Tag: holiday recipes

Pillsbury Chocolate Almond Crescent Rolls

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How was your Thanksgiving ? I have to say its one of my favorite cooking holidays, even if I’m just cooking for two. Things are picking up at this time of year, and I love quick tasty ideas to whip up. Certain Someone and my new work colleagues declared this recipe for Pillsbury Chocolate Almond Crescent Rolls a winner. I adapted a hero recipe from Pillsbury and added my own flair to it. It immediately took me back to my favorite snack as a student in Paris, Pain au Chocolate, with a luxurious almond twist, so perfect for the winter holidays.

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The Pillsbury Chocolate Almond Crescent Rolls take one back to a French Boulangerie. Warm flaky Crescent Rounds filled with chocolate and almond paste are sure to be holiday breakfast or brunch treat.

Check out some more Pillsbury Crescent recipes here.

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Pillsbury Chocolate Almond Crescent Rolls
 
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Recipe type: Pastry
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 Package of Pillsbury Crescent Rounds
  • 7 oz or less of Almond paste
  • 1/ 2 cup milk or dark chocolate chips
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • ½ cup blanched slivered almonds
  • Confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
  2. Take out a non stick baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat
  3. Carefully unroll the Pillsbury Crescent Round Dough,
  4. Taking each round, unroll it to make a long strip.
  5. Add pinches of almond dough along the strip and top with chocolate chips.
  6. Carefully roll back into a round and place flat on the baking sheet.
  7. Seal edges.
  8. In a small bowl beat egg and cream to form an egg wash.
  9. Brush the egg wash over tops and sides of each roll.
  10. Top each roll with blanched slivered almonds.
  11. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
  12. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
  13. Dust with confectioners sugar.
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Happy Holidays. I really enjoy thinking outside of the box and creating these recipes for General Mills. Don’t stress these holidays and learn to utilize tasty shortcuts when the occasions call for it.

Disclosure

*I have a received compensation from General Mills and my opinions are my own.

 

 

Basler Brunsli and Tozzetti…A Saveur Cookie Challenge Double Post

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… And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Yesterday was hot day at Coco Cooks. But now I’m shifting my focus back to holiday baking. Certain Someone took me to New York last week and I didn’t get a chance to post week three’s cookie from Saveur. So today I’m doing a double post ( weeks 3 and 4), so there is still time to get some cookies in your repertoire.

For my final two cookies I chose the complex and rich Basler Brunsli from Switzerland

and a Tozzetti from Rome,Italy.

Both were relatively easy to prepare. Allow for time with Basler Brunsli as it requires a drying out and rest time of three hours. The appealing part of the Basler Brunsli is that it is a Gluten Free cookie, for those that need  a good gluten free recipe. Originating in Switzerland its composed of ground almonds, chocolate, cloves and cinnamon. I cheated and took a cue from some other bakers and used almond meal rather than grind my own.

For the Tozzetti, I took Bakers License. I didn’t have all the ingredients but variations of it. I mixed Anise extract with rum, rather than anise seed and Sambuca. I didn’t have whole hazelnuts, but chopped. And I only had ground almonds which I toasted with the hazelnuts. The flavor profile didn’t change, just the presentation of whole sliced hazelnuts in the Biscotti. This is a different recipe from other Biscotti , as you don’t mold a slab but pour the batter in  a jelly roll pan and bake. But it works. I like them as they are not too sweet.

I would call both of these cookies the Grown Folks cookies. The flavors are more sophisticated and complex. They are sturdy cookies that will pack well in your holiday gift boxes. You can find the recipes for Basler Bunsli here and for Tozzetti here.

Check out the other Smart Cookies in our Holiday Baking Pursuits.

The Swedish Julbord…Christmas Around The World

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Jul (Christmas)  Bord ( Table)

I have been told since I travel a lot , I offer up and expose a lot foods and traditions that are new to some people. I take it all for granted, but if that’s whats my blog is known for, I love it.  I hate to see people living in a narrow closed world where food is concerned. You don’t have to buy an expensive ticket to travel in the culinary world. Your passport is your open mind and hunger.

Last fall , in Stockholm, I had the pleasure of accompanying Anne of Anne’s Food to an event given by Scan. Scan is a major Swedish producer of pork. They are most known for their meatballs (kottbullar).For those of you that don’t know what a Julbord is, think of it as a Christmas Smorgasbord consisting of cold and hot meats, herrings, and desserts.  After attending the afternoon event , I realized the Swedes take the whole Christmas Ham (Julskinka) very seriously. Many hams were on display  cooked in various ways. Scan’s own butcher in his metal chain mail mesh glove, demonstrated how he breaks downs hundreds of hams daily. It was all so effortless when watching him.

While the presentation was in Swedish, I got the total experience by sampling the many offering from Scan’s chefs of sausages, meatballs, hams, terrines, appetizers, cured meats and warmed by Glogg ( spiced wine). In my opinion the Swedish really know how to do Christmas. One of my favorite things is comparing how other cultures celebrate common holidays. So I  want to give you a glimpse of  Julbord offerings that will perhaps inspire you this Christmas. In a perfect world, I would love to throw my own Julbord party next party with Certain Someone. We shall see.

Some classic Julbord dishes:

  • Herrings
  • Cured Salmon ( Gravlax)
  • Cheeses
  • Breads
  • Pickled Vegetables
  • Head Cheeses, Terrines, Pates
  • Swedish Meatballs ( Kottbullar)
  • Pork Ribs
  • Fried Sausages and small Hot dogs (Prinskorv)
  • Jannson’s Temptation ( a potato casserole with anchovies)
  • Cabbage rolls
  • Assorted salads
  • Rice Puddings
  • Cakes
  • Schnapps and Aquavit
  • Glogg

Click here for Scan’s recipes

Or

here for Traditional Swedish Julbord Recipes from Scandinavianfood.com. Such as the classic mustard and bread crumb coated Julskinka ( Christmas Ham)

Krumkakes… A Saveur Cookie Challenge

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Krumkake has been on my radar for years. The only thing preventing me making some was the lack of equipment. On Ebay I found a old school cast iron Krumkake iron  and won the the bid for $16 plus shipping. The price coming in far less than a new  electric Krumkake maker.

Krumkakes are a crisp Norwegian cookie that according to my friend Becca is a the predecessor to the waffle cone. At this time of year, especially in areas full of Norwegian descendants, they yearn for Krumkakes , just like Grandma used to make. Well my grandmothers weren’t Norwegian, but Nigerian and American,but I can understand the longing. After the initial fail rate of badly burnt Krumkakes, I got the hand and managed to to make some pretty respectable cookies. Lacking the cone shaped Krumkake former, I used cannoli tubes and a pointed turkey baster. I got a more cannoli shaped cookie.

The intricate designs didn’t transfer as strong as I would have liked. I’m assuming this was due the age and wear and tear of the iron. But nevertheless, I was very satisfied. I filled my cookies with Whipped Cream infused with Apricot Brandy and stabilized with Dr. Otekers Whip It. Don’t fill your Krumkake until you are ready to eat. The shells keep for a few days in a airtight container.

As I said before . dont get discouraged. After a few you will get the hang of it. See.They are really delicious and just crumble in your mouth. So delicate, so be careful.

The cardamon scented batter is quite thick and all you need is tablespoon full per cookie.

Click here for the recipe and enjoy! Be sure to check out my other baking friends. We have been through Gourmet, and Bon Appetite. This year we chose a cookie a week from Nick Malgieri’s choices at Saveur.

Check out the other Smart Cookies in our Holiday Baking Pursuits.

Holiday Punch With Talenti Sorbetto…Sparkling Roman Raspberry Punch

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This post is long overdue, but I wanted to create something special with the Talenti Sobetto and Gelatos I received a while back. Certain Someone and I have been enjoying this terrific product immensely since receiving them.

…perhaps many of your readers may be interested in a refreshing cold dessert that is free of dairy, but still decadent and delicious.Talenti Hill Country Peach Champagne Sorbetto is made with the purest of ingredients such as peaches, purified water, cane sugar, champagne, oranges, lemons and white wine. After which the Talenti family incorporates the gorgeous ingredients using the artisanal methods made famous in Italy. Talenti Peach Champagne Sorbetto has zero saturated fats, zero trans fats and is cholesterol-free.Talenti Hill Country Peach Champagne Sorbetto is wonderful for people with dairy sensitivities, because it is not made from dairy by-products of any-kind.  Talenti Sorbettos come in a variety of flavors and are sweeping the nation as one of the top luxury cold desserts of choice.

I received about thirteen gelatos and sorbets . The flavors are incredible.My favorite being the Dulce de Leche. But other than eating them , I brainstormed what more I could do with them. Talenti suggested the classic Bellini.

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Talenti Bellini:

  • Talenti Sorbetto
  • Prosecco, Champagne or Sparkling Wine
  • Champagne Flute

Directions:  Simply dollop a spoonful of your chosen flavor of Talenti Sorbetto into the bottom of a champagne flute and top off with chilled Prosecco, Champagne or Sparkling Wine.  Serve and Enjoy!

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…But when the holidays come around I think of my mother. She was known for her punches. No holiday, birthday, or gathering wouldn’t be complete without a punch of hers. At her memorial service her good friend eulogized about Jackie and her punch bowl. It was beautiful. So inspired by her her, I give you Sparkling Roman Raspberry Punch made with Talenti Sorbetto. Plus the art of Punch seems to making a comeback.Happy Holidays!

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Sparkling Roman Raspberry Punch

  • Roman Raspberry Talenti Sorbetto
  • 2 bottles Sparkling Apple Cider
  • 1 16oz bag of frozen raspberries
  • 1 cup good rum
  • 1 cup Cointreau

In a punch bowl place frozen raspberries. Add rum and Cointreau. Muddle. Add Sorbetto. Mash it up a bit. Add Sparkling Apple Cider. mix to dissolve the sorbetto. Serve.

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*Roepke Public Relations contacted Coco Cooks and arranged for the delivery of Talenti samples. My opinions are given freely and are unbiased.