{Fake} King (Cup) Cakes!

Did you ever just have one of those recipes that made you go crazy?  You follow along, you make sure you're doing everything exactly the way it's been written, and then it flops just the same??

This is not that recipe.  Well, okay, it started out that way, but I just ditched all pretense of following along after a certain point and I just started to wing it.  Yes, I "wung" it.

While I'd normally say that that's a bad idea for me to follow through with, this time it actually worked out okay, and in the long run this is a much more simple way to make individual king cakes.  Not exactly a win-win, but a better than lose-lose for sure!  The original recipe can be found over with the Foodie Bride, but the dough on that liquified at some point.  I won't get into it, but the following is my "no-fail" recipe!

Ingredients (dough):
2 cans of crescent roll dough
4 T melted butter
Ingredients (cream cheese filling):
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 C + 2T sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Ingredients (glaze):
3/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 tsp water
yellow, green, and purple decorating sugar

Directions:
1. Mix up cream cheese filling ingredients.
2. Roll out cresent dough into two long rectangles per can of dough (1 rectangle for each segment of 4 crescent rolls - 4 total)
3. Brush each with 1 T of melted butter, leaving the top 1" dry.
4. Divide cream cheese filling in fourths, and spread evenly over each rectangle of dough, leaving top 1" dry.
5. Starting with the long side of dough closest to you, roll jelly-roll syle.  Pinch the last inch of dough onto the roll and place it seam side down on your counter.
6. Lightly roll/pat/pull the roll so the diameter is even in its length.
7. Slice into 1" thick rolls (each rolled rectangle should make 6 sliced rolls - 24 total).
8. Place each roll into a paper lined cupcake tin.
9. Bake about 15 minutes at 375, or until lightly browned

As the cakes are cooking, whisk together the glaze ingredients.  Slowly add water until you get a smooth and thick, but scoopable glaze.

Spoon glaze over the cooled cupcakes, then sprinkle them with the colors of Mardi Gras.  Try to make them within a day or two of eating them. 

If you're really making these for Mardi Gras, and not just for fun, make sure to hide a king in one, or at least a little red bean - just make sure to warn everyone who may be unsuspecting.  You don't want a cracked tooth!

I loved these little King Cakes.  They definitely help to set the mood, and while they didn't turn out ANYTHING like I had expected, I think the crescent dough really helped to save them (and my sanity) in the process.  Not bad for a "faker" recipe, not bad at all!

(Oh, and for those of you celebrating that king today, Happy Easter!)

Fall Brie En Croute

Here's a super easy way to make a Brie en Croute that adds in all the goodies of our fall season.  It takes about 5 minutes to prep.

Ingredients:
1 can of crescent roll dough
8 oz wheel of Brie
1/3 C chopped pecans
1 T butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/4 C brown sugar
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Soak cranberries in water for a minute or two to take the edge off, then drain and pat dry.
3. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.  Stir in pecans and cinnamon, toasting for 3 minutes.
4. Roll out crescent dough on a cookie sheet.  Place Brie, toasted pecans, cranberries, and brown sugar on top.  Wrap crescent dough around the goodness.
5. Brush top and sides of dough with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 15-20, or until nicely baked and browned.

Warm Pockets of Love, AKA: Nutella Puffs

Today, I dedicate this 199th post of my blog to my best friend in the whole world - Heidi.  We met one fateful day back in December of 1993, right before taking the high school freshman entrance exam at our high school.  She was going to move into the neighborhood, and while my mind is fuzzy, I believe we carpooled that early morning to the test.

Since then, we have (arguably) grown up: we've learned how to drive together, gone to away to different colleges, gotten married, she's had kids and cats, I've had gardens and dogs, and I've managed to move 2000 miles away.

However?  When I pick up the phone, or am lucky enough to visit home?  It's like I never left.  She is one constant in my life that I hope never changes.  I'm lucky to have such an amazing friend, and if I could send her warm pockets of love today, I absolutely would.  She deserves only the best.  Happy 32nd birthday, girl!  Here's to the next 19 years!!

On a side note - these other warm pockets of love (and Nutella) are super easy to make and take very little time or effort on your part, but everyone will love them.

 What you'll need...
1 pkg crescent dough (I used the sheets)
1/2-1 C of Nutella
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Combine cinnamon and sugar and place in a bowl/shallow plate.
2. Unroll crescent dough - smooth out with fingers or a roller.

3. Using a rotary pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12, roughly equal, rectangles.
4. Drop Nutella into the middle of each rectangle.  You can use as much or as little as you want, just stay away from the edges.
5. Pinch all edges together (like a ravioli), then coat both sides in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Place on a lined cookie sheet (for easy clean up)
7. Follow the instructions on the crescent roll package.  Just watch for the pockets to turn a nice golden color.

8. Serve warm and enjoy.

This is absolutely perfect as it is (To Bridget Jones!), but it would also be nice with ice cream.  (But, what wouldn't be?)

I served two to my husband, then he ate my second one, then he ate two more off the platter before I had even noticed he'd left the room.

Seriously addicting, like an awesome friend who's just waiting for you to come home.  Love you, Heid!

Apple Crisp

It's fall/winter here in Southern California.  Most don't notice, and those from back home might think it's summer.  However, there's a nip in the air most mornings and evenings, and I'm still on a baking kick like you wouldn't believe.  I do love all things apple, but (surprisingly?) I have never made an apple crisp.  I've tried apple pie before, but never it's easy cousin the crisp.  Plus, nothing makes a crisp quite like some ice cream on top, so you better believe I was up for this challenge!

The first person I turned to when looking for a great recipe was my doppelganger, Ina Garten.  Laugh, but people are always asking if we're related, or they are doing a double take.  I don't always see it, but I get the similarities.  Her recipe can be found here, and I pretty much just stuck to the book on this one, although I did use a 9x13 rectangle instead of an oval...  Just enjoy, mm-kay?

McIntosh Apples, well coated

Squeezing everything into and on top of the dish!

Bake it up

Letting it rest a bit.  I might have added more oats to make a thicker topping.  SO GOOD!

I didn't peel the apples beforehand, so you'll see some skin in there.  Didn't make a difference to me.

AH-mazing.  I'll definitely make this one again!

A Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Pumpkin Dip

Super simple recipe - located here.

Three ingredients, mix together.  Serve with Nilla Wafers and graham crackers.  Easy peasy, and even if you're not a pumpkin person, you'll probably love this!

I'm not a huge fan of working with marshmallow, even if it's the "creme."  I always use a mixer so I don't get all sticky, but even still I seem to find it on my arm, in my hair, and in places I least expect it!  Doesn't matter, though, because I could eat this ALL DAY!