thawed, remove them from the water. Drain them well, then pat them dry with paper towels.

Drizzle the scallops with olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss to coat.

Grab one slice of prosciutto. Fold it in half lengthwise, and wrap it around a scallop.

You can prep these little guys a few hours ahead of time, so they’re set to pop into the oven when your guests arrive. If you do that, put your scallops on a plate or dish, snuggled up next to each other so the prosciutto stays firmly in place.

If you’re roasting them right away, put them on a parchment lined pan, well spaced out, so the prosciutto can get crispy.

Repeat with the rest.

Pop the pan into the fridge until you’re ready to roast them.

Roast the scallops

When you’re ready to cook them, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Space the scallops out well, so they’re not touching. (If they’re too close, the prosciutto will wind up steaming, instead of crisping.)

Pop the pan into your preheated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them. Your final cooking time will vary based on how large your scallops are.

Your scallops are done when the prosciutto is crisp and the scallops are firm to the touch and opaque throughout. (When in doubt, cut into one to check. If it’s opaque on the edges, but jiggly and translucent in the middle, it needs a little more time in the oven.)

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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