pear

Honey Baked Pears with Walnuts

Honey Baked Pears with Walnuts

These baked pears are the quickest way to indulge in some holiday goodness. Anyone can make them - just 5 minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven (I made them in my toaster oven!). Beautiful fresh pears are drizzled with a quick mix of honey and vanilla extract, and sprinkled with cinnamon, your favorite granola, and crushed walnuts. There is nothing quite like the smell of warm cinnamon filling your home to remind you how close we are to Christmas! 

Feel free to add your own homemade granola - I love using Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Granola on my morning yogurt and on treats like this. I also love adding a sprinkle of hemp seeds for an extra boost of nutrition - they're packed with amino acids, Omega-3s, fiber, and more. Once the pears bake up in the oven, they transform into tender, spoonable desserts that are warm with holiday flavor. Top the baked pears off with plain yogurt or your favorite ice cream. These are simple to make and are easy on the wallet - ideal for entertaining :) Let's get baking!

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Bisquick Crepes

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Bisquick Crepes

This recipe came about as a happy accident. One night (I know you love breakfast for dinner!) I was craving pancakes and decided to whip up a quick batch (carbs be damned). I only had skim milk (0% fat milk) that I use with cereal, and didn't think it would really make a difference. You know the saying "The first pancake is always a failure"? I totally thought that was the case when I poured this batter on the hot skillet. The resulting pancake was more like a crepe - thin, fluffy, and beautifully crisp along the edges. I realized I had just created a hack for crepes - until I googled it and discovered it was a thing. Either way, here's a super simple recipe for crepes that can be turned sweet or savory...whatever you like :) 

Today I'm filling them with plain yogurt and fresh strawberries, topping them with toasted coconut, lemon zest for brightness, and a scoop of non-dairy ice cream. I'm using Happy Cow Dairy-Free Ice Cream, which is made from coconut milk and brings tons of creamy decadence to this dish! Let's get cookin!

Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart

Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart

When pears are in season, you have to cherish them, and fast. Pears seem to only flourish in their prime for a few days once brought home, scolding you if you hesitate to devour them quickly enough. My dad recently purchased an entire flat of Bartlett pears from Costco, and I instantly racked my brain for delicious recipes. Bright salads, sauces, and pastries danced around my head all day. Finally I decided to attempt baking with puff pastry for the first time. This tart is visually beautiful, wonderful for entertaining and really impressing your guests. Ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar bring out the sweetness of the fresh pears, and they are cradled in a delicate puff pastry. 
This was my first time working puff pastry, and all I could think of was Alton Brown’s old show Good Eats, which focused on the scientific reasons behind cooking and food’s reactions to certain techniques. It was one of my favorite shows while growing up, and I remember him testing out different techniques for cutting puff pastry so as not to damage the layers. The best tool for the job was a pizza cutter! It provided even pressure with quick cuts. For this tart, you don’t need to do much cutting at all, in fact, I didn’t even need to cut my puff pastry sheet because it broke off into the size I needed when it thawed from the freezer.