Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie, a decadent, sugary circle of nutty goodness.

I am often asked to bring dessert to family dinners. This Christmas, I wanted to bring a touch of the south to dinner with a rich, decadent Pecan Pie. True to form, I ran out of time to make my own pastry, so for these pies I used purchased pie shells (gasp!) which is perfectly FINE if you are BUSY and working full time and running around and don't want to show up at dinner without dessert! Stop judging me! LOL

I spent a year of my teenage life in Mississippi, in what you would call the Deep South. I was a fish out of water, being a Canadian girl suddenly living in a small town where foreigners never visited. My family never quite fit in there, however, my mother and I embraced the cuisine of our new home wholeheartedly.

I have so many fond food memories, but Pecan Pie is one that stands out, especially around the holidays. I never had a pie made of nuts before — it seemed so weird! Put a slice of Pecan Pie in front of me, and I am transported back to that time. And don't forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

You beautiful, beautiful, pie.

Sparkling Cranberries

Sparkling Cranberries — a fun, festive way to present cranberries for the Christmas holidays!

I love cocktail parties! It’s so much fun getting dressed up and having your besties over for elegant appetizers, fun cocktails, and champagne, celebrating the holidays together. Between choosing the right outfit and decorating your space, you could easily get overwhelmed with too many complicated dishes. Why not make something simple, yet glittery and pretty, to serve at your next soiree?

A delicious way to use sparkling cranberries: a cranberry and brie appetizer... so easy!

These Sparkling Cranberry appetizers are beautiful, elegant, and tasty. The cranberries pop with sugar-coated tartness, enveloped by creamy brie. A basil leaf adds just a touch of savoury spiciness to balance the sweetness, and the tiny hint of raspberry jam holds it all together. Serve these with a glass of pink bubbles to complete the sparkle effect!

Click for the recipe…

Cream Cheese Mints

Gifts from the Kitchen

Give the gift that doesn't mints around... get it? See what I did there?

If you're stuck for a gift idea, these Cream Cheese Mints are super easy, quick to whip up and look incredibly pretty! Package them up in little jars, throw on a sparkly ribbon, and you have an almost-instant gift. And who doesn't like getting candy as a gift? (That's a hint, by the way).

Cream Cheese Mints
Based on this recipe from Kraft Canada
Makes 8-12 dozen tiny mints, depending upon the size you make them

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. peppermint extract
5.5 cups icing sugar
Blue food colouring (I used AmeriColor gel)

Tools Required

Piping bag

Rosette piping tip

Method

1. Prepare 3 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Beat cream cheese, peppermint extract, icing sugar and food colouring together until smooth.
3. Spoon mixture into piping bag and pipe little swirls onto the parchment paper. Let mints dry overnight, then package them into pretty jars, decorated with ribbon.