Citrus Pomanders Make Scents for the Holidays

Winter is a season for the senses. The sight of sparkling lights, the sound of a crackling fire, the warmth of a cozy sweater, and the taste of freshly baked gingerbread. Let us not forget about the sense of smell. Infuse your home with the sweet and spicy aroma of orange and cloves by making citrus pomanders. 

Pomanders are a fun and simple project, and they lend a natural, earthy element to any décor.

What you will need:

Several oranges. Try navel oranges if you want large pomanders or clementines and tangerines for smaller versions. Odd numbers work best for display purposes.

Whole cloves.

A large nail, knitting needle or something to poke holes into the flesh of the citrus.

A Sharpie, optional.

Begin by marking a pattern on your citrus in small dots with a Sharpie. If you’d rather freehand it, you can skip this step. Using a nail, poke holes into the dots on your citrus. Insert cloves into the poked holes, and voila!

To display, arrange pomanders in a bowl or compote with a few sprigs of fresh evergreens, cinnamon sticks and pinecones. Or simply, place them in a clear, glass bowl or vase.

  

   

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Here come the holidays! Whether your Thanksgiving includes dining with your kids and spouse, a few folks in your circle, or extended family members, make it a cause for celebration.

Go ahead and set a beautiful table, cook up extra comfort foods, and put on your fancy clothes (if you still have any). Whatever brings you some comfort and happiness, do it! 2020 has been tough; you deserve it.

Following is the recipe for my Sweet Potato Soufflé, one of my favorite side dishes I  like to prepare throughout the fall season. I hope you'll give it a try and have an extra special Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Soufflé
This Sweet Potato Soufflé is so rich and brown sugary; I’ve gotten comments that it could double as a dessert! I would not go that far, but it’s always a winning side whenever I serve it.

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
¾ cup sugar
½ cup milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 F.

Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add sweet potato pieces. Cook until soft, about 20- 25 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Remove skins from cooked sweet potatoes. Place potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until potatoes begin to break down. Add sugar, milk, butter, eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly until smooth.

Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine topping ingredients. Pour evenly over casserole.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes.

Graveyard Veggie Pizza

The internet is packed with creative food ideas for Halloween parties. Some are a frightful delight. And then there are others that are just downright creepy. This Halloween don’t scare your guests with ghoulish fare, treat them to a G-rated appetizer that’s approved for all ages.

Graveyard Veggie Pizza

This hearty Graveyard Veggie Pizza is chock full of colorful vegetables which lie on a bed of rich and tangy Ranch dip. The recipe also works well with reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream.

Happy Halloween from my haunted kitchen to yours.

Graveyard Veggie Pizza

12 servings

1 can Pillsbury Pizza Crust

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened, reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish

1/2 cup sour cream, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1 envelope Creamy Dill Ranch dip mix

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1 cup cauliflower, chopped

1 jar pimientos, drained

4-ounce can black olives, drained

Crackers for garnish

Heat oven to 400 F.

Unroll pizza crust and spread on a greased baking sheet. Bake 11-12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and Ranch mix.

In another bowl, combine carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, pimientos and black olives.

Spread Ranch mixture over cooled pizza crust. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over Ranch mixture. Top with veggies.

For the tombstones, combine 2 tablespoons cream cheese and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

 Spoon mixture into a plastic bag. Cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag. 

Pipe "RIP" onto crackers. Insert crackers into pizza. Refrigerate until serving.

 

Salted Caramel Apple Galette

I’ve made a few variations of galettes this year including a springtime cherry balsamic version and a summery tomato basil version. It’s only fitting that I created one for fall. In this Salted Caramel Apple Galette, layers of sweetly seasoned, sliced apples are arranged in a rosette pattern then drizzled with salted caramel sauce and topped with chopped walnuts. 

Salted Caramel Apple Galette

Galettes, or rustic pies, are so easy to assemble, especially when using a store-bought refrigerated crust. However, if you have the extra time, feel free to make your own. 

Don’t forget a whopping scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for the big finish. Recipe makes 6 servings. 

Salted Caramel Apple Galette    

1 refrigerated pie crust, room temperature

2-3 large apples, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch slices, about 4-5 cups
 
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice to prevent apples from browning

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup chopped walnuts, optional

Vanilla ice cream

Heat oven to 375 F. On a parchment lined baking sheet, unroll pie crust. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine apple slices with brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Over the pie crust, arrange apple slices in a circular pattern, leaving a 2-inch border of crust.

Fold the crust up and over the outer part of the filling, leaving the center of the pie open. 

Press gently to seal the edges. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of salted caramel sauce over the filling, not the crust.

Brush the crust edges with egg. Sprinkle walnuts over the pie and crust, if desired.

Bake 35-38 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Tip: after baking 15 minutes, cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent over browning.

Allow pie to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before slicing. Drizzle with more salted caramel sauce and finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cherry Pie Crumble Bars

Everything is better with a cherry on top… or in the middle… or on the bottom…  A single cherry is beautiful on its own when used as a garnish, but when a bunch of them get together, they create a symphony of flavor! 

Cherry Pie Crumble Bars are the perfect summertime dessert. 

What’s not to love about a crumbly, buttery crust, layered with sweet cherry filling, and topped with more crumbles? Serve these bars by themselves or a la mode (a big scoop of vanilla ice cream).

Writer’s note: I’ve never been much of a kitchen gadgetry gal. To me, more tools mean more to wash and store, when oftentimes a good set of knives will do the trick. 

With that said, after pitting the first five cups of cherries with a paring knife, I started thinking about a better way. I broke down and purchased a handheld cherry pitter which I found saved quite a bit of time. 

Now if I can just figure out how to use it without squirting cherry juice all over my kitchen!

Cherry Pie Crumble Bars

For the Cherries

5 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Crumble

1 package yellow cake mix

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking whole grain oats

3/4 cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pit and halve cherries. In a large bowl, combine cherries and lemon juice.

In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, extracts and cornstarch. Pour mixture over cherry mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and oats. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly.

Press down 2/3 of the crumbs on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Spoon cherry mixture evenly over crust.

Sprinkle remaining crumbs over cherry layer and press them down gently.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

(Recipe by Jennifer Ruple)