Category Archives: Food & Drink

Candy Cane Brownies

December 16, 2014

If you are curious to see how far my blog has come. You can look back at this post from 4 years ago to just see how much better my photography has gotten at least. I’ve updated the recipe a little bit, and I think they are even better now. I’m using my mom’s Chewy Brownie recipe that she’s made most of my life. Why change a tried and true recipe?

I love this holiday take on a classic American dessert. Who doesn’t love a chewy, decadent brownie, and topped with Candy Canes, they are even better.

Chewy Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla or peppermint extract
1 cup flour

In a medium sized pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the sugar and cocoa well. In another bowl, beat the eggs and then add them to the butter, sugar and cocoa mixture. When the eggs are mixed in well, add the vanilla and the flour and stir until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into a greased 9X13″ pan. Bake at 325F for about 25-30 mins, or till the tops of the brownies are shiny.

Fudge Icing
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cream or half and half
3 tbsp. cocoa
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Crushed candy canes or peppermints

In a small pan, melt the butter, cocoa and cream. Whisk together until there is no lumps of cocoa. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and then the powdered sugar. Whisk by hand until smooth. Pour the icing over the warm brownies. Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces on the freshly iced brownies. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting.

If you have a Christmas party or get together that requires you bringing a treat, why not bake a pan of these? I bet you have most of the ingredients already.

And the winner of the Cricut Explore Machine is……….

Kim Coers – she won by following Oleander and Palm on Pinterest. Check your email Kim!!! Congratulations!

etc. / Food & Drink

Orange Cardamom Rolls

November 24, 2014

I’ve partnered with the Grain Foods Foundation to bring you this recipe for Orange Cardamom Rolls. Grains are a big part of our holiday traditions. This is the time of year, my oven is on every day and baked goods and treats are being made for my family and guests.

Last year my family and I travelled to Sweden over the Thanksgiving break to meet my Grandpa’s extended family. I already was a huge fun or Cardamom, but after tasting all the amazing breads and cookies that featured cardamom in Sweden, I’m always looking for ways to add this unique spice into my baking. Orange and Cardamom are a perfect pair (I made Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies to prove it). My husband LOVES bread, especially sweet rolls. So I came up with this recipe using my mom’s trusty dinner roll recipe as my starting part.

These are light fluffy rolls with the bright flavor of oranges and warm spice of cardamom. I recently served these to some friends that weren’t familiar with the spice, cardamom, they were instant fans. It’s a nice departure from the classic, cinnamon, it’s something a little exotic and special for the holidays.

Orange Cardamom Rolls
7 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 packages dry instant yeast
Zest of 2 oranges (set one tsp. aside)
4 tsp. freshly ground cardamom

2 cups milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup butter (softened)
2/3 cup sugar

Orange Glaze
Juice of an orange (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp. orange zest
2 cups of powdered sugar

In a large box, mix 3 cups of flour with the sugar, yeast, salt, zest and cardamom. Place the milk, water and butter in a pan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted, and the liquid is just quick warm, do not boil. Add the warm liquid to the flour and yeast mixture. I use my kitchen aid with the dough hook attachment, but you can also just mix this with a wooden spoon. Begin adding one cup of flour at a time, kneading it in either with the mixer or by hand. Knead until the dough is smooth (about 5 minutes).

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and rise until it is double in size. Punch down the dough and divide it into two equal portions. Roll out the dough to a large rectangle about 12″ by 18″. Mix the softened butter and sugar. Spread half the butter and sugar mixture over the rolled out dough. Roll the dough up width ways and cut into 12 equal parts. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place rolls on buttered cookie sheets (12 per sheet). Cover with a towel and let rise again till double in size. Bake in a 425 F preheated oven for just 12 minutes.

Mix the orange juice, zest and powdered sugar to make the Orange Glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

For more holiday baking and cooking inspiration, be sure to check out the Grain Foods Foundation website. It’s a great resource.

This post is sponsored by The Grain Foods Foundation. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

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White Cheddar Dill Scones

November 17, 2014

This recipe is featured in Merry, a handmade holiday guide. Be sure to check out this amazing online magazine for page after page of fabulous holiday inspiration.

As company is arriving for the Holidays, I’m looking for easy, crowd pleasing recipes to put on my table. These savory scones are a nice twist on traditional bread rolls. These buttery, tender savory scones take a fraction of the time it takes to make yeast rolls, and no one will be disappointed with this alternative on your table. I love the bright, fresh flavor of dill paired with rich, sharp cheese.

White Cheddar Dill Scones

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup of grated sharp white cheddar (I like Kerrygold)

1 tbsp. dried dill

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup half and half

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add the grated cheese and dill, mix well. Using a pastry knife, cut the COLD butter into the flour until it looks like course meal. Add the half and half and just barely combine the ingredients by tossing it gently with a fork. The less you handle the dough the more tender it will be. Gather the dough into a lose ball.

Pat out the dough into a 1/2 inch thick round (about 8inches across) on a well floured surface. Cut the dough into 8 evenly sized wedges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with little more half and half and sprinkle with a little more grated cheese. Bake at 400 F for about 12-15 minutes.

Serve while they are warm.

Food & Drink

Peanut Butter Fondue

November 7, 2014

As the holiday’s approach, I’m gathering easy, go-to recipes to serve my guests. This Peanut Butter Fondue is a definite crowd pleaser.

You can serve it with crisp apples and all the fondue favorites or simply pour it over vanilla bean ice cream. Head over to Minted’s blog, Julep today for the recipe.

And I sure hope you’ll join the #instagratitude2014 project. You can read more about it here.

Food & Drink

Caramel Apple Floats

October 28, 2014

This is probably the easiest Halloween dessert possible – Caramel Apple Floats. I found this fun Wicked Apple soda at World Market, but any sparkling apple juice would work.

Simply fill a large glass with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, pour the soda over the ice cream and then drizzle with some caramel sauce. How easy is that?

Look at all these fun flavors for Halloween. World Market knows how to do Seasonal treats. I think all of them would make great floats. Why not give your guests a choice? Fill the glasses with ice cream and then let them choose their soda flavor. The Butterscotch Beer was especially yummy with the creamy ice cream.

DIY / Food & Drink

Spooky Edible Halloween Centerpiece

October 21, 2014

I love entertaining and finding ways to work with a theme, but then give it a new twist. This halloween I’m all about black and white, so I thought I’d throw in a hint of mint green. It’s totally not a halloween color, but it’s just so dang pretty with all this black.

This Spooky Edible Halloween Centerpiece is a sophisticated way to add a little creepy crawliness to your table. Black fruit is served with the yummiest Blue Cheese, Date and Pistachio Cheese Ball. For the full how-to and the recipe, head over to Julep today.

Halloween is just around the corner. EEEEEEK, I better get my kiddo’s costumes done ASAP!!!!!

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Cardamom Orange Shortbread

October 6, 2014

I love shortbread cookies, I have a lot of recipes for them here on my blog, but this might be my favorite flavor combination. These tender cookies are bright and just a little spicy with all the cardamom. I can’t get enough of cardamom. Swedish baking uses a lot of cardamom and with Olivia’s Dala Horse themed party last week, I thought this would be an appropriate flavor.

Cardamom Orange Shortbread
1 cup butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
zest of one orange
1 tsp. vanilla
Optional for the tops of the cookies, Parlsocker (pearl sugar or any coarse sugar)

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. (I like to use whole cardamom in the pods. You have to remove the seeds from inside the green casing and then either crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle or a spice mill. This takes a bit of time, but it’s totally worth it.) Add the vanilla, cardamom and orange zest. Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 mins.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Roll out the dough to a little less then 1/4″ on a well floured surface. This is a very soft dough, that’s what makes them so tender when they are done. Keep the dough cold and work with flour on your hands and on the surface. Cut out desired shapes and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Chill the cut cookies for at least 20 mins. before baking (this helps the cookies keep their shape and not spread on the cookie sheet). Bake the cookies for about 12 mins. or until the edges are just barely brown. Cool on wire racks.

These cookies freeze well in an air tight container.

etc. / Food & Drink

Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette

September 15, 2014

This week I’m out of town for the Better Homes and Gardens Stylemakers Event in NYC, lucky me. And to change it up a bit, I’m asked some of my favorite bloggers to guest post for me. I’m pretty picky and like to create my own content, so I’m only bringing you top notch, quality bloggers here guys.

I’m so pleased to introduce you to a blogger you need to know. Today Julianne is going to bring you a gorgeous recipe for a Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette, sounds amazing, right?

Hello Oleander and Palm readers! I am so honored that I was asked to share a recipe here. My name is Julianne and I write over on Fern and Fog, where I try to highlight the beautiful, everyday moments in our lives: a lively family meal, quiet moments of retrospect or artful endeavors.

Cooking in my home can be lively or quiet, artful or just messy, but all-in-all, an adventure which my whole family must partake in. Usually I can create something edible. In this case, I cooked up something truly delicious.

I have recently given figs a chance. Growing up I never ate a fig, if I did I had no clue what it was. Now I see figs everywhere and in the town where I live people eat them as nonchalantly as a basket of strawberries. I was told by a sweet persuader who thought I might be irked by the way they look, “take a bite, but don’t look at the center.” I followed those directions and was pleasantly surprised at how mild and subtly sweet they were, and the center only looks slightly like a brain.

I am now completely curious about how to cook with them. Upon research I discovered some pairings that complimented these sweet little fruits: honey, earthy prosciutto or a little goat cheese. Thus came the rosemary, goat cheese and fig galette.

Sometimes I impress myself. It’s crazy. A galette is a free-form crusty cake, basically a really rustic pie. I appreciate making something that is a little less than perfect and calling it “rustic”.

Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Fig Galette

2 large onions (1 ½ pounds), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 sprig rosemary, more for garnish

Pinch sugar

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

¼ cup milk

1 egg

Flour for dusting

¾ pound prepared puff pastry or pie dough

1 pint fresh figs (3/4 pound), stemmed and cut in half lengthwise

5 ounces goat cheese (I used Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor)

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Honey for drizzling (optional)

1. In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions, rosemary and sugar. Cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are limp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. Stir in the onions that have just been caramelized and about 4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.

3. Use a fork to spread onion mixture evenly over pastry (let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl), leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange figs, cut-side up, in even rows on onion mixture (if they don’t look perfect, that’s ok! It will add to the rustic theme). Scatter cheese and pine nuts over figs. Use a pastry brush to dab edges of tart with egg mixture. Gently fold over edges of tart to form a lip and brush with more egg mixture.

4. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with rosemary needles and drizzled with honey, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve at hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings.

etc. / Food & Drink

Kale and Cabbage Asian Chicken Salad

August 11, 2014

We’re trying to make good eating choices around here. So, protein and greens are our friends. Last week I shared my Ginger Turkey Lettuce Wraps, today I’ve got a twist on my mother in laws yummy cabbage salad. I boosted the green value with a little kale and added some kick with a touch of wasbi.

Kale and Cabbage Asian Chicken Salad

1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. wasabi paste (more or less depending on how hot you like)
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. fleshly grate ginger

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 head of cabbage finely shredded (I used my food processor)
6 cups of chopped kale

1/3 cup chopped almonds
1-2 tbsp. black sesame seeds
Ramen noodles (just the noodles, not the seasoning)

Make the dressing first. In a large mason jar combine the first 6 ingredients and shake well. This makes enough dressing for a couple salads, so go ahead and store the extra dressing in the jar in the the fridge.

Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of the dressing as a marinade. Marinade the chicken for at least an hour. In a nonstick fry pan, cook the chicken with the marinade. Allow the chicken to rest 10 mins and then with two forks, shred the chicken. You can serve the chicken warm or cool on the salad.

Finely shred 1/2 a head of cabbage and mix with about 6 cups of finely chopped kale. Toss the cabbage and kale with about 1/3 of the dressing you made (maybe a little more, maybe a little less). On a cookie sheet, spread out the broken noodles, almonds and sesame seeds, toast under a broiler until just golden brown. Toss into the salad with the chicken and serve.

etc. / Food & Drink

Ginger Turkey Lettuce Wraps

August 4, 2014

Let’s start Monday off with a tasty, light dinner that won’t heat up your house with lot of cooking. These Ginger Turkey Lettuce Wraps are a favorite in our house when the weather heats up. Jam packed with protein and full of flavor, this is Summer dinner done right.

Ginger Turkey Lettuce Wraps

5 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. grated ginger (I probably used even more – because I LOVE ginger)
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like a little heat)
3 cloves of garlic crushed

2 lbs ground lean turkey
1 can of water chestnuts chopped finely
1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

A head of iceberg or butter lettuce
chopped almonds or peanuts
fresh cilantro

In a small combine the first 5 ingredients, set aside. Add the vegetable oil to a not stick fry pan, heat. Add the mushrooms, saute until they are tender. Add the ground turkey, cook until it is not longer pink. Add the water chestnuts and the soy sauce mixture. Cook 1 minute more.

Serve in lettuce cups, topped with nuts and cilantro. Serves 4-5 people.

P.S. My family thinks they don’t like mushrooms. They didn’t even know there were mushrooms in these. 🙂 Foiled again.