Chestnut Baklava Recipe (+Giveaway)

Have you ever had trouble serving baklava? It gets sticky, messy and difficult to handle. I found a solution by using shredded phyllo dough instead of sheets of phyllo dough and baking it in individual molds. They tend to trap the syrupy goodness in their web instead of getting soaked and sticky. Since it's the holidays, I wanted to add the flavor of Christmas to the baklava, so I added chestnuts. I layered both chestnut purée and roasted chestnuts into the baklava, along with crushed pistachios for color and flavor. I also substituted date syrup for honey, which added a depth of flavor and a strong contrast of color.

If you're looking for a dessert recipe for the holidays that's easy to make but looks elegant, consider baklava. It's an easy, stress-free dessert that is sure to please everyone.

I used pure, organic date syrup from Organics Are For Everyone. If you've never tried date syrup before, you're in for a treat. You can use it in place of just about any syrup. Date syrup has a mild tanginess to it that balances the sweetness. I especially like it on waffles, pancakes and French toast. For a chance to win two jars of date syrup from Organics Are For Everyone, enter today's 25 Days of Giveaways contest. And if you're interested in making this recipe today, you can get a 20% discount from Organics Are For Everyone by using the "FATALE" promo code (good till 12/21).

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Organics Are For Everyone, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "2 jars of Organics Are For Everyone pure date syrup #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @DateSyrupRocks: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y"

Ginger Lemon Cake Recipe (+Giveaway)

I tend to bake a lot more during the holidays. Unlike cooking, where recipes can be loosely interpreted and still come out great, baking is about being accurate and using the precise amount of the specific ingredients called for. That puts even more emphasis on selecting the best of the limited ingredients you have control over, whether it's flour, eggs or butter. To that end, my pantry is always stocked with various Bob's Red Mill products, and today one lucky PhamFatale reader is going to receive a $50 gift certificate from Bob!

Today I made an almond cake flavored with ginger and lemon-flavored white chocolate. The main ingredient is almond meal, which makes the dessert gluten-free. Since it's the holidays, I splurged on more decadent elements by topping the cake with a ginger lemon whipped cream and garnished it with sliced almonds as a reminder of the flavor of the cake. Who am I kidding? If you’re a regular reader you know I don’t need much of an excuse to tend towards the decadent!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Bob's Red Mill, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Bob's Red Mill $50 Gift Certificate #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @Bobs_Red_Mill: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Marshmallow Popcorn Treat Yogurt Parfait Recipe (+ Giveaway)

479° Popcorn is my favorite snack of the moment. The packaging is fun and creative and needless to say this gourmet organic popcorn is awesome. I could finish an entire bag on my own. 479° Popcorn is a San Francisco company that features a very interesting array of flavors such as Fleur de Sel Caramel, Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt, Black Truffle, Chipotle Caramel + Almonds, Ginger Sesame Caramel, Madras Curry Coconut + Cashews, Pimenton de la Vera and Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar. The design is so original it makes the perfect holiday gift box. One of my husband's little sisters is obsessed with popcorn, and her birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so we're planning on buying her weight in 479° popcorn as a present. OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration!


I love experimenting with just about anything, so I created marshmallow treats with their Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar-flavored popcorn. I made a yogurt parfait and incorporated the sweet treats as a substitute for granola. This recipe is flavored according to the season; I used mandarin wedges and orange and cranberry sauce. You could adapt it with what you like of course. You don't have to create these cups for breakfast or dessert (or whenever you eat parfaits); just savoring 479° Popcorn by itself is perfectly reasonable.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and 479° Popcorn, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Sweet Tooth Gift Pack #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @479Popcorn: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar flavored popcorn.

Madeleine Cookie Recipe (+Giveaway)

Whenever I have time, I prepare breakfast in bed for my husband. And since madeleine cookies are his favorite, I prepared the batter the day before and stored it in the refrigerator to surprise him today. It took me less than 15 minutes to bake them the next morning and I was able to serve hot, straight from the oven vanilla-flavored madeleines to Lulu. If you're planning to serve breakfast, keep these French cookies in mind; they're absolutely delicious and not that difficult to make. Just read my secret to the characteristic bump for an authentic version of madeleine cookies and these cookies are guaranteed to turn out well.

Vanilla is a great flavoring in general, and I think it adds another dimension to madeleines. I can't imagine a home baker's pantry not having a bottle of vanilla extract around the holidays. I used Nielsen Massey vanilla extract in this recipe. In case you’re not familiar, Nielsen Massey vanillas are full flavored and there are distinct differences between the varieties. It may be vanilla, but it's definitely not plain! The folks at Nielsen Massey were kind enough to provide one (two-ounce) bottle of each Tahitian, Mexican & Madagascar vanilla extract and "A Century of Flavor" cookbook as today’s giveaway. Be sure to enter for a chance to win (click on the link).

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Nielsen-Massey Vanillas or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extracts #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom: http://bit.ly/uiJfq9". Good luck everyone!

Thanksgiving Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a convenient way to serve dessert when you have a large crowd to entertain, say for Thanksgiving. Instead of making traditional Thanksgiving pies, consider preparing cupcakes flavored with pumpkin and chocolate. I frosted these cupcakes with pumpkin buttercream and topped them with cute turkey-themed peel-&-press edible frosting stickers.

I received the stickers from Ticings®. If you’d like to get your hands on some of their holiday-themed decorations to spruce up your baked goods, check out www.ticings.com. We’ll also be giving away Ticings® decorations, along with more than $1,000-worth of merchandise from other companies to PhamFatale readers during our 25 Days of Giveaways in December. Be sure to check back daily to participate!