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Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

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Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapeno Dip

This dip (which makes any game, movie, or History Channel show even better – this isn’t conjecture, I’ve done the studies) combines some of my favorite things in the culinary world: Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapenos.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Serve with tortilla chips and lose yourself in the yumminess.

If there are leftovers, refrigerate them. The next morning, spread on bagels, toast, or English muffins – you will NOT believe how incredible it is. Again. I did the studies. Anything for you.

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Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

Category: Cream Cheese Recipes, Dips and Sauces, Game Day, Quick and Easy Recipes

Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapeno Dip

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Package Cream Cheese
  • 4.5 oz can green chiles (undrained)
  • 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
  • Tortilla Chips (for dipping)

Instructions

  1. Combine the first three ingredients and mix until smooth.
  2. Spread into a small microwave-safe dish and microwave for 3-4 minutes. You want the edges bubbly and the dip uniformly hot.
  3. Serve with tortilla chips!

Gluten-Free Sandwich Cookie Truffles with Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies

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Gluten-Free Cookie Truffles with Glutino Chocolate Creme Cookies
Gluten-Free Cookie Truffles with Glutino Chocolate Creme Cookies
Chocolate? Check!

Cookies? Check!

Gluten-free? Check!

Cream Cheese? Check!

Que the song, “… these are a few of my fav-O-rite things…” – is it any wonder I’m obsessed with these cookie truffles?

These truffles call for Glutiono Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies (which are beyond delicious on their own, by the way – they’ll rock your world with a glass of milk). The traditional truffles call for a package of Oreo cookies – but they’re certainly off-limits for those of us who have to avoid wheat/gluten.

Thanks to Glutino we don’t have to miss out on chocolate sandwich cookie truffles. I’ve actually found that, thanks to companies like Glutino, we can pretty much have and enjoy anything our counterparts have. It just takes a little more planning and creativity.

Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies
Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies
I normally sprinkle the tops of these truffles with reserved crumbs from the cookies, but these were made last week for Christmas, so colored sugar festivities ensued.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Truffles Recipe

1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
1 pkg Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies, finely crushed
1 pkg white chocolate chips, melted

  1. Mix softened cream cheese and  cookie crumbs until well blended (if you want to top the truffles with crumbs, reserve some to the side).
  2. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. This makes them hold up better when it’s time to dunk them in the white chocolate.
  3. Melt the chocolate when it’s almost time for the truffles to come out of the freezer. I melt them either in a double boiler type situation (big bowl over a pan of boiling water) or in VERY short intervals in the microwave. Burning the white chocolate is a miserable, ugly thing – so go slowly… as in 30 seconds at a time.
  4. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and quickly top with either cookie crumbs, sprinkles, or colored sugar. You could also drizzle melted caramel on top and sprinkle it with a little sea salt – if you’re feeling fancy, you know.
  5. Allow the truffles to hang out in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to set.

I hear of people storing these truffles in the refrigerator but, in my house, it never comes to that. They’re gone before I could even open said refrigerator.

You can find Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies in just about any grocery store. You can, of course, also find them on Amazon.

Gluten-Free Cookie Truffles with Glutino Chocolate Creme Cookies

Jalapeno Peppers Stuffed with Cream Cheese

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Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, About to Go Into the Oven

When I had to give up gluten and wheat, I knew very well what one of my most painful losses would be – Jalapeno Poppers from Arby’s. I’ve been addicted to them since they first came out.

Truth is, I was always beyond obsessed with Arby’s in every way possible – unfortunately I haven’t been able to eat at one for over a year and a half (they’re surprisingly one of the worst restaurants at providing gluten free options).

Anyway, I’ve now come up with a couple of ways to satisfy my cravings. I could conceivably fry stuffed jalapeno peppers, using gluten free flour and cornmeal – and they’d be fantastic – but my favorite way to satisfy that delicious cream cheese meets jalapeno heat craving is simply to bake them.

It’s easy, delicious, and much healthier than frying them.

Jalapenos and Asiago

Jalapenos and Sargento Medium Asiago “Tastings”

This isn’t any sort of product placement or plug, I just simply LOVE Sargento’s “Tastings” and highly recommend them. They’re the ideal size for keeping on hand in the refrigerator. I always use them up without any being wasted. I always have Asiago and Parmesan in the fridge and mix it up with other varieties as well.

I also list Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the ingredients below – again, I’m not trying to sound like a commercial. It’s simply one of the brands I’m insanely loyal to.

These stuffed jalapeno peppers make delicious appetizers and would be beautiful for game day, Christmas, or any time you want a little pop and personality with your meal.

Gluten Free Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

12 large Jalapenos
4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese (each works beautifully)
2 TBS chopped Italian Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

  1. Pre-Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Going lengthwise (top to bottom, the length of each pepper) – slice off the top quarter of each jalapeno. Scrape out the seeds. You’re making little vessels that you’ll fill with the cheese mixture.
  3. Finely chop up the removed thirds from six of the peppers (use all of them if you can take the heat!).
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine: the reserved chopped pepper, cream cheese, grated Asiago (or Parmesan or Romano) cheese, finely chopped parsley, and salt/pepper.
  5. Fill the peppers with the cheese mixture and arrange on a baking sheet. As you can see in the picture at the top, I use Parchment Paper Pre-Cut Baking Sheets (something I’ve fallen completely in love with – they make clean up SO much easier) – but you can certainly make these without parchment paper.
  6. Bake 15 minutes.

I served mine with Sweet Chili Sauce and never regretted the decision for a single second. However, they are outrageously delicious on their own and don’t require any sauce.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, About to Go Into My Mouth!

Bacon-Wrapped, Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos Recipe (with a Vegetarian Option)

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Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

Bacon. Cream Cheese. Jalapenos.  Enough said, right?

These oven-baked little beauties are as delicious as they are easy to make. They’re also easy on the budget – something else we’re all looking for these days.

14 jalapeno peppers
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
7 bacon strips
berry sauce or ranch dressing (optional)

First of all, be careful when working with jalapeno peppers. If you want to be entirely safe, use disposable gloves. Handling the inside of a jalapeno can burn your skin – and if you transfer the oils to your eyes…. AGONY! Take extra precautions and don’t touch your face, whatever you do.

Can you tell that this gal has been there, done that?

For Bacon-Wrapped/Cream Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos

  1. Cut a slit in the peppers – lengthwise (pictured above). Remove the seeds and membranes and discard.
  2. Spread about a teaspoonful of softened cream cheese into each pepper.
  3. Cut bacon strips in half and partially cook in a skillet. You want them to be pliable, so be sure not to overcook them.
  4. Wrap each cheese stuffed pepper with bacon and secure with a toothpick.
  5. Place in an ungreased baking dish and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes.  The longer you bake the peppers, the milder they’ll taste. If you have plenty of peppers to spare, I’d suggest testing one after 20 minutes, then (if that’s too hot) again at 30 minutes.  They’ll actually be fine cooked for 45 minutes.

Serve either by themselves or with a little dish of ranch dressing.  The bacon wrapped jalapenos drizzled with Ranch dressing are extra pretty and taste fantastic. The ranch helps tone down the heat of these little guys.

Vegetarian Alternative? Just skip the part about wrapping the peppers in pork shawls. Place them in the oven, as is.  Either serve plain or use a simplistic berry sauce like the one described below the picture.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos with Berry Sauce Drizzled Over Them

For the vegetarian (or baconless) version, I like to make a really simple little “Berry Sauce.” For the peppers shown here, I heated 4 TBS Red Pepper Jelly and 1 TBS Raspberry Preserves until I achieved the consistency I needed for drizzling.  You can combine basically whatever fruit preserves you have on hand with red pepper jelly – I just prefer the sweetness of raspberry preserves.  Drizzled across the top, it makes an already impressive and pretty dish even more so.

This method creates a sauce that will thicken FAST, so drizzle asap. If it begins to get too thick to drizzle.. which it will… sit your bottle in a cup of hot water.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

 

If you’re feeling adventurous, here’s a Copycat Recipe for Arby’s Bronco Berry Sauce from Top Secret Recipes!

Halloween Dessert: Simple No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

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No Bake Oreo Halloween Cheesecake

A No Bake Cheesecake That’s Perfect for Halloween

Some recipes on the food blog were published before I had to give up gluten and wheat – therefore they’re not all gluten free. This recipe, for example, is NOT. However, you can make it gluten free by using a gluten free graham cracker crust and substituting gluten free “sandwich style” cookies for the Oreos. 

I took off for Kroger a few days ago with a single purpose in mind:  Buy any and all ingredients necessary to make a dessert that’s:

  • Cream Cheese-y
  • Chocolate-y
  • Halloween-Themed
  • Quick and Easy

The first two are self-explanatory – I live for the flavors of cream cheese and chocolate. The third is because I believe in squeezing every bit out of each season and having so much fun  people think you’ve finally snapped your twig.

The quick and easy part was because I wanted it asap.  The beautiful thing about this recipe is there are very few ingredients – meaning not only is it quick, easy, and inexpensive, but more importantly, the cheesecake flavor isn’t interrupted by anything trying to upstage it.

I normally use regular Oreos for this cheesecake but I’d spied Oreo’s Halloween version a few days ago and thought they’d be extra cute.  They were. (They’re also extra cute in a large glass jar – extra points if it’s a glass pumpkin-shaped jar.)

I have a large family that eats dessert like it’s their job, so I always double recipes. However, I’ll just give the single version below, because not everyone lives with a pack of cute wolves.

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Halloween Dessert: Simple No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Category: Cheesecakes, Cream Cheese Recipes, Halloween Treats, Quick and Easy Recipes

Halloween Dessert: Simple No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 1 prepared chocolate cookie crumb crust pie (or make your own Oreo Crust pie if you have the time and inclination)
  • 1 regular tub of Cool Whip, thawed
  • 1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • Halloween Oreos (or regular Oreos)

Instructions

  1. Set the block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese out and allow it to get soft and smooshy. When softened, beat it with a mixer until it's a consistency you can fold into the whipped topping. Combine the two and try... just try... to keep your fingers out of it.
  2. Crumble up the desired amount of cookies and fold them into the Philadelphia Cream Cheese mixture. Pour gently into your cookie crumb crust.
  3. Optional (but highly recommended): Add some pieces of Oreos to the top.

Gluten Free Note:

This dessert was made, eaten, and added to the food blog before I had to give up gluten – which my body now perceives as certain poison. If you were to want this particular recipe to become a gluten free dessert, you’d need to find a gluten free graham cracker crust or gluten free chocolate crust. Glutino makes delicious sandwich cookies that can easily replace the Oreo’s.  Even Wal-Mart’s brand (Great Value) of gluten free sandwich cookies are good and could substitute beautifully.

I haven’t found any gluten free sandwich cookies with orange filling, but you could always add a few gluten free Halloween-colored sprinkles on top.


THE Perfect Cookbook for College Students and New Cooks: Kitchenability 101

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Kitchenability 101

One of the questions I’m asked the most is, “Can you recommend a great cookbook for someone just learning to cook.” There are variants of the question, of course, such as, “What cookbook do your recommend for…”

  • new brides
  • college kids
  • bachelors
  • teenagers
  • etc

I have a few reliable favorites that I always list.  I was recently sent a wonderful cookbook to review and it hasn’t just joined the list, it has redefined the list. Kitchenability 101, by Nisa Burns, is packed with fun, easy, creative, and delicious recipes. Ideal for new cooks (such as college students, new brides and grooms, etc.), the entire first chapter is an introduction to cooking, cooking terms, techniques, herbs and spices, kitchen tools and appliances and more.

Kitchenability 101 includes recipes that new (and even not so new) cooks will use again and again. A few of these recipes are listed below!

  • Banana Cinnamon Waffles
  • Avocado Lettuce Wraps
  • Nutella Peanut Butter Brownies
  • Chunky Chicken Chili
  • Mint Iced Tea
  • Twisted Sugar Sticks
  • Chicken Soup
  • Miss You, Mom, Oatmeal
  • Scrambled Eggs and Turkey Bacon
  • Mediterranean Pasta
  • Chili Burritos
  • Pigs in a Snuggle
  • Roma Tomatoes with Feta and Basil
  • Fish Tacos
  • Jalapeno Sliders
  • Cranberry Relish
  • Many, many more.

These recipes will allow the new cook to impress (and feed!) his/her family and friends.  Their confidence will soar with each successful creation, and as we seasoned cooks know, confidence is one of the most important elements of being a good cook.

My daughters never went “away” to college (thank goodness… I’m not sure this mother hen would have survived), but if they HAD, a couple of things I would have worried about were that they were eating good, healthy food (as opposed to existing on greasy fast food) AND that they were making good friends.  This type of cookbook would have addressed each one of those concerns.  I’d have known they were fixing great meals for themselves and could have rested assured that many, many kids would have flocked to their table!

Book Description

College students may miss home-cooked meals, fear the Freshman 15, or feel sluggish from eating too many instant or fast food meals. Or they may want to cook for themselves, but dont know how. In this book, Nisa provides the confidence and motivation for college students to expand their abilities, so they can cook for themselves and their friends. It offers shopping plans, supply lists, budgeting, skills and recipes for cooking in college spaces including dorm rooms, apartments and houses.Includes 10 QR codes linked to instructional videos.

While Kitchenability 101 is geared toward (and ideal for) college students and even new cooks, I have to tell you this: I love this cookbook AND I use it frequently – so don’t think you have to be a newbie to love this cookbook.

Below is one of my favorite recipes from Kitchenability 101. It’s called Nana’s Peanut Butter Pie and it has become my favorite Peanut Butter Pie recipe of all time. It’s a total can’t miss winner.  The recipe calls for a 9 oz. container of whipped topping, but the small containers of whipped topping in my area are all 8 oz.  I used that and the results were beyond perfect.

Peanut Butter Pie

Quick & Easy Peanut Butter Pie and the best I’ve ever had!
Nana’s Peanut Butter Pie

Recipe Type: Pie
Author: Nisa Burns, Kitchenability 101
This is a no-nonsense celebration recipe for when you deserve a sweet treat! My nana used to make this pie every year for my Grandpa Bill’s birthday.
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 9-oz container whipped topping
  • 1 graham cracker piecrust
  • Chocolate syrup or shavings, optional
Instructions
  1. Combine the cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until creamy.
  2. Fold in the container of whipped topping.
  3. Spoon the mixture into the piecrust.
  4. Cover with parchment paper and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill.
  5. Drizzle chocolate syrup or sprinkle shavings on top if desired.

 

Nana’s Peanut Butter Pie

8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 9-oz container whipped topping
1 graham cracker piecrust
Chocolate syrup or shavings, optional

Directions:

  1. Combine the cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until creamy.
  2. Fold in the container of whipped topping.
  3. Spoon the mixture into the piecrust.
  4. Cover with parchment paper and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill.
  5. Drizzle chocolate syrup or sprinkle shavings on top if desired.

See Kitchenability 101 for more information. This cookbook is filled with quick, easy, fun, and inexpensive recipes – who could ask for more?!

Chocolate and Cream Cheese Brownies

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Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

Spice Islands has just released two new Sea Salts: All-Natural Fine Mediterranean Sea Salt and All-Natural Coarse Mediterranean Sea Salt.  I’m thrilled to see the All-Natural Fine Mediterranean Sea Salt. The problem with sea salt has always been that it’s sometimes temperamental in recipes… too chunky!  The new All-Natural Fine Mediterranean Sea Salt is the answer to baker’s prayers and I can’t wait to stock up on it.  It’s used in the brownies recipe below and my mouth is watering.

I also LOVE that the recipe calls for two of my favorite things in the whole world: Chocolate and Cream Cheese. I even have special categories on my food blog for cream cheese recipes and chocolate recipes. I’ve had a lifelong passion for each, and when they team up, it’s nothing short of culinary magic.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ARGO® baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands® All-Natural Fine Mediterranean Sea Salt
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
3 large eggs
8 oz. cream cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by buttering the bottom and then using two pieces of parchment paper crisscrossed over the bottom and up over the sides.
  3. Chop the semi-sweet chocolate into small chunks. Reserve 1/4 cup to sprinkle over the top of the brownies. In a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolate over simmering water.
  4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients well.
  5. When the butter and chocolate are melted, remove them from heat and stir in the sugar.
  6. Lightly beat 2 eggs in a bowl, and then mix them into the bowl along with the vanilla extract.
  7. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or spoon mixing just until incorporated. Do not over mix or use an electric mixer!
  8. To prepare the cream cheese mixture, mix softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar. Add the egg and mix well.
  9. Put dollops of brownie mixture in the pan and follow with spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture. Use a knife, moving it back and forth to swirl the two mixtures.
  10. Sprinkle reserved chocolate pieces on top.
  11. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. It should not be dry.
  12. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownies and let cool completely before cutting.
  13. Run a large knife under hot water and cut brownies into 16-inch squares

The Woman’s World April 9, 2012 Issue

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Woman's World April 9 2012 IssueAs you may know, I’m something of a magazine fanatic. What’s more, I refuse to part with them.  My daughters and I pass them around, then one of us will lay claim to the booty and file it under “Mine, all Mine!” I collect most of my magazines like the treasures they are – especially the ones with great recipes.  A great day is when I return from the store with bags of wonderful groceries and an armful of new magazines. I can only imagine the expression on my face when I see that new magazines have been put on the store’s racks. I must look like a kid as he leaves school for summer break.

ECSTASY!!!

There are a couple of magazines that I simply put into the cart the minute I see a new issue. Others, I’ll thumb through – making sure it warrants a trip home. One of the magazines that automatically go into the cart is Woman’s World. For less than $2.00, Woman’s World is the greatest literary bargain you’ll ever find. Possibly the greatest bargain left in the world. Basically, this magazine is smiles from cover to cover. There are always countless adorable pictures and wonderful stories that warm your heart and comics that make you laugh out loud. You know, the kind you cut out and pin to your refrigerator.

Speaking of pictures, there’s a photo of a kitten smelling a poppy in the most recent issue that gets me every time I look at it. Someone needs to tell this kitten that she’s simply too cute. I’d looked through the magazine half a dozen times before I even realized that beneath the kitten’s picture were GORGEOUS pictures of poppies on tablecloths, plates, handbags, shoes, bracelets, and even a sundress. This crazy cat lady had never noticed them before.

In addition to the photographs, stories, and funnies, each issue has priceless beauty, fitness, money, and health advice. In this particular issue (April 9, 2012), for example, you can find the following:

  • Stay Stroke-Free For Life
  • 6 Easy Ways to Stop Thinning Hair
  • Dodge the Year-Round Flu
  • 9 BEAUTIFUL Spring handbags
  • How to Use Makeup to Make You Look Slimmer
  • How to Improve Your Mood Quickly (One suggestion is coffee – no wonder I’m seldom in a bad mood… I’m seldom without a cup of coffee nearby)
  • Treat Sensitive Teeth
  • End Joint Pain
  • Lose 9 Pounds in 2 Days
  • How Chocolate is Good for You (Man, I seriously love this magazine…)
  • Contests (win $1,000 in groceries!)
  • A Bunny Bonnet Cake Recipe and Instructions
  • 5 Gorgeous Breakfast Recipes
  • Turn a Can of Soup Into Dinner
  • Easter Favorites (Recipes which include a Flourless Orange-Chocolate Cake, Leg of Lamb, Cupcakes, and Matzo Ball Soup)
  • Spring Decorating Tips and Ideas
  • How to Make Designer Eggs
  • Crossword Puzzle (in every issue – love these)
  • How to Slim Down with Spices
  • What Your Food Cravings Reveal About You
  • Horoscope (again, in every issue)
  • Sudoku
  • A Couple of Brain Games
  • A few short stories
  • Chicken Soup for the Soul Story (these are always amazing)

All of that (and more!) for less than $2.00.  Freaking amazing.

The adorable Easter Cake in this issue:

Easter Cake in the Woman's World April 9, 2012 Issue

Below is one of the recipes in this issue. It’s a “Lighten Up” Recipe for Double Strawberry Bars and I can’t wait to try them.

Double-Strawberry Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 pkg. (8 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 Tbs. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! cooking and baking 79 percent vegetable oil spread, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and patted dry with paper towels
3/4 cup low-sugar strawberry preserves
1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds
1 Tbs. coarse white decorating sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13″x9″ baking pan with foil; coat with cooking spray.

Mix flour, cinnamon and salt; reserve.  On medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter spread until blended.  Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in reserved flour mixture until combined.

Turn out onto unfloured surface; gather mixture into smooth dough. Reserve 1 cup dough.  Press remaining dough into bottom of pan.

In bowl, toss strawberries with preserves; spread over dough in pan.  Using fingertips, crumble reserved dough over strawberry filling.  Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 35 minutes or until golden. Cool.  Sprinkle with decorating sugar.  Using foil, lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into bars.

 

 

Delicious Last Minute Baked Gift Ideas

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Country Living December January 2012

Whenever I see a Country Living, I think of my mom.  For as long as I can remember, she subscribe to Country Living magazine.  As soon as it came in the mail, she’d put it on the end table beside the couch. I knew exactly where she’d be and what she’d be doing the entire evening. It was always an outstanding and beautiful magazine and it still is today.

It’s amazing how great magazines and books weave themselves into a family’s fabric, isn’t it?

Below are some absolutely amazing Country Living’s Sweet Homemade Gift Ideas (plus clever ways to package them).

Thanks SO MUCH to CountryLiving.com for sharing these with our food blog’s readers!

Sweet Homemade Gift Ideas (plus clever ways to package them)!

At the Brooklyn bakery One Girl Cookies, owner Dawn Casale rewrites history- updating old family recipes with fresh flavors- and draws upon the past to present the treats in vintage jars, tins, and more. Santa’s not the only one who loves sweets; these unique gifts will make anyone’s holiday deliciously delightful, especially for a cookie swap!

Step 1: Choose your cookie!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peppermint Filling

Makes 24 whoopie pies. Working time 30 min. Total time 1hr. 15 min.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1⁄3 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peppermint Filling (recipe below)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together sugars, yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed until mixed, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add flour mixture and mix for 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate batter until chilled, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (about 1/2 inch wide). Pipe 2-inch circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing whoopies 1½ inches apart. (Keep batter refrigerated between batches.)

4. Bake until whoopies spring back when touched, about 9 minutes. Cool completely on pans.

5. To fill pies: Turn half the whoopies over so they’re bottom-side up. Using a pastry bag or butter knife, add a dollop (1-1/2 tablespoons) of Peppermint Filling onto each whoopee bottom. Top with remaining whoopies.

Peppermint Filling

Makes 2 cups. Working time 10 min. Total time 10 min.

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low; add peppermint extract and salt, and mix for 30 seconds. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and mix for 1 minute. If filling is too soft to hold its shape, add more confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. (Store in refrigerator, in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto surface of filling, for up to 5 days.)

Nana Cookies

Makes 36 cookies. Working time 25 min. Total time 40 min.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup whole milk

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together shortening, butter, and sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg and egg yolk, and beat for 1 minute.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low; add a third of flour mixture and a third of milk, and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Repeat. Add remaining flour mixture and only enough milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to yield a smooth dough, and mix. (It should not be too sticky.)

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (about 1/2 inch wide). Pipe 4-inch-long cookies onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. (Keep batter refrigerated between batches.)

5. Bake cookies until lightly golden around edges, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cream Cheese Shortbread with Toasted Walnuts

Makes 36 cookies. Working time 15 min. Total time 30 min.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add chopped walnuts and stir to combine. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix for 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low; gradually add flour mixture and mix for 20 seconds. Take bowl off mixer and finish mixing dough with a rubber spatula.

3. Roll about 1-1/2 tablespoons of dough into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and gently press to flatten top. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 1 inch apart.

4. Bake cookies until light brown around edges, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti

Makes 48 biscotti. Working time 25 min. Total time 1 hr. 35 min.

 

4 navel oranges
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup shelled pistachios, unsalted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
Fleur de sel, if desired

1. Cut long, thin strips of zest (avoid white pith) from oranges. Place zest in a small saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then drain off water. Repeat boiling and draining process 2 more times. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups water and 1 cup sugar to a boil. Add zest and simmer for 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Place chocolate chips in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times to break up. Add pistachios and pulse 2 or 3 times.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter and remaining sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat on medium speed until incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Reduce mixer speed to low; using a slotted spoon, add candied orange zest to buttersugar mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Gradually add three-fourths flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add chocolate-pistachio mixture and remaining flour mixture, mixing until dough just comes together. Do not overmix.

7. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using damp hands, shape each piece into a 12-inch-long log, 1/2 inch high.

8. Bake logs until firm, about 24 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Cool logs on baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes.

9. Transfer logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each into 24 half inch- thick biscotti. Place biscotti on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, if desired. Bake biscotti until slightly crisp, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Step 2: Wrap it up!

  • Cherry vintage tins add a personal touch to baked goods. Striped and polka-dot patterned tins, paired with contrasting ribbon or wrapping paper add a unique touch.
  • Take a bakery fresh approach with printed paper bags. This bright idea is reminiscent of childhood fun at the country fair.
  • Mini-Bundt, cupcake, and loaf pans double as “boxes” that recipients can put to good use. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
  • Mason-jars are a sweet way to wrap up treats. Don’t have any on hand? Try an empty honey or jam jar. Short on time? Layer the dry ingredients into the jar, secure the lid then write the remaining directions on the tag. Don’t forget a bow!
  • For a professional finish, reinvent old holiday cards with stamps and scissors to create a personal tag without spending a dime!

Thanks again to CountryLiving.com for sharing these great ideas!

Turtle Cheesecake Tartlets

By

Pillsbury Christmas 2011

Here’s a fast and easy Christmas/Holiday (or anytime!) dessert recipe that’s simple to whip up, but looks and tastes like you labored for days. This is from a wonderful cookbook, Pillsbury Christmas 2011. I collect Christmas cookbooks (as well as ALL cookbooks!) and this is my newest addition.

Funny thing about great Christmas and holiday cookbooks, they can be used all-year long. Mine are never stored away – I honestly use them throughout the year.

This particular Christmas cookbook is one of the best. The recipe below is just one of the countless outstanding recipes inside.

Turtle Cheesecake Tartlets

Servings: 24 Tartlets

1 box Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, softened as directed on box
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons caramel topping
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons finely chopped pecans

  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove1 crust from pouch; unroll on work surface.  Roll lightly with rolling pin. Cut 12 rounds from crust with 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 inch cookie cutter.  Press rounds in bottom and up sides of 12 mini muffin cups, with edges extending above cups about 1/8 inch.  Repeat with remaining pie crust. Place about 5 of the chocolate chips in each crust.  Bake 6 minutes. Leave crusts in pan.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel topping, and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.  Spoon evenly over chocolate chips, about 1-1/2 teaspoons for each tartlet.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheesecake is set.  Cool in pan on cooling rack 10 minutes; remove from pan.
  4. In a small custard cup or other small microwavable bowl, place remaining chocolate chips and the oil.  Microwave uncovered on High 30 seconds; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until melted; stir. Drizzle over each cheesecake; immediately sprinkle with pecans.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Cover and refrigerate any remaining tartlets.

Take a closer look at Pillsbury Christmas 2011 by clicking the link. This one’s outstanding.