Cranberry Pepper Jelly + Goat Cheese Baked Brie Bites

Cranberry Pepper Jelly + Goat Cheese Baked Brie Bites

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, y'all. I can't even contain my excitement, literally. I also have Friendsgiving this weekend, which is a great way to test some of my recipes out before the big show. And speaking of this fabulous holiday, every year I realize that one course is often neglected... the appetizers to nosh on while all the important stuff is still cooking. We normally have some charcuterie out, as well as a plate of different cheeses and crackers, but I think it could really do some sprucing up ya'know? Well, my friend, these are the perfect little bites that people can pick up and go multitask. It combines my recently posted homemade cranberry pepper jelly and it's not only perfect with turkey or on leftover sandwiches, but the condiment is great in this too! If you don't feel like making the cranberry pepper jelly (which is completely understandable), then you can sub in almost any jam... cherry, apricot, peach, etc. But I love the profile of the spicy cranberry component and it perfectly fits the season/holiday. As for the brie... I found a great goat cheese brie that, quite frankly, we have been addicted to lately; however, regular brie works just as well!! We personally don't like the rind (on any cheese for that matter), so we chose to remove it. If you don't mind or prefer it, then leave it on, no worries here. Now all you gotta do is buy some frozen puff pastry at the grocery store and cut it into squares and let the layering begin. You have to make sure that you don't over-stuff the squares, so that it seals properly and all of the fillings don't ooze out every where while baking. We purchased a poptart cutter and used that to seal it, but you can use any shape cutter and that will work just as well, just make sure to use a fork to close up the edges. After that, I brush mine with some egg wash, to help the browning, and sprinkle it with some fleur de sel or raw sugar (depending on if I want something more savory or sweet). Once you bake them, they will puff up gorgeously and turn the most perfect golden brown. I let mine cool just a tad, so that the cheese won't be a melty mess, but they are best served warm. Don't you worry though, they are great at room temperature too. I think these will be a great addition to your upcoming Thanksgiving parties. I mean think about it, it's practically a grown-up poptart, yay!! Enjoy :)

layers of puff pastry, goat cheese brie, + cranberry pepper jelly

using our adorable poptart cutter to make hand-held baked brie bites

place them on a baking sheet and brush with some egg wash 

bake them until they are golden brown and devour all of them immediately

For the Baked Brie Bites:

2 Sheets of Store-Bought Puff Pastry, Thawed & Still Cold

4oz Goat Cheese or Classic Brie, Cold

Homemade Cranberry Pepper Jelly

1 Large Egg, Beaten

Splash of Heavy Cream

Fleur de Sel or Raw Sugar, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Prepping the Puff Pastry: All-butter, store bought puff pastry usually comes frozen and folded into thirds. We’re going to use these folded thirds to our advantage.  Cut the puff pastry into thirds along the creases. Cut each panel into four pieces.  They’ll be 2 1/4-inch tall and 3-inches wide. One sheet of puff pastry will yield 12 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half. You’ll have 24 little rectangles that will create 12 little rectangle pockets.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat. Set this aside.

3. Making the Jelly-Brie Bites: Combine beaten egg and splash of heavy cream. Brush 12 of the small rectangles with egg wash. Place a small sliver of Brie (we like the rind removed, but it can be left on and it’ll still taste great) on top of the egg wash (and stick).  Top with a small spoonful of the homemade cranberry pepper jelly. Take another square of puff pastry and press between your fingers to make the rectangle slightly bigger. Place puff pastry on top of the cheese and jam.  Use a fork to press the edges together or you can use a pop tart cutter like I had.  The egg wash will act as glue. Make sure to seal the edges well by crimping with the fork.  Prick the tops of the pastry lightly with a fork in order to let the steam escape the inside of the pastry. Place the stuffed puff pastry squares onto the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with some of the egg wash. If you want you can sprinkle with a little fleur de sel (or even some raw sugar for a sweeter pastry).

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and turned to a beautiful golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving. These baked Brie bites taste best warm, but are also fine at room temperature!

source: bite sized baked brie bites.

Thanksgiving Panini with Roasted Turkey, Sage Aioli, Cranberry Pepper Jelly, + Goat Brie Cheese on Homemade Crusty Pumpkin Bread, Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Thanksgiving Panini with Roasted Turkey, Sage Aioli, Cranberry Pepper Jelly, + Goat Brie
Cheese on Homemade Crusty Pumpkin Bread, Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

It's officially November, y'all... which means the month of Thanksgiving and giving thanks is upon us!! We all gotta start planning our menu for the big day, but what's better than the day after meal... y'all know what I'm talking about, the leftover sandwiches. Two years ago, I made this Friends-inspired treat and the next year, I went in a crazy direction and whipped up these chicken + waffles with leftover dishes. Oh and don't forget that kick-ass tartine, either!! Now, we've come back full circle and I'm featuring another sandwich, well, a panini to be exact. I didn't want it to be too fussy and loaded like the Moist Maker, but I still wanted a gourmet touch to it, that's for sure. So, I started by making homemade crusty pumpkin bread using pumpkin powder. We absolutely adored this pumpkin bread, it is great for sandwiches, toast, or could be used in sweet recipes as well (I'm thinking some french toast is in order). To make the bread even better, it is fried in herbed compound butter till golden & crispy. Y'all probably already knew that though because that's the only way we like a sandwich around this joint... fried in large amounts of butter. The filling is kept pretty classic with the use of roasted turkey, but then it's even more delicious because of the CHEESE (a.k.a. a tangy, creamy goat brie cheese) and CONDIMENTS (a.k.a homemade sage aioli + cranberry pepper jelly). That fruity sauce is the bomb as far as we're concerned and I loved the Southern twist to it... we love our pepper jelly down here. And that's it, that's all y'all need for a perfectly simple-perfectly haute couture panini, inspired by Thanksgiving. Honestly, we made this sandwich until we ran out of bread, so y'all know we loved it. I know we can't wait to make it the rest of the month... and don't worry, there will be plenty of dishes posted that are perfect for the big day, and day after, all throughout the season!! Enjoy :)

yumm-ooooo

For the Crusty Pumpkin Bread:

5C Bread Flour

1C Pumpkin Powder

1T Salt

3C Water

For the Sage Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

2 Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

½t Salt

¾C Canola Oil

1t Fresh Rosemary, Minced

1-2T Fresh Sage (depending on how strong you like it)

For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly:

3 Red Bell Peppers, Finely Chopped

2 Red Habanero Peppers, Seeded & Finely Chopped

1C Sugar

2t Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

½t Salt

¼C Liquid Pectin

1T Fresh Lemon Juice

3C Cranberries

 

For the Thanksgiving Panini:

Prepared Crusty Pumpkin Bread, Cut into Slices + Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Prepared Sage Aioli

Prepared Cranberry Pepper Jelly

Thinly Shaved Roasted Turkey

Slices of Creamy Goat Brie Cheese

Directions:

1. For the Crusty Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, pumpkin powder, salt, and yeast. Add in the water and stir until you have shaggy dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 12-18 hours. Once the dough has rested, heat the oven to 450 degrees. After the oven has heated, put a covered pot in and heat for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully pick up the ball of dough and drop it into the hot pot. Put the lid on the pot and return it to the oven to bake for an hour. After the hour cooking time, take off the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the bread is golden brown. Carefully remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely before slicing.

2. For the Sage Aioli: Combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh sage, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

3. For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly: Combine peppers, chiles, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt in a heavy wide pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in pectin and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in cranberries and simmer gently until they burst and juices thicken, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer jelly to a jar, let cool, and cover. It will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

4. Prepping the Grilled Cheese:Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Spread one side of each of the two slices of pumpkin bread with some homemade sage aioli and begin layering with slices of goat Brie cheese, roasted turkey, and a heavy serving of cranberry pepper jelly on top of the bread. Press the sandwich together in order to compress it some.

5. Cooking the Grilled Cheese: Spread one side of the cut bread with some softened, herbed compound butter and place it buttered side down and fry the bread lightly for 3-5 minutes, making sure that all of the cheese has melted and the filling is hot. Flip the sandwich and continue to cook for another few minutes until both sides are well browned, perfectly crispy, & melted. Carefully press the sandwich together to ensure everything has adhered to each other. If you are still concerned about the filling not being hot enough, you can always pop it in the oven to ensure that everything hot and gooey.

6. Sprinkle the sandwich with some minced fresh herbs, cut in half, and enjoy immediately!!

Whiskey Pimento Cheese Burger with Bacon, Red Onion Marmalade, “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw, & Roasted Garlic Aioli on Toasted Brioche Buns

Whiskey Pimento Cheese Burger with Bacon, Red Onion Marmalade, “Condiment-Inspired” 

Romaine Slaw, & Roasted Garlic Aioli on Toasted Brioche Buns

These were some of the best burgers, we've ever cooked. I have never considered myself a master burger-maker, especially not on the grill. They always end up turning into a ground beef mess, where more meat ends up in the bottom of the grill instead of our buns. Not cool. So, as of this summer, we have been really practicing to bump up our cookin' out skills. And these burgers hit the spot! Pimento cheese burgers are my absolute favorite, so I have about 6 million different recipes at my disposal. This is definitely top-knotch. You have to make your own pimento cheese, that is key. I started with my favorite recipe, but went all willy-nilly on it, and added some cold, hard whiskey to the game. If I've said it was I've said it a million times, booze belongs in anything + everything. The other components to this awesome burger include: crispy thick bacon, red onion marmalade, homemade roasted garlic aioli, & perfectly toasted buns. But far and away, the item that brings it over the top has to be the "condiment-inspired" romaine slaw. I got this idea from the sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw from my fried chicken banh mi's. Why not make a good 'ole American classic for burgers instead? With lettuce subbed in for cabbage. Done & done. The romaine lettuce is thinly shredded and tossed together with pickles, tomatoes, shaved shallots, a mustard dressing, and a few other tasty treats! It's important to know that you shouldn't toss the slaw together until just before serving that way the texture remains crisp and crunchy. The burgers come together with such a souther, summer harmony. It's like a good country song playin' while you're sippin' on the porch kinda night... but in food form, obviously. I'm sorry that I've been so preoccupied with engagement stuff + wedding planning (ahhh already), but that's kind of what has been taking up my time. But, I'll keep making sure to give y'all new recipes every few days!! Enjoy :)

cooked medium-rare, just like my mountain man likes it.

"condiment-inspired" romaine slaw

summer... between two buns.

For the Homemade Whiskey Spiked Pimento Cheese:

4oz Cream Cheese, Extremely Soft

½C Homemade Roasted Garlic Aioli

¼t Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, & Paprika

2t Hot Sauce

2T Sweet Onion, Grated

2T Finely Minced Chives

8oz Pepper Jack or Habanero Jack Cheese, Shredded

16oz Vintage Aged Cheddar Cheese (I like to use 8oz white and 8oz yellow)

2 Roasted Red Peppers, Diced (preferably done at home, instead of store-bought)

½C Candied Jalapenos, Diced

1-2T Whiskey or Bourbon, Very Cold   

For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

1 Large Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

1 Large Head of Garlic Cloves, Roasted & Pureed (let it cool before mashing or pureeing)

½t Sea Salt (or to taste)

¾C Canola Oil   

For the Mustard Dressing:

1T Yellow Mustard, 1T Dijon Mustard, + 1T Grainy Mustard

1T Honey + 1T Mayo

¼C Bread n’ Butter Pickle Pickling Liquid

2T Taco Pickles Pickling Liquid

2T Candied Jalapeno Liquid

For the “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw:

4C Romaine Hearts, Thinly Shaved/Sliced (roughly 2-3 large hearts)

2 Jalapenos, Thinly Sliced (optional)

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

½C Homemade Bread n’ Butter Pickles + ¼C of the Pickling Liquid

1C Homemade “Taco Pickles” + 2T of the Pickling Liquid

½C Homemade Candied Jalapenos + 2T of the Candied Liquid

2 Shallots, Thinly Shaved

8oz Cherry Tomatoes, Finely Diced (seeds & juices removed)

Prepared Mustard Dressing

For the Burgers:

80/20 Ground Beef Formed into Patties, Seasoned, & Cooked to Your Liking

Gourmet Brioche Buns, Toasted & Warmed

Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon Slices, Cooked until Crispy

Prepared Whiskey Pimento Cheese

Homemade Red Onion Marmalade

Extra Roasted Garlic Aioli, For Spreading

Prepared “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw, Just Tossed

Heirloom Tomato Slices (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Whiskey Pimento Cheese:In a big mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, whiskey, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Separately, shred the three blocks of cheese and put in the bowl with the seasoned creamy mixture. (I use the normal shredding side because I like it more that way for this dip). Toss the mixture together until the mayo is covering all of the cheese. Add in the roasted red peppers and candied jalapeno, and toss until it’s completely incorporated. Season the dip with any additional seasonings if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use on top of the burgers.

2. For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, roasted garlic cloves, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with salt, pepper, & sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

3. For the Mustard Dressing:In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined/incorporated and very smooth. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to add to the romaine slaw.

4. For the “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw: Shred the hearts of romaine very thinly, so that it resembles the same look as coleslaw. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the jalapenos, green onions, Sriracha pickles, taco pickles, candied jalapenos, shaved shallots, and chopped cherry tomatoes. Pour the dressing over the condiment components and let it marinate for an hour or two while you are cooking the burgers. Just before serving, add the shredded romaine coleslaw mixture and season with salt & pepper. Toss to cover and combine, and use immediately before it becomes wilted & soggy.

5. Assembling the Burgers:Top one slice of a buttered & toasted bun with a thick layer of homemade roasted aioli. On the bottom slice of each bun, place a cooked burger patty, a few slices of bacon, a scoop of whiskey pimento cheese, homemade red onion marmalade, a slice of heirloom tomato, and a pile of the romaine slaw. Top it with the other slice of the burger bun.

6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket with Apricot-Mustard & Pomegranate-Ketchup

I love my Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages, or "pig candy" as we call them. So I knew that I would make those for our Super Bowl party, but at the last minute, I decided that I should shove those suckers into some puff pastry dough and bake them off, turning them into "gourmet pigs n' a blanket". I love that the candied sausages give them some sweetness, which means you can eat them plain without any dipping sauces. And people, don't use that boring ole' croissant dough... you gotta use the good stuff, puff pastry. It is so crisp, flakey, and fluffy. I just love the texture. It can't be beat. Now, you can't serve gourmet pigs n' a blanket with just ketchup and mustard. No no no, that will not work. So I whipped up two sauces, an Apricot-Mustard and a Pomegranate-Ketchup. I feel like you need both at your party because the world consists of two types of people: the mustard-eatin' people and the ketchup-eatin' people. I am of the ketchup-eatin' people. I'm slightly obsessed and will actually eat it plain. I know, don't hate. However, the Mountain Man is a mustard person, strictly mustard. I know, hate him. Anyway, having options for people to chose from is very important in a successful party my friends. So they can go plain or with one of the condiments. We gobbled these pigs down in about 5 minutes flat. We felt like pigs after eating them, no pun intended!! Enjoy :)

Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket  

Gourmet Pigs n' a Blanket

Apricot-Mustard and Pomegranate-Ketchup

For the Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages:

2lb Bacon, Cut into Halves or Thirds

2 Packages of Conecuh Smoked Sausages, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces

2C Brown Sugar

2T Cajun Seasoning

2t Paprika, Dry Mustard, & Pepper

½t Garlic Salt, Cayenne, & Cinnamon

For the Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket:

Prepared Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages, Cooked

1 Large Egg

1T Water

AP Flour (for the work surface)

1 Box of Frozen Puff Pastry, Thawed

Sesame or Poppy Seeds, For Topping

For the Apricot-Mustard:

1C Apricot Preserves

¼C Apple Cider Vinegar

3T Coarse Grainy Mustard

For the Pomegranate-Ketchup:

1C Ketchup

¼C Pomegranate Molasses

Directions:

1. To Make the Candied Bacon Wrapped Sausages: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cover a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with pam. Cut the bacon into halves or thirds and wrap each strip around the sausage pieces. Place the wrapped sausages onto wooden skewers. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and seasonings. Roll the bacon wrapped sausages into the sugar-seasoning mix until well coated. Arrange them onto the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with more sugar. Bake for 30 minutes until the bacon is crisp, the sausage is warm, and the brown sugar is caramelized, and then flip the sausage over, sprinkle with more brown sugar, and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the other side has caramelized as well. Let the sausages cool enough to handle and remove the toothpicks.
2. For the Sausages in a Puff Pastry Blanket: Heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, working with one sheet of puff pastry at a time, roll into a 14x11inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into seven 1 ½inch wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 rectangles, each about 3 ½inches long. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and water, and set it aside. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a cooled candied bacon wrapped sausage on the narrow end of one piece of pastry. Roll to enclose, brushing with some of the beaten egg to adhere. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sausages. Brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds.
3. Bake the sausages in a blanket until puffed & golden, about 20 minutes. Let them cool briefly before serving with the apricot-mustard and pomegranate-ketchup.
4. For the Apricot-Mustard: Combine the apricot preserves, vinegar, and mustard in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
5. For the Pomegranate-Ketchup: In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup and pomegranate molasses until incorporated.