{trio of gourmet s'mores}

S'mores just might be one of my favorite throwback desserts from childhood, but they so rarely make an appearance now outside of camping trips (which are not a part of my life) and bonfires (which I wish were a bigger part of my life).   For the last post in my series with Pinnacle Vodka I got to watch a series of fun cocktail videos they recently created and their recipe using Whipped Cream flavored vodka to make a S'mores cocktail got me inspired to try out some alternative s'mores combos this past weekend (you can check out the fun video at the bottom of the post!).  I'm not a huge chocolate person so I decided to try making three different s'mores combos all without chocolate.   The whole set up of ingredients laid out in our kitchen before we started assembling the s'mores reminded me of the fun idea of creating a "s'mores bar" for a party like this one- you could even add a couple dessert cocktail options alongside the s'mores toppings using Pinnacle's flavored vodkas!

 {how fun would this tray be to bring out after a summer dinner}

{to make it easier to assemble/devour- I crumbled the pretzels in a ziploc bag before
adding them to the toppings tray} 

 {this was by far my favorite flavor combo- I even added a tiny sprinkle of finely ground black pepper to add a bit of kick. in the humble brag department I'll inform you that I grew that basil myself - it's really all about the small wins in life ya know?}

 {this simple combo was inspired by my all-time favorite street crepe flavor that I would find myself purchasing on our late nights in Paris- I would recommend not cutting the bananas like this, but rather cutting the banana on the bias to create longer pieces so they dont slip out of the s'mores set up - you can learn from my mistakes}

Check out this fun video that inspired this post with a S'mores cocktail recipe using Pinnacle's Whipped flavored vodka:

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com.  Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/.

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.

{chia seed pudding 3 ways}

I have been seeing dessert recipes using the incredibly healthy chia seeds popping up everywhere. The seeds are incredibly rich in antioxidants, protein and fiber which doesn't sound like a typical dessert ingredient, but I figured it was worth a shot to see what all the hype was about.  Since the prep time for a chia seed pudding is about 5 minutes I decided to try out multiple flavor combinations to see what I preferred.  The simple answer is that I prefer them all and chia seeds are surprisingly tasty with a texture similar to mini crunchy tapioca.  In other words...I get what all the hype is about.

Scroll down for the three different recipes for chia pudding that I tested out- my favorite was the simple and sweet vanilla coconut pudding, but the pistachio was a close runner up.  These recipes use either unsweetened almond milk or vanilla coconut milk, but you can substitute for any dairy you prefer such as regular 2% milk.  Regardless of which flavor chia pudding you chose to make, you will definitely need to add a small amount of sweetener to the mix.  For these recipes I experimented between maple syrup, honey or agave nectar as sweeteners and between the three I find that the agave nectar was my favorite.

Each recipe below makes two large servings.

Vanilla Coconut Chia Seed Pudding:

• 1 cup vanilla coconut milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl then transfer to serving bowls.  Place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Ideal garnish would be dried coconut chips although I tried it with shaved dark chocolate!

Raspberry Lemon Chia Seed Pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, combine raspberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, almond milk, honey & vanilla extract.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chia seeds.  Place into desired serving bowls and let set in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Garnish with fresh raspberries & lemon zest!

Pistachio Chia Seeding Pudding:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

In a food processor, combine almond milk, pistachios and agave nectar.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chia seeds.  Place into desired serving bowls and let set in fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Garnish with chopped pistachios!

{pumpkin crescent rolls}

I am like most people during the month of October- absolutely unapologetically obsessed with any food or drink including pumpkin.  On a recent trip to Trader Joe's I got sucked into buying pumpkin waffles, mini frozen pumpkin pies & pumpkin cream cheese.  It's clearly a problem.

Using the pumpkin cream cheese and a package of crescent rolls, I whipped up this easy dessert the other night.  If you don't include the cinnamon sugar topping (which you need to include obviously) it is truly a recipe using only two ingredients!!  Full recipe at the bottom of the post.

We had these for dessert, but they would be perfect for a Halloween or Thanksgiving brunch - or even to bring as an appetizer to a pumpkin carving party!

what you need (makes 8):

• 1/2 cup pumpkin cream cheese
• 1 package of crescent rolls 
• sheet pan topped with Silpat or covered in cooking spray
• cinnamon sugar topping mixture

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unwrap crescent rolls and lay out on silpat. 
3. Spread about 1 tablespoon per roll of the pumpkin cream cheese on each roll.
4. Roll up crescent rolls in traditional way.
5. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Before rolls cool completely- roll them in cinnamon sugar to top. 

{momofuku milk bar birthday cake}

I have never been to Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC, but I have certainly dreamt about it ever since I received this book for Christmas.  Somehow I have had this book in my possession for almost a year without trying a single recipe from it and with our birthdays around the corner I decided I simply had to try one of the cake recipes.  I decided to start out with the infamous birthday cake recipe and immediately got going about ordering or locating all the ingredients and tools it requires.  The recipe doesn't require anything too crazy, but it did need some ingredients we don't normally have like citric acid or glucose as well as some tools such a cake cutter and acetate sheets.

The recipe is pretty straight forward and the most time consuming part is simply measuring out all the ingredients!  While the assembly looks difficult using acetate sheets to "build" the layers in, it is actually super easy- especially after you watch this video!  The best part of this cake is that you can make it up to two weeks ahead of time and store it in the freezer.

Oh and we haven't talked about the taste....it's amazing. I wish I had a better word to describe it, but amazing is really the most perfect word for it.  The nostalgic funfetti taste is spot on, but with an added richness and salty crunch from the "crumbs" added in to each layer plus the "milk soak" you add to each cake layer during assembly makes the texture so moist and decadent!

You can see the whole recipe here, but you should really just buy the book!

{cake crumb ready to go in the oven}

{wondering about those awesome sparkler candles?  you can buy em right here}

{vegan blackberry fig coconut ice cream}

I've never really been one of those people that opts for the "guilt-free" option when it comes to dessert- I would rather just have a smaller portion of the full-on decadent version than the watered down, fat or sugar free impostor.  This philosophy is pretty much mandatory when it comes to ice cream.  Unless of course you can find a healthy of guilt-free option that tastes so good it makes you forget that you are missing out on things like full fat heavy whipping cream, but I don't know many ice creams like that...

Enter this recipe for Blackberry Fig Coconut vegan ice cream- another fabulous pinterest find!  Using coconut milk and honey in the place of a traditional custard ice cream base.  The resulting ice cream isn't as rich in its texture as regular ice cream- I would equate it more like a creamy sorbet.  But what it lacks in custard texture it more than makes up for in flavor with a tartness from the blackberry and sweetness from the coconut.  The fig rounds out the coconut flavor from making the whole thing taste too tropical (blackberry pina colada anyone?).  It could quite possibly be the perfect summer to fall transitional ice cream if there ever was such a category?  If you don't already have an ice cream maker, I highly recommend this one.

{cali-persian dinner party menu}

{dress from here}

Remember a few weeks back when I said I really wanted to recreate the entire "Cali-Persian" menu in Bon Appetit?  Well this past Sunday night we had some friends over for a little dinner party and we did just that!  The dishes in the article are not only super colorful and photogenic, but also bursting with flavor.  The best part of these recipes is while some of the preparation uses some foreign cooking methods (especially the rice), there are no hard to find or odd ingredients that will have you running all over town.

We opted to switch out the main lamb entree for a pork loin in the favor of mass appeal for our guests and you can see the recipe for the pork at the bottom of this post.  Overall this menu came out perfect for a warm summer evening- the food was refreshing yet satisfying and filled with interesting herbal flavor combinations.

Our menu for the evening was as follows:

Appetizers:

• simple cheese plate and snacks
• lavender & lemon champagne cocktail (recipe coming on Friday!)

Dinner:

• shirazi salad
• shallot yogurt
• jeweled rice
• old grain toasted bread & herbed butter
• herb marinated pork loin- recipe at bottom of post

Dessert:

• rose water cookies served with vanilla ice cream**

**our dinner guests insisted on bringing dessert, but had they not offered this was the dessert I would have made to accompany the meal. 

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

what you need:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 2 teaspoon of chopped rosemary 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. For Brine: Combine orange juice, salt, chopped rosemary and 1/2 cup of water in bowl and stir to dissolve salt.  
2. Place the tenderloin in a ziplock bag and add brine.  Brine for 6-12 hours
3. Remove pork from brine and pat dry.  Brush with olive oil.
4. Sear pork loin on high heat in a grill pan or cast iron skillet until nicely browned.
5. Finish in a 400 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. (approximately 10-15 minutes)
6. Rest for 10 minutes and then slice on the bias into 12 pieces.  Top with chopped parsley.  

{diy shortcake bar + free printables}

On a recent trip to Trader Joe's, I picked up a pack of their fresh shortcakes which inspired me to create a little diy shortcake bar for a weekend brunch.  This little set up would be so perfect to add on to the buffet at a bridal or baby shower.  I chose to offer a mix of classic and fun options for the shortcake toppings including the pepper jelly and cream cheese mix to add a spicy savory option!   At the bottom of this post you can download all the printables you see used here!

{are flags necessary to hold your shortcake together?  no.  do they look cute? yes.  moving on....}

  {The toppings selection I offered included classic strawberries and cream, lemon curd with lavender, and red pepper jelly with cream cheese.   Some other great options could be be nutella and bananas or a selection of flavored jams.} 

click here to download the shortcake bar instructions sign

click here for the toppings labels

click here for the heart flag garnishes