The Vineyard Mom, Leslie Dabney, joined us from her home in California's Wine Country with recipes that would be perfect for any holiday party.
Brie and Cranberry Pull Apart Bread
1 round loaf of sourdough bread
16 oz. of brie
1 cup cranberry sauce
½ cup chopped roasted pecans
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 350 F
Cut the loaf of bread vertically and horizontally to make 1 inch cubes. Cut the loaf down to the bottom, but don't cut all the way through.
Cut the brie into small chunks and tuck the cubes into the bread.
Repeat with the cranberry sauce and the pecans.
Place the stuffed bread onto a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with chopped rosemary and thyme and serve immediately.
Mini Loaded Potatoes
16 mini potatoes, scrubbed clean with water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup sour cream
3 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup cooked bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Preheat oven to 450 F
Prick each cleaned mini potato several times with a fork. Place on a plate in 1 layer and microwave for 4 minutes. Turn potatoes over and microwave another 4 minutes.
Using a towel or oven mitt, cut the hot potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle of the potato leaving a ¼ inch border on the sides. Place the insides into a mixing bowl.
Put the potato halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush the skins with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the skins are crispy.
Meanwhile, in the bowl with the potato filling, add the cheese, sour cream, green onions and butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
When the potato skins are done, flip them over on the baking sheet so the cut half is now facing up ready to be filled.
Divide the filling into the crispy potato skins. Place the loaded potato skins back in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes until the filling is bubbly. Garish with chopped bacon and parsley
Apple and Cheddar Cheese Puff Pastry Bundles
2 medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into ⅛ inch slices
1 package with 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed
Zest of a lemon
4 tbsp honey
1 egg
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup chopped roasted pecans
Preheat the oven to 400 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine apple slices, lemon zest and 2 tbsp of honey. Mix to combine.
Cut each piece of puff pastry into 4 equal squares (4 ½"x 4 ½").
Whisk together the egg with a splash of water. Using a pastry brush, brush all the edges of the puff pastry with the egg mixture. Rotate the pastry so that a corner of the pastry faces you.
Place 1 tbsp of grated cheese in the middle of the pastry. Top with several pieces of the thinly sliced apples slightly over lapping each other. Sprinkle the top of the apples with another tablespoon of the grated cheddar cheese,
Fold the left side of the pastry over the top. Do the same with the right side The points from the sides should meet in the middle. Brush with egg mixture so that they stick together. Brush the top of the pastry with more egg wash.
Arrange 4 of the pastries on each baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey over the top of the pastry and top with the chopped pecans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes rotating the trays half way through, Pastry should be puffed and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.
The Vinyard mom recommends pairing the Apple and Cheddar Cheese Puff Pastry Bundles and the Mini Loaded Potatoes with Sauvingnon Blanc.
And for the Brie and Cranberry Pull Apart Bread, serve that with a nice Cab Franc.
You can get more recipes @thevineyardmomliving on Instagram.
