In the first part of this article, I discovered a few recipes for dishes made and/or approved by what I like to call “vintage” celebrities. This description includes Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, and Oprah Winfrey. For this part of the article, I would rather discover recipes made and/or approved by newer up and coming celebrity of today.
Antonio Porowski’s Cheesy Lemon-Rosemary Artichoke Dip (thanks to www.parade.com)
- 3 (6½ -oz) jars oil-marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese
- 1 cup grated aged sharp white cheddar
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Toasted baguette slices, crudités and/or crackers or chips, for serving
Position rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400ºF. In a large bowl, place the first 8 ingredients; stir until well combined. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish, a 7- to 8-inch ovenproof skillet or a 2-quart gratin dish. Bake 22-25 minutes or until bubbly and light golden brown on top. Cool 10 minutes before serving with toasted baguette slices, crudités and/or crackers or chips.
Alicia Silverstone approved Pumpkin Pie with tofu (thanks to www.thekindlife.com)
- 1 can (16 ounces) pureed pumpkin
- 0.5 cup maple syrup
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- .5 tsp ground ginger
- .25 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp optional ground allspice
- .5 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- 3 tbsp cornstarch to firm up the pie filling
- 1 10-12 ounces package silken/soft tofu
- 1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell
Preheat oven to 425 F. Blend the pumpkin and maple syrup. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. Chill and serve.
NOTE: Don’t use the low-fat tofu then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu.
Lauren Conrad’s Wedding Apple Pie (thanks to www.laurenconrad.com)
- 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp flour
- ¼ cup caramel sauce (recipe below)
- 1 recipe pie crust, divided into two pieces and refrigerated for at least 1 hour
- egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water)
- sanding sugar
Caramel sauce
- ½ cup butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour to form a paste. Add water and sugar, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes. (You want the sugars to be melted in and not grainy anymore.) Note: you don’t want to turn this into a dark caramel sauce—just a good sugar/butter mixture caramelizes once baked.
Mix apples, sugars, flour, and cinnamon all together in a bowl.
Roll out your pie dough circles and add one into a pie pan. Add the apple mixture into the pan and drizzle caramel sauce over apples. Cover with another crust and flute the edges. Cut vents in top, or use cut cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the tops of pies. (I do this before adding to the top of the pie.)
Brush top of pie with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake pie in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350, and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, until top is golden and the juices are bubbling.
These recipes are undoubtedly going to be crowd-pleasers and will come in handy during the upcoming holiday season! Impress your guests with any one of these celebrity-approved recipes and you will surely be the celebrity of your holiday gatherings!
