Holiday Eats: Sugar and Spice Straws with Orange and Walnuts

I can barely think 'holidays' without thinking sugar and spice and everything nice.  So when I stumbled upon a sugar and spice rendition of classic cheese straws, you can guess my elation--and equal determination to bring them to life in my kitchen.

This past weekend, I made good on that promise and spent a sunlit Sunday afternoon baking these delicacies, while singing and bopping along to tunes from my Christmas playlists, while relishing the fragrant wafts that filled my kitchen.  (And because you know how seriously I take self care, creating moments of happy and bliss, like this, are a priority.  And even more so against the backdrop of 2020.  So remember to take time to be good to you.)

Back to the recipe, it marries the warmth of five spice and cinnamon to bright citrus--and sugar, of course. :) As an added bonus, walnuts give great texture, along with nutty goodness, and flaky puff pastry brings it all together.  So as you're warming your oven in the days ahead, add this easy recipe to your repertoire.  The results are gorgeous, to boot, so no one has to know what a cinch they were to make.  It'll be our little secret.

And if I haven't raved enough already, you can serve them any number of ways, from cocktail party bites, as a part of a cheese board, paired with bubbly, or as an anytime snack.  

However you indulge, you're in for...Happy Eating!

Sugar and Spice Straws with Orange and Walnuts

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons five spice powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest of an orange

1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped 

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

In a small bowl, combine sugar, five spice and cinnamon.

Roll out each pastry sheet to approximately 11in. square (no need to stress; just do your best, like I did!) Sprinkle half the sugar mixture evenly on one sheet. Follow with walnuts and orange zest.

Take the second sheet and lay directly on top of the first sheet.  Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture on top. Use rolling pin and roll out further (you'll also be pressing the sugar into the pastry by doing this) in one direction to form a rectangle that's approximately 11in. x 13in. 

Cut into 1/2 in. strips and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. (I used two to space them out.) Hold both ends and twist 3-4 times to form a spiral.  Pinch ends tightly to avoid unraveling while in the oven.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating sheet pan(s) once, until deep golden brown.

Allow to cool on sheet pan.  Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Peter Som

 

Citrus Pound Cake

I spent my recent Sunday afternoon drinking in the fading sunshine... and baking a cake.  It wasn't the fancier variety of cake that may immediately come to mind.  But one equally special, all the same--and for all the right reasons.  Reasons like a beautiful, moist crumb, and wave upon wave of citrus infusion.  From zest and juice, to syrup and glaze, there was no mistaking the bright flavors and under notes that have made this cake a personal favorite for many years now.  I especially love it during the holidays when a little something extra special is the order of the day. And slice after decadent slice proves perfectly special.

Rather than go my more traditional route of lemon only (lemon pound cake is a wonder), I decided to mix things up a bit more and combine the flavors of grapefruit, orange and lemon.  Did I say this was a citrus pound cake?  And it's one of the most addictive desserts (or breakfasts, if you eat cake for breakfast.  I do.)  The absolute best part, however, is that it yields two cakes--one for savoring and one for sharing (or freezing until you're ready to indulge your sweet tooth all over again).

There's really not much left to say, other than you have to bake it.  And thank me later.

Happy Eating!

Citrus Pound Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
4 large eggs, room temperature
Grated zest of one grapefruit, one orange and two lemons
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of citrus juice (combination of 1/4 cup each of grapefruit, orange and lemon), divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons citrus juice

Method:
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the citrus zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup citrus juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup citrus juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the citrus juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.  (Cook's Note: If freezing the cakes, don't apply glaze until you are ready to serve.) Enjoy!   

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten




 

Cranberry-Orange Smoothie

Cranberries.  Orange.  If you're like me, these words conjure up notions of delicious holiday fare from luscious cranberry sauce and hand pies to one of my favorite combinations of these classic flavors, cranberry-orange scones.  And now I've discovered yet another delicious (and healthier) combo of these flavors that's also a nice balance to the decadent fare that's the norm during the holiday season: Cranberry-Orange Smoothies.

Frozen cranberries and bananas (I like the frothy effect of frozen fruit), combined with orange juice, low-fat milk and honey, makes for one refreshingly good (and good for you) drink.

Happy Sipping!

Cranberry-Orange Smoothie
Recipe adapted from The Daily Meal

Ingredients:

¾ cup orange juice
1 cup of frozen cranberries
1 cup milk (or non-dairy substitute)
1 banana, frozen and quartered
2 teaspoons of honey (or agave nectar)

  
Method:

Combine ingredients in blender (add liquids first).  Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes with Orange Essence

Whether you're talking breakfast, brunch--or breakfast for dinner--pancakes are the perfect course for delicious noshing.  Most often, I enjoy them simply prepared with some real maple syrup on the side for frequent drizzling.  However, when I have my favorite blueberries on hand (fresh or frozen), I bring them to the party to make the patty cakes even more special--and scrumptious.

And whether I'm enjoying them with, or sans, my favorite fruit, these days I can't resist adding in an under note of orange that brings a bright, yet subtle, orange "essence" to the pancakes.  This is my humble attempt at recreating the distinct flavor that I encountered years ago while vacationing in St. Barths, an exquisite Caribbean island in the French West Indies.  

My first morning there, I ordered the pancakes for breakfast, and what I was served was unlike any other pancake I'd ever tasted.  The only way I knew how to describe what I was tasting was that it tasted as if the chefs had infused the batter with orange goodness--and I loved it!  Needless to say, I ordered pancakes everyday for the rest of my stay.

I don't indulge as often these days, but on the occasions that I do, I like to bring the same goodness to the table.  This recipe is a quick and simple tribute to special touches that can make all the difference--and create lasting foodie memories.

Happy Eating!

Blueberry Pancakes with Orange Essence

Ingredients:

Recipe for 1 batch of pancakes from your favorite pancake mix

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Butter

Confectioner's sugar for dusting 

Maple syrup for serving, optional

Method:

Preheat a griddle or large skillet to medium high heat.

Prepare pancake batter according to package instructions and add in the orange blossom water, vanilla and blueberries, being careful not to over mix the batter.  Allow the batter to stand for 1-2 minutes.

While the batter is resting, add butter to the preheated griddle and allow to melt and coat the surface evenly. (Cook's Note: this will give you deliciously crispy edges, while also adding flavor.)

Once the butter has melted, add the batter in 1/4 cup measures for each pancake.  Cook until golden brown on one side (about 2 minutes), then flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 1 additional minute.  Remove from the griddle, dust with confectioner's sugar, serve with maple syrup, if using, and enjoy!