Roasted Beet, Baby Kale, and Brie Quiche

prep time: 15 MINUTES cook time: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES yields: 6 AS A SIDE 4 AS A MAIN

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Ingredients

• Crust
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (use a gluten free blend if needed)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup cold buttermilk or water
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• Quiche
• 2-3 medium to small red beets
• 1 sweet onion, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt + pepper, to taste
• 3 cups baby kale
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 ounces brie, cubed
• 4 ounces fontina cheese or white cheddar cheese

Instructions

To make the crust, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds and salt in a medium size bowl. Toss in the cold, cubed butter and then, using your fingers or a dough cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture. Try to work quickly and break the butter down into the flour mixture. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk (or water). Create a well in the butter and flour mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk/egg mixture. Use a fork to bring the dough together. On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture. It will be moist and shaggy. Gently knead the dough into a round, flat disk.

Grease a 9 or 10 inch tart pan with cooking spray, sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with toasted sesame seeds. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 15-inch circle. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and up the sides. Cover and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Next, add the beets, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a good pinch of salt + pepper to a large cookie sheet or roasting pan with sides. Toss well to combine.

Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the beets are tender and lightly charred. During the last 5 minutes, toss in the baby kale and continue to roast until the kale has wilted. Remove from the oven. Once cool enough to handle, chop the onion into thin slices.

Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees F.

While the veggies roast, whisk the eggs, greek yogurt, heavy cream, parsley, dill, crushed red pepper and a good pinch of salt + pepper in a bowl until combined. Stir in the brie and half of the shredded fontina cheese.

Add the roasted veggies to bottom of you tart pan. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies. Top with the remaining fontina cheese. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake on the middle rack in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the quiche is set and no longer jiggly in the center.

Let the quiche sit 5 minutes for before cutting and then EAT!

Source: countryliving.com

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients

Crust
• 24 Gingersnap Cookies
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
• 1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
• 1 egg
• COOL WHIP Whipped Topping if desired
• Caramel sauce if desired

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, grind gingersnap cookies to crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until mixed.

Lightly spray mini cheesecake pan with non stick cooking spray.

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of gingersnap crust mixture into each of the 12 cheesecake cavities in pan. Press down with spoon or small glass.

Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, salt and spices with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and beat until just blended.

Spoon cream cheese mixture into mini cheesecake pan on top of gingersnap crusts. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for at least 30 minutes. Chill for at least two hours, or preferably overnight.

Source: countryliving.com

Cranberry Apple Pies

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup cold water

Filling

• 2 cups cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 apples
• Zest from one orange (about 2 teaspoons)

Assembly

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Coarse sugar

Directions

Start by preparing the dough for the pie crust. If you want to use pre-made crust, you can skip ahead, and probably finish the whole recipe in about 20 minutes. But crust is pretty fun to make. The main trick to making a pie crust using butter, is keeping it as cool as possible while you make it. I store our flour in the freezer, and about 15 minutes before we start, I also put the mixing bowl in the freezer.

Cube the butter, and put it in a food processor with the flour, salt, and sugar. Mix for about 30 seconds. It will have almost a breadcrumb texture. Pour into the chilled mixing bowl. If you don't have a food processor, you can do this by hand in the mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to blend the butter.

Add 1/4 cup of the cold water, and mix it with your hands. I like to grab and twist, making sure to work the bottom and sides of the bowl. When the water is absorbed, add another 1/4 cup of cold water. That should be enough to pull the dough together. If it still seems crumbly like in the picture below, work in another couple tablespoons of cold water.

Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and knead the dough just a couple times to work into a nice smooth ball. Cover it in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest while you work on the filling.

Add the cranberries to a saucepan over medium heat. I don't add any water because I want a thick filling. Stir occasionally, and when the berries start to pop, you can add 1/2 cup sugar, and the orange zest. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until you get thick jam like texture.

Peel and core the apples, and dice them. Take the cranberries off the heat, and stir in the apples.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Take the dough out of the fridge, sprinkle some more flour on your workspace and roll it out to about 1/16th of an inch thick. I use a 3 inch biscuit cutter to cut two pieces of dough for each pie (top and bottom). You could also cut it into 3 inch squares with a knife. Put the bottom pieces on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat.

Make your egg wash by beating the egg and adding 1 tablespoon of water. Brush around the perimeter of the bottom pieces to help seal the pie. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each bottom piece.

Cut an "X" into the center of each top piece, then lay them over the bottom pieces, gently pressing the edges all the way around to seal.

Brush the whole top with the egg wash, then generously sprinkle sanding sugar over the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let them cool before eating, and be careful of the hot, but delicious filling!

Makes about 16 mini-pies.

Total time: 1 hour

And definitely serve them with ice cream!!

Source: countryliving.com