Rustic Orange And Honey Crisp Galette

     If there's anything I love to bake its galettes, mostly because you can make them out of anything. My favorite is the apple galette, made with some amazing tart apples. Or when it's summertime a peach or black cheery galette is always a good idea. But winter is when theirs no fresh peaches or cherries around. So I though up this new recipe for orange and honey crisp galette. Fresh sliced oranges baked under a amazing layer of oatmeal crisp and topped off with honey. Sounds amazing right? Just wait till you try it, the flavors come together perfectly. 

ga·lette

ɡəˈlet/

noun

1. -a flat round cake of pastry or bread.

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Hope you enjoy this Recipe 

-Daniel 

Ingredients

Crust :

• 1 1/2 cups flour 

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar 

• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup cold water 

• pinch of salt 

Filling: 

• 4 Oreages 

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar 

• 4 tbsp flour 

• 1/4 cup pure honey 

• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Crisp : 

• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats 

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar  

• 3 tbsp all purpose flour

• 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter 

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Topping : 

• 2 tbsp  heavy cream

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar 

Directions:

Preheat the oven: 425 F  Bake: 45-50 mins 

1  Crust: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, butter, sugar and salt. Then using 2 forks mix in the butter until the mixture becomes the size of peas. Add in the cold water and kneed the dough for about a minute. 

2  Roll out the dough into a 12 inch round piece. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the freezer on a pan for about 10 mins, for fast cooling. 

3  Filling: Cut up the oranges  into 1/2 inch slices, cut off the peel and gentle toss them in a bowl with the flour, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. Set aside 

4  Crisp: In a medium bowl combine the Oats, sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon to make the crisp. Using your hands or a spoon press it together until well combined. 

5  Transfer the Oranges to the middle of the dough and top with the crisp. Now fold over the side of the dough about 1 1/2 inch to make a crust.

Topping: Then mix the cream and sugar in a cup and spread it on top of the crust using a brush. 

6  Cool the Galette in freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, let it cool for 15 minutes before serving. 

       
Another fruit tart recipe from the blog: Fresh Peach Crostata

Cilantro, Avocado And Tomato Salad

       Every New Year there's always talk about New Year’s resolutions. And this year mine was to be more creative with my photos and recipes on the blog and on Instagram. I hope I'll be posting more recipes this year with creative photos that will inspire, every one of you to bake and cook more often. And as always I hope you take a little time for yourself and relax in this New Year. Sometimes all you need in life is to simplify everything. Because everyday life, can get to complicated and stress you out.

      I've been wanting to share this salad recipe on the blog for a long time, but have never gone around to taking the photos. This is truly my favorite salad, which I eat several times a week and never get tired of. It goes best with steak and a side of potatoes or rice. And sometimes I add new ingredients to it, to change up the flavor. Like adding arugula or a spicy jalapeño sauce, which goes well with the cilantro. Any way you make it, the cilantro will always be the star of the salad...and that's how I love my cilantro. 

Enjoy this recipe and happy 2015 

- Daniel 

Ingredients: 

• 1 bushel of Green leaf lettuce 

• Half bunch of Cilantro 

• 1 Avocado 

• 2 Tomatoes 

• 3 tbsp. Olive oil 

• 1 ½ tsp Sea salt 

Optional:

• Arugula 

• Spicy Jalapeño sauce (in a bottle) 

• Or use red leaf lettuce instead of green 

Directions: 

1   Chop up the lettuce and cilantro and toss them together in a large bowl. Along with the olive oil and salt. (Mix together well.)

2   Then cut up the tomatoes and avocado, add it to the bowl, tossing them a little. 

3   Serve and Enjoy!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies

     The first day of winter just happened and we are a few days from Christmas. Winter is always a great time of year, mostly because it's the time to reflect on the year that passed and what you accomplished. This year was an amazing year for me because I started this blog and grown a lot as a person. Going into 2014 I didn't know what lay ahead, I guess going into a new year with no exceptions is what makes a great year. Setting goals and boundaries for yourself will only hold you back. If you focus too much on your goals i'll only hide your creativity and new ideas. So in the coming year I hope you take some time for yourself and do what you love and are passionate about. 
    This recipe for Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies came out of my love for Chocolate and Caramel candy. Whats not to love about this combination everything go's together perfectly. Over the last month this recipe has become my official Christmas cookie recipe, I hope it becomes yours to.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
-Daniel

Ingredients : 

Caramel 

• 1 cup granulated sugar 

• 10 tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut in cubes  

• 1/2 cup whipping cream minus 2 tbs 

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter 

• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 2 tsp vanilla 

• 2 1/3 cups All Purpose flour 

• 2/3 cup unsweetened coco powder 

• 1 tsp baking soda 

Topping 

• For each cookie : 1/8 tsp or less salt and a pretzel on top  

Directions:

1. Caramel: Heat the cream until it just begins to steam and then set aside. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and heat without stirring until sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color. 

2. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the hot cream. It will bubble a little bit. Cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth.

3.  Remove from heat, and add butter. Stir well until smooth. Pour into a bowl and let it cool.

4.  In a mixer bowl beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix together. 

5. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and coco powder. Then add it in 1/3 portions to the wet Ingredients. 

6. Then roll 1 1/4 inch dim. dough balls with a 1 tbs amount of Caramel in the center. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie pan and top with a pretzel and 1/8 tsp or less salt. Then flatten them halfway for more spread while baking. 

7.  Bake for 8-10 mins @ 350 F, let them cool for 8 minutes before storing or eating.