Decking the Halls

Cranberry Goat Cheese Pecan Sweet Potato Bites

2 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon Golden Eagle Syrup

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Golden Eagle Syrup for drizzling

Preaheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking oil. In a large bowl toss together the sweet potato slices, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay the slices out on the baking sheet in a single layer, spray the tops with more cooking oil if necessary. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 10 minutes then flip them over and bake for another 8-12 minutes or until tender.

While the sweet potatoes bake, use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or handheld mixer to whip the goat cheese, milk, rosemary, salt, pepper, and golden eagle syrup until smooth and fluffy.

Spoon approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese mixture onto each sweet potato round.

Top the goat cheese with a few chopped pecans and cranberries, then drizzle with Golden Eagle Syrup. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry Brie Filo Cups

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 cup water

1cup golden eagle syrup

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Turn eye off and let cool to room temperature. Then place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2 packages filo cups

1 wheel of brie

Trim rind off of brie and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place filo cups on parchment lined baking sheet and in each cup place one spoonful of cranberry sauce and top with one piece of brie. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes until brie is melted. Serve warm.

Apple Brie Pecan Crostini

1 baguette

1 apple slices very thin

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup Apple butter

1 wheel Brie

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Golden Eagle Syrup for Drizzling

Cut baguette into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Remove rind from brie and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Line Baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread about 1-2 tsp apple butter onto each crostini then place brie on top. Place in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until brie is melted. Remove from oven and place a slice of apple, pecans, and golden eagle syrup on top of each crostini. Serve immediately.

Mandarin Pork Roast

1 picnic pork roast (bone-in or out)

1tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dijon Mustard

1(11 oz can) mandarine oranges

1/4 cup Golden Eagle Syrup

1/4 cup vinegar

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

Sprinkle roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread dijon mustard over roast; place in a large dutch oven. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 21/2 - 3 hours or until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. While meat is cooking Drain mandarin oranges, reserve liquid. Set oranges aside. Combine liquid and next 6 ingredients in a sauce pan; cook over medium heat; stir in onion and green pepper, and oranges. Spoon sauce over roast. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Slice pork, and serve over rice with warm pan drippings.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

2 bundles asparagus

1lb Bacon (cut in half)

1/4 cup Olive oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Garlic salt

1/4 cup Golden Eagle Syrup

Wash and trim asparagus. Dry with paper towel. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place asparagus on parchment line pan and toss with olive oil salt, pepper, garlic salt, and golden eagle syrup. Then wrap asparagus with half a piece of bacon and place back on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Orange Date Nut Cake

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup crisco

1 cup sugar

1 cup Golden Eagle Syrup

5 eggs

1 cup milk

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 lb orange slices

1 lb chopped dates

1 cup pecans chopped

(coat dates, nuts, and ornage slices with additional 1/4 cup flour)

2 TBSP grated orange rind

While cake is cooking mix following ingredients:

Glaze

1 cup sugar

1 cup Golden Eagle Syrup

1 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp grated orange rind

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat until sugar has melted and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove from heat and let cool until cake is done.

Cream butter, crisco, sugar and syrup until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with milk beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in dates nuts and oranges slices and pour into a greased and floured bunt or pound cake pan. Cook on 325 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. When cake is done remove from oven and immediately poke holes in top of cake with unshared pencil and pour glaze mixture over cake. Let cool completely in cake pan and then turn onto cake plate. Best served 2-3 days after baking.

Homemade Marshmallows

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 c. cold water, divided

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. Golden Eagle Syurp

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 T. vanilla extract

Confectioner sugar, for dusting

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water. Allow to sit while you prepare the sugar syrup. In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, Golden Eagle Syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Raise heat to high and cook until the sugar syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.( soft boil stage) Remove sugar syrup from the heat. With the mixer on low speed and fitted with the whisk attachment, slowly pour sugar syrup into the gelatin. Turn mixer up to high speed and whip until very thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13" glass baking dish with plastic wrap. Spray plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray and dust generously with confectioners' sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into prepared pan, smooth the top, and dust top with more confectioners' sugar. Allow marshmallows to stand uncovered overnight to dry.

Turn marshmallows out onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut marshmallow into 1-inch wide strips. Cut strips into 1-inch squares. Roll cut sides in confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days. If marshmallows become sticky, remove the container lid for a bit to allow marshmallows to dry.

Golden New York Sour

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup Golden Eagle Syrup

(1oz simple syrup)

2 oz Bourbon

1 oz lemon juice

Malbec floater

In a sauce pan combine water and syrup on low heat until incorporated. Let cool to room temperature. In a cocktail shaker combine simple syrup, bourbon, and lemon juice over ice and shake for about 50 seconds until chilled. Pour into a double with ice cube. Take the back of a teaspoon and pour wine over the top to make the floater. Fill until glass is full. Garnish with lemon zest.