WARM PEAR BUCKLES WITH CLEMENTINE CREAM and CLEMENTINE POTS DE CREME

Cuties, they're not just for kids. These desserts are a grown up way to use the small, sweet fruit.

WARM PEAR BUCKLES WITH CLEMENTINE CREAM

1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 pounds firm but ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored and diced
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
zest and juice of one lemon
clementine cream (recipe to follow)

Whisk the flour, powdered sugar and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Using mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients, fold in just to blend. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. Flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic and chill for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 400F. Mix pears, cornstarch, ginger, 2/3 cup sugar and lemon zest and juice. Divide among ramekins.
Working with 1 dough disk at a time, roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a plate or cookie cutter 1/2 inch larger than the top of the ramekins as a guide, cut out rounds. Cut a 1-inch long slit in center of each round. Place dough rounds atop pear mixture in ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of  clementine cream.

CLEMENTINE CREAM
1 cup chilled cream
2 tablespoons fresh clementine juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated clementine peel

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until peaks form.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2010
www.bonappetit.com/recipes‎

CLEMENTINE POTS DE CREME

2 3/4 cups cream, divided
zest of 2 clementines, 1 finely grated, 1 cut into thin strips for garnish
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup whole milk

In a large saucepan, heat 2 1/4 cups cream over medium heat until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Add finely grated clementine zest and chocolate chips. Remove from the heat and let steep 20 minutes, stirring a few times, until smooth.
Heat oven ot 300F. In a large bowl, whisk yolks with 1/3 cup sugar and milk. Set six 6-ounce ramekins in a large baking pan.
Set a strainer over bowl with yolk mixture and pour chocolate mixture through, pressing on the zest. Whisk well to throughly combine.
Pour into ramekins. Add very hot tap water to the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with foil and bake until pots de creme are just set around edges and slightly jiggly in centers, about 40 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a large bowl, whip remaining 1/2 cup cream to soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whip lightly to incorporate.
Place a dollop of whipped cream on each pot de creme, garnish with zest strips, and serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, February 2013
www.oprah.com/.../Oprah-Magazines-Best-Recipes-Top-...‎

TRAVEL TUESDAY - LAKE OUACHITA - MY CLEMENTINE and CHUNKY GUACAMOLE and CRAB TOAST CANAPES and SALMON CAKES WITH GREENS and RETRO SPINACH DIP AND PUMPERNICKEL SPEARS

Every summer we take a lake vacation with dear, wonderful friends from Louisiana.
The first year we borrowed a friends cabin, but as our families grew larger, we started renting houses around Beaver Lake. Once our kids were older and safe on a boat without our constant supervision, and after one unfortunate incident with bed bugs, we decided to try spending our week actually on the lake, and rented a house boat.
The last few years, we have met on an 80 foot boat on Lake Ouachita. It is a beautiful, clear lake, filled with islands, with very minimal build up around the shore. We move the boat to a new cove every day, and it is very peaceful. There is not much else to do but read, relax and be out on the water (we take our ski boat and our friends supply lake toys - a canoe, inflatable trampoline, inner tubes), and the Mamas go into town for a day of flea marketing and antique shopping.
We take turns cooking, and this year we decided to put together a cocktail party, and served these little bites.

MY CLEMENTINE

14 ounces vodka
12 ounces fresh clementine juice
6 ounces fresh lime juice
6 ounces Aperol
4 ounces agave nectar
12 ounces chilled club soda

In a pitcher, combine the vodka, clementine and lime juices, Aperol and agave. Stir well.
Refrigerate until chilled, 1 hour. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Working in batches and adding fresh ice, shake well and strain into 8 ice-filled collins glasses.
Stir 1 1/2 ounces of club soda into each glass.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine, July 2013
www.foodandwine.com/‎

 CHUNKY GUACAMOLE

2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and coarsely mashed
Tortilla chips for serving

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir in mashed avocados. Serve with tortilla chips.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooks Secrets, August 2013
www.bhgsip-mediakit.com/r5/showkiosk.asp?listing_id=4521560...‎

CRAB TOAST CANAPES

1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

5 tablespoons of olive oil, divided

1 pound lump crab meat

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped dill

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350F. Arrange baguette slices on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, fold together crab, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, shallots, lemon zest and juice and dill.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon onto baguette slices.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, April 2013

www.oprah.com/food.html‎

SALMON CAKES WITH GREENS

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped shallots

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound salmon fillet, skin removed and chopped

2 eggs

5 tablespoons drained capers

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 cups mixed greens

Combine mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon shallots, 1 teaspoon mustard, buttermilk and lemon juice in a bowl, set aside.

Combine salmon, eggs, 1/4 cup shallots, capers, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon mustard, salt and pepper in another bowl, mix well. Shape into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook salmon cakes until bottom is golden, about 6 minutes, flip and cook until golden, 5 minutes more. 

Divide salad among plates, top with salmon cakes and drizzle with dressing.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Self, April 2011

www.self.com/fooddiet/recipes‎

RETRO SPINACH DIP AND PUMPERNICKEL SPEARS

2 cups pumpernickel bread cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 heads of endive, leaves separated

Cut the bread into small cubes. In a small skillet, toast the cubes with the olive oil over medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Let cool.
In a food processor, pulse the spinach, green onions, mayonnaise and sour cream until almost smooth, season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the spinach mixture onto the endive spears and top with the bread.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray
www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/‎