The Good Hearted Woman

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Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam}

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Dress it up or dress it down, Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam always brings just the right amount of “fancy” to the party! 

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam} | The Good Hearted Woman
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Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam} is a no-stress, easy-to-make appetizer is a total crowd-pleaser at any celebration. It holds up well if it needs to be transported, and brings just the right amount of “fancy” to practically any occasion. 

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam} | The Good Hearted Woman

The “recipe” for this Baked Brie in Puff Pastry is nearly bulletproof. Here I’m sharing one of my favorite variations, Raspberry-Almond Bake Brie, but you can swap out the raspberry jam for any thick jam or preserve: orange marmalade, apricot preserves, and Marionberry jam are all great choices. Or how about fig spread or cranberry sauce to create a new holiday tradition?

Whatever jam you choose to enhance your baked brie, the process is the same.

How to Make Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Defrost puff pastry according to direction.

2. Slice the brie wheel in half horizontally across the middle, so that you have two thin brie wheels.

3. Roll the almond paste into a circle slightly larger than the brie wheel and about 1/8-inch thick. Use the brie container to cut a round of almond paste the same size as the brie wheel. (If you don’t have a container, just cut a circle around the brie itself.)

4. Layer the almond paste circle in between the two brie circles.

Raspberry-Almond Baked Brie | The Good Hearted Woman

5. With your palms, form a small ball with the leftover almond paste you cut away in Step 2. Roll it out so that it is 1/8-inch thick, and cut enough 1/4 strips to encircle the top of the brie wheel. Press them down to form a rim around the top of the brie wheel. (It doesn’t have to be pretty – this all gets covered up.)

This rim helps to contain and keep the jam in place during prep and cooking. Fill the recess with jam. 

6. Place the prepared brie wheel in the center of one sheet of room temperature puff pastry. Gently pull the edges together at the top as if you were wrapping a package, and twist slightly to seal. Place the pastry covered brie on an ungreased glass pie dish, cookie sheet, or brie baker.

(My brie baker, as you may note from the images below, look suspiciously like an oversized ashtray.) 

7. Optional Step: Cut straight across the top-knot to flatten the top, and then add decorative shapes, as shown below. If you would prefer to just leave the top-knot as is, that works fine too. (For reference, I skipped this step on the brie shown on all the fruit and cheese tray pics in this post. It was just twisted and baked, as in Step 5.) 

8. Whisk together egg white and one tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, apply an egg white wash to the entire pastry.

9. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. 

We like to serve puff pastry baked brie with apple slices and hearty, whole grain crackers. 

5 from 5 votes

Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam}

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time50 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizer, cheese, Holidays
Servings: 16
Calories: 164kcal
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Defrost puff pastry according to direction.
  • Slice the brie wheel in half horizontally across the middle, so that you have two thin brie wheels.
  • Roll the almond paste into a circle slightly larger than the brie wheel and about 1/8-inch thick. Use the brie container to cut a round of almond paste the same size as the brie wheel. (If you don’t have a container, just cut a circle around the brie itself.)
  • Layer the almond paste circle in between the two brie circles.
  • Form a small ball with the leftover almond paste you cut away in Step 2. Roll it out so that it is 1/8-inch thick, and cut enough 1/4 strips to encircle the top of the brie wheel. Press them down to form a rim around the top of the brie wheel. (It doesn’t have to be pretty – this all gets covered up.) This rim helps to contain and keep the jam in place during prep and cooking. Fill the recess with jam. 
  • Place the prepared brie wheel in the center of one sheet of room temperature puff pastry. Gently pull the edges together at the top as if you were wrapping a package, and twist slightly to seal. Place the pastry covered brie on an ungreased glass pie dish, cookie sheet, or brie baker.
  • Optional Step: Cut straight across the top-knot to flatten the top, and then add decorative shapes, as shown below. If you would prefer to just leave the top-knot as is, that works fine too. (For reference, I skipped this step on the brie shown on all the fruit and cheese tray pics in this post. It was just twisted and baked, as in Step 5.) 
  • Whisk together egg white and one tablespoon water. Using a pastry brush, apply an egg white wash to the entire pastry.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with whole grain crackers and sliced apples.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.9g | Protein: 4.2g | Fat: 10.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 4.4g | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!
Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry {Easy Baked Brie with Jam} | The Good Hearted Woman

Baked Brie with Jam is perfect for any occasion, from uptown parties to outdoor gatherings.

NOTE: You can find almond paste in the baking section of your grocery store, usually near the canned pie fillings. You can also make it from scratch, but I’ll save that for another time. 🙂

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UPDATED: This post was originally published 2014.12.8. 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

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These delicious Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars will give them something hearty and healthy to start their day – no matter how fast they have to run for the bus!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe | Gluten-free, Dairy-free | The Good Hearted Woman

7:54 a.m. – The typical time that our little Princess rolls her fanny out of bed to get ready for school.

8:03 a.m.  – The time that the bus rolls up at the corner to carry the aforementioned Princess off to school. (It used to be 6:50 a.m.: things are better now.)

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Seven minutes. Em has an average of seven minutes – to get dressed, check her face, comb her hair, check her face again, maybe put on a little make-up, gather her school supplies that were supposed to be together the night before, grab her clarinet, hug her Mama and run out the door…

Breakfast? Most often, it is in her hand – because if she can’t hold it and eat it before she gets to the bus stop, it won’t get eaten. Because, heaven forbid should anyone know that she actually eats breakfast. (“It’s embarrassing.”)  And somehow, no matter how early she gets up, it doesn’t change the amount of time she allots for eating breakfast.  Thirteen-year old girls are weird.

Any Mama or Papa who has children who hop on a school bus has at least a few mornings when there isn’t time to sit down and eat anything.  Some of us more than others, I’m sure, but we’ve all been there.  So when you press something into their hands as they bolt out the door, you hope it’s something healthy and delicious (and NOT full of weird chemicals and preservatives) – something that will stick with them for the whole morning.  Something that might even remind them that they are loved. 

A few weeks ago, I threw a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, waved my magic spatula and came up with a new favorite – soft, healthy, hand-friendly oatmeal breakfast bars full of oatmeal and yumminess.

I like to wrap these breakfast bars individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before.  They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

[NOTE: This post has been updated. It was originally published in February 2014. Our little Princess leaves for college this fall!]

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe | Gluten-free, Dairy-free | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 5 votes

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

These soft, hand-friendly oatmeal breakfast bars are gluten-free, dairy-free and full of oatmeal yumminess.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 25 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegetarian
Keyword: Breakfast Bar Recipe, Breakfast Bars
Servings: 18 Bars
Calories: 212kcal
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 large banana mashed
  • ½ cup honey
  • 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¼ cup ground almonds or ground flaxseed
  • 1 Tbls ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger optional: I love ginger!
  • 1 Tbls baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups almond milk

Optional Breakfast Bar Add-ins

  • ¼ cup coconut
  • ¼ cup golden raisins or craisins
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup anything else that sounds good ahem… chocolate chips, anyone?

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
  • Add in oats, ground almonds, ginger, baking powder, salt and and “optional additions” you choose, mix well with wet ingredients.
  • Pour in almond milk and stir combine. Set on counter for 15 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
  • Line a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper.
  • Bake 1 hour, or until the top is slightly golden and it is “bouncy” to the touch. (Like a heavy quickbread.)
  • Cool and cut into 18 bars.
  • To store, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Notes

I like to wrap these individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before. They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.
NOTE: Nutritional analysis DOES NOT INCLUDE optional add-ins.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.1g | Protein: 4.9g | Fat: 9.2g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 12.7g | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe | Gluten-free, Dairy-free | The Good Hearted Woman

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Red Pepper Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses {Muhammara}

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Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses (Muhammara) is a versatile, savory-sweet dip that is delicious spread on pita, as a dip for veggies, or sauce for kabobs. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and… AMAZING! 

Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman

Muhammara, or Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses, originated in Aleppo, Syria, and its principal ingredients traditionally include red peppers, ground walnuts, breadcrumbs, spices, and olive oil. However, this recipe – inspired by popular local pub fare – omits the bread crumbs, and instead uses roasted carrots to thicken and extend the dip. Not only do the carrots keep this delicious savory-sweet dip gluten-free, but they give it a wonderful creaminess and infuse an earthy sweetness as well.

Warning: Content contains mildly sentimental recipe-origin narrative. Read on to enjoy the story. [Click here to go directly to the recipe.]

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.
Every year, our town hosts the Portland Book Festival [formerly Wordstock], a week-long literary celebration with a mission: to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives. Some years back, my sister-friend Dottie and I attended the annual Poetry Slam together, and afterwards decided to stop for a little late night nosh at the adjacent Bagdad Pub.

Dottie and I ordered something called “Three Faces of Eve,” [super-fancy hummus plate] and sat down to rehash the slam, poet by poet.

Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman

Forty-five minutes later, still no hummus plate. When we finally got our waitress’s attention and she (let’s call her Alice) went to check on our order, only to return frantic and apologizing all over the place. Alice said she had no idea what happened but the kitchen never got our order. 

“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” she asked us – at least seven times. In between apologizing, she kept up a steady train of chatter, trying so hard to be accommodating that it was driving us nuts. All either Dottie or I could think was, “It’s OK, we understand. Really. Just please stop talking.” 

Finally, I told Alice what would really make me happy: I wanted the recipe for their roasted red pepper walnut dip. Which I love. LOVE. As in, I have been known to go to this pub solely for the walnut-pomegranate dip. (It is my favorite of Eve’s three faces.)

“Can you get the recipe for me?” I asked, smiling my best ‘you might just be able to salvage your tip’ smile.

“I dunno, but I’ll try.” She didn’t sound very confident, but it gave her something to do besides hover over us like a needy dragonfly.

Ten minutes later, Alice emerged from the back with a big grin, waving piece of white paper. My recipe! I was so happy I almost got misty. I had literally been wanting this recipe for years!  I scanned it briefly before I returned to Dottie and our conversation, and it was a good thing I did! Because somewhere between the booth at the Bagdad and my front door, that little slip of paper completely disappeared. 

Luckily, I have a knack for remembering printed text pretty well, so I wasn’t really panicked. I was pretty sure I had the complete list of ingredients memorized, including basic ratios. In the long run, losing it wasn’t entirely a bad thing, because it forced me to really work each this recipe out for myself, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results!

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Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip {Muhammara} is savory, sweet, smoky deliciousness! Spread on pita, dip in veggies, or sauce up kabobs! 🌻 #glutenfree #dairyfree #vegan #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #healthyrecipes #recipes Click To Tweet

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Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 6 votes

Muhammara (Red Pepper & Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses)

Inspired by the Walnut-Pomegranate Dip on the "Three Faces of Eve" Plate at McMenamins Bagdad Theater & Pub in Portland, Oregon.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: appetizer, dip
Servings: 16 servings
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2" pieces
  • 1 large red pepper cored, seeded, and cut into eighths
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 cup walnuts about 4 ounces
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or sumac
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp regular red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses plus more for garnish
  • 2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 cup warm water

Instructions

Roast Vegetables

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Cover a baking sheet pan with a Silpat mat or parchment paper and spread the prepared vegetables out in a single layer. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Season vegetables lightly with kosher salt and ground cumin.
  • Roast vegetable in preheated oven for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once vegetables are cool, remove peel from red peppers.

Toast Walnuts

  • Heat walnuts in a dry, heavy skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, or until nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Walnuts burn easily in a skillet, so be sure to stir constantly to ensure even toasting until the nuts turn a rich, golden brown. Remove walnuts from skillet and set aside.

Prep Spices

  • In the same skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Turn off burner, add the cumin and paprika, and stir in hot oil until fragrant - just a few seconds. Allow to cool slightly.

Put it all together!

  • Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Serve with warm pita triangles, celery sticks, carrot sticks, or whatever makes you happy.

Notes

As with many things, the flavors in this dip benefit greatly by having a little time to blend. It can definitely be eaten immediately after making it, but If you are making this for a party, I strongly suggest doing so a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to mingle and come together. Serve cold or at room temperature. 
If you prefer your dips a little chunkier, reserve one carrot and a handful of walnuts until after you have mostly pureed the mixture, then throw the reserve nuts and carrot in and pulse for a few times to combine.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes! 

Ingredient Notes: 

  • Aleppo Peppers: Named after the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, Aleppo dried pepper flakes are traditionally used in Muhammara. Aleppo pepper flakes are about half as hot as crushed red chili flakes, and according to some, twice as flavorful. Aleppo pepper flakes can be found in specialty markets or online. 
  • Carrots: Carrots are not a traditional ingredient in muhammara; however, this recipe uses carrots in place of breadcrumbs to thicken and extend the dip. For this recipe, I chose to roast the carrots before blending them into the dip, instead of simply boiling them as my original notes indicated. Not only do the roasted carrots pair perfectly with the walnut-pomegranate flavors to make this savory-sweet dip gluten-free, but they give it a wonderful creaminess as well. 
  • Pomegranate Molasses: Probably the most unusual ingredient in this recipe, pomegranate molasses is a household staple in many Middle Eastern kitchens. It has a truly unique flavor, and can be used for glazes, salad dressings, and even barbecuing. You can find it at specialty stores or online. And before you even ask: no, here is no good substitute for it. 

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Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman   Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman    Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman   Muhammara - or Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses - is a delicious Middle Eastern appetizer dip made with roasted red peppers and walnuts, and perfect for any gathering! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and... AMAZING! | The Good Hearted Woman

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Originally Posted June 2013.1

Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes {+ Halloween Memories}

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When the pumpkin is carved, there is yet another memory to make – roasting the pumpkin seeds! We’ve got 10 great Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes to get you started! (Be sure to check our tips for easy pumpkin seed clean-up, too!) 

Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes | The Good Hearted Woman

Warning: Content contains mildly sentimental recipe-origin narrative. Read on to enjoy the story. [Click here to go directly to the recipe.]

Pumpkin carving was always a BIG night for me. Dad would give me a piece of paper to work out the details on – mouth, eyes, nose – and then we would trace my drawing onto the front of the pumpkin.

With a few sheets of the Oregon Journal covering our kitchen table, Daddy would cut the top and pull it off, and then he and I would degut the pumpkin together while my mom watched. (She didn’t like the feel of pumpkin guts and left that part entirely to us.)

Then Dad would help me carve the face, letting me hold the knife and showing me how to carefully cut each angle and line, all the while entertaining me with a steady string of Halloween dad/teacher jokes. To illustrate: 

What do ghosts put on their cereal?

Booberries!

What kind of pants do ghosts wear? 

Boo-jeans.

What happens when a vampire goes out in the snow? 

Frost-bite.

OK, that’s probably enough of that. Anyway, I remember being so excited when our Jack-o-lantern was done!

Mom would put some aluminum foil in the bottom of the pumpkin and set a white candle inside, and Dad used a long-handled match from our fireplace to reach down in and light the candle. Then he put the lid on and dimmed turned off the front room lights and we would all stand back and watch the candle dance inside. That was the best, best, best part of Halloween.

The trick-or-treating was fine, and the candy was great too, but that moment when we lit our pumpkin – that was Magic!  Nowadays, a lot folks are painting their pumpkins or covering them with glitter and such, but not me. As long as I can manage it, there will be a Jack-o-Lantern on my porch – that little light shining out and the scent of warm pumpkin filling the air.

I was four or five in this picture, and I have no idea what motivated me to draw a beard on my Jack-o-lantern, but there it is.

I am a Princess

The scariest thing about Halloween “back in the day”? Trying to breathe under those masks!

When the pumpkin is carved and lit, there is another memory to make – Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!!

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Before you can roast your pumpkin seeds, you need to separate them from the pumpkin pulp and clean them. I used to cringe just thinking of having to clean off all those sticky seeds, until I learned this simple trick! Now, cleaning off the pumpkin seeds is a snap!

Quick, Easy Pumpkin Seed Clean-up! 

  1. Separate as much of the pulp as you can by hand. (“As much as you can” really means as long as you can stand it. For me, that’s about a minute. Pumpkin guts make my hands itch.)
  2. Get a big bowl and fill it halfway with water.
  3. Put the seeds into the water, pulp and all, and start squishing them around with your hands. The pulp will sink to the bottom, and the seeds will rise to the top. Easy peasy.
Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes + Quick Tips for Easy Pumpkin Seed Clean-up! 🎃 Click To Tweet

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Top 10 Best Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes

Once the pumpkin seeds are cleaned up, there are endless possibilities. Here are some great ideas to get you started! 
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)
Photo Credit: www.flavourandsavour.com

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds make a healthy snack for a tailgate party, an addition to a cheese platter, or a garnish for soup or salad. Love spicy pepitas? These are mildly salty with a kick from chipotle peppers!

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Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Photo Credit: livingsweetmoments.com

Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – don’t know what to do with the seeds after you carve that pumpkin? Create a healthy crunchy snack with the seeds. Easy and delish!

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Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Photo Credit: www.sidewalkshoes.com

Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

You are going to love the sweet and salty addictiveness of these Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! 

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Sweet Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Photo Credit: www.nutmegnanny.com

Sweet Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

These sweet salty roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect snack to make after carving pumpkins. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty and cinnamon flavor.

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Chocolate Lovers Roasted Seeds
Photo Credit: www.perspectiveportions.com

Chocolate Lovers Roasted Seeds

Transform the seeds inside winter squashes into a crunchy snack with these cocoa roasted seeds.

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Sweet Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Photo Credit: petersfoodadventures.com

Sweet Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seed recipe is a delicious snack with amazing health benefits - Sweet Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Cajun Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Photo Credit: 4sonrus.com

Cajun Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds toasted to perfection with the perfect blend of bold Cajun spice and a solid savory with hints of paprika and Worcestershire.

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Sweet Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
Photo Credit: sugarspunrun.com

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Sweetened pumpkin seeds roasted on the stovetop and coated in pumpkin spice (or cinnamon) and sugar!

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Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds
Photo Credit: gardeninthekitchen.com

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds

These Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds are the most addicting snack of all times! The perfect balance between sweet, salty and crunchy madness!

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Pumpkin Spiced Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
Photo Credit: thisissogoodhome.com

Pumpkin Spiced Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

You can store these Pumpkin Spiced Pepitas in an air-tight container for up to a week, but they probably won’t last that long!

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Do you have a favorite Halloween memory?  Please share it in the comments below!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola

By 6 Comments

Uncle David’s Hearty Vegan Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day! 

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

If you love starting your morning with a delicious bowl of whole-grain goodness, you are in the right place! This great-tasting, protein-rich vegan granola recipe is shared here courtesy of my sister’s Uncle David, faithful breakfast eater and lifelong vegan. Ever humble, Uncle David says,

I wish I could take the credit [for this recipe] but it is from a friend’s cookbook that is my favorite: Best Gourmet Recipes from Five Loaves Deli & Bakery by Neva Brackett.  I use the recipe all the time and never tire of it. Best I’ve ever had. Enjoy!

Regardless of the source, recipes for granola – favorite breakfast cereal turned traveling-snack of hippies, West Coast hipsters, and aging boomers alike – are as numerous and varied as are the ingredients used to make them.

This recipe, however, stands out in a couple of significant ways: it contains no added fats, no sweets (i.e., carob, chocolate, candy-coated M&M’s and the like so often found in “trail mix” granola varieties) and is naturally vegan.  Moreover, with just the right amount of sweetness and no more, it is a delicious, natural source of protein and complex carbohydrates.

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!

The primary sweetener in this granola is pureed dates, which I have to admit I thought sounded awful (I don’t like dates) when I first read the recipe; however, going on my sister’s recommendation, I gave it a try.  BOY, am I glad I did!

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!

Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 30 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Breakfast, Snacks
Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian
Author: David Hardwick

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pitted or chopped dates
  • 1/2 cup walnuts roasted peanuts, or almonds
  • 2 tablespoons of sesame tahini
  • 1 1/4 cups hot water
  • 1/4 cup honey or agave, or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tsp maple flavoring
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 42 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats*
  • 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut** (or more)
  • 1 - 2 cups slivered almonds coarsely chopped walnuts, and/or roasted peanuts roasted peanuts

Instructions

  • Place dates and 1/2 cup nuts in blender. Add hot water, honey, vanilla, molasses, maple flavoring and salt. Blend for about a minute until smooth.
  • Place the oats, coconut, and nuts in a roasting pan or very large mixing bowl.
  • Add blended mix to the oats in the large bowl and gently mix together with your hands.
  • Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!
  • Work the wet and dry mixtures together for several minutes until all the oats are all very evenly moistened and coated.
  • Place in large cake pans or cookie sheets, taking care not to pack or pat it down tightly. Keep it light and airy.
  • Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!
  • Place pans in oven at 200 degrees for about 8-10 hours. (I usually use a spatula to turn the granola a couple of times during the baking process.)
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!
Start your morning with a delicious bowl of Uncle David's amazing whole-grain HEARTY VEGAN BREAKFAST GRANOLA 🥣 #vegetarian #vegan #glutenfree #breakfast Click To Tweet

Ingredient Notes

  • HONEY: The use of honey is a hot-button of contention in the vegan community: some are fine with it, while others are vehemently opposed to its use. Uncle David is one of the former; however, if you avoid honey altogether, you can substitute agave 1:1 for the honey.
  • NUTS: I have literally never made this the same twice: I’m always mixing up the nut blend, or adding more coconut, or throwing something in when I have a handful leftover that I don’t know what else to do with.
  • OATS: Uncle David’s says, “Preferably Quaker or Three-Minute brand—avoid other and most bulk brands. They go to pieces and don’t make a tender, flaky granola“*
  • COCONUT: We loooove coconut in our house, so I always use at least 2 cups.**
  • TAHINI: If you don’t have tahini, peanut butter makes a fine substitute.

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!

It is a good idea to use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven is really 200 degrees. We have found that ovens vary greatly and granola can easily burn if the temperature is too high. For really tender granola, use a convection oven!

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day!

BONUS IDEA!  The first time I made this, while I was “testing” the puree, it occurred to me that is would make a fabulous fruit dip, and it did! All you need to do is mix the date puree (from step #1) 50/50 with plain yogurt, add an extra splash of vanilla, then serve it up with some fruit chunks. People will call you a genius!  

Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and print this recipe!

Uncle David's Hearty Vegan Breakfast Granola is a delicious, healthy way to start your day! | The Good Hearted Woman

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Nuts & Bolts {The Original Chex Party Mix}

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Nuts & Bolts – The ORIGINAL Chex Party Mix!!! Long before you could buy Chex Mix at the grocery store, there was spicy, smokey, can’t-stop-eating-it Nuts & Bolts. Make a batch today!!

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman

Every year at Christmastime back when I was a child (just after the dinosaurs died) my mother’s best friend Mrs Houston would make a giant batch of Nuts & Bolts and give our family a big bag of it.

Warning: Content contains mildly sentimental recipe-origin narrative. Read on to enjoy the story. [Click here to go directly to the recipe.]

The problem with Mrs. Houston’s homemade Chex mix was, it didn’t matter how big the bag – there was never enough. Spicy, smokey, and perfectly seasoned, I could have crunched through handful after handful for breakfast, lunch, and late night snack and still not have had enough.

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Later, as a young married, I got a hankering for my favorite holiday treat, so I made “Chex Mix” with the packet stuff.  Once.  It didn’t even compare: it was like jonesing for a Dark Chocolate Raspberry 12-Layer Torte and getting a Hostess cupcake and a jar of jam instead. Luckily, Mrs Houston was still living at the time, so I asked her for the recipe and wrote it down on a 3×5 card, which I guarded like Charlie’s golden ticket.

Unfortunately, we had a few bumpy years, and amid all the moving, my little golden ticket got lost in the fray. I didn’t discover the disappearance, of course, until I got a bug one holiday season to make Nuts & Bolts; at which time I  spent a couple of weeks silently panicking while I tried to piece together the ingredient list from fuzzy memories of batches past.

This story has a happy ending though. After some trial and error, Mrs Houston’s was recipe at last reclaimed, and now my holidays (and my hands) are once again filled with smoky, spicy, savory, snacking goodness.

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman
Note that the recipe below makes a boatload and then some, so feel free to pare it down. (However, if you make the whole batch, you’ll have plenty to give away as gifts.  Maybe.)

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 8 votes

Nuts & Bolts {The Original Party Mix}

Nuts & Bolts is spicy, smokey, and perfectly seasoned - The ORIGINAL Chex Party Mix.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Snacks
Keyword: Christmas, Holidays
Author: Renée ♥ Adapted from a recipe by Betty Houston

Ingredients

  • 1 - 14 oz. box Wheat Chex
  • 1 - 12 oz. box Corn Chex
  • 1 - 12 oz. box Rice Chex
  • 12 cups Cheerios
  • 1 bag thin pretzels – the stick kind about a pound
  • 2 cups nuts (your choice: peanuts, cashews, etc.)
  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • ½ cup light olive oil
  • ½ cup Worcester Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
  • 1-2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

Instructions

  • Take out the extra rack in your oven if you have one, and put the remaining rack on the bottom or next to the bottom level. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
  • In a large paper grocery bag, mix cereals, pretzels and nuts together and set aside.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and oil together, and then blend in Worcestershire Sauce, Liquid Smoke, and hot sauce. Slowly pour over mixture in the bag, shaking as you do to cover everything. Sprinkle seasoned salt over everything, shut the top of the bag, and shake the heck out of it.

Roaster Pan Method:

  • Pour the mixture into a large (turkey) roaster pan. (It will barely fit.)
  • Place mixture in roaster pan into oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Using oven mitts, carefully pour mixture into the large paper bag and shake a couple of times. Return mixture to roaster pan and return to oven.
  • Repeat 4 times, for a total baking time of 3 hours.

Paper Bag Method: (If you don't have a pan big enough.)

  • Roll the top of the bag down and place the whole thing on a large cookie sheet.
  • Place the bag on the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Make sure that the top of the bag is at least a few inches away from the top oven element.
  • Bake for three hours, shaking the bag every 30 minutes.

Notes

Baking times are very flexible. You can shake and mix it every 30-60 minutes and it will be fine. Just make sure to bake it for at least 3 hours.
To make things easier when using the paper bag method, I prepare two bags - one full and one empty. Then every half hour, I just take the hot mixture out of the oven on the cookie sheet, pour it from the full bag to the empty one on the counter, and then put the (new) full one back in the oven. That way, the mix at the very bottom gets stirred, and I never have a clump of mix that doesn't get stirred. If you do a half-batch, you can easily make it in a large roasting pan.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!
Nuts & Bolts - The ORIGINAL Chex Party Mix!!! 🎉 Long before you could buy Chex Mix at the store, there was tasty, delicious, can't-stop-eating-it NUTS & BOLTS. Make a batch today!! #chexmix #partymix Click To Tweet

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman

🐭 I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup.
Check it out for more great recipes!

ADDITIONAL RECIPE NOTES

  • Most people use peanuts in this mixture, but Mr B doesn’t like them, so I use cashews instead.
  • Do not leave the Liquid Smoke out! (Did you know that Liquid smoke really is made from smoke? Yep. Chips or sawdust from hardwoods such as hickory or mesquite are burned at high temperatures, and particles of the smoke are collected in condensers. The resulting liquid is concentrated down for a stronger flavor.) Anyway, it lasts forever, so even if you never use it for anything else, you can keep it in the back of your seasoning shelf and pull it out every year just for this.
  • If there is a chance that vegetarians might be eating this, be sure to use a vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce.

Nuts & Bolts - The Original Chex Party Mix | The Good Hearted Woman

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

How to Make Sugar & Spice Cranberries

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Sugar & Spice Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat – made with a deliciously spiced simple syrup.

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

The older I get, the more I come to appreciate the simple things, and at no time of the year do I feel this more intensely than during the holiday season. Call me boring (and some of you will!) but one of my favorite things to do this time of year is curl up with my sweetheart in our big, comfy chair and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Not because I love the movie so much – honestly it isn’t my favorite. But it is his favorite.

To see the man I fell in love with three decades and more ago still tear up when George Bailey stands on those stairs, the whole town gathered around, and that little bell on the Christmas tree rings – that singular moment is the reason I love it.

It is in that moment when Jimmy Stewart, standing there on the stairs holding Juju and her petals, manages across seven decades to communicate to us on a level so deep that the first recognition comes not in cerebral cognizance, but through the base reactions of our own bodies. Our eyes well and our cheeks flush and our hearts grow – and we know to our marrow that life really is wonderful.

And then, inevitably, a single heavy tear falls down my sweetheart’s face, and he pulls me close and looks into me with wide-open eyes and wraps my soul in his smile. 

That. That right there. I would watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” a thousand times from beginning to end for that.

Believe me; I didn’t intend to go this direction at all when I started typing, but here I am. And now, here you are reading it. I guess that’s the thing about being your own editor: sometimes you keep the sentences [even the ridiculously long fragments] you love – not because they are particularly good, but simply because you love what they mean to you. 

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program….

This post grew from the need to make a Spiced Simple Syrup for an amazing Spiced Cranberry Mule that Mr B will be sharing in an upcoming post. I started thinking about garnishes for his latest concoction and remembered seeing a recipe for Sugared Cranberries that I’d always wanted to try.  Then, as usual, I decided to take it a step further, and Voilà! Sugar & Spice Cranberries!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat, made with a deliciously spiced simple syrup; perfect for holiday snacking, creating beautiful garnishes, or decking out everything from salads to desserts.

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Sugar & Spice Cranberries

Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Spiced Simple Syrup Recipe Below
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Line a baking pan with a silicone mat, aluminum foil or plastic wrap and set a wire cooling rack on top.
  • In a small bowl, toss one cup of cranberries in ¼ cup of the spiced simple syrup. Remove with slotted spoon and place on wire rack. Let cranberries set on the wire rack for at least an hour.
  • Place the granulated sugar in a medium bowl or Ziploc bag, and toss the sticky cranberries until well coated. Refrigerate prepared cranberries for at least an hour before using. Cranberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Spiced Simple Syrup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3-4 slices fresh ginger
  • 4-5 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 15 whole allspice

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, star anise, and heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove spices from liquid and pour into bottle or jar. Mixture can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

You should probably make a batch this weekend – you may be needing a little Spiced Simple Syrup and some Sugar & Spice Cranberries sooner than you think!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

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Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman       Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups {Appetizer}

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These Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups with mascarpone & fresh dill are a breeze to throw together and perfect for any gathering. 

Smoked Salmon Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman

Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is, by far, my favorite animal-based protein. Salmon is sustainable, delicious, and perfect for any occasion – from elegant wedding reception to late night pajama party.

Besides being a delicious and environmentally conscious choice, few foods contribute so much to your health as [wild caught] Pacific salmon. Salmon has a long list of proven health benefits:

  • Provides a good source of vitamins, proteins, and minerals
  • Helps maintain insulin levels in the body
  • Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Improves memory and efficacy of brain functions
  • Helps prevent macular degeneration
  • Reduces risk of colon, prostate and kidney cancers
  • Aids in maintaining healthy skin and hair

Salmon can even help you sleep!

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be featuring a number of delicious salmon recipes, and I thought I’d kick off the party with these luscious little easy-to-make salmon canapés.

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizer, salmon
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Salmon Filling

  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese*
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Dash Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash hot pepper sauce or Sriracha
  • 6 ounces smoked salmon chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Pastry Cups

  • 2 sheets puff pastry barely thawed
  • 1 egg beaten

Instructions

Salmon Filling:

  • In a medium bowl, whip together mascarpone, whipping cream, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce until smooth and light.
  • Fold in chopped salmon, dill, and lemon zest.
  • Put filling into a pastry bag and set aside. (A Ziploc bag will work too.)
  • Pastry Cups
  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Lay puff pastry out on a floured surface. DO NOT ROLL OUT!
  • Cut one puff pastry sheet into small circles, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches across. Put these circles on the prepared baking sheet.
    Smoked Salmon Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman
  • Cut the second puff pastry sheet into small circles (the same size). Cut a small circle out of the middle of each one of these circles. Save the small circles!
  • Brush each of the circles on the baking sheet with beaten egg.
  • Place one "donut" pastry circle on top of each of the egg-washed circles.
  • Brush the top of the donut circles with egg-wash.
  • cut small decorative shapes from remaining puff pastry, to be used as garnish.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
    Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman
  • Pipe each pastry cup full of filling. Garnish with fresh dill and small pastry shapes.

Notes

* Yes, you can substitute cream cheese. 😊
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!
Smoked Salmon Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman

I use every bit of puff pastry dough that I can. You can use the extra dough to create lovely little garnishes and accents!

Smoked Salmon Pastry Cups with Marscarpone & Fresh Dill | The Good Hearted Woman

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon}

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Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. | The Good Hearted Woman

We were first introduced to this traditional Filipino dessert at this fruit stand in Kahuku, Oahu. Mr. B and I took each took a bite, and even as our mouths were still chewing, our eyes were saying, “we are definitely going to learn how to make these!”

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman

The hardest part about making banana lumpia is buying the lumpia wrappers.  You can find them in the refrigerated section of just about any Asian market, and in many supermarkets as well.

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman

OK, the hardest part isn’t really buying the lumpia (or spring roll) wrappers so much as it is pulling them apart.  They are rice-paper thin, and take a delicate touch. The brand of wrappers I’m using here are, by far, the most resilient and easiest to separate of those I have tried over the years, plus they are square, which makes the rolling that much easier. There is a downside to this brand though: the outcome is a little heavier, and less crisp than some of the more delicate brands. The best method I have found for separating sticky wrappers is to peel them back slowly, the same way you might pull a label off a jar when you are trying to get it off in one piece. (Some people suggest steaming them to soften them before using, but I haven’t tried that method yet.)

Lumpia, banana and otherwise, is traditionally deep-fried, but I’m not big into deep-frying. If you want to deep fry them, go for it; you will get that golden brown color all the way around. However, after making this a number of times, I find that pan-frying works very well, and I don’t have all that deep frying mess to clean up afterwards.

You can serve them as is, but a dip or two in some Caramel Sauce will take them to a whole ‘nother level. Enjoy!

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. | The Good Hearted Woman

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 2 votes

Banana Lumpia

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time10 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • Bananas
  • Lumpia Spring Roll Wrappers
  • Raw sugar or brown sugar
  • Peanut oil for frying see note

Optional:

  • Caramel Sauce

Instructions

  • Cut a banana down the middle lengthwise.
  • Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman
  • Roll the banana half in raw sugar. (If you are using the super-sweet baby bananas, you can probably skip this step.)
  • Wrap prepared banana half in a lumpia wrapper. You can do this "burrito-style,' or leave the ends open.
  • Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} | The Good Hearted Woman
  • Pour a scant 1/4 inch oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F. (A drop of water should sizzle when dropped in the pan.)
  • Carefully lay wrapped banana halves seam down in the pan. Do not crowd.
  • Fry on one side until golden, and then flip and repeat on the other side.
  • Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, alone or with caramel for dipping. (They are also good hours later - they just aren't as crispy.)

Notes

BANANAS: Use sweet baby bananas if you can find them, but regular bananas will work just fine.
OIL: I sometimes use unrefined coconut oil instead of peanut oil because I like the flavor it imparts to the lumpia; however, if you use it, use extreme caution due to its low smoke point, and definitely do not use unrefined coconut oil for deep frying.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

One last tip: If you find this recipe in the middle of the night, or live in a place where fresh lumpia wrappers aren’t just around the corner at your local Asian market, you can use flour tortillas. I know this because I have made them in the middle of the night, and while the tortilla wrapper makes for an entirely different texture and flavor (and probably a different, more culturally appropriate name) it will definitely satisfy a late night sweet tooth.

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.| The Good Hearted Woman

 

 

Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks… {Some Learned the Hard Way}

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Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks | The Good Hearted Woman
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

A few weeks ago, we hosted a little celebratory gathering for our graduating senior.  Usually when I host a get-together, I get totally carried away making all kinds of party food, but life has been throwing us a few curves lately, and so I decided to keep things simple this time. And what could be simpler than a chocolate fountain, right?

We did a lot of things right. I’ll share those chocolate fountain tips in a minute, but this is the most important thing I can tell you about using a chocolate fountain, so if you don’t read anything else, read this:
 
The Wind is NOT your friend!When you are hosting a party and plan to use a chocolate fountain, the wind is not your friend.
 
Ever.
 
Say it with me… “The Wind is NOT my Friend.”
 
Even when you think it is only a little wind, and no one will notice. Because guess what? You’re wrong! The chocolate will notice.
 
And so will the laws of physics.

Location, Location, Location

Besides the actual chocolate itself, location is the single most important factor in the success or failure of your chocolate fountain. Consider heating and air conditioning ducts, traffic flow, pet access, wind, rain, bugs and small children when choosing where to set up your fountain. Also, be careful about where you lay the electrical cord: if someone were to trip on it, it could have dire consequences for your entire party.

Once we moved everything inside, everything flowed like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate River.

Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks | The Good Hearted Woman

On the Level

Before you ever pour a drop of chocolate into your fountain, make sure it is level. As in, plumb bubble-up level. Once again, melted chocolate is all about the laws of physics.

Prepping the Chocolate

Although I was tempted to buy more expensive chocolate, I decided to go with good old Tollhouse Semi-sweet Morsels, for a couple of reasons: they are low in milk solids, they are available at Costco in huge bags for a decent price, and they taste delicious when you melt them.

In order to get the chocolate to flow properly, you need to mix it with oil. (I know – you just squinched up your nose and said Eww.) But I stumbled onto the perfect solution: unrefined coconut oil.

A ratio of one tablespoon of coconut oil per cup of semi-sweet morsels works perfectly and tastes delicious.

Even if your fountain has an internal heating element (most do), do not attempt to melt your chocolate in the fountain. Heat your chocolate together with your coconut oil for 40 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring after each interval and repeating until completely smooth. Only then is it ready to pour into your fountain. Follow the directions that come with your chocolate fountain to determine how much you will need to start out. (We used a small fountain, and it took about two pounds of chocolate to start off)

#ChocolateFountain Tip ♥ 1 Tbls #CoconutOil: 1 cup #ChocolateChips = Smooth, Delicious Perfection Click To Tweet

Preheat, Prime & Prep

Preheat your fountain before adding the chocolate. When you have the fountain filled and running, let it run for a minute or two and then turn it off. Wait a minute or two and then turn it back on. This will help get any air bubbles out of the tube and auger system. Also, be sure to take the time to set up a second batch of chocolate for when you need to refill the fountain later.

Dippity-Do’s

We had lots of delicious choices for dipping: Bananas, Pretzels, Pineapple, Cream Puffs, Marshmallows, Pound Cake, and lots of Strawberries.

Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks | The Good Hearted Woman

After the Party’s Over

If that bit about the Wind not being your friend is the most important point in this post, then this is the second most important:  

No matter how tired you are – clean the fountain right away.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, “leave it for tomorrow.” 

If you wait until the next day, the chocolate will harden up and it will take you ten times as long to clean.

CF 2

I hope you have great success with your party planning, and if you learn some new chocolate fountain tips, please be sure to come back and share them with us all in the comments!

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