Recipes

Saffron Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

10 min

There's no shortage of pumpkin pairings these days, and the beloved spicing tends to be loud and proud. But why not switch it up? Winter is long and there are pumpkins aplenty. For a mellow change of pace, we explored a pivot to the sweet side with saffron and vanilla in this decadent pumpkin dessert. Inspired by our friends at Leite's Culinaria and their recipe for Pumpkin Pots de Crème, we set to it. The result? Amazing!!! These individual desserts are both stunning and sublime. The saffron boosts the color of this crème brûlée and the spicing elevates the flavor of the pumpkin rather than overpowering it. We opted for a tidy shortcut with the blender and allowed the flavors to bloom overnight before cooking. The results were delicious. Flecked with saffron and vanilla, the spicing brought out the buttery base of pumpkin in the most delightful way. The technique also makes it easy to whip these up well before a gathering and finish them at the last minute. If you're a planner you can make this impressive recipe days before and no one will ever know.

Cranberry Quince Paste

This magical combination brings quince into the spotlight and adds a new level of flavor to the cranberries on your holiday table. Quince is a fanciful fruit, with a bright aroma and a taste of ripe pear and key lime. Ripe quince can be found in Seattle backyards around the early fall. Finding them frozen at a Latin or Asian grocery store is another option too.The key to success is reducing the quince and cranberry paste far enough that the pectin found in the quince will gel up and keep its shape when cooled. This paste will taste nostalgic to those who like the solid sauce, but far from the canned variety you had as a kid. It'll be sharp enough to cut any rich side dishes but also be warm and sweet from the cinnamon and star anise found in the Mulling Spice.If you're unable to find quince, a firm pear with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice will be a good substitute. As the sauce reduces it should cook down thick enough that when you scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon the jam won't immediately fill in the space again.

Caribbean Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple upside down cake has been a cherished dessert for generations, with fond memories going back before the 1950's. We decided it was about time to give the recipe a bit of a facelift while still keeping true to the its roots. What we ended up with is a cake that's fruity, bold, and more flavorful than ever. A melody of allspice and bay leaves give this upside down cake a vibrant Caribbean flair, although the true star of the show here is long pepper. The pine cone-shaped spice is gingery and has notes of cardamom and black pepper. This flavor in the gooey caramel at the bottom layer of this cake is simply other-worldly. Buttery, fluffy, fruity, spicey — this is everything you'd want wrapped up in one drool-worthy dessert!

Memorable Father's Day Martinis

Some of our father figures are known for their no-nonsense attitudes while other times their wit is endless. Either way, we've got a martini for him! For practical, no-nonsense Dad, we polished a classic Gibson martini with savory house-made pickled pearl onions. For sweet & silly Dad, we added fancy to a French martini with vanilla bean-infused vodka. Either way, he'll appreciate the extra touches and the time together to enjoy them. We know a lot of well rounded men who will love both!Infusing your own vodka is an absolute breeze and it is a great way to capture all the flavor from a precious Madagascar 3 Count Vanilla Bean. Once you make it, you'll never go back. We tapped our favorite local spirits for this recipe using Oola Distillery vodka for a smooth, clean finish. The playful froth in this martini comes from the shaken pineapple juice. Enjoy!The Gibson martini is traditional and crisp. We pickled our own pearl onions using our house blend Pickling Spice. We also used Oola's Gin that has been cask aged in old whiskey barrels which gives it a golden hue. Adding a dash of the brine to the martini makes the gin go down even easier and really completes it. At the end, you'll be left with a tasty pickled pearl onion.Now go make your dad a drink and raise a glass!

Tea Picnic

This post is for those of us who like the crusts cut off. The extra effort and attention that goes into making these beautiful tea sandwiches shows in every detail — the sweet shapes, the colorful combinations and, as always, the thoughtful flavor pairings. Make a platter for friends or a plate for yourself and enjoy a lazy summer picnic while the weather is fine. Since we're taking this picnic over the top, we've suggested some tea pairings as well. You can check out easy methods for cold brewing here!A bold curried egg salad is seasoned with our French inspired Vadouvan Curry, served on whole wheat bread and a cherry tomato topper. The flavor is deep and rich in this toasted blend with cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, black pepper and fenugreek seeds. With a squeeze of lemon juice and watercress, these sandwiches go great with a malty Indian black tea like our Keemun black tea. For a cooling crunch with spectacular flavor, we seasoned the cucumber sandwich with our Orange Tarragon. This blend has chives, shallots, garlic and black pepper, adding many layers of flavor to the cream cheese spread complimenting the cucumbers. These cucumber sandwiches are anything but boring! Pair them with a cup of Rwandan Green Tea which is a vegetal green tea that will cut through the rich cream cheese and compliment the cooling cucumber. Because no picnic is complete without dessert, we made a sweet finish, open-faced mascarpone sandwiches. The creamy mascarpone gets its speckles from Madagascar vanilla beans that not only smell amazing, but go great with berries and a sprinkle of lemon zest. To finish off our tea picnic we paired a bold cup of Earl Grey with this sandwich. This classic tea is scented with bergamot, a perfect combo with the vanilla bean and sweet blackberries.

Fig Ras el Hanout Clafoutis

The spicy aromas wafting out of our storefront next to Pike Place Market bring in all sorts of curious noses off the street. There's no one spice that exactly mimics that unique scent, but Ras El Hanout is probably the next best thing! Our signature recipe for this classic Middle Eastern blend has twenty four ingredients, easily making it our most complex spice blend. Ras el Hanout is traditionally used more in savory dishes, but its medley of spices are sweet, aromatic and perfect for baking.Beautiful ripe figs found in the market next door were the inspiration for this delectable creation! Clafoutis are an overlooked brunch gem, easier to make than pancakes or waffles with a custardy texture similar to crepes. Here, we caramelized the figs in Ras el Hanout and baked them into the custard. The resulting Clafoutis is rich, indulgent, and perfect for a decadent weekend morning.

Saffron Raspberry Rolls

Using a bit of creativity, spices can be the perfect spark to elevate familiar comfort foods to new heights. This is especially true when they are utilized in nontraditional ways. These rolls are elegant and exotic, using saffron to get their beautiful sunshine yellow color. Although saffron is subtle and floral, it has a buttery aspect that is perfect for baked goods.Saffron threads are the stamen of the crocus flower, and it is the most expensive spice in the world. As a pairing to this precious flavor, we used raspberries as the filling for a tart fruity contrast. These decadent rolls are intriguing, yet still comforting, and will impress any crowd.

Summer Fruit Papillotes and Lavender Ice Cream (Papillotes de fruits de l'ete et glace a la lavande)

Food is considered by the French to be one of life's greatest pleasures, and author Béatrice Peltre celebrates that with her beautiful blog and cookbooks. In her cookbook, My French Family Table, she definitely takes advantage of spring and summer produce to make gorgeous salads and desserts. Here's a unique take on the traditional en papillote, but turning it into a stunning dessert instead.From the Author: "Use the same technique as for a savory papillote but add sweet ingredients instead; the result is something irresistible. This papillote uses a medley of luscious summer fruit that, once the parchment paper is torn open, displays a palette of bright colors that is completely seductive. I love it served with a scoop of lavender-infused ice cream melting slowly right in the middle."  

Black Cardamom Pastries

Eastern European cuisine doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should Enter Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine and Eastern Europe, by Olia Hercules! We always love to see an under-appreciated or rarely used spice get some time in the spotlight, as is the case in this recipe for Ukranian Verhuny fried pastries with Black Cardamom. This unique spice has the sharp camphor of green cardamom along side a musty, earthy flavor that complements these pastries exquisitely. A fantastic recipe! From the Author: "These are Ukrainian “angel wing” pastry crisps. Originally, they used to be fried in lard (think of Portuguese pastel de nata lard pastry). I add some ground black cardamom seeds to the sugar, but feel free to use vanilla sugar instead. "