Shrimp Scampi

I've made this shrimp scampi from allrecipes a few times before, the first time was actually for Christmas dinner last year.  When I told my husband there was mustard in it, he blanched, but has since become the biggest fan of mustard in shrimp scampi.

When I made it tonight, it came out of the oven looking so beautiful; the shrimp were perfectly pink and curled.  I served it over spaghetti, and with steamed carrots and broccoli, which was also delicious with the scampi sauce.

And, did I mention how easy this is to make?  Did I also mention that not only the three year old, but the nine month old ate this as well?

Delicious shrimp scampi recipe!

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.
3. Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

Pizza

I've been making my own pizza dough for a good while now.  First, I made it in the bread machine, but then something turned and I don't know if the machine broke or what, but it wasn't turning out right.  Then, I found a super fast dough that was great for me, intimidated by bread making.

But the time has come for me to look for something better.  Annie often posts about different breads and her post about "Perfect Pizza Crust" sparked my fancy.

Oh how glad I am to have tried this recipe.  First, I got to use the dough hook for my Kitchenaid for the very first time.  But the real reason is that this is awesome.  I was busy doing something with the baby, so BAJ was the one who took it out of the oven... a little too early probably, but this crust was so much like pizza crust.  It was soft and chewy on the inside but a little crispy on the outside. 

One note about this recipe is that it's very elasticy.  I couldn't get it to form a circle after rolling, it stuck to the pizza peel going into the oven, and then it puffed up a LOT.  So, not the prettiest pizza, but a tasty one.

Annie's right.  This is, indeed, perfect pizza crust!

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

½ cup warm water (about 110°)

1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast

1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 ½ tsp. salt

olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions:

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes.  Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.  

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed.  Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms.  Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven.  Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal.  Top as desired.  Slide the dough onto the pizza stone.  Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes.  Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.

Source: adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Baking Illustrated by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine

Nutty Granola

I love yogurt.  My favorite lately has been Greek yogurt, which rocks so hardcore because not only is it loaded with protein, but it also needs no sugar added (yep, even plain no fat Greek yogurt).  One day, I'll try making yogurt.

But for now, I was thinking about things I could mix into my yogurt.  GRANOLA!  I've seen so many times that it's so easy, but am only just now getting around to it.



I looked high and low for a recipe that would use things I have in the house.  Many included wheat germ or other stuff that I didn't feel like buying, but Elly had this version of an Ellie Krieger recipe and it looked perfect!

I have two kinds of oats right now:  Quick cooking and Steel cut.  From the bit of research I did, quick cooking oats aren't good for granola, but I found here that steel cut oats will work.  Mind you, I've had these steel cut oats in my cabinet for so long, but have never tried them, largely because I'm overwhelmed at how long they take to cook.

I tossed in some pecans, but they are old and didn't look so hot.  I picked out what I could and replaced with chopped peanuts.  I also had some Craisins on hand, so used those too.  The  only ingredients I measured were the oats, syrup, honey, and spices.  I eyeballed the nuts and used about half a handful of the dried fruit.

So, here's my version, adapted from Elly Says Opa, Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Nutty Granola

Adapted from Ellie Krieger
Makes 9-10  1/4 cup servings
1.5 cups steel cut oats
1/4 cup unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts,  coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup Craisins
Preheat the oven to 300 and spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing well to  be sure everything is coated with the syrup and honey. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden  brown. Let cool completely before storing.


The verdict on this is that this is pretty crunchy.  It reminds me of a Nature Valley granola bar.  I'm sure it's because of the oats I used.  I'm not quite sure if I like it.  I do wonder how it would work with the quick oats, and maybe I'll try it that way one day, but steel cut oats might not be the way to go in granola.

Waffles

I've long coveted a waffle iron.  I've hemmed and hawed because how often would I really make them?  How much room would it take up in the cabinets?  Is it really worth it?

My grandmother gave me her waffle iron!  So all my my hemming and hawing was for naught.  It is a Mad Men era waffle iron.




It took me three times to get this to work, finally following this recipe's instructions to wait till the steam stops (I had previously tried ATK's recipe, which required beating egg whites) but also turning the temperature down to about 2 or 3.  What a mess all that was to clean up, at least until I figured out the plates were removable.

Another tip that makes that all easier... spray your pan.  This is something that people must know but is never listed in the recipe.  I also think it contributed to the wonderful crisp on the waffles.

So, these were really tasty.  They had a nice crispness to the outside, which I don't think I've ever experienced in a waffle, but was perfectly soft on the inside.

This was in my Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Bridal Edition, but I also found it online here.

BETTY CROCKER WAFFLES

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup of melted margarine or butter, or 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1-3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp sugar (or brown sugar, which I used)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (1/4t in my recipe)

Beat eggs. Add in the rest of the ingredients and combine until smooth. Pour batter into heated waffle iron. Bake according to manufacturer directions or until steam stops, about 5 minutes.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

When the hubby's away, the mommy will make the food she likes to eat.  With him away so much lately, we've had chili, beef stew, pot roast, and sweet potatoes.  Tonight was no exception.

This recipe has been going around, and I finally succumbed to the many rave reviews.  I know many people use their crockpots for busy worknights, but for me, it's becoming imperative on nights my husband isn't around to watch the boys while I cook.

It's super duper easy, which was great because my three year old did almost all of the pouring of ingredients.

Speaking of my three year old, I made a few modications for his sake.

First, I used a can of Rotel in place of the diced tomatoes with chiles, since it IS diced tomatoes with chiles.  Rotel is 10oz, though.  I also used a can of plain diced tomatoes, because that's what I had.  I figured this would decrease any spice for my boy.  I didn't measure out the spices, so when I tasted at the end of cooking, it was a bit spicy... and I knew he wouldn't eat it.  So, I stirred some sour cream into his chili, and also topped it with some shredded cheddar.  Not only did he not complain about the spice, he kept telling me how good it was, and that I should make it again tomorrow (and that he helped me cook it.)

I also used chicken thighs, because they are so much cheaper.  I actually prefer dark meat usually, but in this recipe you really can't even tell the difference if you DO prefer white meat.

I've seen lots of folks serve this over rice, over pasta, but we enjoyed it plenty on its own, in mugs.

So, this is yummy.  It's pretty easy to customize (you're vegetarian?  leave out the chicken!).  It's very easy to make, and it's pretty good for ya.  Do it, you know you want to.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

After seeing so many posts about homemade ice cream on Lauren's blog, I decided to take the plunge and bought an attachment for my stand mixer.

My son was enticed by the lure of cinnamon waffles yesterday morning, so I figured cinnamon ice cream was a good first choice.  I found a lot of recipes for cinnamon ice cream, but was a little put off by a ton of steps plus separating eggs (I have no problem separating them, but whatever isn't used in the recipe usually goes to waste, no matter how committed I am to the idea of saving them and using them later).  I found this one on allrecipes, and it seemed easy enough, used ground cinnamon, and also called for whole eggs.

I made it:

and, though the manual suggested blending for 20-30 minutes, I let it go for about an hour.  It still wasn't a thick consistency like I'd have expected from hard ice cream... it was more like soft serve, and BAJ kept saying it seemed like whipped cream.  It was tasty, though way too sweet and way too cinnamon-y for my liking.  I think next I need to try one of the recipes that came with the maker, and hopefully the results will be better.

Update:  After putting it in the freezer for awhile, this ice cream really mellowed.  It wasn't too cinnamon-y, and the sweetness cooled its jets too.  We both enjoyed our ice cream sundaes with this a LOT.  I've been dreaming of putting this into coffee (though, alas, only have flavored coffee, and one that won't go well with cinnamon!).

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugar and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in the heavy cream. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.
2. Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Mad Men

I had a brainstorm for a new name for this blog.  No, it has nothing to do with cooking for the cast of Mad Men, if you got here by google search.

My house was built in 1964, about the time that Betty and Don got divorced (sorry for spoiling if you haven't yet seen the show).  The only room that hasn't really been modernized is our kitchen.  It's got beautiful, though they seem old fashioned, wood cabinets (with the same hardware as my grandmother's 1965 kitchen, though hers are shiny copper), brick, and red linoleum floors.  When we moved in, the window had original wood windows, which have since been replaced, but it does still have an original, wood door to the backyard. 

All that's different is that we have a dishwasher, and it's missing the smoke and the disdain.

I've jokingly referred to my kitchen as "The Mad Men Kitchen" for awhile now, so it seems like a way more fitting name for my silly blog than "Nothing to See Here."

So, a new name for a new year!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is perhaps my most favorite version of classic macaroni and cheese.  It's so easy to make, and the result is great---it doesn't taste bland like your toddler would like, but it also is suitable for your kiddo.  The  Worcestershire sauce and the dry mustard kick it up for you in a grown up way.

I changed it up a little bit this time--I diced up some onions, and sauteed them in the butter in the first step.  I then used whole wheat flour and whole wheat pasta.  I was a little concerned about the whole wheat flour, because I know it can really change the flavor of food, but in this case, it tasted just as good, perhaps because it's a thickening agent rather than a part of the flavor.

I just had it as lunch leftovers, and it was just as good as it was last night!

7	oz uncooked penne pasta (rounded 2 cups)
1/4	cup butter or margarine
1/4	cup all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2	teaspoon ground mustard
1/4	teaspoon pepper
1/4	teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2	cups milk
2	cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
2. While pasta is cooking, in 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, seasoned salt, mustard, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Using wire whisk, stir in cheese until melted.
3. Gently stir pasta into cheese sauce. Spoon into 4 ungreased 8-oz ramekins/gratin dishes or 10-oz custard cups. Place filled cups in shallow baking pan (or cookie sheet with sides).
4. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

From Betty Crocker

Chicken Enchiladas

Ho-ly crap. These are outrageously good.  My picture may look awful, but these tasted pretty much like enchiladas you'd get at On the Border.  I love that I made my own enchilada sauce; it was really easy.  My husband's first bite?  He basically moaned in a wow, this is freaking awesome kind of way.  I didn't think of it in time, but should have made Mexican rice to go along with this.  So, so good!!


Chicken Enchiladas
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas  (I used flour tortillas)
Cooking spray
Directions:
Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Nestle the chicken into the sauce.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 12-20 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.  Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.
Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Meatless Monday: Gardein chick’n mediterranean rigatoni

It's funny how one little substitution or change can take a recipe from something to something special that's all your own.  At the same time, one little substitution or change can also ruin a recipe.  This is one of the former situations.

The recipe as written calls for sherry vinegar, which I do not have.  I turned to the internet for a substitution, and balsamic vinegar was suggested.  It was kinda not a good choice.

The gardein itself was surprisingly tasty.

gardein™
chick’n scallopini	1 pkg

other ingredients
rigatoni pasta	1 lbs
lemons, zested	3
sherry vinegar	5 fl oz
olive oil	1 cup
chili flakes	2 tsp
pepper black	1/2 tsp
tomato Sauce (your favorite)	2 cups
grape tomatoes, whole	2 cups
olive oil	3 tbsp
kalamata olives diced	1/2 cup
garlic cloves, minced	3
roasted red peppers , ½” sliced	1.5 cups
capers	1 tbsp
white wine	2 tbsp
basil fresh, chiffonade	4 tbsp
feta cheese (vegan options available)	2 tbsp
parsley	2 tsp

instructions cook rigatoni as per cooking instructions on package.

for the sauce….mix together lemon zest, sherry vinegar, olive oil, chili flakes, black pepper and tomato sauce.

Fry the scallopini for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and hot through. Let rest for one minute and cut into 1” slices.

in a non stick pan at medium high heat sauté grape tomatoes in olive oil until dark golden brown 1-2 minutes. Add kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, capers and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine, olive oil sauce, rigatoni and bring to a high simmer. toss with basil and plate.

place pasta in serving dish , garnish with scallopini , feta cheese and parsley.

Found this one on the gardein website.

Meal Plan

Sunday--Spicy Shrimp with Pasta
Monday--Gardein Chick'n Mediterranean rigatoni with Sauteed Kale
Tuesday--On Own
Wednesday--Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday--On Own
Friday--Pulled Pork
Saturday--On Own
Sunday--BLTs

Rasberry Truffle Tart

Mmmm, dessert.  Awwww yeah.

In searching for something to make for Christmas dinner, I stumbled upon this recipe.  Her photography is beautiful and it made the dessert seem outrageously good.

It's outrageously good, and so simple to put together.  The dessert is very rich, but is so smooth and silky. 

We also had a TON of desserts for Christmas dinner (communication, people!), so we had about half of it leftover.  I had heard that baked goods freeze well, so figured I'd give it a go.  It freeze beautifully, and tasted just as good on New Year's Eve as it did on Christmas.

Biscotti Crust:

8 ounces (225 grams) store bought biscotti, broken into pieces
5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 84 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1/3 cup (80 ml) raspberry sauce (recipe follows)
10 ounces (280 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream (contains 36-40% butterfat)
Raspberry Sauce:
1 cup (240 ml) fresh or frozen raspberries (that have been thawed)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar, or to taste
Garnish:
Fresh raspberries

Raspberry Truffle Tart: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degree C). Have ready a 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) fluted tart pan.

Biscotti Crust: In your food processor, place the biscotti and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press this mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the filling.

Raspberry Truffle Filling: First, make the raspberry sauce. Place 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries, that have been thawed, in your food processor and process until the raspberries are broken up. Pour into a strainer, set over a bowl, and gently press the raspberries to extract their juices. Add sugar to taste. You will need 1/3 cup (80 ml) of raspberry sauce.

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes or until melted. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup of the raspberry sauce. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked and cooled crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To Serve: Cut into small slices and serve with fresh raspberries, raspberry sauce, whipped cream and/or creme fraiche.

Serves about 12 - 14 people.

Sources:

De Laurentiis, Giada. 'Giada's Family Dinners'. Clarkson/Potter Publishers. New York: 2006.

Longbotham, Lori. 'Luscious Berry Desserts'. Chronicle Books. San Francisco: 2006

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RaspberryTruffleTart.html#ixzz19w7xeUrZ

Cranberry Sauce

I had a bag of fresh cranberries from our co-op, so decided to go for homemade cranberry sauce.  I found an Alton Brown recipe; who doesn't love an Alton Brown recipe? 

The sauce tasted fantastic, though it was a little on the thin side and a bit too sweet--these were probably due to not having as much cranberry as was called for in the recipe.

This was awesome, and I'll definitely be making it again.  Who knew that making cranberry sauce from scratch could be so very easy?!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup 100 percent cranberry juice, not cocktail
• 1 cup honey
• 1 pound fresh cranberries, approximately 4 cups

Directions

Wash the cranberries and discard any soft or wrinkled ones.

Combine the orange juice, cranberry juice and honey in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Do not cook for more than 15 minutes as the pectin will start to break down and the sauce will not set as well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce into a 3 cup mold. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator, overturn the mold and slide out the sauce. Slice and serve.

Cream Cheese Penguins

These little dudes were shared on a message board of which I am a member as a fun activity to do with your kids.  My kid wasn't interested in helping, but I had fun making them anyway.

The "recipe" comes from allrecipes.

They didn't come out as pretty as I'd hoped, but they did bring on the silly.

They're a nice little appetizer, although not quite as tasty as something baked or fried or smothered in dip.

Ingredients

• 18 jumbo black olives, pitted  (I used Colossal!)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 18 small black olives
• 1 carrot

Directions

1. Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
2. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Kiss Pies

Looking for an individualized recipe for New Year's Eve, I went to the fabulous Picky Palate for inspiration.  The recipe seemed easy as...pie (groan)...  and her pictures were too darn cute.  Of course, I  had to make them.  I went to the Kisses website, and wanted to use either the cherry cordial or candy cane kisses, but my grocery store didn't have either of those.  I instead chose caramel filled kisses.


 

I'm pretty sure it was that choice that made these a disaster, since it looked like the caramel oozed out all over the place. 

They were pretty tasty, but not something I would rave and go nuts over.  I didn't even put them out for the kids to eat.

I might try these again, with a different kind of kiss; they are just so darn simple to make that if I can get them to turn out right, they'll be a great recipe to have in the back pocket.

To make it a little bit easier, I used a biscuit cutter to cut the dough around the kiss.

Kiss Pies

1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed
14 Hershey Kisses of choice, I used Mint Truffle today
1 egg white whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Powdered sugar for dusting
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll out pie dough onto a lightly floured counter top.  Place 10 kisses around the edges of pie dough, about 2 1/2 inches apart (as in the photo above).  Take a knive and cut a 2 1/2-3 inch circle around kiss.  Fold half of pie dough around top of dough and pinch edge around top of kiss.  (See Photo, step 1).  Now, fold up both sides of remaining dough up to the tip of the kiss pinching edge.  (See Photo, step 2).  Now press together edges and form criss cross as shown in photo, step 3. * *Continue cutting dough around kisses until all dough is used up. 
2.  Brush all little pies with an egg white wash then sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake for 20-28 minutes or until little pies are golden.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  Dust each with powdered sugar and serve.
about 14 little pies.

Cranberry Meatballs

I typically serve meatballs for gatherings.  My crockpot recipe is very good, very easy, and allows me to pay attention to other things.  But for New Year's this year, I wanted to try something different.  I turned to my google reader, and stumbled across this recipe.  Hubby happened to glance over while I was looking at her post, and commented that they looked delicious, so I made them.

These were super easy to make.  I used frozen turkey meatballs.  The sauce smelled really great as it was simmering on the stove, but toward the end, I got some on my finger, and so tasted it....  I was suddenly very afraid.

We've had this bottle of "Three Buck Chuck" around the house for a really long time, and that's what I used.  Maybe if I'd used a better tasting bottle of wine (I really don't get all the hype around TBC... it's been pretty nasty the two times I've had it), this would have turned out better.

So, the short of it is that this is a good recipe, but make sure you like the wine you're using!

Cranberry-Red Wine Meatballs
2 cups whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup of your favorite red wine (I used our Cab)
2 tsp hot Chinese mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 batch of meatballs, cooked
Add cranberry sauce, brown sugar, red wine, mustard, and Worcestershire to a sauce pan. Heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the meatballs to the pan, stirring to coat and heat thoroughly. Serve warm. Alternately, you can pour the sauce over the meatballs in a crockpot set to warm for serving.

Mini Crab Cakes

When I'm looking to make something that will be a home run and impress guests, I turn to Annie's Eats.  This was no exception.

These little cuties are delicious, and pretty easy to make too.  They're not super cheap (the crab cost about $14 for a pound), but are a great little appetizer.

I had two mini muffin pans; one silicone and one metal.  This made me realize that silicone is definitely the way to go, and I might even replace my metal pans with another silicone one.  The crab cakes in the metal stuck to the pan, even with my spraying with Pam, while the cakes in the silicone slid right out.  I also lost some of the bottom layer in the metal pans that was saved in the silicone.

I found whole wheat Panko bread crumbs in my local grocery store, and used them here.  It was great, and ever so slightly more healthful!  In addition, the crab filling turned out more than was needed to fill the two mini muffin pans, so it could probably have made a whole nother pan (is nother a word?  Because whole another doesn't sound right?)

So, the next time you're having a gathering, try these mini muffin crab cakes.  They're a real treat.  While they are delicious, they are way too rich and decadent to have as a crab cake meal.

Mini Crab Cakes
Printer-Friendly Version

Yield: about 24 mini crab cakes
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp. lemon zest
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives, divided
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 oz. fresh lump crabmeat, patted dry and coarsely chopped
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Additional fresh chives, for garnish

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and the egg; beat with an electric mixer to blend.  Beat in the sour cream, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the chives, salt and cayenne pepper.  Gently fold in the crabmeat.  (This mixture can be made up to 1 day in advance.)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Spray a 24-well mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, combine the panko, remaining ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the minced chives.  Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and toss with a fork until evenly blended and moistened.  Place 1 tablespoon of the panko mixture in each muffin well and press down to form a crust.  Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of the crab mixture over the crumb mixture in each well.  Sprinkle a rounded teaspoon of the panko mixture over the top of each.

Bake until golden and set, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each cake and gently lift it out of the pan.  (These can be baked 2 hours in advance.  Rewarm at 350˚ F for 6-8 minutes just before serving.)  Garnish with additional fresh chives, if desired.

Source: barely adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2009

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

One more batch from Cook's Country's Christmas cookie special.  We made these to leave out for Santa, and Santa loved them. 

We had blackberry jam instead of the called for raspberry, so that's what we used and it was a great substitution, though I love the combination of raspberry and chocolate so much that I will be making them as written in the future.

The magazine suggested drizzling the chocolate using a zip bag, and I really struggled with this one--my bag popped as I tried to drizzle, and it just globbed.  My husband did this in another way, so he's responsible for the drizzling.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

 

Here's another one from my Cook's Country Magazine and their collection of the best Christmas cookies.  I really wanted to make a bar cookie, but my son chose this one based on the picture.

These were tasty, but not so good as to be among the best Christmas cookies Cook's Country had ever tasted.  They also tasted like regular Snickerdoodles, not so much like Eggnog (even with the addition of rum extract). 

I had some troubles with these; they spread a LOT, making them very thin and crispy, and maybe even a little bit burnt.  I made some changes in the second batch, and so they came out better, but the first batch was not for me.

Chicken Fried Rice

Another one from The Family Dinner.  I think I used too much of the rice wine vinegar, and so we didn't really enjoy this one too much.  But, it's good to know that making chicken fried rice (or really, fried rice of any kind) is really easy, and is a great way to get in some leftover vegetables.