bournville chocolate: Fruit

Showing posts with label Fruit. Show all posts

Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta: Memorable Holiday Meals with Gallo Family Vineyards #SundaySupper

It's the holiday season and this week I'm celebrating with my family and wine from Gallo Family Vineyards! I love this time of year for two reasons. One is that I get to see my family and friends a lot more than normal and the other is that I get to make everyone a lot of good food. Last weekend I was lucky enough to have my brother and his fiancée come to visit for the holidays. Whenever they come to town he likes to choose what I make for dinner then I wow him with a dessert of my choosing.

Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta #SundaySupper

He also usually brings us a bottle of wine that we have with dinner. I know whenever I go anywhere around the holidays and don’t know what to take with me, a great hostess gift is always a bottle of one of my favorite wines. So in anticipation of having wine with dinner, I decided to work up a menu plan for the weekend and include some of my go to wines as both beverages and in the meals. Lucky for me this was the perfect time to make my meal for this week's #SundaySupper which is featuring Gallo Family Vineyards!

Gallo Family Vineyards offers 16 different wines year-round, including Moscato, Hearty Burgundy, Pinot Grigio and more. To learn about all of the wines visit
http://www.gallofamily.com/our-wines.html .

Gallo Family Vineyards also has a program called Every Cork Counts. Every day, 8 million seniors in the U.S. face the threat of hunger-that's one in every six seniors. From now until Dec. 31, 2013, Gallo Family Vineyards is partnering with Meals On Wheels Association of America to fight hunger with the Every Cork Counts campaign. To learn more and to help fight hunger visit http://www.EveryCorkCounts.com.

I'm so thankful that I have enough food to eat and enough to share with my family. So when my arrived I served baked brie cheese en croute as a snack before dinner. For dinner we had Polenta over Mozzarella, Greens, and Sausage along with salads and bread which I served with Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Then came dessert. As you know, dessert is my specialty. I had a bottle of Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato and decided to use it in both my dessert and a beverage for the dessert course to make a great ending for our memorable holiday meal.

Pomegranate white wine panna cotta topped with pomegranate moscato syrup.

The Moscato is such a crisp wine with some sweetness that made a wonderful cranberry sangria. I served that with a Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta. The colors were beautiful and the creaminess of the panna cotta worked so well with the sweetness of the wine and the tartness of the pomegranate seeds. Overall a perfect dessert.

Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta (adapted from Pastry Affair)

For the Vanilla Panna Cotta:
1 packet (2 1/4 t.) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 T. cold water
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. 2% milk
¼ c. granulated sugar
½ t. salt
2 t. vanilla

For the Pomegranate White Wine Syrup:
1 c. Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato wine
1 T. sugar
3/4 c. pomegranate seeds

1. Pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin. Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add in the gelatin mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

4. Divide evenly between 4 individual dishes. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours.

5. To make the syrup, bring the Moscato and sugar to a slow simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in 1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds. Simmer until the wine reduces by half then remove from heat and strain the pomegranate seeds out of the syrup. Refrigerate the syrup until ready to use.

6. To serve remove the panna cotta from the refrigerator. Spoon the syrup on top of the panna cottas and sprinkle with remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta with Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato

Want to have some more fun with Gallo Family Vineyards? You can build your own family crest here: www.crestcreator.com

Connect with Gallo Family Vineyards on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Their website has information on all GFV wines.

See all the delicious recipes this week!

Clementine, Whiskey & Wine Cocktail by Foxes Love Lemons
Mandarin Spice Mulled Wine by girlichef
Cabernet-Shallot Mushroom Cheeseburgers by The Weekend Gourmet
Crock Pot Beef Bourguignon by The Dinner-Mom
Easy Cranberry Bacon Stuffing by Momma's Meals
Fettuccine with Italian Sausage and Mascarpone by The Foodie Army Wife
Family Fondue by kimchi MOM
Lemon White Wine Green Beans & Mushrooms by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Linguine with Spicy Red Clam Sauce by Supper for a Steal
Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Moscato Gravy by Webicurean
Moscato Orange Chicken with Olives by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Moscato Stone Crab Scampi by Family Foodie
Mushroom Risotto by The Messy Baker
Portabellas Stuffed with Cabernet Onions and Gorgonzola by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Red Wine Risotto by Shockingly Delicious
Short Ribs With Pasta by Magnolia Days
Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Fudgy Red Wine Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Red Wine Chocolate Cake by Alida's Kitchen
Red Wine Velvet Cake by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

6. To serve remove the panna cotta from the refrigerator. Spoon the syrup on top of the panna cottas and sprinkle with remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Want to have some more fun with Gallo Family Vineyards? You can build your own family crest here: www.crestcreator.com

Connect with Gallo Family Vineyards on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Their website has information on all GFV wines.

See all the delicious recipes this week!

Clementine, Whiskey & Wine Cocktail by Foxes Love Lemons
Mandarin Spice Mulled Wine by girlichef
Cabernet-Shallot Mushroom Cheeseburgers by The Weekend Gourmet
Crock Pot Beef Bourguignon by The Dinner-Mom
Easy Cranberry Bacon Stuffing by Momma's Meals
Fettuccine with Italian Sausage and Mascarpone by The Foodie Army Wife
Family Fondue by kimchi MOM
Lemon White Wine Green Beans & Mushrooms by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Linguine with Spicy Red Clam Sauce by Supper for a Steal
Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with Moscato Gravy by Webicurean
Moscato Orange Chicken with Olives by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Moscato Stone Crab Scampi by Family Foodie
Mushroom Risotto by The Messy Baker
Portabellas Stuffed with Cabernet Onions and Gorgonzola by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Red Wine Risotto by Shockingly Delicious
Short Ribs With Pasta by Magnolia Days
Pomegranate White Wine Panna Cotta by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Fudgy Red Wine Brownies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Red Wine Chocolate Cake by Alida's Kitchen
Red Wine Velvet Cake by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

reade more...

Cranberry Bliss Bars #ChristmasWeek

Welcome to Day #2 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

During the holidays I enjoy spending time with my family. We often have dinner together and then will play a game. Our current favorite is Buzz Words, which we like to play boys versus girls. It's not really the game itself, it's just being able to sit down and spend time with each other.

After we are finished playing games it's usually time for dessert. As desserts are my specialty, I am the one who makes the desserts. I like to make seasonal desserts that are holiday appropriate. One that I have found that is perfect for winter holidays is the Cranberry Bliss Bar.

The Bliss Bars have a layer of blondies, topped off with cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with cranberries. Not only is it delicious but it's a pretty dessert as well. This dessert is easy to make but is certainly a crowd pleaser.

Cranberry Bliss Bars (adapted from Taste of Home)
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. white chocolate chips, melted
3/4 c. dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.

2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown. It will smell nutty. Once it begins to turn brown remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl mix the browned butter and brown sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

4. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and white chocolate chips.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir well. Spread into the greased pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

6. To make the frosting combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Pour in the melted white chocolate and beat until smooth.

7. Frost the top of the blondies with the frosting. Sprinkle with cranberries. Cut into bars and serve.

White Chocolate cookie bars topped with cream cheese frosting and cranberries

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Wands by Cravings of a Lunatic
Chewy Brownies by Juanita’s Cocina
Chocolate-Peppermint Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
Pomegranate Margaritas by Dinners, Dishes, and Deserts
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cupcakes by Chocolate Moosey
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Maple Poached Pears and Maple Buttercream by Pineapple and Coconut
Cranberry Bliss Bars by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Reindeer Cookies by Noshing With The Nolands
Mo’s Easy Homemade Eggnog by Food Lust People Love
Spiced Madeleines by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
Flourless Nutella Marshmallow Cloud Cookie Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Pear and Dried Cranberry Baked Custard by See Aimee Cook
Bacon Bark by Cooking In Stilettos
Snowflake Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Gingerbread Sugar Cookies by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
Hot Chocolate Biscotti by Home Cooking Memories

Today's #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Le Creuset. Respect for tradition and authenticity has been Le Creuset's guiding principle since 1925, and their kitchen and cook ware is known internationally. Le Creuset's Revolution Utensil Set is available in six different colors, and it represents the next generation of functional innovations in the kitchen. Developed with chefs and culinary enthusiasts in mind, each utensil features a task-defined blade made from premium silicone, as well as a carefully crafted wood handle engineered to improve grip for a variety of kitchen tasks. The set includes one of each of the following: utensil crock, small spatula, medium spatula, spatula spoon, basting brush, jar scraper. To enter, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!

***This giveaway is for one Le Creuset Revolution Utensil Set (winner's choice of color)! This giveaway is open to Continental US residents only . When the contest concludes, the winner will be chosen by random draw. The winner will be notified through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Le Creuset. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Peppermint Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Wands by Cravings of a Lunatic
Chewy Brownies by Juanita’s Cocina
Chocolate-Peppermint Puff Pastry Bites by The Weekend Gourmet
Pomegranate Margaritas by Dinners, Dishes, and Deserts
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cupcakes by Chocolate Moosey
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Maple Poached Pears and Maple Buttercream by Pineapple and Coconut
Cranberry Bliss Bars by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Reindeer Cookies by Noshing With The Nolands
Mo’s Easy Homemade Eggnog by Food Lust People Love
Spiced Madeleines by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
Flourless Nutella Marshmallow Cloud Cookie Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Pear and Dried Cranberry Baked Custard by See Aimee Cook
Bacon Bark by Cooking In Stilettos
Snowflake Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Gingerbread Sugar Cookies by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
Hot Chocolate Biscotti by Home Cooking Memories

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Le Creuset. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

reade more...

Cooking with STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil: Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread #STAROliveOil

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.

How many of you use olive oil on a daily basis? I do! When I was younger I used a lot of butter in my daily cooking but the older I've gotten, then more I use olive oil in both my cooking and baking. I was recently at my local Wal-Mart store and saw STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil. Olive oil that has the flavor of butter? I couldn't wait to get home and try it.

Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread with #STAROliveOil

If you know me, you know that I like to try my ingredients in both sweet and savory dishes to make sure it's something I can use on a daily basis. I first tried the olive oil in my Ravioli Florentine recipe. After cooking the bacon, spinach, and garlic, I added in STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil in place of butter and then poured it over top of the ravioli. It was delicious! I didn't miss the butter at all because the olive oil not only tastes like butter it smells like butter too!

Then I had to try the olive oil in one of my baked goods. I chose to make a quick bread with cranberries and pecans because I thought the butter would work well with the sour cranberries and the crunch of the pecans. As the loaves were baking my mouth was watering with the buttery scent in the air.

The Cranberry Pecan bread came out perfectly. It was rich, buttery, and delicious. The bread was moist full of flavors from the olive oil, cranberries, and pecans. It made three mini loaves which is perfect for gift giving at this time of year.

I really liked that I could use the STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil in both my everyday dinners as well as in my holiday baking. It's a versatile olive oil that doesn't make me miss the butter in classic dishes. My husband is excited to try popping popcorn in the oil and then drizzling it on top as well. We're hoping to try that out tomorrow!

Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread (a Hezzi-D original)

1 1/3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 c. STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 or 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine the olive oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix well. Add in the eggs and stir until combined. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Add the flour mixture to the olive oil mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in the cranberries and pecans.

5. Divide the batter evenly between 3 or 4 mini loaf pans. (I used 3 but my paper loaf pans were slightly larger then traditional loaf pans). Place several fresh cranberries on top of each loaf before placing in the oven.

6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy.

Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Want to try STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil for yourself? Head on over to the STAR Facebook Page and enter for your chance to win a bottle!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.

Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread (a Hezzi-D original)

Want to try STAR Butter Flavored Olive Oil for yourself? Head on over to the STAR Facebook Page and enter for your chance to win a bottle!

reade more...

Pear Palooza! 30+ Sweet and Savory Pear Recipes

Pears were never one of my favorite fruits. I thought they were boring and didn't have much flavor. Turns out that's because I only ever had the plain green pears. Years later I began eating different variety of pears and started to enjoy them more then ever. I finally made a pear butter that was out of this world and I've been hooked on pears ever since.

Since pears are usually considered a fall to winter fruit, I thought this would be the perfect time to share some sweet and savory pear recipes from some seriously talented food bloggers!

Sweet Pear Recipes: