Pear Rugelach

Rugelach, the crescent-shaped, cookie-like pastries filled with any combination of nuts, fruit, chocolate, and seeds, is a festive holiday treat of Jewish decent. Though they are commonly filled with dried fruits, like raisins, fresh pears diced extra small are a tasty twist. Pear butter adds another layer of flavor and allows the filling to stick to the dough as you roll them up. It can be found in the jam aisle at many supermarkets. The cream cheese dough is tender, flaky, and oh so easy to mix together, making this recipe a fun endeavor for families of any faith during the holiday season. Makes 36 Ingredients: Dough 16 tablespoons (1 cup/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature 1/3 cup sour cream 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups all-purpose flour Filling 1/2 cup sugar Continue reading

The Time is Ripe for Pears: Miami

On our all-too-short tour stop in sunny Miami, we enjoyed friendly people, lots of great food, and of course, the sunshine! We dropped in at the Whole Foods Market in Coral Gables to sample ripe Bartlett, Starkrimson, and Bosc pears. Watch this fun video to see what our fans had to say about our pears: In the evening, we went to Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink in the design district for a decadent spread: four courses of pear desserts! We were on a sugar high for hours. And it wasn’t an ordinary sugar kick – we were treated to dishes by renowned pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith, a fellow pear fanatic. Watch this video to learn how she uses pears in her dishes:   Hedy also shared the recipe for her Pear Panini with Membrillo and Manchego. Inspired by Spain, this Continue reading