Category

Dessert

Santa Gnome Treats | Wild West Viking
Christmas, Dessert, Holiday, Recipes

Santa Gnome Treats

Santa Gnome Treats | Wild West Viking

Santa Gnome Treats

These little treats have got to be the most delicious and cutest edible Christmas Santa Gnomes! I made these using sugar cookie bottoms, filled them with chocolate mousse, and topped with whipped frosting, a strawberry for a hat, and red M&M for the nose. These will definitely give you a sugar high, but seriously, who could resist?
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pkg Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough (break apart kind)
  • 24 oz White Frosting (I used the whipped white frosting)
  • 24 strawberries
  • 24 red M&M's

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Spray a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray (or use mini liners)
  • Place one cookie into each muffin cup (don't flatten)
  • Bake cookies for about 18 minutes, and place on wire rack to cool
  • While cookies are still warm, take a small spoon and gently press cookies into a cup shape.
  • Cool completely before filling.
  • Make your favorite Chocolate Mousse recipe or alternately, you can completely fill the bottoms with whipped frosting, vanilla pudding or other yummy filling.
  • Wash strawberries, and cut out the crown into a "V" shape (where the leaves are)
  • Take one of the cookie cups, and fill with chocolate mousse, or whatever you are going to filling them with, and be generous.
  • Then push the strawberry into the filling, cut side down, and add a red M&M for the nose, just under the "V" of the strawberry.
  • Add a little of the white frosting, just below the 'nose' on the cookie cup and draw a beard and make some lines for the beard with a toothpick.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword Chocolate Mousse, Christmas Treats, Gnome Cookies, Santa Gnome Treats, Sugar Cookie
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Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte | Wild West Viking
Dessert, Recipes

Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte

Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte | Wild West Viking

Boozy Pear Frangipane Tarte

A perfect fall dessert and an impressive addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table! This French classic dessert has a little boozy twist with an extra shot (or two) of dark rum). The Frangipane comes from the sweet and smooth almond-flavored pastry cream. The tart is topped with fresh slices of pear, with a little apricot-rum glaze. Top the tart with toasted almonds and a little sprinkle of powdered sugar and Enjoy!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sweet tart crust
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (plus more for serving)
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeded
  • 2 tbsp dark rum, divided
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 3 firm pears (Bartlett works best)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted½

Instructions
 

Make Frangipane (Almond Cream filling)

  • Cream the softened butter in a large bowl, and add powdered sugar until the mixture is well combined, and resembles a coarse meal
  • Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt and mix well.
  • Add eggs one at a time, and mix well after each addition.
  • Add vanilla bean (scraped), almond extract and 1 tbsp of the dark rum
  • Mix well until cream is smooth. (You can keep this refrigerated for up to 5 days)

Assemble

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Melt apricot jam with 1 tbsp dark rum, and mix until liquefied.
  • Apply jam to base of cooled pastry shell to prevent soggy bottom.
  • Fill tart crust with almond cream, smoothing out to the edges, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
  • Peel pears, cut each lengthwise, scoop out cores, and cut each half crosswise into ⅛ inch slices. Keep the slices together so you can make a "fan". Squeeze a little lemon juice on top of the pear fans to prevent browning.
  • Remove tart crust from refrigerator. Gently take each pear half and "fan" it out on the tart crust, making sure to fan out toward the stem/top side. Slide your knufe under the pear half and fan it out over the almond filling, arranging it so the pear fans out to the center.
  • Bake tart at 375°F until golden brown or filling comes out clean. About 50 minutes.
  • Let the tart cool on a wire rack.
  • Brush pears with the leftover apricot/rum mixture. Once tart is cool, unmold the tart.
  • Sprinkle some of the toasted almonds over the tart, with a little powdered sugar, and ENJOY!
Keyword Fall Desserts, Frangipane, Pear and Almond Tarte, Pear Desserts, Pear Frangipane Tarte, Thanksgiving Desserts
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