Cardamom Pear Crisps + "Desserts in Jars" Cookbook Giveaway

Desserts in Jars – what a perfect concept!  They are easy, compact, simple and easy to serve.  Desserts in Jars is a new cookbook from Shaina Olmanson from the popular blog Food for MyFamily.  Shaina has a pedigree of accolades to her credit – from being ranked in the top ten in Babble.com’s 2011 list of the 100 best food blogs for moms to being named a “Top 10 Family Cooking Blog” by My Life Scoop.  Kudos to Shaina! 

Emily from Harvard Common Press reached out to me to ask if I would like to participate in Shaina’s “Blog Tour” to promote her lovely new book.  My response was – “I would be happy to be part of Shaina’s Blog Tour.” A few days later, my very own copy of the book arrived at my doorstep.  With an eye catching cover that draws you in immediately, I could not help but be curious to see what delightful desserts could be served in jars.  At the beginning of the book, there is a dedication that reads – “For my grandmother, who taught me how to give a piece of myself through the food I make.”  That statement resonated with me, since learning to cook from my mother and grandmother, I too love to cook and share with others.

After browsing numerous times through Shaina’s mouth watering book, I kept coming back to the Cardamom Pear Crisps.  The close contenders were the Classic Apple Pies, Peach Bourbon Pies and the Espresso Crèmes Brulee.  Trust me; those will be made at one point – that is for sure. I am a bit obsessed with cardamom these days and with pears in season, this was a no brainer.  Not too mention, the weather is chilly and what a perfect way to enjoy dessert, with a warm jar of goodness.  I tweaked the recipe slightly by adding more lemon juice, less corn starch, more cardamom and candied ginger versus the ground variety.  The result was pure heaven!

I was fortunate enough to have an interview with Shaina to gain her perspective on desserts, inspiration, recipe development and some personal insights.  Please enjoy getting to know Shaina:

When did your love for cooking begin and who was your inspiration?

As cliché as it may seem, my love for cooking started extremely young, and while my mom cooked every day, it was my grandma who inspired me. She created these elaborate and elegant meals, and she showed love to her family by feeding them.

What was your inspiration for starting a food blog?

I had a few friends and an old roommate who just didn't know how to cook, not even the basics, and it pained me to see that this necessary skill was skipping a generation. Everyone needs to eat, and there were people who were completely reliant on processed foods and restaurants to prepare even the simplest of meals for them. I wanted to encourage everyone to embrace cooking and eating well as a way of life again, old or young, busy or just lazy.

What is your all time favorite dessert, and why?

Ice cream. Sure, I love all the things you can put ice cream on, and lately I've been a bit obsessed with apple pie and I have a longstanding love affair with cheesecake, but when it comes down to it, it's the ice cream that gets me. Salted caramel is my favorite flavor, but I am always trying new flavors. There is a shop (Izzy's) near my house that continuously rotates their flavors. Their Summit Oatmeal Stout and their Irish Moxie (coffee, whiskey, Oreos) are two that I can never pass up when I find myself at the counter. When I travel I seek out ice cream and gelato shops over bakeries, and if you can get both in one go, even better. In Portland, Oregon I headed to Salt & Straw to try their buttermilk sweet corn sorbet. Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York makes a kouign amann gelato sandwich that makes me weak in the knees. (They also make a great avocado toast, if you're into savory fare.)

What inspired you to write your latest release – Desserts in Jars?

Desserts in jars have been around long before I wrote a cookbook about them. I had been getting more and more requests by contracts to produce pies and cakes and puddings using the jars as the serving vessels, and it then materialized into a book. The jars are great for serving or shipping, and they're cute and sustainable at the same time. They have a bit of old school charm, and once you eat the dessert you can use them over and over or use them for something completely different. (I store my office supplies in jars on my desk.)

How did you come up with all of those wonderful recipes for the book – Desserts in Jars?

Many of them are inspired just by things I like to eat, serve, and make anyway. I try to keep my ingredients seasonally paired, and then I just thought about what I would enjoy eating or what might look cute presented in a jar. There is inspiration everywhere if you know to watch for it.

How did you find the time to write a cookbook, publish your food blog and take care of your family?

Freelance writing is my full-time job. I use my blog as a résumé for work that I hope to acquire, and since I work full-time, I suppose I juggle it like any other working mom: We're all a bit crazy and wonderful at multitasking. My house—particularly my kitchen—is just messier more often since it also serves as my workspace. Oh, and I have props where most people have tchotchkes.

Thank you Shaina for your time and interesting insights – is there anything else that you would like to share with my readers?

Thank you so much for having me! I hope you enjoy the book, and happy baking!

Giveaway: 

I am excited to announce that each of you have a chance to win a copy of Shaina’s new cookbook – Desserts in Jars.  The cookbook giveaway is generously supplied by The Harvard Common Press.  This contest is open to US resident only, my appologies to my international friends.

Congratulations to our Winner - Cindy Brickley!  I will send you a quick email to obtain your information, so I can arrange to have this lovely cookbook sent to you!  

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:24Powered by RANDOM.ORG

How to Enter: 

• Leave a comment on this post and would love to hear what dessert idea you have to make in a jar.
• Entries/Comments accepted until 9pm (PST), Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
• One winner will be randomly selected and notified by email.
• This contest is open to US residents only, my apologies to my international friends!

 Bonus Entries:

• Become a fan of Authentic Suburban Gourmet on Facebook. Leave an additional comment to let me know you became a fan.
• Follow Authentic Suburban Gourmet on Twitter. Leave an additional comment to let me know you became a fan.
• Follow Authentic Suburban Gourmet on Pinterest and Pin this giveaway with the cover photo from this post.  To qualify for the bonus entry - Leave an additional comment to let me know you followed and pinned the cover photo.

Cardamom Pear Crisps

Makes 6 Jars

Pear filling:

4 to 5 Large Red Anjou Pears

Juice of two lemons

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Crisp topping:

½ cup flour

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon crystallized ginger, minced

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of salt

8 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the filling.  Core the pears and cut them into ¼ inch slices.  Put the pear slices in a large bowl.  Add the lemon juice and toss gently to coat the pears to keep them from browning.  Mix in the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and cardamom.  Fill six 8-ounce jars with the pears to ½ inch from the top.  The pears will cook down a bit and some of the topping will drip down in between the pears.

Make the topping. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cardamom, crystallized ginger and salt to mix well.  Add the butter and use a fork (or your fingers) to incorporate it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.

Spoon the topping over the pears to cover, and use the back of a spoon to pack the topping down tightly.  Place the jars 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pears are cooked through and the topping is light golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.  Serve warm.  Can top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for extra decadence.  Enjoy!