Cranberry-Apple Tarts

Ooooh boy... have I got a recipe for you.

Dane and I hosted a housewarming / Christmas party this weekend, and these little tarts were my shining dessert. All of our closest friends came to celebrate with us... they came, they ate, they drank, and they did a marvelous job of making our house warm! We're hoping this is just the first of many rockin' parties to come.

As our guests quickly discovered, these tarts are addictive. They vanished in about 5 minutes once everyone arrived, although I'm amazed any of them lasted until the party after Dane got home from work at 4:30 and tried one... I had to practically hide them to keep him from eating them all! 

And don't let the color throw you off. At first, everyone kept asking, "What are the little tomato things?" and I kept having to explain that "No, those aren't tomatoes... they're actually apples!" You can blame the cranberries for the festive red color. And you can blame the butter and cinnamon for the epic-level flavor.

Seriously, if you like apple pie, you're going to love these. The bubbly, melted butter joins forces with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to form a sort of spicy caramel sauce that coats the sweet, tender apples... and piling the filling on top of light, flaky, buttery puff pastry sends the flavors out of this world. (And I have it on good authority that leftover filling goes exceptionally well with french toast the next morning.) Pop one of these guys in your mouth and you'll understand the meaning of irresistible... betcha can't eat just one! 

Cinnamon Twists with Lemon-Honey Dipping Sauce

Step over, Dane... I have a new love. Puff pastry. I mean, really... where has this stuff been all my life? I can't believe this is the first recipe I've ever made with puff pastry. I've seen lots of recipes that include it over the years, but I'd never actually tried working with it until today. Hahahaha... now I'm going to have to keep myself from making every recipe including puff pastry known to man.

These little twists are fantastic. They were the perfect addition to our usual Sunday morning breakfast of maple bacon and coffee. Lightly crunchy on the outside, flaky and airy on the inside, with a hint of cinnamon-sweetness... they were delicious dipped in the accompanying dipping sauce or simply dunked in coffee. I will warn you though, the dipping sauce is very lemony. I think next time I'll use less lemon juice, or I might even leave it out altogether and use a little brewed coffee to replace the needed liquid. But with or without the sauce, you need to try these twists. Make them today. They're too easy and too delicious to wait.

Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pancakes

Sunday morning bacon is somewhat of a tradition in our household. Sunday mornings are often the only time that Dane and I get to spend together during the week, so I always try to make something special for breakfast when I can. I try to mix it up, with omelets and frittatas and the occasional breakfast burrito, but we both find that our favorite breakfasts usually involve bacon. I mean, what's not to love about bacon? Crispy and salty and savory, with that intoxicating odor that makes the house smell like breakfast for days... I'm pretty sure I could eat bacon at every meal for the rest of my life and not mind one bit (even though my arteries probably would).

It might be a little cliche, but pancakes and bacon seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. These pancakes go especially well with this cheap honey maple bacon that Dane and I are particularly fond of (it's not gourmet, but it sure is yummy!). I adapted this recipe from the one I grew up eating at home, which I loved as a kid. The original is a great standard recipe all by itself - light and fluffy with just a hint of sweetness, and relatively easy on the wallet since it consists primarily of household staple ingredients. (And it's so easy, I don't know why anyone would eat the processed stuff out of a box.) But as my tastes began to mature, I found myself craving a more "grown up" pancake. And I was pleasantly surprised by what I was able to accomplish with just a few simple tweaks... whole wheat flour adds nutritional value as well as a subtle nutty texture, and a hint of cinnamon and vanilla lend a savory-sweet flavor to the pancakes that make them perfect for topping with pecans and maple syrup. Of course, they're really perfect for topping with whatever you'd like... I enjoy them topped with fresh berries during the summer, spread with peanut butter and rolled up for breakfast on the go, or even sprinkled with chocolate chips if it's an extra special morning. :)

This pancake recipe is one of my favorite breakfasts to serve to overnight guests, and it always gets rave reviews. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!