Chocolate Pancakes with Berries and Cream

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s a season we usually associate with romantic dinners. But this year we wanted to put a breakfast twist on  a Valentine’s classic — chocolate! These chocolate pancakes can be light and airy or rich and decadent depending on how much sugar and cocoa powder you add, so they’re sure to romance every palette. 

We love ours stacked high and dotted with whipped cream and berries, but topping options are endless. You can add white or dark chocolate chips, dried or fresh cherries, or cinnamon-toasted pecans and caramel sauce if you’re feeling extra indulgent. 

Whether you whip up these chocolate pancakes for friends, family, or a special someone, we hope you enjoy this seasonal treat as much as we do. 

Chocolate Pancakes with Berries and Cream

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar*

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream

Fresh berries

Instructions

Combine first five ingredients and mix. In a separate bowl whisk together milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just to combine, leaving the mixture slightly lumpy for the softest pancakes.

Pour batter in 1/3 cup increments into a hot, buttered skillet and cook, over medium-low heat, until bubbles form on the top and the edges look cooked. About 3-4 minutes. Then flip and cook for another minute or two, or until done. 

Serve warm, topped with whipped cream and berries. For a more decadent treat sprinkle with powdered sugar and dark chocolate shavings.

* For more savory chocolate pancakes use the lesser amount of sugar; for sweeter, cake-like pancakes use the greater amount. You can also vary the amount of sugar in your whipped cream to control the overall sweetness of your dish.

Herbed Pork Loin with Apples

If you're in need of a delicious dinner to usher in the new year then this pork loin recipe is perfect. Sweet roasted apples and onions deliciously compliment tender slices of pork loin while fresh herbs and a sweet, creamy sauce complete the dish. Serve with winter vegetables, like brussels sprouts and spicy, roasted sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

Herbed Pork Loin Roast with Apples 

1 boneless pork loin (about 3-4 pounds)

6 fresh sage leaves

3 fresh rosemary sprigs

3 thyme sprigs

3 medium apples, cut into wedges or small pieces

1 large onion, cut into chunks

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 2/3 cups sparkling apple cider

1 tbs soy sauce

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried sage

1-2 tbs flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Place roast in a shallow roasting pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grind dried herbs to a rough powder with a mortar and pestle, then sprinkle or rub onto the pork loin roast. Arrange apples, onions, and herbs around and on top of the roast, then dot with butter. Combine 1 cup cider and soy sauce and pour over the top. 

Bake, uncovered 1.25- 1.5 hours, basting occasionally with pan juices, or until internal temperatures reaches 145F. Remove pork, apples, and onions from pan and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Meanwhile, skim the fat from the pan juices and transfer juices to a small saucepan. Whisk in 1-2 tbs flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly, to thicken. Add remaining cider. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and whisk in sour cream until smooth. Serve with the pork roast.

We paired this pork loin with steamed brussles sprouts, and sweet, spicy roasted sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

Holiday Antipasto Platter

The holidays are a time of celebration and there is nothing like celebrating the season with a gathering of friends and family. An antipasto platter is traditionally served as the first course of an Italian meal and can be a wonderful appetizer for your dinner party, as the assortment of sweet and savory can be paired with many wines, beers, and cocktails. While there is no exact recipe for an antipasto platter, providing a variety of salty meats, flavorful cheeses, briny olives, and sweet fruit ensures that almost any drink will pair well. 

For our antipasto platter we included the following ingredients:

Prosciutto

Salami

Pepperoni

Soppressata

Blue Cheese Stuffed Green Olives

Garlic Stuffed Green Olives

Sweet Red Peppers

Sundried tomatoes

Dried Apricots

Grapes

Brie wheel

Gouda wedge

Parmasan wedge

Cranberry goat cheese 

Arrange your ingredients on a large wooden board or platter and serve with crackers or crostini. 

Spiced Apple Cider with Blood Oranges

As fall colors fade and the last Thanksgiving leftovers vanish, we turn our focus toward the celebration of Christmas. Twinkling lights appear in shop windows, holiday activities fill our calendars, and families come together for gift giving and memory making. Amidst all the busyness of the season, one of our favorite holiday treats is delightfully simple to prepare.

Bethany’s cider recipe will have your whole home smelling like Christmas in no time! Simple yet scrumptious, this classic drink appeals to all your senses. Its comforting warmth is the perfect antidote to winter’s chill, and bright slices of aromatic oranges make this cider a treat to look at, as well. Provide guests a stick of cinnamon for stirring, and you’ll have holiday luxury in a mug!

This week, we hope our recipe inspires you to pull away from the holiday bustle long enough to wrap your hands around a steaming mug of cider and savor all the goodness of this season! 

Spiced Apple Cider with Blood Oranges

Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider

2 cups orange juice

1 T whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 blood orange, sliced

Instructions

Combine apple cider and orange juice in a large pan. Place cloves in a spice ball and add, along with the cinnamon sticks and orange  slices, to the cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat to keep warm while serving.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

It turns out that life changes a lot when you bring a new person into the world and that's exactly what has kept me busy since my last post in January! My son, Greyson, was born in August and now that things are settling back down into a new normal I'm really excited to get back into both cooking and blogging about it. My friend Sarah has been a big influence on this decision to finally start posting again and today we have a brand new collaborative post for you. I'm thrilled that Sarah introduced me to this amazing Pumpkin Pie recipe just in time for Thanksgiving and is sharing it with everyone here on the blog today!  - Bethany

Nothing quite says Thanksgiving like a generous slice of this staple, topped with whipped cream and chased with steaming mugs of coffee. You can practically taste the holiday itself in the pie’s spiced filling and buttery crust.

This recipe was given to me by a dear friend, and it quickly topped my list of Thanksgiving favorites! I especially like that it doesn’t require any bake time, leaving my oven free for turkey.

As an additional bonus, this pie also has miracle working powers. For example, when several of my extended family members announced last year that they didn’t like pumpkin pie, one bite of this version made converts of them all. “I once was blind, but now I see,” as the saying goes.

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy baking!

 

Mrs. Pine’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Ingredients:

One 9” baked pie shell

Three eggs, divided into yolks and whites

One C. sugar, divided into two half-cup portions

One can pumpkin

½ C. milk

½ Tsp. salt

½ Tsp. ginger

½ Tsp. nutmeg

½ Tsp. cinnamon

One T. (or one envelope) unflavored gelatin

¼ C. cold water

Instructions:

In a saucepan, beat egg yolks with ½ C. sugar. Add pumpkin, milk, salt, and spices, then cook over medium-low heat until thick. Dissolve gelatin in cold water and stir into the pumpkin mixture. Separately, beat egg whites with ½ C. sugar until stiff and combine with pumpkin mixture. Pour into baked pie shell and chill. Top with whipped cream.

  

Turkey Chili

I'm not just a huge fan of soups and stews in general. I understand the concept of warming, comforting food when it gets especially cold outside, but I think I just find the actual cooking of ingredients together in one pot a little boring. Despite all of this, soups and stews really can be some of the healthiest and most sustaining meals in winter, when all the lovely, fresh fruits and vegetables are out of season. 

The toppings really do make the difference when it comes to chili. Jalapeño, green or red onions, avocado slices, Greek yogurt are all among my favorites, and the more the better. If you can refrain from adding chips or crackers or too much cheese to chili, it is really a very healthy dinner.  I personally prefer ground turkey to beef, but you could use either. This recipe is especially full of onions and peppers and beans, making it very hearty and healthy. 

TURKEY CHILI

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

2 yellow onions, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 cup water

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

TOPPING OPTIONS

Cheese

Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Jalapeño slices

Green onion

Red onion

Avocado slices

Cilantro leaves

Place olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, and ground turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking the turkey apart until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are soft. 

Add water, tomatoes, and beans, then stir in all spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat anywhere from 30 mins to 2 hours. Serve with toppings of your choice.

"London Fog" Earl Grey Latte

London Fog is basically just a fancy name for an Earl Grey latte. I drink Earl Grey tea almost daily, but with a little steamed milk and some vanilla I'm suddenly transported to a foggy, drizzly morning in Portland.

Milk steamers are often a feature on espresso and cappuccino machines, but stand-alone milk steamers can also be purchased. The cheapest option is to purchase a frother for under $20, but you will have to heat your milk over the stove (being careful not to let it boil!), then froth it, which makes the process somewhat laborious. A jug steamer and frother can also be acquire from around $60, from brand names like Nespresso. 

I find mine very useful, though we typically use it for coffee, and even I, who am not much of a coffee lover, can hardly say no to a frothy cappuccino with homemade cinnamon rolls on a Saturday morning! I make cappuccinos for Brad with breakfast on special occasions, and a decaffeinated version makes a wonderful dessert with a tiny pastry or a square of chocolate after dinner. 

However back to this London Fog recipe: 

8oz strongly brewed early grey tea

4oz steamed milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1 tablespoon of sugar

As always when brewing tea, pour almost boiling water over the teabag and brew according to the tea bag directions. About 3 minutes for a normal cup of Earl Grey, so maybe leave it in a couple of extra minutes for stronger tea, then remove the tea bag. (You should be aware that I've never in my life paid attention to how long my tea brews. But if you like guidelines, then there you go.)

Steam the milk while your tea is brewing, then stir sugar and vanilla into your tea. Finally pour the steamed milk into the earl grey tea and give it a stir.

An awesome variation on a London Fog is to brew your Earl Grey tea with dried lavender for a hint of lavender flavor. Earl Grey and lavender are a match made in heaven.