Roasted Seckel Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream and Thyme

Have you encountered the Seckel pear yet this season? I couldn't resist buying a bag last week at the grocery store because they are just so darn cute.

That's a Bartlett standing by for size comparison. 

The kiddos were smitten and they've been slurping their "baby pears" for breakfast, snack, and in their lunchboxes all week. Seckel pears, however, are most definitely not just for kids.

Wouldn't these look snazzy with a cocktail dress and a glass of champagne?! Seriously, what a sexy, succulent two-bite treat for Christmas, New Year's Eve or any event that entails balancing a cocktail and eating with one hand.

Of course you can use a fork.

The soft pears are so lush and velvety and sweet enough to punch any dessert craving in the face, but totally sophisticated and not overly indulgent compared to the hunks of peppermint fudge and frosted sugar cookies that will be here soon enough.

Roasted Seckel Pears with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream and Thyme
adapted from Food52.com

8 Seckel Pears (or 4 larger pears), halved and cored
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp water
5 sprigs fresh thyme

For the cream
1 cup heavey whipping cream
1 whole vanilla bean
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place cored pear halves cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle lemon juice over the tops of the pears, dot with butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Pour about 3 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange thyme sprigs around the pears. Bake Seckel pears for about 30-40 minutes, flipping the pear halves to skin-side up halfway through baking. Larger pears will take longer to cook - estimate an additional 20 minutes or so. They are done when a fork easily slides through the flesh in the thickest part of the pear. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, pour cream into a medium mixing bowl. Slice a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the gooey vanilla seeds to the cream and stir, then throw in the bean pod too. Refrigerate the cream mixture and mixing bowl for an hour or more.
3. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream. Add the Mascarpone and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
4. Top each pear with a dollop of the cream mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh or roasted thyme leaves (from the pear roasting pan).

French Apple Tart

Because I have an unhealthy obsession with Ina Garten and because I can't stop thinking about dessert, French Apple Tart.

All this rustic charm is even easier than pie, thanks to frozen puff pastry, so you can impress your friends very little effort.

First, peel, core, and slice your apples.

Don't skimp on the butter.

And voila!

French Apple Tart
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

1 rectangular sheet frozen puff pastry
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup orange marmalade*
1 tbsp dark rum, Calvados, or apple cider**

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Unfold and arrange the puff pastry on the parchment and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
2. Peel the apples and slice them in half right through the stem. Use a paring knife and a melon baller, remove the cores and stems. Slice the apples cross-wise into even slices about 1/4-inch thick.
3. Pull the pastry out of the fridge and arrange the apple slices in diagonal rows starting at one corner of the pastry and overlapping the slices just slightly all the way to the opposite corner. Continue additional diagonal rows on either side of center until the pastry is covered and you are happy with your design.
4. Sprinkle with the sugar and dot with the diced butter.
5. Bake 45-55 minutes until the pastry is crusty and delicious and the apples are nicely browned. If you see or smell smoke, fear not. The pan juices will start to burn long before the tart itself is in any danger. When the tart is finished baking, use a spatula to loosen the it from the parchment.
6. Heat the marmalade and liquor (or apple cider) in a small sauce pan. Brush the mixture all over the apples and pastry and allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6

*Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics calls for apricot jelly or jam, put through a sieve. Given Roo's peach allergy, apricots are just a little too close for comfort so I prefer orange marmalade. I leave in all the gooey rind pieces because I like the chewiness they add in the tart but if you prefer a smoother glaze, feel free to strain your jam.

**I reduced the liquor by half to make the glaze more palatable for kids but be forewarned, a faint boozy aroma remains. I suggest keeping it a grown-up dessert or sub in the apple cider if you'll be serving to kids. Mine didn't appreciate the booze.

Carrot, Orange, and Ginger Soup

When multiple 4-year-olds beg to be put to work in the kitchen, there is no better gig than peeling carrots. Don't drift off here, this tidbit might prove particularly useful on Thanksgiving morning, especially if your day goes anything like mine. You'll be dodging a kitchen floor Lego tower, boiling potatoes, simmering cranberries in Zinfandel, separating Brussels Sprouts into individual leaves, rolling out pie crust, and searching for the AWOL box of Panko to a constant warble of "I wanna help."

Hand over a bag of carrots and a peeler and you're free and clear for a half hour, forty minutes if you're lucky. For the record, 4-year-olds are also adept and unhurried at squeezing water out of thawed frozen spinach. File it away.

What to do with those 13 freshly peeled carrots? How about a vat of hearty, bright, gut-warming gingery carrot and orange soup? It works for me.

You just can't beat a good soup this time of year. Here the carrots and orange marry for a humble but optimistic base while the ginger nips at your tongue ever so slightly with each and every sip. It would make a perfect Thanksgiving first course, or save some turkey stock after the big day and whip this up as a healthful recovery lunch.

Carrot, Orange, and Ginger Soup
adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook

4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
2 pounds carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 cups turkey stock (or chicken or vegetable stock) - divided
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
orange slices and zest for garnish

1. Melt the butter over low heat in a large, heavy pot with a lid. Add the onions, cover and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, ginger, and 4 cups of stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes until the carrots are very tender. Use an immersion blender to puree soup to desired consistency, adding more of the reserved stock as needed. Alternatively, transfer the hot soup in batches to a blender and puree, adding more stock as needed, until you have your desired consistency.
3. Return soup to pot (if you used the blender method) and stir in the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper. Warm over low heat until heated through. Top each serving with an orange slice and a sprinkle of freshly grated orange zest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Allergy-Friendly Apple Marmalade Cake

Can you smell that cinnamon wafting through your screen? The crust crackles under your teeth and just wait until those warm, gooey apples start melting on your tongue. Grab a cup of tea and a fork. Fall gets no cozier. Trust me on this.

Cupcakes and cake pops are great but when the occasion calls for something slightly more elegant yet still unfussy, this apple marmalade cake is the way to go. It's incredibly allergy-friendly with no nuts, no eggs, no dairy, and no soy but don't worry. You'll never miss them.

I've given this cake as a gift, made it for birthday parties, potlucks, brunches, dessert, Thanksgiving, and yes, we've eaten it for breakfast. Versatility is key. 

To date I've not met a cynic who after trying a single bite, hasn't bought in to my personal philosophy that nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free, whatever-free can't be incredibly, decadently, soul-achingly delicious.

Allergy-Friendly Apple Marmalade Cake
adapted from The Divvies Bakery Cookbook

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 & 1/2 cups canola oil
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup pear puree or applesauce (jarred baby food works)
1/3 cup orange marmalade
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
1 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the oil and sugar, starting at low speed and slowly increasing to high speed for a total time of about 3 minutes. Add the applesauce and marmalade. Beat one minute more.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined. You'll notice the batter start to clump together, almost like dough. Fold in the diced apples.
5. Pour batter into the sprayed bundt pan and bake for 60-75 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cake to sit for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. When cool, dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Serves 12. Or 3 if I'm invited.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Chips

Building. We're always building on past success. Of course I use the term very loosely as it pertains to feeding my kiddos.

Kale chips are a hit. Even Looly is coming around, albeit slowly. Beet chips are hugely popular with most of the family and I suspect Looly will come around on those eventually too. So then, Brussels sprouts chips?

Along with beans, beets, kale, and most things colorful, vegetarian, and healthful, Bean has always loved Brussels sprouts. Two Thanksgivings ago, as a two-year-old, she sat on the counter eating raw "baby lettuce" while I prepped to roast them for the rest of us - the "rest of us" being the adults of course. Looly was not convinced and at that point I wouldn't have even entertained the notion of putting a leaf of any variety in Roo's mouth for fear of gagging. But this is a new realm. And in this realm, we make chips out of Brussels sprouts.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Chips

1&1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the ends off the Brussels sprouts and discard any wilted or yellow leaves. Separate each sprout into individual leaves. This is the perfect job for eager little fingers that want to help! When you get to the dense core and can't remove any more leaves, you can toss it, save it for another recipe, or feed it to Bean.
2. Spread the leaves in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toss with oil to coat. Bake 10-15 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until leaves are crisp and brown on the edges. If some leaves brown faster than others, remove the crisp leaves and continue baking others until they are all nice and crisp. Season with salt to taste.

No surprise, Bean went barmy for these. And once again Looly and Roo were not impressed, but they each managed a few nibbles. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was Mufasa, who was nearly as enthusiastic as Bean. That's success in my book. These little munchies are staying in rotation and might just make it to the Thanksgiving table this year.