Heather Baird's Blog, page 43

Air Fryer Baked Brie with Cranberry Filling

It's a tradition for our family to have baked brie on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I always make a bee line straight for it, and there's never a crumb left. The usual recipe is made with ready-made puff pastry, but recently a version wrapped in filo dough piqued my interest. I decided to whip up my own filo-wrapped brie in the Air Fryer, loosely guided by the recipe booklet that came with the machine. The end result? My brie en croute may never see the likes of puff pastry ever again!
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Beetlejuice Cake with Zagnut Filling

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejui .... okay. I'll stop right there. Just in case. (Ha!)

I wanted to make something seriously fun to celebrate Halloween this year, but I wasn't sure what that would be until just a couple of days ago. It's been years since I've seen the movie Beetlejuice (it was released in 1988!) but I recently had the opportunity to watch it again. Even though it's an older movie, the humor and special effects still hold up today. I loved it as a kid, but I didn't really catch the meaning of some of the quips and innuendo scripted for Beetlejuice - which was a good thing. He's crusty, lewd, duplicitous, moldy and a bit cranky, but SO funny !
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Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Sweet potato is one of my favorite fall flavors for baking, but I feel the ingredient can be overlooked for the other, more celebrated orange vegetable at this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good pumpkin dessert , but there's something really special about the starchy sweetness of a roasted sweet potato, especially when paired with maple syrup, pecans, and warm spices.
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Marshmallow Web Ghost Cake

Next Wednesday is Halloween, so I've been baking all kinds spooky things lately! I recently whipped up this ghostly cake for Food Network's website, and it's been one of my favorite projects this season. The process of building the cake was so much fun and it's not difficult to put together. If a two-tier cake seems daunting, the recipe can be baked into a single nine-inch 4 layer cake.

To get started, you'll need to break out the neon food colors for the vivid cake layers!
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Halloween Swirl Cupcakes

If you're in need of fun Halloween party fare, then these colorful cupcakes just might be the treat for your ghoulish guests. They are swirled with Halloween hues from top to bottom, and they owe their spooky-cute charm to ghostly parchment wrappers and cupcake toppers.
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Air Fryer Cheesecake Egg Rolls

I was first introduced to air fryers in 2003 when I was filling out my wedding registry at a popular home goods store. Back then it seemed like the market was so inundated with single-purpose gadgets and appliances (Countertop Chicken Rotisserie Oven, anyone?) that I completely dismissed it as yet another space-consuming kitchen product.

Fifteen years later, I'm air frying everything I can get my hands on. I purchased an air fryer just before Christmas 2017 because I wanted to make a few of my favorite fried holiday treats more healthful. Air frying requires little or no oil and makes treats crisp, crunchy and golden brown. After my first batch of air-fried donuts, I was hooked!
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Pumpkin Graham Truffles

Recently while doing some shopping for autumn-themed tablewares, I spotted a set of beautiful white pumpkin place card holders. They were smooth porcelain and flecked with gold, and to me they looked like little confections. Judging their size and shape, I knew just how to make an edible version when I returned home.
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Easy Treats You Can Make With a Can of Pumpkin Pie Filling

If you're looking for a way to fill your holiday table with pumpkin-centric treats, then boy, do I have the goods for you! I recently created a gallery of easy recipes (you might call them hacks) for HGTV.com using canned pumpkin pie filling. The presweetened and spiced filling makes a nice shortcut to delicious fall-themed treats that aren't a lot of work for those donning the chef's hat.

There are sixteen recipes total in the gallery on HGTV's website, but I thought I'd give a little sneak peek of my favorites,  like these Pumpkin Pie Phyllo Bites. They use ready-made phyllo shells so you can whip them up in just minutes!
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Spiced Candied Walnuts

Autumn offers the best indulgences, and I've given myself full permission to partake of its treasures. So far this includes a daily cup of hot apple cider, marathon granola-eating, and studying all varieties of warmly spiced baked goods as if I were going to be tested on the subject later.

This bundt is a result of that research and I'm not afraid to say it: I'm obsessed with this cake. It is so delightful with a moist pumpkin-spiced interior, a drape of sweet cream cheese glaze, and crunchy sugar-lacquered walnuts.
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Apple Cherry Turnovers

Today is the kind of chilly autumn day that makes you take stock of your tea cupboard and requires a cozy cinnamon-spiced treat. I'm all for a repeat of these apple-cherry turnovers I made a couple of weeks ago. They are totally scratch-made with firm granny smith apples, dried cherries and an all-butter puffy crust that turns golden as it bakes.
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