Roasted Grape Crostini

Ingredients

• 4 cups of red grapes
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
• 1/2 cup of spreadable goat cheese
• 24 slices of lightly toasted baguette

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Take the grapes off of their stems and then combine them with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme in a medium bowl. Once the grapes are thoroughly coated in the oil and seasoning, spread them out in one layer on a baking sheet.

Roast the grapes for 45 to 50 minutes or until they start to wrinkle and caramelize. Remove the grapes from the oven, allow them to cool a little bit, and then coat them in the balsamic glaze. Spread goat cheese on each crostini and then top each one with a few grapes.

Garnish with fresh thyme and serve!

Enjoy!

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Candied Pecans

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 4 cups of unsalted pecan halves
• 1 egg white, whisked

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Shake or whisk until the ingredients are combined and then set aside.

In a separate bowl mix the pecans and egg white until the pecans are evenly coated.  Then add the sugar and spice mixture and toss until combined.

Spread the mixture out into one layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until the pecans are fragrant and the sugar coating is cooked.

Make sure to remove the tray from the oven every 20 minutes to flip and stir the nuts around. When the nuts are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack until the nuts reach room temperature.

Transfer the nuts to a sealed container or tie them up with cellophane, a gift tag, and a pretty ribbon for the perfect holiday gift.

Enjoy!

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Banana Bread with a Brown Butter Glaze

Ingredients

Banana Bread

• 4 overripe bananas
• 1/4 cup of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of granulated suga
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Brown Butter Glaze

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons of milk

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl mash the bananas, then add the butter and sugar and beat until well combined. Next mix in the egg and vanilla. Once those are mixed in add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined. Put the bread in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack.

While the banana bread is cooling you can get started on the brown butter glaze. Add the butter to a saucepan and cook over medium heat string frequently until it starts to foam.  Once the butter has foamed stop staring and let it continue to cook until it turns an amber brown color. Remove the butter from the heat, sift in powdered sugar, add the milk and stir. Use enough milk so that the butter and sugar mixture comes to the perfect glaze consistency. Finally drizzle the brown butter glaze over the banana bread. If you can resist eating it yourself, this banana bread makes a wonderful gift.

Enjoy!

(This photo features a custom gift tag with forest letterpress. Click here to shop our Personalized Gift Tags.)