Wednesday, December 9, 2009

A Holiday Party

I'm way behind over here, but I thought I'd share a few pictures from a holiday party I went to this past weekend.


It just so happens we also had our first accumulation of snow, so it made for a pretty night and I couldn't help but snap a few pictures :)



I volunteered to make a few things, so I brought along some Apple, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Turnovers...




And some Gruyere Gougeres...



Luckily these turned out the second time (1st was a tasty failure). I ended up combining recipes from Jaden, David, and Alain (as if we're on a first-name basis ;)).

Gruyere Gougeres
Yield: alot (I didn't count and it depends on how large you make them)



1/2c water
1/2c milk (I used Smart Balance Lactose-Free, Fat-Free)
1 stick unsalted butter
140g flour (1c)
4 lg eggs
1/2t salt
few grinds of pepper
little bit of freshly grated nutmeg
1c finely grated gruyere, divided (3/4 for batter, 1/4 for topping)

For the method, check out David's recipe here.



Last, but not least, a tart! Inspired by Kitchenbelle, I followed her recipe for a crust using crumbs of Trader Joe's Almond Windmill Cookies (an almond shortbread). I used a vanilla bean pastry cream from Baking Bites. Pomegranate arils and mandarin oranges adorned the top of the tart. I thought about using persimmons instead of mandarin oranges, but I had already eaten the ripe ones in my apartment so that was a no-go :/ I realize now I completely forgot about the glaze, as I was worried about the gougeres! Oops, still delicious :)



There was quite the spread, even a drink competition (!!), and everyone left with smiles and full bellies :)

Twinkle toes!

22 comments:

The Purple Carrot said...

Awww ... holiday parties ... I love this time of year! : )

Averie @ Averie Cooks said...

gorgeous tart! and enjoy all those fun holiday parties!!

Anonymous said...

oh wow...those turnovers have me drooling...I'm not a fan of sweet fruity turnovers, but that savory version has won me over!

Emily said...

Oh my gosh! Can you come to my holiday party and bring appetizers like that??

Erica said...

Nice! I'm inviting you to all my parties from now on :) All of your dishes are so color- love it

Lauren said...

Wow... this spread looks like it was catered! Lucky host/ess :).

Joanne said...

You made so many good things for that party! That tart looks beautiful.

I like to think I am on a first name basis with all chefs. As if I'm up there with them in the big leagues. Alain, Daniel (Boulud), Rick (bayless). We go back. Way back.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Stellar party fare!

Elina said...

Wow, that's quite the spread you brought over. I love how every single thing was so unique! :)
Are you coming for shopping + drinks tonight?

Lauren said...

Very cool! Everything looks fabulous =D.

chrystad72 said...

looks awesome! The tart looks absolutely gorgeous!

Kelly B. said...

Oh my gosh those turnovers look awesome! Anytime you put cheese in a crust and bake it, you can't go wrong! Thanks for the recipe!!

Sagan said...

You are one heck of a cook, Shannon!

Gena said...

What an elegant party and celebration!

Reeni said...

Those all look exceptionally delicious! Love that tart!

Cate O'Malley said...

Love the idea of gorgonzola turnovers - yum!

Anonymous said...

Wow, you made some awesome party appetizers and the tart is just gorgeous!

VENNILLA said...

Hi friend this is vennilla here.. ur doing a really good job.. can we exchange links..

Anonymous said...

I want that cake, it's soooo pretty!!!
love holiday parties, the best part, right?

Kerstin said...

What a gorgeous tart! Love your gruyere gougeres too, gruyere is just the best!

Diana said...

Beautiful work on that tart - you really go above and beyond!

RhodeyGirl said...

WOW everything looks amazing!

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