The stockings are nearly full, the gifts are either wrapped or en route to our home, and countless cups of cocoa have been consumed. There has been Christmas music playing for weeks, opening of advent doors, and readings of a humble birth. We’ve seen lights, reindeer, a Space Needle all lit up, and a camel named Curly. With only a few more traditions to cross off our list the day is approaching quickly and we all are counting the sleeps.

It’s true, I’m giddy at the thought of nine kidlets and cousins joyfully tearing into their presents, and thrilled to imagine the warmth of a fire I’ll sit next to for countless hours, but it’s this coffee cake that is making the days leading up to Christmas feel as if they are taking far too long to pass.

I made this cake last week to test if it was Christmas morning worthy. Since then I’ve resisted making it again and again. Now the anticipation is making me weak.

Let me assure you, it is Christmas morning worthy.

This coffee cake makes eating cake seem perfectly appropriate for a morning’s activity. And really Christmas morning needs no excuse to be eating cake, but this one avoids being overtly sweet with layers of tanginess from both creme fraiche and cream cheese. A subtle citrus flavor runs throughout complementing the soft bitterness from the cocoa nibs.

Let’s pause there for a moment so I can convince you that your pantry needs cocoa nibs. It wasn’t until a couple weeks ago when I myself felt no need to have cocoa nibs be a part of my regular routine. Then a packaged arrived from the kind people at Theo chocolate. There were many delightful things inside but it was the nibs that intrigued me the most.

Cocoa nibs are cocoa beans that have been roasted and cracked. They’re bitter and nearly savory and yet you can recognize that it’s chocolate. They look as though their texture could break your teeth but as you bite into them it’s a gentle crunch that softens as the cocoa butter melts. In this coffee cake they are the perfect accessory for texture and flavor and one of the many reasons that makes this cake worthy of a holiday morning.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Cocoa Nib Coffee Cake

This recipe appears a bit daunting by the sheer length of it. I know I would roll my eyes at all the steps but I assure you all those messy bowls are well worth the trouble. I am counting down the days until Christmas morning when I will enjoy this coffee cake once again.

2 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute half whole wheat if you prefer)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter, soft

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)

Pre-heat your oven to 350*F. Butter a tube pan or a bundt pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and sugars together until creamy and light, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time while the mixer is on medium low. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again then add the creme fraiche. With the mixer on low add the dry ingredients. Stop the mixer while streaks of flour remain. Finish mixing by hand to prevent over mixing.

Set aside ½ cup of the batter.

Cream Cheese Filling

4 oz cream cheese, soft

1 Tablespoon butter, soft

¼ teaspoon orange zest

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup coffee cake batter (reserved from above)

Beat in a mixer or medium bowl until smooth. Stir in ½ cup cake batter.

Topping

½ cup almonds

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

½ teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup cocoa nibs (can be found at fine grocery stores, specialty food stores or ordered online)

Add ingredients, except the cocoa nibs, to the bowl of a food processor and processor until coarse crumb. Stir in the cocoa nibs.

Add half of the cocoa nib crumble to the bottom of the pan. On top of that add half of the batter. The batter is stiff and hard to spread around without disturbing the crumble so I find that spooning the batter into the pan works best. Add a layer of cream cheese filling around the ring than cover with the remaining batter.Try and make sure no cream cheese is left exposed so as not to burn that layer.

Top with the remaining crumbling topping.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for about an hour before running a knife around the edge of pan then inverted. Invert the cake one more time so it’s back to the original baking position. Served warm is best but it’s also great the day after baking (even the day after the day after).

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The cookies, cakes, candies and chocolate barks are fine indeed. The crusted roasts still pink and tender inside cozied up to potatoes layered with cheese and bathed in cream satisfy deeply. I will never deny a leftover piece of gently spiced pie for breakfast – pumpkin is a vegetable after all, but the holidays offer so much more for our senses than just taste.

The faintest scent of cinnamon and clove instantly stirs in me memories of Christmas’ past. The ones in which I begged to sleep in front of the tree, guarding our dear parcels with as much fury as my little body could muster. The sharp, cooling burst of peppermint reminds me our first Christmas together. That year we went with Gabe’s parents to get our tree. Theirs was majestic and grand, ours was charming, only slightly more lush than Charlie Brown’s and yet perfect for us and our tiny first home.

Of course there are more smells that exist beyond the edible ones; the pungent pine perfume from a newly acquired tree and the sharp contrast of a wood burning fireplace against the chilling breeze that hits the moment you step outside.

This is only the beginning. I have yet to mention the lights that cause an infectious joy in my children, the continuous hum of Christmas music that create the soundtrack of this season, and the touch of Winter’s first snow – a feeling we are still waiting for this year.

Each year I become joyfully overwhelmed with all the projects – cooking and otherwise – that make up my to-do list. Many of them exist for the purpose of building memories and traditions and trying to instill the same excitement that I remember from my childhood.

I wanted to share with you a few things we’ve been doing around our home to awaken our senses to the season.

I get so excited when I come across a project that is both visually appealing and easy enough to get the kids involved. I saw these snowflakes on Pinterest and immediately broke out our popscicle sticks. With a bit of glue and spray paint our windows were suddenly festive.

In the middle of our popsicle flakes I created a photo wreath (again the idea came from Pinterest) using prints from our iPhone and polaroid. I may never take this wreath down. I never grow tired of seeing their smiling faces and sweet memories from the previous year.

To create the wreath I cut out a cardboard frame, attached a string then covered the frame with photos. I carried the same idea into our bedroom with a heart shape frame.

One of my favorite parts of this season is coming home. We all rush inside trying to escape the cold and are welcomed with warmth and the lingering sweet smells of citrus and spices – and quite often butter. A lot of butter moves through the house this time of year.

More often than not you’ll find a simmering pot of citrus slices, cloves, and cinnamon sticks sitting on the stove. As if this wasn’t enough I decided to dry some orange slices as well.

1/4″ inch slices line a sheet tray then sit in an oven on its lowest setting. About 4-5 hours the slices are completely dry and ready to be strung as ornaments, laid in a bowl to sweeten a room, or packaged with cinnamon and cloves and given away.

Our craft time turned into snack time as my little “helper” kept eating our project. It’s a good thing I work quickly and a good thing she’s so darn cute.

Then of course there’s hot chocolate. You know by now that this year is the year of hot chocolate for me. I’ve introduced you to my fresh mint version but now there is another.

Maple hot cocoa. While I love the richness that comes from hot chocolate made from a base of ganache (chocolate and cream), there is just something about a cocoa mix that satisfies in a way that no other can.

This is a slightly elevated version of what I drank as a child. While there aren’t any dehydrated mini marshmallows in this mix, the subtle maple sweetness and the rich cocoa flavor make up for it.

I’ve been gifting this mix as well. I love the way the ingredients look layered in the jar especially with a vanilla bean tucked in there just slightly disrupting the perfect layers. With or without a side of marshmallows, this is a perfect holiday gift that can be made in minutes. Just be sure to assign a jar for yourself so you won’t feel guilty when you inevitably break into to one of the gift-destined jars.

I really do encourage you to seek out the maple sugar for this recipe. It’s an ingredient that I haven’t used much and am realizing that I have a lot of lost time to make up for.

It smells of syrup, as it is the crystalized version, but in this application it provides enough sweetness without having to use a lot of sugar. Most hot chocolate mixes call for 1 part cocoa to 2 parts sugar. This is 2:1. The cocoa flavor prevails as you are drinking it but there is a depth that suddenly makes this mix seem more grown up.

Just over one week until Christmas and I have nearly every moment of each day planned with holiday activities. There are more lights to see, more cinnamon to simmer, and more carols to sing to my baby girl as she falls asleep in my arms. All the while making sure to leave plenty of time for hot cocoa drinking, of course.

Maple Hot Cocoa Mix

You can find maple sugar online or at many grocery stores. It’s worth the search, I assure you.

2 cups cocoa

1 cup maple sugar

3 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 vanilla bean (optional)

In a large jar layer the ingredients. Tuck the vanilla bean down the side.

Before preparing a cup of cocoa shake the ingredients together. Add 2 heaping tablespoons mix to 6 ounces hot milk – that is, if you like it good and rich, as I do.

Supplies:

Weck Jars

Popsicle sticks

baker’s twine

Maple sugar

Pernigotti Cocoa

Vanilla Beans

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Chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives prepared at a cooking class at the Atlas Kasbah near Agadir.

It always seems to catch me by surprise. Before I realize it we have managed to find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season with tasks of getting a Christmas tree, wrapping presents and baking cookies taking up what ever spare time we can find.

I love it. Everything about this season fills me with joy. The generosity that abounds, the daily question of “how many days until Christmas?” from my very eager children, and the excitement of seeking that perfect gift.

This year we’ve decided to go homemade. I’m thrilled and overwhelmed with possibilities. My mission is to create a gift that is not only homemade but also very appreciated and will be used.

I’m pretty excited about this homemade gift from the kitchen. It’s unique, it’s incredibly delicious, easy to make and beautiful to receive. For me it carries with it memories of my time in Morocco. It took a visit to the country for me to fully embrace this ingredient but now that I’ve jumped on board I’m making up for lost time.

Preserved lemon is one of those flavors that is hard to distinguish but you’re glad it’s there. Both tart and sour but not overly so, floral without a soapy or perfumed aftertaste, a truly unique flavor that any one who loves food would be delighted to add to their pantry.

After only a few minutes of work sitting before you is a beautiful jar filled with vibrant lemons. The lemons themselves won’t be ready for thirty days but the recipient can spend that time pouring over recipes looking for ideas on how to use them. Myself? I like them on almost anything. Even Delancey has been known to throw them on pizzas. I added them to my prune and sausage stuffing for Thanksgiving and everyone seemed quite pleased. Tomorrow I’m planning a fennel salad, with green olives and preserved lemons. No special occasion, just my lunch and I’m pretty excited about it.

Here’s to hoping these lemons actually end up as gifts for someone other than myself.

Preserved Lemons

adapted from Paula Wolfert, The Food of Morocco

5 lemons

1/4 cup salt, more if desired

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

5 coriander seeds

2 bay leaves

Have ready a sterile 1-pint canning jar.

Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the interior of the lemon, then reshape the fruit.

Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice — Leave some air space before sealing the jar.

Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired — and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.

Gently shake the jar each day to distribute the salt.

* I adore these WECK jars for canning. Use the lemons and the recipient is still left with a great gift.

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As one of the bench markers testing this relationships longevity, I asked Gabe if he liked The Simpsons shortly after we started “hanging out”. He seemed indifferent. – this was, at the time, a big deal for me as it was nearly an institution in our family. Sundays were not just “Nacho Night” they were “eat-nachos-in-front-of-the-tv-while-watching-The Simpons-night”. To not like The Simpsons was, in a sense, to not like a part of me. Luckily, I’ve changed.

He also didn’t like coffee. Luckily, he’s changed.

This is what happens when you marry young. You know one another before you really know yourself. People warn you to live your life first, to discover who you are before the marriage seed is planted in your mind, and for some, that is probably a wise decision, but we were a different story. We met, hung out for a couple years, I moved to Italy for 6 months, and then I realized I would be crazy not to spend the rest of my life with this guy. This “Mexican with a beard”, (which is how I first described him to my parents when telling them of my crush) who wore two button-up shirts at one time, carved his beard into the most creative forms imaginable, played the bass (hot), and loved me in a way that I never thought possible.

I was 21 when I told Gabe I would spend the rest of my life with him. He was 22. It never felt like a fairy tale, I couldn’t and wouldn’t tell you that Gabe was the only one for me but what I could tell you was that I loved him enough to choose to make this commitment and I vowed to make that choice everyday for the rest of my life. As life has carried us through different seasons of joy and sadness, as life has a way of doing, it becomes more and more clear to me that Gabe is indeed the one for me.

And now he drinks coffee. He also slurps coffee producing an even spray across the tongue in order to best taste his brew. This is not how he always drinks coffee, thank goodness, instead this sort of seemingly rude behavior is reserved for cuppings – a session in which one tastes multiple coffees and then rates and discusses them at great length, marking their sweet, sour, and bitter notes on a scientific wheel while jotting down scribbles such as “shoe leather, fermented blueberries, and tobacco”. He liked that particular cup. I did not.

When we were first married I was just beginning to fall in love with food. He patiently waited as I labored over cake batter tweaking and tasting, baking and re-baking, all the while he just wanted cake. Seven years later I still love food and I still love him even though it takes him a solid twenty minutes to produce one cup of coffee in the morning – you know what? I love him BECAUSE it takes him twenty minutes to skillfully brew his morning cup.

Gabe has grown to appreciate all that goes into a single cup of coffee. He has traveled to Guatemala and met coffee growers. He returned with stunning images and the excitement of a young boy explaining to me the process of turning the red coffee cherry into a green bean ready to roast. And now I watch this man that I’ve known for nearly 11 years as he slurps, spits, and scribbles down notes in his journal that is in existence solely for the purpose of recording coffee flavors and I can’t help but fall in love with him more.

Never would I have imagined that my husband would be schooling me in the subject of coffee nor did he know what he was getting himself into but we made that commitment to love and support one another wherever that takes us. If I can love him in-spite of his undying devotion to nacho-cheese sauce that squirts out of a pump found at sporting events or gas stations then I’m pretty sure I can love him through anything.

This cupping took place at Onyx Coffee which is located in Bellingham, WA. If you are ever in that area you must stop by. Their passion for coffee education is unmatched in the area. They are coffee purists encouraging you to leave the cream and sugar in order to taste the coffee the way the growers and the bean intended it to taste. Stop in for a coffee flight or just to hear Edwin and his crew speak about coffee with such passion and authority.

Previously on Film Friday

1, 2

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The thrill of Valentine’s day in elementary school was enough to make me melt into a puddle of candy hearts. I would rip into my store-bought Valentine cards plastered with the faces of Jem, Rainbow, and Strawberry Shortcake on them. Eagerly reading the words from my classmates I would consequently read into the words from the cute boy sitting behind me. “U R Sweet!” “ohmygosh. He thinks I’m sweet! He did sit next to me during quiet reading time. Does this mean we are going out?”

In the sixth grade I had a “boyfriend”.  I avoided him at all cost. I thought he was dreamy but I was far too shy to interact with him. Occasionally we’d glance at one another across the playground and I would quickly turn my head so as to hide my blushing cheeks. We did exchange Valentine’s gifts. I gave him two cd’s. C&C Music Factory and Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff (rejects from my brother who was a member of BMG). He gave me a party-size bag of pink, red and white M&M’s.

I’ve matured a little since then. Now Valentine’s day means more to me than chalky candy hearts and awkward young “love”. February 14 is a gentle reminder for me to slow down, get out the glue and glitter and tell those in my life that I love them and I think they are sweet.

While I look forward to spending time with the love of my life on this overly Hallmarked holiday, I don’t believe Valentine’s day is limited to Eros – romantic love. We all need a little nudge to put our regularly scheduled activities on hold to appreciate dear friends and family that make our lives shiny and sweet.

Now having children of my own I am excited to take this opportunity to teach them the importance of loving one another. This is a lifelong lesson that manifests itself in more ways than pink hearts and should occur more often than once a year. But I appreciate this single day for us to use our hands to create and open our hearts to reflect on who we love and to let those people know.

So this week we are working on a few projects. This first one involves one of my favorite materials. Felt.

Felt envelopes in various colors and designs are a delightful way to give someone a little sweet and a few kind words.

As my oldest and I sit together crafting we talk about who each envelope is for. I ask him why he wants to give it to that person and what makes that individual special. He draws them a picture and lovingly tucks it into their envelope.

I started with a super simple envelope template. You can make one yourself by dissecting an envelope you already have or just Google “envelope template”. Then cut out the template from felt. Hot glue (be careful, it’s hot!) or stitch the sides. Then add bows, hearts, glitter, unicorns, or puppies and kitties. You’ll also want to make some sort of a way for the envelopes to close. Most of them I just attached velcro because it was the easiest.

Next – the really fun part – stuff your little envelopes with candy, notes, drawings, etc. Then give them away and watch the smiles.

Come back for more. There will be crayon shavings and chocolate (not together).

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In February we were honored by the Times Online and of course I mean we because without you I’d be long gone. After that we ate strong cheese .

In March things looked different. NotWithoutSalt.com was born. And we drank great coffee.

In April we made butter.

Then in May we hit the big time. We hopped on a plane to L.A. to see a screening of Food, Inc. and to have a one on one interview with the director – at his home, while he ate his breakfast (this was all thanks to my brother who was a cinematographer for the film).

Garlic Scapes filled us with joy in June.

In July Bacon Caramels satisfied our sweet and salty cravings.

We learned how to render lard in August.

In September we took a field trip to the Orchard then made caramel worthy of those apples.

A-hunting-we-did-go in October.

In November we learned all about coffee. More coffee. Coffee, cont’d.

And finally in December we covered ourselves in sugar. Cookies, candies, cakes, trifles and shortbread with onion jam.

Thanks to all of you for an incredible year. Here’s to an even more memorable one in 2010!

Have a fun New Year’s celebration. I will be ringing in the new year learning all about duck. More on this later.

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I realize that it has been weeks and quite possibly longer  since I’ve posted something savory. ‘Tis the Season! But don’t worry mom, I have been eating my vegetables  – it’s just so fun to talk about sugar.

That changes today. Sort of. There is still sugar in the recipe but there is also an ingredient that you may be unfamiliar with – fennel pollen.

Thanks to the lovely Jennifer Perillo from “In Jennie’s Kitchen”, I was gifted a generous supply of this sweet spice.

Peggy Knickbocker wrote, in an article for Saveur, “If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it.” I couldn’t agree more. Anything that resembles fennel in its sweet anise flavor is a winner in my book but fennel pollen goes above and beyond anise. It’s as if it takes all that is good with that subtley sweet licorice essence and makes it a thousand times better. The aroma is floral and intoxicating.  One smell and I suddenly wish I was a bee so I could cover myself in it. I guess I don’t have to be a bee to do that but it would be quite expensive as fennel pollen is nearly as costly as saffron.

The recipe for these fennel pollen cookies is nearly the same as yesterday’s chocolate chip shortbread with a touch more salt and minus the vanilla. I served them with a tart and sweet onion jam and a smokey blue cheese from Rogue River Creamery and let me just tell you the angels were singing. In one bite I tasted sweet, salty, smokey and a soft vinegar bite. The finishing taste was the fennel pollen as it lingered on my tongue, hanging there for a bit – I begged it not to go but once it did I popped another one in my mouth.

If time allows I hope to give all those I love dearly a little jar of onion jam and package of the fennel pollen shortbread. They will be happy.

Continue along for the recipes.

Onion Jam

adapted from Food & Wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium sweet onions, julienned 

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup grenadine

Salt

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until soft and just translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, vinegar, grenadine and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 35 minutes. Transfer the onion jam to a bowl and let cool.

Note: I doubled the recipe and it worked beautifully. The cooking time was 45 minutes to 1hour.

Fennel Pollen Shortbread
Wild Fennel Pollen can be ordered online. Besides shortbread, fennel pollen, makes an incredible rub on lamb and pork. Sprinkle on salads or roasted vegetables to give an intriguing floral-anise flavor.

adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

3/4 pound butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen, plus more for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the fennel pollen. In a medium bowl, sift together, with a whisk, flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a generous amount of fennel pollen to cover the the log. Cover in wax paper or parchment. Chill until firm.

Carefully slice the log into 1/4″ cookies. Place the cookies on an sheet pan covered with parchment. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

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I had a craving the other night. It was a very specific craving that, not surprisingly, involved chocolate and I wanted it in cookie form. I knew that I wanted it to be buttery with a texture that crumbles in your mouth as sand would except not as repulsive as the idea of eating sand. Not chewy or crispy nor too complex rather it must be soft and sweet and as fragile as the Christmas ornaments that my 1 1/2 year keeps on shattering.

My craving ceased as I bit into a *store bought* (?!?!! – sometimes I like it when someone else does the baking for me). The texture was perfect and the mini chocolate chips studded throughout provided a depth and rich sweetness that brought me much delight. The peppermint ice cream that I used to wash down the cookie also added to my enjoyment.

It was a shortbread cookie. Traditionally shortbread is made from one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour. Classically the flour was oatmeal flour but today it is more common to use white flour. Some people go real crazy and throw in ground rice or cornflour to give the cookie an interesting texture.

The high amount of fat (in this case, butter) gives these cookies their soft and crumbly texture. The butter generously coats the flour limiting gluten formation. The resulting cookie is unbelievably tender and simply melts in your mouth.

The next day the craving returned. My husband kindly sought out the mini chocolate chips from the grocery store while I began to mix.

The recipe I used is an adaptation from Ina Garten. She doesn’t shy away from butter and I LOVE her for that. With this recipe’s high amount of butter and lack of eggs I knew that it would provide the texture I was craving. I wasn’t disappointed.

This dough can be made in advance then rolled into a log. Wrap in wax paper or parchment paper then slice and bake when the craving strikes.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

3/4 pound butter, softened

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounces mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together, with a whisk, flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Add the chocolate chips until just mixed in. Roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Cover in wax paper or parchment. Chill until firm.

Carefully slice the log into 1/4″ cookies. Place the cookies on an sheet pan covered with parchment. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Note: The edges of the shortbread are ever so slightly sharper if you chill the cookies before baking them.

Stay tuned for a slighty savory application of this same recipe. In the meantime start softening some butter and get mixing.

Also, these cookies make for a great addition to your holiday cookie plates. They travel well and pack nicely as a little gift.

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The other day a smell permeated the house that was as comforting as slippers – the ones that are covered with wool then open up to a textured faux fur that tries to replicate the impossibly soft covering of a baby lamb. It was as fragrant as Lillies and so completely intoxicating I had a hard time concentrating on the task at hand.

I was poaching pears.

My nose was never more than six inches from the pot as I let the floral steam wash over my face like the most exhilarating spa treatment. My mind raced with ideas on how to use these pears daily  during this chilled season where their presence is simply perfect.

As I dreamed I dipped a little glass in to steal some of the poaching liquid and determined that it makes a rather delightful mulled wine.

On this occasion the pears found themselves covered in a white blanket of white chocolate mascarpone mousse. They became close neighbors with lady fingers that also became intoxicated with a reduced version of the poaching liquid. Everyone was happily capped with whipped cream and white chocolate curls.

The next day my pears became fast friends with a ginger and cardamom panna cotta.

Don’t you think for one minute that these pears need some fancy accompaniment to make them special enough for the Holidays. Oh no. They are, on their own, simply perfect. Serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream – oh and can you imagine what a creamy caramel would do for these spicy pears. Oh goodness.

White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle with Spiced Pears
from Bon Appetit, December 2007
This is a great holiday “wow” dessert that is actually better made the day ahead. Space out your prep. You can make the pears and reduction 2 days ahead and assemble everything else the day before. Let rest in the fridge. This will give all the incredible flavors a chance to hang out and get to know one another.

Spiced Pears:
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
2 cups pear juice or pear nectar
1 1/4 cups sugar
12 whole green cardamom pods, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet
4 1-inch-diameter rounds peeled fresh ginger (each about 1/8 inch thick)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
7 large firm but ripe Anjou pears (3 to 31/4 pounds), peeled (the original recipe called for 5 but I wanted more. Feel free to make even more pears – you won’t be sorry)

White Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse:
7 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
1/3 cup poire Williams (clear pear brandy) - I used apple brandy and I heard no complaints
1/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Trifle Assembly:
3 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers, separated
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

White chocolate curls

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

For spiced pears:

Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes. Transfer liquid with pears to large bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.

Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to generous 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain into 2-cup measuring cup; discard spices in strainer. Cool. Cover and chill pears and pear syrup until cold.
For mousse:

Combine white chocolate, pear or apple brandy, and 1/4 cup water in top of double boiler set over simmering water. (You can also do this in the microwave for 30 sec. increments – be very careful not to overheat) Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Pears and mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
For trifle assembly:

Cut pears lengthwise in half and remove cores and stems; cut halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Arrange ladyfingers, rounded sides down, in single layer in bottom of 12-cup trifle dish (about 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep), covering bottom completely (using about 15 ladyfingers). Drizzle 5 tablespoons pear syrup evenly over ladyfingers. Using small offset spatula, spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over ladyfingers, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible (center of mousse layer will be thin). Starting at outer edges of dish, place pear slices in single layer with curved edges against sides of dish atop mousse, covering completely. Repeat layering of ladyfingers, syrup, mousse, and pears 2 more times. Cover with fourth layer of ladyfingers (some ladyfingers and pear slices may be left over). Drizzle ladyfingers evenly with 5 tablespoons syrup. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate trifle and remaining pear syrup separately.

Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups whipping cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup pear syrup and beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, transfer cream to large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes all over top of trifle, mounding slightly in center. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Garnish with chocolate curls. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Sift powdered sugar over trifle just before serving.

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