Thank you everyone who participated in the “Origami Zoo Kit” giveaway. Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize. We have selected a winner through Random.org!
The winner is “Whatever U are, be a good one”, who said, “I love Origami, and I will try to do more Origami in the future! I already loved and followed Your facebook and blog under name: fiona nuyen! Thank You for the chance, and Happy Holidays :) Fiona N”
Congratulations, Fiona! I’ll be contacting the winner shortly via email on how to claim the prizes.
If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Origami Zoo Kit here. Please stayed tuned for more fun review and giveaways in the near future.
Are you enjoying the holiday recipes that I’ve been sharing in the past few weeks? I certainly hope so. If you’ve missed any of them, simply check out the previous posts on my blog. You might have noticed that I have shared quite a bit of desserts and sweet treats. So today, it’s time for some savory treats. Check out this Easy Holiday Appetizer: Ham and Cheese Puff.
Don’t they look gorgeous and dramatic? However, they are significantly less complicated to prepare than they look! Shhh….you don’t have to tell anyone how easy and simple it is to make them. If you haven’t already done so, watch the YouTube video tutorial at the beginning of this post. You’ll want to run to the kitchen and make some right the way!
These Ham and Cheese Puffs has a flaky and buttery crust, along with a cheesy and meaty fillings, with a hint of smoky flavor from the smoked Gouda cheese. You can certainly use any cheese, but the smoked Gouda is really one of my favorites! Its smoky flavor inside these puffs is just amazing! I also used uncured deli ham for the fillings. Again, you can substitute with turkey, or chicken breast, etc. Just make sure the meat is thinly sliced so it heats up evenly during the baking process.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s recipe and video tutorial. These Ham and Cheese Puffs will certainly make a wonderful party appetizer, so please give them a try soon!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel here. This way, you won’t miss out on any video and you’ll be the first to know when I have a new tutorial published. I share a new video tutorial/recipe every week.
Will you be hosting a Christmas party this year? Or, will you be a guest at a friend’s or family member’s house? Honestly, I enjoy being a guest more than hosting a party at my place. One reason is that I don’t really have a backyard that is spacious enough to host parties. The other reason is the tremendous amount effort needed, such as planning, preparation, and cleanup! As a guest, I’m always happy to bring desserts! And I’m sure any host would be pleased to see this festive and gorgeous Christmas Fruit Tart with Meyer Lemon Mousse! But of course, you can still make this pretty fruit tart even if you’re hosting Christmas gatherings at your place. This tart will make a beautiful centerpiece for sure.
The crust of this tart is a simple cookie crust. It’s crunchy, buttery, and sturdy enough to hold up the Meyer Lemon Mousse fillings. The Meyer Lemon Mousse filling is super easy to prepare. It involves some mascarpone whipped cream and Meyer Lemon Curd. Click here to check out my homemade Meyer Lemon Curd recipe. If you want a short cut, it’s okay to use a store bought Lemon Curd as well. After all, it’s the holiday and it’s alright to give yourself a break if you are in a hurry. But the good news is that you can make the Meyer Lemon Curd ahead of time and they’ll last quite a long time in the fridge.
I used green grapes, pineapple, pomegranate seeds, and persimmon to garnish this tart. It’s quite self explanatory in terms of how to arrange the fruit to form the Christmas Tree. You can be creative and use other fruits that you like. For example, kiwi slices for the tree, yellow peach for the star, and other small fruit as ornaments as well. These are the fruits that I have on hand so I used them. The fresh fruit compliment the Meyer Lemon Mousse perfectly. It’s refreshing yet decadent at the same time. The mousse filling has a light, fluffy and silky mouth-feel, which contrast wonderfully with the crunch cookie crust. The pomegranate seeds add a little pop and tartness in this tart. And its natural color simply brightens up the whole tart.
It’s such a festive and simple dessert to enjoy! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and make it for your holiday celebration. If you do try the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a message below or email me a picture on how it turned out. I can’t wait to hear from you! Stayed tuned for more fun and festive holiday treats next week.
Thank you everyone who participated in the “Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas” craft book giveaway. Special thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing the prize. We have selected a winner through Random.org!
The winner is Annette who said, “I subscribed and gave it a thumbs up!” Congratulations, Annette. I’ll be contacting the winner shortly via email on how to claim the prizes.
If you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still purchase a copy of the Perfect Gift Wrapping Ideas here. It’s a must have for your holiday gift wrapping.
How’s your holiday shopping so far? I’m just glad that I did most of mine online these days. I simply do not like the shopping malls' crowded parking lot nor the long lines at the check outs! Are you the same? Or do you think that’s part of the fun from holiday shopping? Fortunately, some of my holiday gifts are going to be homemade edible gifts and DIYs that don’t require a trip to the mall. Gifts such as these adorable Classic Shortbread Cookies.
As you can see, I decorated them as Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Trees for a more festive look. I’ll list the cookie cutters and other tools that I used in this recipe, at the bottom of the post for your convenience. These cookies are quite simple to make and lots of fun to decorate. My kids had a blast decorating and eating their own creations.
If you haven’t done so, please check out my video tutorial above. You’ll see how easy it is to make these adorable cookies. Best of all, I mostly just used chopped pistachios and dried cranberries for the decorations. I simply love these natural and festive colors for the holidays! Not to mention, they add some wonderful flavors and textures to the cookies.
There are only a few simple ingredients for this classic shortbread cookie recipe. The key to a wonderful shortbread cookie is the butter! Therefore, please use the best quality of butter that you can get your hands on. They make a huge difference in the end product. Also for your reference, you will find the butter that I trust and love... right below this post.
I have been baking these Classic Shortbread Cookiesall year round and not just for the holidays because they are so delicious. They are super buttery and a little crunchy, thanks to the pistachio nuts on top. The pistachio adds a nice and subtle nutty flavor to these cookies. Definitely a fun treat for holiday and everyday afternoon tea. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon and add it to your holiday baking list. Stay tuned for more festive holiday treats next week!
