Pink, Red and White Pretzels
- Approximately 12 large pretzels (for best results, use soft, warm pretzels)
- Red food coloring
- 2.5 cups premade frosting (or homemade frosting; seenote below)
- Candy sprinkles
Evenly divide frosting into three wide-mouth bowls. Add single drops of food coloring to one bowl of frosting, stirring thoroughly, until frosting is desired shade of red. Add fewer drops of red food coloring to the next bowl of frosting, stirring consistently, until a desired shade of pink is achieved. Leave the third bowl of frosting white. Dip each pretzel face down in frosting, varying colors. Decorate with candy sprinkles.
To make homemade frosting: Whip four parts confectioners’ sugar with one part butter or ghee, until desired consistency is achieved. Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons heavy cream per 21/2 cups frosting for an extra-buttery texture.
Serves 4
Recipe by Chelsea Glanz
Strawberry Breakfast Cream Puffs
Puffs
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup ghee
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup white flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Heat oven to 400 F.
Combine water, ghee, honey and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add flour. Stir until mixture resembles a smooth ball of dough. Remove from heat. Add eggs slowly, one at a time, and beat until dough becomes shiny and silky. Drop the dough by the spoonful (slightly less than ¼ cup each) onto a large, ungreased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from baking sheet immediately and cool on a wire rack.
Cream and filling
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 cups heavy coconut cream (gently spoon out the thick, top part of canned coconut milk from the liquid and use the thick cream)
- Mint leaves for garnish
Combine lemon juice and half of the maple syrup in a bowl. Add the strawberries. Chill for at least 30 minutes. While the strawberries are marinating, whip the coconut cream and remaining maple syrup until smooth.
Once ready to serve, slice the puffs in half, leaving the bottom half thicker. Discard excess liquid from the berries. Stir the berries and cream mixture together. Fill each of the puffs and replace each top. Garnish with mint leaves before serving.
Serves 4
Recipe by Chelsea Glanz
Heart-Shaped Tea Bites
- Fresh-baked sourdough bread (about ½ loaf or enough for four full-sized sandwiches), sliced into eight large pieces
- 3/4 cup cream cheese
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon dill
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing
- 1 bunch fresh watercress, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 4 teaspoons capers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Whip together cream cheese, lemon juice, dill, salt and dressing with a fork or firm whisk until thoroughly combined and creamy. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly onto one side of each of the eight pieces of bread. Carefully lay cucumber slices on top of the cream cheese on four of the slices. Place half of the watercress and capers on top of the cream cheese on the other four slices. Pair the cucumber- and watercress-topped slices together to make four large sandwiches.
Carefully cut heart-shaped pieces out of each sandwich, using a medium cookie cutter so two mini sandwiches are obtained from each larger sandwich. Arrange on serving dishes on a bed of watercress and cherry tomatoes.
Serves 4
Recipe by Chelsea Glanz
Cranberry Lemon Spritzers
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup raw, unrefined sugar
- 16 ounces seltzer water
- 8 to 10 thyme sprigs for garnish
Put cranberries in a small saucepan. Add just enough water to cover. Simmer, covered, until cranberries are thoroughly cooked and soft, about 30 minutes. Once cooked, strain the berries out of the remaining liquid. Discard the berries and retain the juice.
Pour the cranberry juice and lemon juice into a large pitcher. Add the sugar and seltzer water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add half of the thyme sprigs and let sit for about 30 minutes to infuse with a light herbal flavor.
Serve in cocktail glasses over ice. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.
Serves 4
Recipe by Chelsea Glanz
Chocolate-Dipped Ginger Raspberry Cherry Clusters
- 2 cups mixed cherries and raspberries (preferably fresh, but frozen will do)
- ¼ cup candied ginger pieces, diced
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon orange extract
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 9 ounces dark chocolate
- Fresh mint and raspberries for garnish
Toss the ginger pieces with berries. Set aside in a small bowl. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine chocolate, extracts and ghee in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat as soon as ingredients are melted and mixed.
Pour the berries into the saucepan of chocolate. Mix thoroughly so all berries are completely coated with chocolate. Spoon about ¼ cup of the chocolate berry mixture onto the parchment paper, placing evenly and leaving approximately 2 centimeters between clusters. Freeze for at least an hour before serving. To preserve flavor and avoid freezer burn, do not leave in freezer more than four hours.
Serve with fresh berries and mint.
Serves 4
Steamed Rose Matte Mint Latte
- 4 tablespoons loose-leaf green matte tea
- 2 tablespoons loose, dried rose petals (available in most bulk herb and tea sections of natural grocers)
- 2 tablespoons loose-leaf mint tea
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 cups cashew milk
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 4 tablespoons creamy almond butter
Combine green matte tea, mint tea, rose petals and milk in a medium saucepan. Simmer, covered, for five to 10 minutes. Strain out tea leaves. Add honey, cinnamon and ghee. Stir and simmer until ghee and honey are melted. Add almond butter and use an immersion stick blender to blend. A standard blender will also work. Once blended, the hot mixture should be creamy and slightly frothed. Serve immediately.
Serves 4