​ Will you be trying these this season? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to check out the First Day of Christmas Recipe if you missed it. My mom made Poire Belle Helene!

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     You may have been seeing a lot of references to the 12 Days of Christmas this time of year.  I know that I have.  These references generally are a 12 day countdown without reference to the actual lyrics of the classic Christmas Carol.  
     You may or may not know that the 12 days of Christmas actually begins on Christmas Day and runs through Jan 6, or Three Kings Day.  The Shakespeare play, 12th Night, is based on the revelry associated with the celebration of the last day of the 12 days of Christmas.  While traditionally Christians have thought that the Wise Men came 12 days after the birth of Christ, it probably took them much longer than that to get there. 
     The lyrics to the song are actually very symbolic!  The reference to "My True Love" actually refers to Jesus Christ.  The symbol of the partridge comes from the idea that the partridge is a bird that will sacrifice itself to save its children. For more information about all of the symbols, you can read this article, which I found fascinating! 

     Anywho, here at 3 Winks, we decided that it would be really fun to come up with a recipe for each verse of the song, The 12 Days of Christmas!  We looked at the actual lyrics and decided what we could bake or cook or whip up to match the lyrics of that day!  We are writing this before Christmas, so that if you want to celebrate the actual 12 Days, you will have the recipes in advance! 
     I took the assignment of The First Day of Christmas, obviously!  When we discussed A Partridge in a Pear Tree, Lindsey suggested Poire Belle Helene because "poire"  is the French word for "pear", and I am Helen.  (The French version of my name should have accents aigue and grave over the first 2 "e"s but I don't know how to put them there on a English speaking keyboard.)  Anyway, we decided that this was a beautiful and simple dessert that would be perfect for the first day of Christmas! 
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     This poached pear dish was created in 1864 by Auguste Escoffier in honor of the opera La Belle Helene.  There are various methods with different flavors added to the liquid in which the pears are poached. This recipe uses cinnamon and cloves in a sugar syrup. Then, the pears are topped with a rich chocolate sauce and served with ice cream on the side. Very fancy! I used my delicious Hot Fudge Sauce that I have given you the recipe for on this post.   When I went to serve this beautiful dessert, I found that I was out of vanilla ice cream!  So, what you are seeing in the photo is Spumoni!  Very holiday-ish! It was so good! 

POIRE BELLE HELENE

    I hope that you give this simple yet elegant recipe a try!  Be sure to come back tomorrow for The 2nd Day of Christmas! 

If you don't want to poach pears, canned might make a simple alternative. 

Hey guys! As you know, in our house we've had to go gluten free. My husband (actually me) figured out about two years ago that gluten did not agree with him. Since that time I've done some experimenting on some of our favorite recipes so my husband could still enjoy them.

Well, with Thanksgiving coming up I want to share a few recipes with you for the gluten free person in your life, so they can still enjoy all the Thanksgiving favorites, just in a gluten free way!

As I've said, pie is our speciality, and here are two great gluten free crust options!

Gluten Free Pecan Crust
This is a great crust option that works well with pumpkin, or go crazy and do a pecan crust with your pecan pie! Your gluten free pecan pie lover will be so happy!

Gluten Free Coconut Flour Crust
This crust would work really well for a gluten free lemon meringue pie, or go ahead and make this lemon curd pie. It really is SO SO good. Add a dollop of whipped cream and you're set.

Gluten Free Turnip Fries
Root vegetables are a great staple at Thanksgiving. Turnips are naturally gluten free, and this recipe is a great way to make and enjoy them this Thanksgiving!

​Gluten Free Pan de Yuca
Alicia shared this tasty recipe a few years ago. It is an Ecuadorian dish and we've enjoyed it several times when she and Adrian have come to visit for the holidays. It is a great savory side to your Turkey, and, it's gluten free!!

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I've been trying to come up with a good gluten free, vegan cookie recipe for a friend of mine that has PCOS. I wanted them to be easy to make and, of course, delicious. Through lots of trial and error, I've come up with the vegan, gluten-free pumpkin chocolate cookies!

Personally, I think these are absolutely what I was going for! They are soft and the texture is very similar to regular cookies (I'm usually not a huge fan of the texture of gluten-free cookies! Sorry!).

​Check out the recipe below and be sure to read the tips I've included as well! I hope you enjoy!
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​Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

• Be sure to use a non-dairy milk such as soy, oat, or rice to make this recipe nut-free as well!
• My favorite gluten-free flour to use is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. I find it provides the best texture.
• It's best to not add in all of the dry mixture at once as powder will fly everywhere once you turn your beaters on. If you are mixing by hand, you can add it all at once, but if you're using electric beaters, this will save you from a huge mess!
• This is what your cookies should look like on the cookie sheet prior to baking:
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• In that picture, you can also see I added some oil to my baking sheet, even though it is nonstick. This is optional and will not affect the taste of the cookies. Be sure to do this if you don't have a nonstick pan!

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These vegan, gluten-free pumpkin chocolate cookies are soft, fall apart in your mouth, chocolatey goodness. The pumpkin flavor isn't too strong and instead is a nice compliment to the chocolate. They're perfect for this fall season and heading into winter! They would even make the perfect dessert to bring to Thanksgiving to accommodate a loved one who may have allergies. 

If you try out this recipe, be sure to let us know what you think! Comment below or tag us on social media (we are @3winksdesign on most platforms). 
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• Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Bakery Style Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies​​
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