Snickerdoodle Bread

I never knew I had a thing for Snickerdoodles until I made these Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.  And then, I had to try every Snickerdoodle recipe I found after that.  Some of them have been not so great.  Others have been okay.  And then ones like this one turned out fabulous.  So I share it.  I also have a recipe for Snickerdoodle Blondies that I should be sharing soon. 

This is a sweet bread that I think can serve as a snack, a dessert, or breakfast.  It is delicious and super moist.  And, of course, it's easy to make.  Give a shot, you'll like it, I promise!

Slightly Adapted from:  Creations by Kara

What you need:
1 cup Butter at room temperature
2 cups Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla 
3/4 cup Sour Cream
2 1/2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 bag of Cinnamon Chips
Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture for Topping (I don't have specifics here -- I just winged it.  Combine the cinnamon and sugar to taste)

What you do:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add in eggs, vanilla and sour cream. 

3.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

4.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (or vice versa) and mix until fully combined. 

5.  Add the cinnamon chips and mix until chips are fully integrated. 

6.  Divide your batter among 4 mini loaf pans. 

7.  Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of the loaves. 

8.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until the loaves are a nice golden brown. 

9.  Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to finish cooling on cooling racks. 

I have made these in muffin form as well and they were just as delicious, but a little easier to divvy up at work.  Instead of putting your batter into 4 mini loaf pans, put it into lined muffin tins and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar topping on top of each muffin.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown.  

Enjoy!

Pepperoni Roll-Ups

My friend Amber bought a house earlier this year.  She had a housewarming party, like, a month later.  I bought a house last year.  I haven't had my housewarming party yet.  When I do have it, it will be more than a year later.  But, whatever.  I'm not bitter.  At all. 

Amber was nice enough to let me bring lots of food to her housewarming party.  That meant that I got to try lots of new recipes. This one was a big hit!  Everybody loves pepperoni and melted cheese.  Toss in a crisp, buttery crescent roll . . . Perfect!  Plus, these get bonus points for being really easy to make. 

Source:  The Girl Who Ate Everything

What you need:
2 packages refrigerated Crescent Roll dough, garlic flavored
8 Cheese Sticks, halved
48-64 pieces of Pepperoni
Marinara Sauce and Ranch Dressing for dipping

What you do:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  Place 3 to 4 pepperoni pieces on the bottom of the triangle of each 
     crescent roll. 
3.  Place one cheese stick half on top of the pepperoni on each 
     crescent roll. 
4.  Roll up each crescent roll and place seam side down on a cookie sheet. 
5.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crescent rolls are cooked 
     thoroughly (until they are golden brown).
6.  You can put out small bowls of marinara sauce and ranch dressing 
     for dipping if you would like. 

Enjoy!

Copy Cat Recipe: Mini Warm Delights

I've eyed these Mini Warm Delights in the grocery store for a looooong time, but always refused to buy them because you have to pay about $3.00 for two teeeeeny tiny little single serving cakes.  I also thought that if I wanted a chocolate cake that bad, I'd just whip up an entire cake.  Well, in a moment of weakness, I finally bought them a few weeks ago.  I thought they were good, but still didn't think they were worth $1.50 each.  However, I was quite consumed with the idea of making myself a delicious little cake in just a couple of minutes. So, I decided I'd try to copy the recipe. 


I searched the Internet far and wide and found a lot of different recipes, but none were really all that appealing to me.  So, I experimented with my own recipe.  It turned out fabulous!  Much better than I ever could have expected.  And, I did a little taste test with my man friend and we both determined that my little recipe beats the Mini Warm Delights!  My cakes are more moist and more dense than the Mini Warm Delights.  I also think mine have a stronger chocolate flavor.  Take that Betty Crocker! ;-)  


I will warn you, the recipe below makes massive quantities.  But, you have options.  You can  make the recipe as directed below and store your mix in Tupperware at home.  I've even placed individual servings into small sandwich baggies and taken them to work so that whenever I need chocolate, it's there for me.  Or you can just cut the recipe down and have less on hand -- if you do so, just make sure you maintain the chocolate cake mix to brownie mix ratio (1:2). 


What you need for the cakes:
1 Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Box of Instant Chocolate Pudding
2 Boxes of Chocolate Brownie Mix
Miniature Chocolate Chips
Water


What you do to make the mix:
1.  Pour the chocolate cake mix and instant pudding mix into one bowl.  Stir well to combine the two powders.
  
2.  Add the two boxes of brownie mix.  Stir well. 


THAT'S IT!


When you want to make yourself a little cake, put 1/4 cup of the mixture and a teaspoon or two of miniature chocolate chips into a ramekin dish.  Add 7 Tsps (or 2 Tblsps + 1 Tsp) of water.  Stir well with a fork.  Microwave for 30-45 seconds. Then enjoy!


I put 1/4 cup of the mixture + some miniature chocolate chips into some baggies and took those, a ramekin, and a teaspoon to work.  So, when I need a little pick-me-up, it's there -- more delicious than the Mini Warm Delights, less expensive, and just as convenient!


Also, if you add about 1 Tsp of  Fudge Ice Cream Topping (like this, not like Hersey's Syrup) to the center of the ramekin before you microwave, you end up with a mini lava cake.  See the gooey fudge there:

Experiment away with toppings for these little cakes!  We've added whipped topping and ice cream and loved both! 


Enjoy!

Energy Balls

My good friend Amber suggested that I try her AMAZING recipe for energy balls.  A while ago.  Like, last October.  I quickly opened the recipe because I get all excited when my friends and family share recipes with me!  Then I read the ingredients and quickly closed the recipe.  Pfffffft!  This recipe calls for wheat germ or flaxseed.   And no sugar.  At all!?!  NO SUGAR????  Are you kidding me?   Clearly, she didn't know me very well.  

So I thanked her for her recipe and told her I'd put it on my list of recipes to try.  Then I scoffed inside.  Because I knew there was nooooo way I was going to make that silly hippie food. 

Well, I've been feeling a little low on energy lately (helllllooo 15 hour work days).  So, this weekend I got desperate.  And decided to try her hippie energy balls.  I had most of the ingredients on hand, so why not?  And, I just knew that when I ate one and it tasted like cardboard, I'd be vindicated.  And I could return to sugar as my main source of energy. 

So, I made them.  And then I ate one.  And then I ate like one million more.  Because these things are deeeelicious, people.  There's no saving my pride here, folks.  I owe Amber one big fat apology.  So, here it is.  You were right and I was wrong.  (God, I hate how that sounds!)

Have a little faith in me and give these things a shot.  Seriously, I promise, you won't be disappointed.  They require very few ingredients and very little time.  They're scrumptious, healthy, and they give you energy.  What do you have to lose? 

I like these so much that I'm already trying to come up with variations.  But, for now, here is my version of Amber's  Energy Balls:

Here's what you need:

1 cup Quick Oats

2 heaping tbsp Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Honey

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 c wheat germ or flaxseed

2 tsp Vanilla

Here's what you do:

1.  Mix everything together. 

2.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

3.  Roll into one inch balls. 

4.  Enjoy!  Seriously -- that's it. 

FYI -- Amber's recipe also called for coconut and dried fruit.  I'm picky.  I don't like coconut, so I omitted that.  And dried fruit just didn't sound like it would fit all that well with all the other ingredients, so I kicked that out too.  I could have been wrong about that.  I've been wrong about other things.  *aaahheeemm*  Feel free to add those back in.  She suggested a cup of each. 

Peanut Butter Jack-o-Lanterns

So, I bought this house.  It sounded like a good idea at one time.  I'm pretty sure it's brought out the worst in me.  When it comes to this house, I cannot make a decision to save my life.  I've frustrated everyone around me.  Plus me. 

Anyway, when I get frustrated I like to eat delicious food (I also like to eat delicious food when I'm not frustrated -- in case you were wondering).  I've made these peanut butter balls before and they were delicious.  They are very rich and satisfying.  If you like Peanut Butter Pie, I guarantee you'll love this recipe! 

So, I decided to make this recipe again to ease my woes.  Or distract me from having to make decisions.  Whatever.  Since it's almost Halloween, I decided to add a little Halloween twist.  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to make much Halloween food this year.  I've got a few days left, though, so maybe I'll squeeze in the time to make something else.  Even if I don't, I'm pretty satisfied with this cute little number.  These are ridiculously simple to make and are quite the crowd pleaser. 

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Here's what I used:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
Red Food Coloring
Yellow Food Coloring
Black Tube Decorator's Icing
Yellow Tube Decorator's Icing
Teddy Grahams

Here's what I did:
1.  Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.

2.  Divide mixture into 3 even portions. 

3.  Spoon each portion onto a piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

3.  Refrigerate the balls overnight.

4.  Put sugar in a bowl.  Add  yellow and red food coloring, adding one drop of each color at a time.  Stir well until color is well blended into sugar.  Repeat until sugar attains the color of orange desired.

5.  Remove the balls from the refrigerator and unwrap. 

6.  Smash each ball down so that it is smashed into a circle (rather than being the shape of a ball).

7.  Place each circle in the bowl of sugar, one at a time, spooning sugar onto the circle until it is fully covered with orange sugar.

8.  Decorate each circle with the Jack-o-Lantern face desired.  I used the black icing to outline the eyes, nose, and mouth of each Jack-o-Lantern and then used the yellow to fill in each outline so it looked like a candle shining through. 

9.  Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.  I served mine with both chocolate and graham cracker Teddy Grahams.

Happy Halloween!! 

Enjoy!

Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

Last week I decided that I wanted a Mexican Pizza from Taco Bell.  So I googled recipes and gave it a shot.  I combined the basic ideas of the various recipes I found and added my own twist.

I think it turned out really good.  And, it was surprisingly simple.  3 out of 4 people who ate them thought they tasted just like Taco Bell.  The fourth thought it tasted really good, but thought the meat was a little different than Taco Bell  (psssht.  Whatever!).

Anyway, this is my version of the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza.  It's delicious.  Try it.  Because I said so.

What I used:
2 packages of 6 -7" FLOUR tortillas
Crisco
16 Ounces Taco Bell Brand Refried Beans
1 Lb. Ground Beef
1.25 Ounces (1 Package) Taco Bell Chipotle Taco Seasoning Mix
1 Large Tomato, diced
1 Bunch of Green Onions, thinly sliced
2.25 Ounces Sliced Black Olives
8 Ounces Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
16 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
16 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
16 Ounces Enchilada Sauce

What I did:
1.  Cooked the beef thoroughly, making sure to crumble it up into very small pieces as it was cooking.

2.  Added the taco seasoning mix to the beef, following directions.

3.  Preheated the oven to 400.

4.  Put a skillet on the stove on medium heat.  After the skillet had heated up a bit, added about 4 tablespoons of Crisco.  Melted the Crisco.

    Hint:  You want just enough melted Crisco to cover the bottom of the skillet -- you don't want
      to completely submerge the tortilla in Crisco.

5.  Cooked each flour tortilla in the skillet until each side was golden brown (about 30 - 45 seconds per side).  After each tortilla cooked, I transferred it to a plate covered in paper towels to drain off the grease.

     Hint:  If air bubbles form in the tortillas while you are cooking them, pierce
      the bubbles so your tortilla remains fairly flat.

6.  Warmed the refried beans in the microwave.

7.  Assembled the pizzas in the following order:

• One cooked tortilla.
• Spread 3-4 Tablespoons of refried beans on top of the tortilla
• Sprinkled 2-3 Tablespoons of seasoned ground beef on top of the refried beans.
• Topped with another cooked tortilla.
• Spread 1-2 Tablespoons of enchilada sauce on top of the top tortilla.
• Sprinkled about 2 Tablespoons of each cheese on top of the enchilada sauce.
• Sprinkled diced tomatoes, green onions, and black olives on top of the cheese.

8.  Placed each pizza on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Placed the cookie sheet in the oven and baked it for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheeses were thoroughly melted.

9.  Removed pizzas from the oven and cut into four smaller pizza slices.

I served these with a side of Mexican rice and condiments such as sour cream and picante sauces. 

This made a TON of food.  I got 7 pizzas out of this recipe and I found them to be quite filling.  I was able to eat a serving of rice and 1 slice (1/4 of each pizza) before I got full, so be prepared.

Enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

I love this dessert.  It's great for the summer time when all the fruit is luscious and in season.  The "sauce" is made of cream cheese, which gives it just a bit of tang.  You can customize it with whatever fruit meets your fancy (or whatever happens to be in season).  Then, you just cut it up into slices like a pizza!  It's easy to make and easy to eat.  Plus, it has fruit on top, so it's got to be healthy, right?

I do have a confession to make before we get any further.  Sometimes, I don't make everything from scratch.  *GASP*  This is one of those times.  The crust of this pizza is just like one massive sugar cookie.  I didn't have time to make sugar cookie dough from scratch, so I used a Krusteaz mix.  They were ah.maz.ing.  Seriously, I'm considering not making sugar cookies from scratch this Christmas.  But, don't tell anybody . . .

Here's what I used:
1 Batch of Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix
1 Package of Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
Various Fruit, cleaned and sliced

Here's what I did: 
1.  Made the Krusteaz Sugar Cookie Mix as directed.  Placed in a large round pan and baked as directed. 

     *Hint:  Obviously, the folks who wrote the instructions for making the cookie mix didn't 
      anticipate that you would be making one massive sugar cookie.  So bake as directed,
      except as to the time directed.  You're going to have to keep an eye on the cookie
      and take it out when it's golden brown.*

2.  After the crust is baked, set it to side to cool.

3.  Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Set it to the side.

4.  Clean and cut up your fruit toppings.  Put each type of fruit in a separate bowl for topping the pizza.

5.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the filling.

6.  Top the pizza with your fruit toppings.

7.  Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

8.  Cut into pizza slices.

Enjoy!

The Best Chocolate Cookies Ever.

 So, I made these for my book club.  I cook for them a lot.  :-)  I can take no credit for these because I followed this recipe exactly, but these were way too good to not share.  I picked this recipe because I had buttermilk that needed to be used and I wasn't really interested in making biscuits.  These turned out to be a fabulous find!  They were crispy, yet chewy.  They stayed soft for days, literally.  And, the best part, the chocolate chips stayed melty (even days later) so that when you bit into them you got that fabulous taste of just baked cookies.  And they're chocolate on chocolate.  Beat that. 

Seriously, I think I'm going to have to make more of these tonight.  That. Good. 

Source: Baking Bites

Here's what I used:

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

2 Cups Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

2/3 Cup Buttermilk

2+ Cups Chocolate Chips

Here's what I did:

1.  Preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  Lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Whisked together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set that bowl aside.

3.  In a small bowl, I melted the butter.

4.  In a large bowl, I combined the melted butter and the cocoa powder.  Do this while the butter is still warm.

5.  Whisked together the butter and the cocoa powder until the mixture was smooth.

6.  Whisked the sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk into the cocoa powder mixture.

7.  Stirred the dry ingredients into the wet ones.  I did this slowly, pouring a fraction of the dry ingredients into the wet ones and stirring until completely combined and then pouring in more.

8.  Stirred the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.  ** This is the only place I deviated from the recipe.  The recipe calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips.  I happened to be craving chocolate the day I made these, so I threw in an extra handful or two.  Because, clearly, chocolate chocolate chip cookies would not have enough chocolate in them if made as directed.**

9. Spooned the cookie dough onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Be sure to leave plenty of room between the cookies as they do spread out quite a bit while cooking.

10.  Baked for 11 minutes.  Remove them from the oven when they are set along the edges.  Don't cook them for too long or you'll end up with dry cookies.

11.  Let them stand on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool.

I think I'm going to try these with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips -- I'll let you know how it goes.

Enjoy!

Mini Pankcake Muffins

I LOVE miniature anything.  So, naturally, these caught my eye.  I gave them a shot and they were worth it - they really did taste like pancakes!  I served them with maple syrup for dipping.  Delicious!


Slightly adapted from: Bakerella


Here's what I used:


1 Cup Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2/3 Cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
1 Cup Chocolate Chips


Here's what I did:


1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sprayed a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.


2.  Combine Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Sugar in bowl with a whisk.  Set that bowl to the side.


3.  In another bowl combine Buttermilk, Egg, Maple Syrup, and Melted Butter until combined.


4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine.


5.  Stir in the chocolate chips.


6.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.


     Hint:  I used a tablespoon to scoop the batter from the bowl to the muffin 
     tins.  It ended up being just about the right about of batter and helped to
     minimize the mess.


7.  Bake for about 8-9 minutes.  Remove from the oven when they are golden brown and spring back when touched.


Let them cool for a minute or two before removing them from the pan.  Serve with regular pancake toppings.  You can add whatever filling you want.  I think blueberries would taste great.


Enjoy!

Cinnamon Puffs

This recipe was supposed to be made for my book club meeting.  Of course I have try everything I make before I take it anywhere to share.  Just in case, you know?  What if something looks great, but tastes terrible? 

Well, I had one bite of one of these Cinnamon Puffs, and I was hooked.  Seriously, I decided these were too good to share (sorry book clubbers!).  I kept all of them for myself.  And I ate them all by myself.  Don't judge.  Try this recipe and you'll see.  I limited myself to one puff per day so I could stretch out the amazing oooey gooeyness for as long as possible. 

The marshmallow melts inside the puff and leaves a lovely little syrupy delight, making the puffs nice and moist.  The croissant is flaky and buttery.  And, who doesn't love cinnamon and sugar?  On everything?  That's not just me, right?  I could probably rave about these for hours and hours, but I imagine you all want me to get down to business.  So here you are:

Slightly adapted from:  The Girl Who Ate Everything

Here's what I used:

1 (8 ounce) Package refrigerated Crescent Rolls, Butter flavored

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoon ground Cinnamon

8 large Marshmallows (not campfire sized, though)

1/4 Cup Butter, melted


Here's what I did:

1. Preheated the oven to 375 degrees and sprayed a muffin tin with cooking spray.

2.  I opened the can of crescent rolls and separated the rolls into triangles (just pull them apart - they should be perforated).

3. I combined the cinnamon and sugar in a cereal bowl and set it aside.

4.  I melted the butter in another cereal bowl.

5.  I submerged each marshmallow in the butter and then rolled it around in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. 

6.  After coating each marshmallow in cinnamon and sugar, I placed it in the center of a crescent roll triangle.

7.  I pulled the crescent roll dough triangles up around each marshmallow, sealing the edges of the roll around the marshmallow to keep the marshmallow in.  I call this a crescent roll package.

8.  I dipped the top 1/2 of each crescent roll package in the melted butter and then rolled each package around in the cinnamon and sugar.

9.  I placed each package in a separate muffin cup in my muffin pan, with the cinnamon and sugar side up.

10.  I baked these for about 13 minutes. 

These are great eaten warm, but don't eat them too quickly after you remove them from your oven because you'll burn your mouth.  And face.  Don't ask how I know that. 

After they had cooled completely, I'd warm each one in the microwave for about 15 seconds before eating them.  These go great with a small glass of milk.

Enjoy! 

Cheesy Bread

This is another recipe that I tried for the my bookclub.  It turned out pretty good.  I got the recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  She calls it Bloomin' Onion Bread and says it's supposed to taste like a Bloomin' Onion from Outback Steakhouse.  While I love The Girl Who Ate Everything, I have to disagree with her on this one.  This bread was good, but, it did not taste like a Bloomin' Onion to me.  You cut this bread almost all the way through before baking it, so each person can tear away as much or as little as they like.  It is perfect for an appetizer or snack when you're entertaining.  Although I was disappointed that it didn't taste quite like a Bloomin' Onion, it still tasted really good.  And, it's ridiculously easy to make.  So, give it a shot!


Slightly adapted from: The Girl Who Ate Everything


Here's what I used:

1 unsliced loaf of Sourdough Bread

16 Ounces Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup finely diced Green Onion

2 Teaspoons Poppy Seeds

Here's what I did:

1.  Preheated the oven to 350 degrees and lined a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

2.  I cut loaf of bread length wise several times and width wise several times, making a bunch of little pieces of bread.  See the picture above.  Be sure not to cut all the way through the bread, but cut as close to all the way through as possible.

3.  I sliced the cheese into very small pieces (small enough to put between each cut of bread).

4.  I put the bread on the cookie sheet. 

5.  I inserted my tiny cheese pieces in between the cuts of bread.

6.  I melted the butter.  Then I stirred in the green onions and poppy seeds.

7.  I drizzled the butter mixture over the bread.

8.  I wrapped the bread in the foil.

9.  I baked the bread for about 15 minutes.  Then I unwrapped it and baked it for about 10 more minutes.  Make sure your cheese is all melted before you pull your loaf out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Pizza Bites

This is another one of the recipes I tried for my bookclub meeting.  These were pretty good and relatively easy to make.  They were also a super simple snack food -- easy to pick up and eat, delicious, and not too messy -- that earns them extra points in my book!  I served them with a side of warmed marinara sauce. 


Another recipe adapted from: The Girl Who Ate Everything (I can't get enough of this girl!)


Here's what I used:
1 Roll refrigerated Pizza Dough

4 Ounces grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Tablespoon melted Butter

3/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

12 ounces diced Mozzarella Cheese

Peperoni pieces, quartered

Marinara sauce for dipping

Here's what I did:

1. Preheated the oven to 425 degrees and sprayed a large glass pie plate with cooking spray.


2. Dusted my counter tops with flour.


3. Unrolled the pizza dough onto the floured counter tops. 


4.  Stretched the pizza dough into a rectangle.  I then cut that rectangle into smaller squares using a pizza cutter.  I ended up with 26 squares.  Those of you who are better with that silly science stuff might end up with relatively evenly sized squares.  I did not.  :-) (Look at the picture above for proof)


5.  I put a block of cheese on top of each square.


6.  I placed pieces of peperoni on top of and around each block of cheese.


7.  I gathered the sides of each square together and pinched the edges together to create a seam and to hold everything inside the pizza dough bite.


8.  I put each bite into the pie plate.  There were enough of them that they were touching by the time I got through with all of them. 


9.  I melted the butter then added the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  I mixed all of those ingredients together well.


10.  I used a pastry brush to brush the butter mixture over the tops of the pizza bites.


11.  I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top of the rolls.


12.  I baked the bites for about 15 minutes.  Remove them from the oven when they are golden brown.


Obviously, you could modify this recipe as much as you'd like to suit your tastes.  The next time I make these bites, I'll be adding more ingredients.  As I stuffed the bites and pulled the edges together, I thought that I might have put too much cheese and pepperoni in each bite as they seemed to be bursting at the seam.  However, after I pulled them from the oven, I saw that they were not even been close to being over stuffed.  So, fill 'em to the brim!


Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

I've got a Book Club meeting coming up and I'm supposed to bring snacks, so I've been trying out a bunch of different appetizer recipes.  This is the first one I tried.  I LOVE mushrooms.  So, stuffed mushrooms made sense.  This recipe is fairly simple, although there is a lot of chopping, and the result was pretty delicious. 

Adapted from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Here's what I used:

24 White Button Mushrooms
⅓ Pound Hot Pork Sausage

½ Whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced

4 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

8 Ounces, Cream Cheese, softened

1 Whole Egg Yolk

¾ Cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Salt And Pepper (to Taste)

Here's what I did:
1.  Put the sausage on the stove to cook and heated the oven to 350 degrees.  As the sausage was cooking, I finely diced the onions and garlic and set them aside.

2.  When the sausage was done cooking, I put it in a bowl to the side to cool.

3.  I washed all of the mushrooms and removed the stems.

4.  I finely diced the stems of the mushrooms. 

5.  I put the onions and garlic in the same pan the pork had been in and sauteed them for about 2 minutes.  I immediately added the mushroom stems and sauteed for an additional 2 minutes.

6.  I removed the onion/garlic/mushroom stem mixture from the pan and put it on a plate to the side to cool.

7.  I used an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese and egg yolk.

8.  I stirred the parmesan cheese into the cream cheese/egg mixture.

9.  I added the sausage to the mixture and stirred until mixed well.

10.  Finally, I added the onion/garlic/mushroom stem mixture and stirred well.

11.  I stuffed the inside of each mushroom with the stuffing mixture, using my fingers to press the mixture in, making sure each mushroom was stuffed as full as it could be.

12.  I put the mushrooms on a cooking sheets and put them in the oven to bake.  I left them there for about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Meatballs

I was asked to make spicy meatballs for a 4^th of July get together that I was attending.  This is what I came up with.  They were a hit!  But, when I say spicy, I mean Four-Alarm-Fire-in-Your-Mouth kinda spicy.  The heartburn was totally worth it.  I’ll make some suggestions below for making them a little less spicy in case you like your meatballs a little more on the mild side.

Here’s what I used:

½ Cup Green Onion, finely chopped

¼ Cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs

3 Heaping Tablespoons of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 Pound Ground Beef

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

2 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper (for a less spicy meatball use 1 Tablespoon – or less – Crushed Red Pepper)

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce

Here’s what I did:

First, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  I mixed together the Green Onion, Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Powder, and Crushed Red Pepper.  I crumbled the Ground Beef on top of the mixture of dry ingredients.  Then, using my hands, I mixed the ground beef with the dry ingredients.  I formed meatballs with the mixture, making each ball about 1 inch in diameter.  I placed the meatballs in a glass baking dish with about 1 inch in between each meatball. 

I baked the meatballs for about 25 minutes.  Remove them from the oven when the outsides are brown and the insides of the meatballs are cooked fully.  Here are what mine looked like straight from the oven:

I poured the Spaghetti Sauce into a crock pot and turned the crock pot on low.  Finally, I added the meatballs to the spaghetti sauce.  Be sure to keep an eye on your crock pot to make sure it isn’t getting too hot and to stir the meatballs occasionally.

Enjoy!