{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!)

Cajun Crab Dip

Here's a super simple appetizer that you can make in advance and then just bake up when your company arrives.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T sliced green onion
1 T milk
1 T Tabasco sauce  (+++)
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
6 1/2 oz crab meat (drained, flaked, cartilage removed)
Slivered almonds for topping (optional)
* serve with your favorite crackers (I loved the cracked pepper water crackers)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients except the crab.  Once everything else is well combined, gently stir in the crab meat.
2. Spread in a lightly greased pie plate.  Sprinkle with almonds if desired.
3. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until heated through.

I don't eat seafood, so I know I'm not the best judge at some of these recipes, but I can tell you that I received many compliments on this "dip."  Mine appeared almost like more of a spread than an easily dippable material, but it was still great.

Sausage Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

I LOVE jalapeno poppers.  The problem?  I don't have a lot of patience to make them.  There's something about washing the cut peppers and the capsaicin fumes that try to choke me out that just makes it not so much fun.  So I try to find other ways to make poppers.

And then, my gorgeous cousin made these poppers for me and I knew that there was no going back.

EVER.

Seriously.  They're that amazing!

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground sausage (any you prefer)
8 oz of cream cheese (softened)
2 C shredded four cheese blend, divided (I used the Mexican mix)
1 lb of jalapenos, halved and seeded
1 green onion, finely chopped

Now the prep work on this takes longer than I would normally like, but know that it is completely worth it and definitely worth the try.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Brown sausage in a skillet.  Drain and cool (slightly)
3. Mix cream cheese, 1 C of cheese shreds, green onions, and sausage in a bowl.  The heat of the sausage helps to melt the cheesey goodness together.

*At this point, I paused.  I put everything in a zip lock bag and stored it over night.  I had already prepped the peppers and put them in their own bag as well.*

The best part about pausing a bit here, is that the cream cheese re-solidifies as it cools, which makes it easier to work with.  You can slice it and dice it which makes it easier to form in the peppers. You can work straight through at this point, I just had a lot to prep so this was a convenient place for me to stop. (and no, I didn't leave the oven on all night!)


4. Place your stuffing into your halved jalapeno pieces.

5. Place stuffed jalapenos on a lined cookie sheet (save yourself the clean up later).  Sprinkle with remaining 1 C of cheese shreds.

6. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.

Serve immediately.  Seriously, you might need to double up on this recipe.  It's best to make more than you think you'd need.  People will graze on these as long as they exist so be prepared.

Even people who don't like 'spicy' food will be attracted to this because the cream cheese helps to balance out the little heat from the jalapenos.

** Extra tip: Wear gloves through the cutting, cleaning, and stuffing process, even if this seems overkill.  Save yourself the embarrassment later when you wipe your eyes or something else and cause ridiculous burning sensations. **

Chocolate Mint Triangles

Okay, so back in the early days of my blog.

Really early, like May 2011, y'all, I made a post about After Dinner Mint Triangles.

It didn't turn out well that first time.  Tasty?  Yeah, you betcha.  Pretty?  Not so much.

This time, I put in my best girl, Ashton, on it, and she made that recipe work!

Ingredients: (Crust)
2 pkg Grasshopper Cookies (or Thin Mints),  finely ground
1 stick of butter (1/2 C)
1 1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ingredients: (Topping)
10 oz vanilla almond bark (or candy coating)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp peppermint extract
8 drops of green food coloring
1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: (Crust)
1. Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
2. Mix with finely ground Grasshoppers.  (Sounds gross, but they're cookies, not grasshoppers...)
3. Press into a non-stick foil lined 9x13.  (We doubled the recipe, so we used a huge cookie sheet.)
4. Initial your work and be proud of it!
4. (for reals) place in the freezer while you prepare the topping to help it solidify more quickly.

Directions: (Topping)
1. Melt the vanilla bark/candy coating in the microwave, stirring ever 30 seconds until smooth.
2. Using a hand mixer (easiest), mix melted bark with cream cheese, peppermint extract, and food coloring.  More if you'd like it darker, less or none if you don't mind the association of green and mint.
3. Spread the topping over your crust.
4. Melt the chips and drizzle over the top to decorate.
5. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Tip 1: When you go to cut the triangles, this is when that non-stick foil comes into play.  Use it to lift out the entire dessert and place it on a cutting board.  This way you won't have the dish in your way, and you won't leave cut marks in the bottom of your dish.

When I was giving this recipe to one of my residents who had really enjoyed the treat, she didn't know how to easily cut the treats into triangles.  I'm not judging, but... Tip 2: Cut it into long strips, then make each strip into squares, then cut each square diagonally to create triangles.

omnomnomnom!

Pineapple Spread

Here's a simple spread or dip that I was pleasantly surprised with.  It's easy, goes well on crackers, or celery, and we also served it with Tomato Basil Wheat Thins.

Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounce size) cream cheese, softened
1 can (8 ounce size) crushed pineapple, drained
4 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (more finely than my assistant did in this pic, preferably)
1/2 C finely chopped green bell pepper
Mix and serve.

Cheesecake in a Jar!

There have been a ton of posts on Pinterest lately that have included cooking in Mason jars.  Obviously, I loved creating a cocktail in one, why not cook??

I'm not a huge cheesecake person, but I love chocolate and peanut butter, so when I found this recipe for a peanut butter cheesecake on an Oreo crust with a Nutella topping, I was sold!

So, first of all, start with 12 (4oz) mason jars.  (And, yes, they are oven safe.  My mother pestered me, worried, several times over about this.)

Oreo Crust Ingredients: 

16 Oreo Cookies, ground in a food processor
3 Tblsp Butter, melted
Pam Baking Spray (spray all jars with it)

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Ingredients:
12 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
7.5 oz container Creme Fraiche (or sour cream)
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Nutella Topping:
1/2 Cup Nutella
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream   

Crust Directions:

1. Decimate the Oreos in a food processor, and place in a separate bowl.

2. Melt butter and then drizzle over the Oreo crumbs.

3. Mix well.

4. Divide the Oreos among your Pam-ed jars, then press the crumbs down firmly.

5. Place the jars in a lipped pan, and then place them in the fridge to chill out (literally) while you make the cheesecake.

*For those gluten free-ers, just omit the crust.  Still amazing!

 Cheesecake Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Using your mixer, blend the cream cheese, creme fraiche/sour cream, and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla, cream, and peanut butter, and beat until smooth.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just blended.
5. Add your cheesecake filling to your prepared crusts.  I filled mine up to the threads (where the lid screws on).
6. Fill the pan that your jars are sitting in with water.  The jars should have between 1/4" and 1/2" of water surrounding them (basically enough to cover where the crust is).

7. Bake your cheesecakes for about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and onto a cooling rack or safe surface to help them cool.
9. Once the jars have completely cooled, you can put the lids on and transfer them to your fridge.



From there, they can sit for a night or more.  There's something about time in the fridge that generally helps cheesecakes
The cheesecakes rose nicely in the oven, but they did settle back down as they cooled, leaving enough space for the topping.

I made my cheesecakes on a Friday morning and didn't take them out of the fridge until Sunday morning.  They were perfect.

When you're ready, put the Nutella (1/2C) and heavy whipping cream (1/4) in a microwave safe bowl/measuring cup.  Zap it for a minute or two, stopping twice to stir it.

Once the Nutella and cream have combined for a tasty topping, add it to your cheesecakes, filling the jar the rest of the way.  Then, return to the fridge to set until you're ready to serve up these delicious bad boys.

I left a slight gap at the top so I could place a cupcake cover over the top as a lid before closing the ring around the jar.

These are the perfect size for a picnic, or an individual portion for yourself for days to come!

Literally.  I ate one a day for about 5 days.  AMAZING.

Post-lunch snack at my desk!

Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Exploding Pound Cake {of Doom}!

I LOVE pound cake!  It reminds me of happy summers with my grandma and my mom, strawberry shortcake, and other first loves as well.

I found this recipe a few months ago (via Pinterest, of course), for a cream cheese pound cake and I had to try it.

I didn't even realize that people made pound cakes in bunt pans.  My mom didn't either.  But, that's what the original did, so I borrowed a pan and gave it a try.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Make sure you grease and flour your pan.  I used the baking spray with flour included, and that worked just fine.

Directions

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese until just creamy (don't over beat).
2. Gradually add in the sugar.
3. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Sift the flour and combine with the salt.  Then slowly add the powder mixture to your batter, blending well after each addition.
5. Add in the vanilla.

Smooth the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10+ minutes before removing from the pan.

Mine rose about three inches above the original batter line.

This didn't bother me, because more to enjoy, right?

Unfortunately, the part that rose cracked, so when I flipped it, it was a glaring mistake.

oops!

 Luckily, I was planning on slicing and serving, so no one really cared too much.

I honestly don't think anyone noticed it.

AND, it was such a wonderful flavor and texture that people were eating it quicker than they bothered to look at it, so it was a win-win all around.

So maybe I didn't mean to call this the Exploding Pound Cake {of Doom}.  It just sounds cooler that way, though, don't you think?!

Fruit Fluff

I was making small fruit salad kabobs the other day at work, and discovered a hole in my platter.  I didn't have any garnish on hand, and I didn't want to find another platter that was more size appropriate for the amount of fruit I had.

So I turned to my go to girl, the Brown Eyed Baker, for an easy fruit dip recipe.  Turns out that was the right choice.

This is all you need:

1 Jar of Marshmallow Fluff (7oz)
1 Brick of Cream Cheese (8oz)

Blend and serve.  It's not too sweet or savory, but it's the perfect complement to your fruit.

You're welcome.  ;)

Jalapeno Poppers, revisited

The original recipe is here.  Basically you need a can of crescent rolls, 2 jalapenos, some bacon, and a brick of cream cheese.

Cut the crescent rolls into 16 equal (ish) pieces, add a bit of bacon, jalapeno, and cream cheese.  Then, roll them up and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet (or foil, like I did).

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

 This was super simple, and it melted together so nicely.

I hate wasting time actually stuffing peppers, so this is a great alternative, and it's pretty quick.

French Toast Strata

The yolk's on you!!  (I doubled the recipe...)

Today’s feature: the dream breakfast or brunch entrée.  It’s hard to believe that there could be an item (or two) that people request over and over again for breakfast, but this is one of my mama’s recipes, which always ensures that it is spectacular (SPECTACULAR!), and that it’s reliable even for an okay baker like me.  I’ve talked about this before (because it is brunch-tastic), but here’s the secret family recipe…

French Toast Strata

Ingredients:

1 lb loaf of unsliced French bread

8 eggs

6 T butter, melted

8 oz. of cream cheese, cubed

2 and ½  C milk or half and half

¼ C maple syrup (plus more to serve)

Easy ingredients, right?  Even easier directions…

Cut the French bread into 1” cubes (makes about 12 cups).  Then, grease a 3 quart baking dish.  I like to coat it with butter (of course), but you could use a spray.  Place half of your bread cubes into the dish, then top with your cream cheese cubes.  Top off with your remaining bread cubes. 

Next, combine your eggs, milk, melted butter, and maple syrup in a bowl and mix well with a hand mixer or blender.  I like to fluff it up on high, but just make sure that it’s well combined.  Pour the mixture over your cubes. 

Use a spatula to slightly press down all the layers to make sure everything is well moistened.  (Ew.  I hate that word.  Do it just the same.)  

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, but you can go up to 24 if you’re really well prepared.

That morning, removed the plastic wrap and bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes.  I like to broil for the last minute or so to crisp up the top, but that’s a personal preference.   Just bake until the center sets and your edges are lightly golden.  Let stand for about 10 minutes, then serve it up with warm maple syrup.

I promise that this is a winner every time.  It’s the perfect combination of French toast with cream cheese, and it is so easy that you won’t mind making it every time someone requests it (because you really love eating it, too!).

Seconds, please!

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Here's another super easy recipe.

My mom has made a variety of pinwheels throughout the years, and when I saw this recipe I thought of her and decided it was nicely Fall-ish with all the right ingredients to be delicious!

I didn't add any milk to make my cream cheese "spreadable."  It was already soft and seemed pointless.   I did use a mixer, however, to mix all of the ingredients well.

I used both regular flour tortillas and the garden herb wrap tortillas.  I loved the garden herb - it smelled and tasted yummy!

Spread it thick, leaving two opposite edge dry since you'll be cutting them off anyway to make even pinwheels.

Then, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Cut them, make them pretty, serve them up.  Even though I'm not a Feta fan, AT ALL, I really though that all of the different tastes complimented each other well.

Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes!

For this week's Taste of Sweetness, I'll show you the easiest, most amazing recipe for pumpkin cheesecakes ever.  Not only is it ridiculously simple, but it also makes more than enough to earn you more friends than you counted on this fall!

First, the recipe.  Now, I wasn't sure what kind of snaps to get, since there were no Archways (as recommended) at my local grocery store.  I did find two different brands, however.

The fancy, all natural ones were too small, but the generic Nabisco hockey-puck looking ones were perfect! and they tasted good, too.  So, they're the ones that were thrown into the cups.  Perfect, perfect fit!  Now, if you are making these the day of, the crust will be crispy.  However, after a night in the fridge, they will be soft.  Both taste fantastic, just know if you're looking for a harder or softer crust to plan accordingly.  I liked them better softer, but I had a lot of compliments on the crispy, too.  Personal preference reigns.

 The recipe starts by mixing up the cream cheese until fluffy.  I'm used to doing this when you've mixed something in the cream cheese first, but never solo.  As it was, my paranoia ran the show and I spent a lot of time fluffing my recipe at every step.  At least it looked pretty!!

Have I mentioned yet how much I love having assistants at work?!  No wonder chefs can make it look easy.  With enough people working with you, any recipe is a breeze!  To be fair, this recipe really is simple, but when you have an extra pair (or two) of hands, it goes very quickly!!

Yep, this looks like a lot of batter.  Indeed, it is.  The recipe said if you fill up the cakes two-thirds of the way, you'll make 24 mini-cheesecakes.

I filled the first batch that way.  For the second set of 24, I filled up about five-sixths of the way.  Even still, I made 48 cheesecakes, and was giving them away like it was going out of style!   It worked out really well for my work party, but if you're not having 40 people, you may want to think about halving the recipe!!

The puffed up, cracked, and fell, as expected.  I only cooked them for 18 minutes, because they went a lot faster than the recipe said they would.  Just keep an eye on them and make your adjustments accordingly.

Since no one likes cracked cakes, we added whipped cream, and then on the final night we added a dab of cream cheese frosting.  Either way, these are to die for, and they contain everything that makes you think of Fall!

In a word...AMAZING!!!