Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad with Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese, Baby Arugula, Shaved Shallots, Toasted Walnuts, Fresh Cilantro, + a Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique

Spring has sprung, y'all! Let's all join in for a collective rejoice because that officially mean Farmer's Market season is back in full swing, and with that, it means fresh produce is at its' peak! My Mountain Man and I recently went to one of our favorite restaurants and we ordered a roasted carrot salad with goat cheese, arugula, + a citrus vinaigrette. We loved the combination of flavors, so I took the idea and ran with it. It just so happens that I spotted some baby heirloom rainbow carrots (try and say that whole spiel five times fast) and I instantly connected them with the inspiration burning in my belly to recreate this salad. It happens to still be citrus season down south, so I knew that I wanted to make a blood orange gastrique to drizzle over the top. Not only does this add a beautiful, deep scarlet color, but a beautiful acidic note to the entire dish. Oh, and it's got a nice spicy kick that will leave your mouth with slight tingling. After looking through my go-to cookbook, The Flavor Bible, and it suggests to pair carrots with cumin, other earthy spices, nuts, and citrus. I first made a "marinade" of tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, + turmeric. The baby carrots are tossed + coated in this marinade mixture before being roasted in the over until they are golden brown and just slightly charred. And make sure to allow them to cool to room temperature before you begin assembling the salad, so the whipped goat cheese doesn't melt + the baby arugula doesn't wilt due to the heat. Now I want to make sure that you guys use baby arugula because the peppery note from these greens is so perfect, it doesn't miss a beat. I also added in some shaved shallots for a bit of a bite and some toasted walnuts for some texture. Obviously, I am a complete lush when it comes to goat cheese, especially when it is whipped and flavored with roasted garlic + honey, but you could easily make whipped feta as the base of your salad if you prefer that instead. After the salad is tediously layered and beautified, I sprinkle some fresh minced cilantro to round out all of the flavors. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case, it is completely and utterly true. I cannot think of another dish that would be more enjoyable on a gorgeous springtime afternoon than this salad. So that only means that... you just gotta make it!! Enjoy :)

For the Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique:

1C Freshly Squeezed Blood Orange Juice

1 Blood Orange, Zested

3T Sugar

3T Red Wine Vinegar

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1T Light Corn Syrup

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Salt

For the Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese:

A Head of Roasted Garlic Cloves, Cooled

4oz Softened Cream Cheese

½C Heavy Cream

10z Honey Goat Cheese

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots:

1 ½-2lbs Baby Rainbow Carrots (keep the stems on, but trimmed short)

4T Roasted Tahini

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3T Maple Syrup

2t Cumin

½t Cardamom, Coriander, Cinnamon, + Turmeric

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper (we used a good pinch of salt to balance the sweetness)

For the Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad:

Prepared Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese, Chilled

Baby Arugula (do not substitute any other greens, you need the peppery notes)

Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Room Temperature

1 Small Shallot, Thinly Shaved

1 Big Handful of Walnuts, Toasted + Roughly Chopped

Prepared Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique, Chilled

Fresh Cilantro, Minced (for garnishing)

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique: In a small pot, pour in the blood orange juice and add in the blood orange zest, sugar, red wine vinegar, a generous pinch of salt, and sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring this liquid to a hard boil, and then reduce it to a simmer. Allow this mixture to reduce in half, about 5-10 minutes. Once it has reduced down, remove the sprigs of thyme and whisk in the light corn syrup. Bring to a boil once more and allow it to thicken to a nice, smooth syrup. We reduced ours to about a little more than ¼C. Whisk in the dried red pepper flakes and chill the gastrique in the refrigerator until it has completely cooled.

2. For the Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese, roasted garlic cloves, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of crumbled honey goat cheese at a time, until the goat cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Place in the refrigerator to chill slightly.

3. For the Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with some Pam. Set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the roasted tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, Turmeric, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. The mixture will be pretty thick, but that’s okay, it will help to thickly coat the baby carrots. Toss the carrots in the tahini using your hands until they are completely covered. Lay them out in a single layer on the prepared pan and roast for 25 minutes. Boost your oven up to broil and allow them to reach a gorgeous golden brown color with a slight char (just keep an eye on them, you don’t want them to burn). Remove the roasted carrots from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before assembling the salad.

4. For the Roasted Carrot Salad: On a pretty dinner plate, spoon a blanket of the whipped roasted garlic goat cheese on the bottom, and then mound a handful of baby arugula on top of the cheese. Now stack the spiced tahini roasted carrots on top of the greens (almost log cabin style), followed by some of the shaved shallots, and a scattering of the toasted walnuts. Drizzle the entire dish with some of the spicy blood orange gastrique, as well as a sprinkle of minced cilantro, fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately! 

Gourmet Spiced Turtles with Vanilla Bean Caramel, Dark Chocolate, & Sprinkled with Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel + Toffee Chips

Gourmet Spiced Turtles with Vanilla Bean Caramel, Dark Chocolate, & Sprinkled with 

Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel + Toffee Chips

Back when I lived in Savannah, there were candy kitchens pretty much at every block. Pralines were their number one seller by far, so much so that if you just walked in the store, a hot, freshly-made praline sample was handed to you. Naturally, that just meant we walked in and out about 5-10 times. Of course, who wouldn't? Most of their treats were quite tasty, but I could never get on board with store-bought turtles. I'm not quite sure why, but they just weren't my gig, ya'know? Well, a couple weeks ago, I had a custom order request from an Haute + Heirloom Etsy buyer, asking me if I could whip up some gourmet turtles for her. I had never made them, but I knew how to make all the components and I was sure I could spice them up some to make them extra special. The first component are the pecans. A lot of the time, no one does anything to them. Some people might toast them or salt them slightly, but I went with the extravagant route by "spicing them". After being toasted in butter, I added in some fleur de sel, cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, chili powder, & cardamom. They are all perfect, comforting fall spices. I also sweetened them up a bit with sugar to give them a crackly crust (um yumm). Now onto the caramel... the gooey, sticky, chewy caramel that is speckled + scented with vanilla beans and flavored with a dash of fleur de sel. If that doesn't make your mouth water... then I don't know what would. The caramel will harden & solidify, which means they are ready to be covered in chocolate. Tempering chocolate may seem like a daunting task, but really it is all scientific. You just gotta be aware of the temperature and keep it even throughout the entire process. Once you pour the tempered chocolate over the caramel, it will quickly begin to settle, so while it is still soft, sprinkle the tops with some vanilla bean fleur de sel and toffee chips (just for presentation & extra flavor). Even though these candies are a little more labor-intensive than the ones you can buy in a store, the quality alone speaks for itself. And that's coming from a girl who hated turtles prior to making this recipe!! Enjoy :)

clustering the spiced pecans...

making the vanilla bean caramel...

pouring the vanilla bean caramel over the spiced pecan clusters

a little extra salt neva hurt no'body

ready for the chocolate...

I experimented a little bit by adding on some chocolate stour marshmallows--yumm!

now it's time for the tempered chocolate, fleur de sel, & toffee bits

READY TO EAT!!

For the Spiced Pecans:

16oz Pecan Halves

3T Unsalted Butter, Melted

½t Salt, Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Pumpkin Pie Spice

¼t Freshly Grated Nutmeg, Chili Powder, & Cardamom

1-2T Sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

For the Vanilla Bean Caramel:

¾C Heavy Whipping Cream

½C Sugar

1/3C Dark Brown Sugar

3T Light Corn Syrup

2T Unsalted Butter, Cubed

1t Vanilla

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

½-1t Salt (depending on your taste)

For the Dark Chocolate Coating:

12oz High Quality Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Toffee Chips, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Spiced Pecans: For the pecans, preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pecan halves with melted butter and kosher salt and spread onto a large sheet pan. Toast the pecans, stirring halfway through cooking, until fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes; set aside until cool enough to handle. Once you can handle them, toss them with the spices and sugar until it adheres. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and arrange cooled pecans into X-shaped clusters or feel free to place the pecan pieces into small mounds to yield a more rustic-shaped cluster.

2. For the Vanilla Bean Caramel: For the caramel, combine the cream, sugars, and corn syrup in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan and whisk until incorporated. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Please do NOT stir the mixture after it comes to a boil; if necessary, dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides of the pot to remove any sugar stuck to the sides. Continue boiling the mixture until it reaches 250°F on an instant read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds.

3. Working quickly, spoon a generous teaspoon or so over each cluster of pecans. Allow clusters to set, uncovered and undisturbed, for at least two hours but preferably overnight.

4. Tempering the Chocolate:To melt and temper the chocolate coating, prepare a double boiler or set a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Add approximately 3/4 of the chocolate (the remainder will get added in after the initial heating) to the top of the boiler. Melt the chocolate, stirring often, until it reaches the following temperature(s) on an instant read thermometer: 116 to 120°F for semisweet; 110 to 112°F for milk chocolate, and immediately remove from the heat. Add the reserved chocolate and continue stirring until the temperature drops to the following: 82 to 86°F for semisweet;80 to 84°F for milk chocolate. Return the chocolate to the boiler and heat on low until the temperature rises back up to 90°F, watching carefully to make sure the chocolate does not exceed the temperature.

5. Finishing the Turtles: Drizzle the tempered chocolate over the caramel-covered pecan clusters. Sprinkle the top with some vanilla bean fleur de sel and some toffee chips. Set aside in a cool place to set. Turtles will keep for up to two weeks, stored between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

source: homemade turtles.

Engagement Banana Pancakes

I'm sorry I haven't posted a recipe yet...

We have been SO busy with our engagement :)

Therefore, I declare it "Wordless Wednesday"...

So enjoy these Engagement Banana Pancakes with someone you love :)

Here ya go, folks: Fluffy, Spiced Brown Butter-Banana-Buttermilk Pancakes, Homemade Cinnamon-Pecan Compound Butter, Honey Fried Bananas, + Bourbon Maple Syrup.

someone stole my bacon...

For the Cinnamon-Pecan Compound Butter:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Extremely Soft

3T Brown Sugar

½t Vanilla

1T Cinnamon

¼C Toasted Pecans, Finely Chopped

 

For the Fried Bananas:

2-3 Bananas, Sliced into Thick Rounds

Canola Oil, For Frying

2-3T Honey

Cinnamon

1-2T Rum

For the Fluffy, Spiced Brown Butter Buttermilk Pancakes:

2C AP Flour + ½C Whole Wheat Flour, Sifted

¼C Light Brown Sugar

1T Baking Powder + 2t Baking Soda

½t Fleur de Sel & Cinnamon

Pinch of Nutmeg, Allspice, & Cardamom

3C Buttermilk, Well Shaken

2 Large Bananas, Mashed with a Fork

2 Large Eggs

4T Brown Butter, Melted & Slightly Cooled

1T Bourbon

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

Pancake Toppings:

Toasted Pecans, Finely Minced

Fried Banana Rounds

Homemade Bourbon Maple Syrup, Warmed

Homemade Cinnamon-Pecan Compound Butter, Room Temperature

Directions:

1. For the Compound Butter: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, then slowly add in the cinnamon and toasted pecans, and beat until just combined. Chill until ready to serve, and then let it warm to room temperature for easy pancake spreading.

2. For the Fried Bananas: Lightly drizzle the oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Place the bananas in an even layer and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown & starting to crisp. Meanwhile, whisk together the honey, 2-3T water, cinnamon, and a pinch of cardamom & salt. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the honey mixture over the banana, followed by the rum. Remove them from the pan onto a plate until you are ready to layer them between the pancakes.

3. For the Banana Pancakes: Preheat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Whisk together the AP flour, WW flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, mashed bananas, brown butter, bourbon, and vanilla bean. In the bowl of the dry ingredients, create a well using your heads or a spoon. Pour the wet mixture into the center of a well, and using a rubber spatula or a fork, gently whisk the two together to form a batter. This should be a relatively smooth, thick batter, but with small lumps still remaining. Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes before using. Next, using a ½C measure, pour the patter in to pools on the heated griddle. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2-3 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 1-2 minutes. While you finish cooking the other pancakes, keep the finished pancakes warm in the oven until serving.

4. For Serving: Stack the banana pancakes on to a plate, making sure to layer rounds of fried honey bananas, toasted pecans, and compound butter between the pancake layers. Garnish the top with more fried bananas, pecans, butter, & a generous drizzling of homemade bourbon maple syrup. Enjoy with your honey, for breakfast in bed, on a rainy Sunday morning.

source: fried honey bananas.

Brown Butter Baklava with a Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup

Brown Butter Baklava with a Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup

Brown Butter is singlehandedly the most delicious ingredient I cook with. I mean, if I'm making a dessert, most likely brown butter will be included. It's especially important in my favorite chocolate chunk cookie recipe, and it ain't too shabby in savory recipes either, honey! Well, I had been wanting to make Baklava for a while now, but I had to wait until autumn because it just seems like the perfect comfort food on a cold day with a glass of hot coffee. And trust me, we snuck a little triangle at every meal. So, why not add brown butter to each & every layer of Baklava? Brilliant I tell, friggin' brilliant. It seriously enhances the already-bold, nutty flavor from the roasted pecans and walnuts. Then, you add in honey, vanilla beans, warm spices, and citrus... and you got one balanced Baklava, people. The whole pan disappeared within a day, and I was tempted to make another, but I knew my body would completely shut down on me if did. Although some people are intimidated by Baklava recipes, I really didn't think it was difficult at all. Just make sure you have everything ready and prepped, so you can keep layering at a steady pace. Aren't y'all glad fall is finally back? I have missed it soooo!! Enjoy :)

Look at that deep golden brown color...

And those flaky, soaked layers...

And that crispy top...

For the Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled Slightly

2C Orange Blossom Honey

½C Water

½C Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean, Scraped for Seeds & Saving the Pod (or you can use 1T Vanilla Bean Paste)

½t Cinnamon

¼t Ground Cloves, Ground Cardamom & Ground Nutmeg

1 Lemon Zest, Peeled

1t Orange Flower Water

¼t Sea Salt

For the Brown Butter Baklava:

1 Package of Phyllo Dough, Defrosted Overnight & Brought to Room Temperature for Hour

2C Roasted Pecans, Finely Ground in a Food Processor

2C Roasted Walnuts, Finely Ground in a Food Processor

½t Cinnamon

¼t Sea Salt 

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Cooled Slightly

Prepared Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup, Cooled Completely Before Using

Melted Dark Chocolate, For Drizzling (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the Phyllo dough package from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours in order to thaw. The next day, remove the package from the refrigerator 1 hour before using, so it can come to room temperature. When working with the Phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, and then cover with a damp cloth.

2. For the Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup: Bring a pot over medium-high heat and whisk in the orange blossom honey, water, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean pod, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange flower water, salt, and peeled lemon zest strips. Whisk until smooth. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, whisk in the brown butter.  Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture has become slightly thickened into syrup. Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and strain the syrup into the bowl (this will help remove the vanilla bean pod, lemon peel, and any other gritty spice pieces). Let this mixture cool completely before pouring over the baklava.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the nuts onto a baking sheet. Roast the nuts until toasted and fragrant, but make sure not to burn! Just until the oils are beginning to release and they are warmed through. Let the nuts cool to room temperature. Next, using a food processor, pulse the roasted nuts until they are finely ground into small pieces, but do not pulse too much because they will turn into a paste. Pour the ground nuts into a small bowl and toss the nuts with the cinnamon and sea salt until combined. Set it aside.

4. For the Brown Butter Baklava: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and thoroughly brush on some of the melted brown butter into a 13x9 baking pan. Brush the top sheet of Phyllo with melted brown butter, and then grab it and the unbuttered sheet bellow it. Set the two sheets in the pan, buttered sheet face down. Press lightly into the pan. Repeat this twice more, so that you have six sheets of Phyllo in the pan (three sheets of buttered & three sheets of unbuttered). Sprinkle on a third of the nut mixture to make a single even layer. Drizzle some more brown butter on top of the nuts. Butter two more sheets of Phyllo and place them on top of the nut layer. Add another third of the nut mixture, followed by two buttered sheets of Phyllo. Repeat this one last time, making sure to use up the last third of the nut mixture and one last layer of buttered Phyllo. Finish the baklava by adding 6-8 more layers of buttered Phyllo. So that there is roughly 8-10 layers of buttered Phyllo dough finishing the baklava. Brush on any extra brown butter over the top to make sure that they brown beautifully in the oven. Using a sharp knife, cut through the layers, forming a diagonal or triangle pattern.

5. Bake the Brown Butter Baklava for 45 minutes to an hour or until it is flaky and the top layers are a dark golden brown color. Once browned, remove the baklava from the oven and immediately drizzle half of the cooled Spiced Honey Soaking Syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Allow it to sit and absorb the syrup for a minute or two, and then drizzle on more of the syrup until it is thoroughly moistened. You can either use all of it for a really, really sticky baklava or just have some of the syrup left over for cooking other recipes. Allow the baklava to cool completely, uncovered, for at least 3-4 hours.

6. Once it is cooled, soaked, & sticky, carefully remove from the pan and enjoy immediately.