SALTED BUTTER CHESTNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIE

blast those christmas tunes because i officially declare it is christmas time. i know most people don’t start their holiday baking until american thanksgiving is over, but canadian thanksgiving is LONG over. i started my holiday baking & recipe testing weeks ago (you are welcome). first things first, today i am bringing you a classic christmas cookie with a bonne maman chestnut twist. since we all don't have a fireplace & thus cannot have chestnuts roasting on an open fire.. bonne maman has created a delicious jar of chestnut spread for the holidays! bonne maman is a family owned company who’s products are made in france. they create high quality jams & preserves using traditional recipes passed down from generations & 100% natural ingredients. shortbread cookies are my favourite holiday cookie. growing up, my mom used to buy a box of them around the holidays & hide them in the basement freezer until christmas day, knowing i would eat all of them beforehand. oh you bet i would go sneak downstairs and snack of a few pre-christmas shortbread cookies, thinking i was so stealth (mom if you are reading this, i’m sorry. but i’m sure you already knew by the half empty container & trail of crumbs). so today i dedicate the first batch of christmas cookies to shortbread, featuring salted butter & chestnuts! because i am clearly obsessed with salted sweets. if you aren’t a fan of chestnuts, feel free to swap in your favourite bonne maman jams & jellies as the filling!

ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 jar bonne maman chestnut spread (or favourite jam)

directions

• in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter & sugar until just combined. add vanilla.
• sift in flour & salt, beat until dough comes together.
• roll out on floured surface & shape into a disk. if dough is a bit crumbly, add a teaspoon of water. wrap in plastic & refrigerate for one hour.
• once dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutters to create cookie shape.
• bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.
• once cool enough to handle add a teaspoon of bonne maman chestnut spread to the bottom cookie & top with another. dust with powdered sugar & enjoy!

thank you so much to bonne maman for sponsoring this post! all opinions are my own. i promise this chestnut spread is DELICIOUS. so delicious that i ate all the leftovers with a spoon.. err but what else is new.

MAPLE GLAZED PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS

JUST when i thought i was done with pumpkin, i got inspired again / i have so much pumpkin puree i need to use up before christmas.. cause if i continue to post pumpkin based recipes in january, ya’ll are going to think i’m really crazy. here we have it! pumpkin cinnamon rolls, filled with the spices of pumpkin pie & glazed with maple syrup. i think these would be the perfect treat to make for thanksgiving breakfast or brunch (do people do thanksgiving brunch yet?). the leftovers would also be a quick grab & go breakfast before you head out the door the next morning at 4 am and take on black friday. maybe you could even by pass the insane line ups if you start offering customers pumpkin cinnamon rolls? IDK. happy weekend!

this recipe has been adapted from eva kosmas flores for crate & barrel

ingredients

for the rolls

• ½ cup whole milk, warm to touch
• 1 package instant yeast (2 ½ teaspoons)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves

for the filling

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves

for the maple glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

directions

• for the rolls: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the warm milk & yeast. let sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. add pumpkin, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cloves. mix on low. add the flour one cup at a time until the dough begins to come together. once a dough has formed, turn onto a floured surface & knead. If the dough seems sticky, add more flour. continue to knead until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. place in a greased covered bowl until the dough doubles in size (approximately 1 hour). roll into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.

• for the filling: spread butter evenly on the rolled out dough. in a small bowl add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cloves. sprinkle over the butter. roll dough tight & cut into 2-inch thick rounds. place swirl side up in a greased baking dish or cast iron pan. bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls begin to brown.

• for the glaze: while the rolls are baking, make the glaze. in a bowl whisk powdered sugar, milk & maple syrup until smooth. if the glaze appears runny, add more sugar. if the glaze appears too thick, add more milk. brush on the warm cinnamon buns.

like what you see? get it here. rolling pin | measuring spoons | pour bowl | measuring cups | skillet | dish | mug | serving board 

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIE

the day you have all been waiting for is finally here. APPLE PIE! but not just any apple pie, oh no: salted caramel apple pie. i have been waiting until american thanksgiving was approaching to create & share this recipe. i received the salted caramel sauce from one of my readers a little over a month ago & refused to open it until it was time to make this pie. do you know what kind of torture that is? staring at a jar of salted caramel every time you open the pantry! anyone who eats things straight out of the jar with a spoon understands the pain i went through. but now look! i can reward myself with a big slice of apple pie & drizzle all the left over salted caramel i want on it!

NOTE: for this particular pie, i used a delicious salted caramel that was sent to me by kristin of the ardent homesteader. you can find her cara-sel here. you can also use my recipe for homemade salted caramel which can be found here.

ingredients

for the dough

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, cold
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 egg, for egg wash (optional)

for the filling

• 5-6 cups sliced tart apples
• 1/2 raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup salted caramel, plus more for drizzle

directions

• begin by making the dough. using a food processor pulse the flour, salt and sugar.
• add the cubed butter, shortening and vanilla. pulse until a crumb like mixture forms.
• add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until the crumbs begin to come together. turn out onto a pastry board and shape dough into a disk. if dough seems wet, add a bit more flour. if the dough seems dry, add a bit more water.
• wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours.
• for the filling mix apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cornstarch in a bowl. toss until evenly coated and combined.
• once you are ready to assemble the pie, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• roll out half the dough between 3/4cm and 1cm thick. transfer to pie dish, clean up & shape edges. poke dough with a fork a few times to allow steam to release.
• add 1/3 of apple mixture & drizzle with 1/3 of salted caramel. repeat, finishing off with a layer of salted caramel.
• roll out remaining dough to the same thickness for the top.
• add one tablespoon of water (or milk) to egg to create an egg mixture. brush all over pie top & bake pie for 35-40 minutes.
• let cool completely before serving. serve with vanilla ice cream & additional salted caramel.

like what you see? get it here. pie dish | linens | rolling pin | pie server | plate