Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes (Fool's Gold #12.1)

Makes 24

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 everything bagel

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 24 strips

Garnishes

24 small dill sprigs

Capers

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking pad. Combine oil and crushed garlic in a small bowl; let steep for 5 minutes.

2. Using a serrated bread knife, carefully cut the bagel vertically into quarters. Turn each quarter cut-side down and slice horizontally into 6 thin wedges. You should now have 24 thin wedges. Arrange wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat one side of each wedge with the garlic oil. Bake 16 minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

3. In a small bowl, stir cream cheese, lemon juice and zest until blended. Top each cooled crisp with about 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture. Roll up salmon strips and nestle into cream cheese mixture. Garnish with a small dill sprig and a couple of capers.

TIP: Smoked salmon may be expensive, but you only need a small strip on each crisp.

FALL

Strawberries and Cream Kringle

Kringle is a type of sweet, filled Danish—often formed in a pretzel or oval shape. This version is super-easy, thanks to a prepared puff pastry.

Serves 6

Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Pastry

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

¾ cup strawberry or raspberry jam

Icing

¾ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 teaspoons whole milk, as needed

For filling:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick liner. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and almond extract until blended.

For pastry:

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to a 9-by-15-inch rectangle. Transfer pastry to prepared sheet. Spread filling in a 3-inch strip down the center of the pastry. Drop jam on top of filling; gently spread to evenly cover. Fold pastry edges in on either side, overlapping by at least 1 inch in the center. Pick up ends of the folded strip; bring them together to form into an oval. Pinch the edges to seal. Flip the oval so the seam side is down; press down on the pastry to slightly flatten. Bake 22 minutes, until light-golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For icing:

1. In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled pastry.

TIP: Using cream cheese at room temperature makes the blending easier.

FALL

Double Swiss Omelet

An omelet makes a fine meal, regardless of the hour of day. If chard isn’t available, substitute spinach (the cooking time will be shorter).

Serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small shallot, minced

1 small bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and inner ribs removed

¼ cup water

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup Swiss cheese, shredded

5 large eggs

Salt and black pepper

1. Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots; cook 1 minute, until softened, stirring. Add chard and ¼ cup water; let the mixture sit in the pan 2 minutes to wilt down. Cook 8 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in cheese.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, salt and pepper. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and set over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add eggs. Let the pan sit for 5 seconds, until the omelet edges begin to set. Using a spatula, draw the lightly cooked egg to the center of the pan. Tilt the pan to the side so the uncooked egg runs to the bare spot at the edge of the pan. Repeat this process all around the edge of the pan until the omelet is just set but still moist in the center.

3. Gently drop the chard filling evenly over half the omelet. Cook 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Run the spatula quickly along the side of the omelet to loosen the edges. Jerk the pan sharply away from you a few times; the omelet should slide up the far side of the pan. Tilt the pan, resting the bottom of the pan on a serving plate. Slide the omelet onto the plate, using the spatula to fold over the omelet.

TIP: Wait to add the chard mixture until just before folding the omelet. Adding it earlier will make the omelet watery.

FALL

Creamiest Broccoli and Cheddar Scramble

Easy, cheesy and quick enough to make on a busy weekday. Make it once and you won’t need a recipe the next time.

Serves 4

1 stalk broccoli, stalk and florets thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

½ cup water

8 large eggs

⅓ cup half-and-half

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature