Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Baked Brie Bites

One of the reasons I love this little recipe is the fact that I can make as many as I want. If I'm craving a little snack, I can make just a couple of these at a time. If I have company coming over and want to make a quick appetizer, I can whip up a whole batch of these in no time to keep guests busy until dinner. The ease of making these is also why they can be dangerous. You might find yourself making two or three of these bites before dinner, every day for a week. Not that I would do any such thing....

Though I came across this recipe on Pinterest here, this recipe and many variations can be found...adding jams or fruit preserves, varying the types of nuts or cheese used...around the Internet (links to some follow).

I not only liked the flavor of these but I loved the texture...the crunch of the shell and nuts, the creaminess of the cheese and honey. Great little snack that also looked pretty good presentation wise.

Except for the mini phyllo shells I usually have all the ingredients for the Baked Brie Bites on hand which makes this a quick appetizer or snack to put together.  And since these can be so addicting, I may just start keeping those phyllo shells in the freezer for quick ideas like this.

 

BAKED BRIE BITES

Mini Phyllo Tarts
Brie
Dark Brown Sugar
Chopped Pecans
Honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions are for one brie bite:

Put a cube of brie (or a good melting cheese of your choice) in the middle of each phyllo tart. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar over the cheese in the tart. Top with the pecans. Drizzle some honey over the top of everything. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Note: I used Athens Mini Fillo Shells (there were 15 shells in the box), Small Bees Pure Raw Unfiltered Wildflower Honey US grade B (local from Los Gatos).

Note: The cheese kind of melts down a bit so you can see in my photos that the bites weren't as filled as most you'll see. I've tried to put in more cheese but then there wasn't room for the nuts and such. And I liked lots of nuts and sugar and honey in mine.

Really like this recipe and looking forward to trying all it's little variations.

More Baked Brie Bites Recipes:

Baked Brie Bites from Plain Chicken

Raspberry Brie Bites from Food.com

Mini Brie Bites from She Wears Many Hats

Brie and Honeyed Pear Tarts  from Athens Foods and Weight Watchers

Hot Brie Kisses from Recipe Girl

 

Apple Pie Baked In Apples

This is one of the first recipes I saw on Pinterest and thought "awesome idea"!  So it ended up being one of the first dishes I made during my "must create stuff from Pinterest" phase I went through last month (and, ahem, am still going through).

I did cheat a bit though. This also fulfilled my Operation Pantry Project as my Mom's niece had sent us some wonderful jarred homemade apple pie filling. To say it went perfectly in this dish was an understatement. The filling was so flavorful and it made putting this creation together quick and easy.

I did have a bit of trouble with the pie dough staying at the top of the apple while cooking (you can see how some of it slide down the side to the bottom). I think next time I need to make the dough strips smaller?

This was a fun dish to make and also made quite a nice impression for dessert. And I'd suggest showing folks your "before" cooking apple as that really does look impressive!

Not sure where the original idea came from as there seem to be pins from many different sources.

APPLE PIE BAKED IN APPLES

4 Baking Apples
Apple Pie Filling (your own or premade)
Pie Crust (Homemade or Pre-Made)

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees.

Cut off the top of the apples and discard. Cut slivers off the bottom of the apple (be careful not to cut too much) so that the apple sits squarely. Carefully remove the inside of each of the four apples with a spoon or melon baller so that you don't puncture the peel (you want to make a bowl for the filling to reside in).

Spoon your apple pie filling into the apple bowls.

Roll out pie crust and cut into strips. Cover top of the apple in a lattice pattern with the pie crust strips.

Place apples in an 8x8 pan. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the apples are soft. Serves 4

Note: I used granny smith apples. I set them on the counter at the grocery store to make sure that they were almost flat. People gave me looks. They were just a "bit" tough, so I may experiment with other types of apples or longer cooking times.

Note: Some of the recipes talk about using the innards from the apples you've scooped out and cutting up additional apples to make your own pie filling. Since I already had pie filling, I didn't use the inards of the apples. I threw that away. I know, wasteful. You are a better person than I if you can use it.

Note: I actually had a bit of leftover pie filling after filling the two apples so I took the leftover dough, pieced it together and made a free form tart. I'm thinking you could do the reverse...make these if you find you've made too much pie filling for your apple pie.

Note: I used pre-made pie dough. I bought a "natural" brand instead of my regular Pillsbury brand. It was dry and immediately cracked when I unrolled it. Next time I'll  either make my own dough or use Pillsbury.

Note: I made the lattice a bit thick and the ones on the end actually slide down the side of the apple. On one of the apples, I had used a bit of the sticky apple pie filling, smeared it around the top of the apple thinking this would hold the pie dough in place but no deal. Not sure what I can do to keep the dough from sliding down?

Note: Though I saw longer cooking times for the recipe, my pie crust was done way before these longer times. I think the apple would have benefited from a longer cooking time but I also didn't want the apple to be mush.

We really enjoy these and I suspect a good deal of that was the awesome apple pie filling from my Mom's niece. I need to make these again. Which mean someone needs to send me some more pie filling (hint hint :)

 

 

Blueberry Cheese Rolls

This Blueberry Cheese Roll was a very quick, flavorful way to get breakfast on the table. Though there were far too many calories in this for me to make on a regular basis this was a great way to use up some leftover fresh blueberries and put a warm breakfast on the table.

I originally pinned this on Pinterest (where the link no longer seems to work)  but it can be found on the Kraft Foods site here. It's simply crescent rolls, cream cheese, sugar and blueberries, but together they made something a little decadent.

I did not "form" these the way they showed on Pinterest or the Kraft site. Those took all four edges of the dough and brought them together. As I was rushing to get this in the oven so that I wasn't the woman who took an hour to get ready in the morning and made everyone late, I just brought two edges together. I think I saved 2.4 seconds of cooking time by doing this. I don't think it made a difference in anything but how quick we made it out the door that day.

I have made some exchanges to the original recipe they posted here.

BLUEBERRY CHEESE ROLLS
(Kraft Foods)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Pillsbury Original Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
4 oz (1/2 of 8-oz pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup (or more) blueberries, divided

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Unroll dough into four rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal.

Combine cream cheese and brown sugar; spread onto dough rectangles to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top evenly with blueberries. Bring opposite corners of rectangles together; press together to seal. Place on un-greased baking sheet.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 4

Note: Their original recipe used Neufchatel Cheese, I used full fat cream cheese. Original recipe used regular sugar and I substituted brown sugar.

Note: I would spread the cream cheese closer to the edge of the dough next time and maybe put a few more blueberries closer to the points. This might not have been an issue if I had brought all four ends of the dough together.

Note: Calories listed for just one of these puppies was 350 with 19 grams of fat and 34 grams of carbs. Since I used full fat cream cheese, the calorie count will be more.

Note: Original recipe states you can substitute 1/2 cup chopped red or green apples and 2 Tbsp. raisins for the blueberries.

Note: You can sprinkle 1 tsp sifted powdered sugar just before serving to make this over the top.

Note: I probably overcooked these a bit. I blame the cat Tiggher who was screaming to be fed before I was.

Nice sweet little breakfast that is also easy to transport if one is running late and has to carry it out the door while trying to get a jacket on and grabbing keys from purse.

Amaretto-Baked French Toast with Pecans

We don't get too fancy on weekend breakfasts. Fried eggs and bacon; omelets; English muffins with jam and, on rare occasions, French toast or waffles. Normally if I'm making French Toast I have to make them in batches...the first batch Mr. L starts eating while I'm making the second batch for me (yes, you can put the first batch in the oven to keep warm while you make subsequent batches but it's just not the same to me). I'd much rather sit down to the table at the same time and have a wonderful breakfast with my husband.

This recipe fit the bill. I loved the convenience of just serving this hot out of the oven and both Mr. L and I digging in together. It was simple to put together, had great flavor and would even be nice enough to serve to guests.

I did make the mistake of putting some of the bread into the bowl as I was cutting it up. Which meant that the first pieces of bread really soaked up the batter and once I started to "mix" the ingredients there wasn't a lot of batter to mix in. Some of the bread was then dryer than others. I'd put the bread in all at once to get the bread more evenly battered.

Though I usually eat my french toast with no syrup (just butter and sugar) this really needed syrup to bring everything together. It was a bit dry (I think that's because some of the bread crumbs got no love from the batter) but that could also be I cooked it too long (I was using a gas oven in the mountains and things didn't brown like I thought they would).

This recipe came from a wonderful blog called Sweet Paul. He puts out an online seasonal magazine and this recipe came from the Sweet Paul Magazine Spring 2010 edition (you can buy printed copies...they are so beautiful you'll want to!). The photos on the blog are amazing and not only are wonderful recipes featured but great decorating ideas for the home are included.

 

AMARETTO-BAKED FRENCH TOAST WITH PECANS
(Sweet Paul Magazine Spring 2010)

3 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons amaretto
1 loaf brioche bread, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter (for greasing baking dish)
1/2 cup pecans
Maple syrup, to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and amaretto. Add brioche cubes and let mixture stand (soak) for five minutes.

Spoon into a 9" x 12" well-greased baking dish; sprinkle with pecans.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.

Pour maple syrup over bread and serve. Makes four servings.

Note: The recipe also states that you could use challah bread instead of the brioche.

Note: I was able to find a fresh loaf of brioche bread at my local Lunardi's.

Note: Cut up the bread and add it to the batter all at once so the bread evenly soaks up the mixture.

Note: A little amaretto in your coffee while you eat this French Toast is heaven.

Definitely will make this again and I'll serve it for breakfast the next time I have overnight visitors.

Sweet and Saltines

Sometimes you just need something that is sweet, salty and quick to make. It helps if you already have all the ingredients in your pantry. This is one of those little treats.

It comes from the Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood cookbook. And if you are like me, you probably have the required ingredients on hand right now...saltine crackers or graham crackers, butter, brown sugar and chocolate chips.

I've made these with both saltines and graham crackers. This photo was made with graham crackers.

SWEET AND SALTINES
(Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood)

40 saltine crackers
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cups)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large jellyroll pan with aluminum foil and the saltine crackers.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the crackers, covering them evenly. Put the jellyroll pan into the oven and watch closely. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just bubbly. Remove from the oven and pour the chocolate chips over the crackers. When the chips melt a bit, spread them over the crackers with a knife. Transfer the pan to the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely cold. They will form one big sheet. Break up into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Serves 20 (uh yeah, not even close)

Note: Instructions for the recipe state you can substitute graham crackers for the saltines like I did. It will make a sweeter snack. Use 1 stick of butter instead of 2 for a crunchier, saltier snack. I used 1 1/2 sticks. Because of the lesser amount of butter, be prepared for things to get a bit crumbly.

Note: Use anywhere from 35 to 45 saltine crackers, depending on the size of your pan. When I used graham crackers, I just made sure the bottom of the pan was covered, I don't bother to count how many I used.

Note: The recipe calls for semisweet chocolate chips but you can use milk chocolate. I figure I might try this with butterscotch chips.

A nice quick snack when you don't feel like really baking or going to the store for more ingredients.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Since I wasn't interested in making tarts for Flag Day during the A Strawberry A Day challenge last month, I figured I'd make some cupcakes. I'd had such good luck with the Mocha Cupcakes from the Martha Stewart Cupcakes cookbook, I checked to see if it included some sort of strawberry type cupcake. Martha didn't disappoint.

These cupcakes came out very light and with enough strawberry flavor that you tasted the strawberries but it wasn't overly sweet. Though I didn't top them with Martha's recommended Strawberry Meringue Buttercream (I used a cream cheese recipe I found online that included fresh berries), the combination of the cake, frosting and strawberries made for a delicious dessert after a heavy meal. I really enjoyed these. They went well the next day with some tea so I'm thinking I may have to make these next time I have a tea party.

These weren't that complicated to make (some of the cupcakes in the book can take a ton of time and energy to complete) and the result was better than most of the more expensive cupcakes I've bought at fancy cupcake stores.

 

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
(from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large whole eggs plus 1 egg white
1 cup milk
2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries (about 20)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Add whole eggs and the white, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk, and beating until well combined. Fold in chopped strawberries by hand.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto rack and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers. Makes 34 cupcakes.

Note: She gave instructions to frost with a pastry bag to make a nice peak of frosting and then to add thinly sliced strawberries on top. Since I was traveling with these cupcakes I just frosted them flat and put a flag in the middle.

Will definitely make these again next year when fresh strawberries are in season.

A Strawberry A Day - June 25 - Strawberry Muffins

In the real world (or my fantasy version of it anyway) I would have made the muffins from scratch, added some nice pecans, used fresh strawberries and made a  nice cream cheese frosting akin to something you might find on a carrot cake. But this is me we are talking about...

FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:

Saturday June 25, 2011

Dress up your muffins for brunch today by adding dried strawberries to your favorite recipe.

I still had a bunch of dried strawberries leftover from that caramel popcorn fiasco so it was nice to be able to use them in these muffins, though I do think they would have tasted much better if I had made them with fresh fruit. I used a Pillsbury Nut Quick Bread mix and made muffins instead of a loaf.  

These were okay for a mix. Texture akin to maybe adding some dried dates to a nut loaf mix. I hardly tasted the strawberry flavor, though Mr. L said it came through fine. I think it just depended on if you got a muffin with a lot of little dried strawberry bits or not.

 

A Strawberry A Day - June 18 - Strawberry Crescent Rolls

This is another of those really quick little "additions" to something, that make it just that much better.

FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:

Saturday June 18, 2011

For brunch, spread strawberry jam on refrigerated crescent dough triangles; role up and bake.

These aren't going to rock your world or anything, but it gave the refrigerated rolls a nice little touch.

I didn't put on a lot of jam (or actually preserves). I was worried that it would trickle out and burn, and that's precisely what happened to those that I put more rather than less. Just a thin coating with the preserves gave the rolls just a hint of flavor and they weren't overly sweet. (In all honesty, I took half of the can of rolls and instead of putting strawberry preserves in them, cut up a habanero and cheese hot dog and wrapped the dough around them. It made a nice contrast to eating the strawberry ones. Yeah, I'm a little strawberried out right now.)

 

A Strawberry A Day - June 14 - Strawberry Tarts, er Cupcakes

Happy Flag Day!

On this day for the month of June Strawberryfest that is the A Strawberry A Day challenge I've given for myself, I was supposed to make Strawberry Tarts and present them in the shape of a flag for Flag Day. But for some reason that just wasn't doing it for me. Strawberry Cupcakes sounded much tastier. So that's what I made (and I made them Flag Dayish buy using patriotic cupcake wrappers-there is a flag on the bottom-and sticking a little flag on top). Yes, that is Tiggher deciding she needed to be involved in the taste testing of the cupcakes. I think she thought that since I had the camera in my hand and was playing cupcake paparazzi, that I wouldn't notice if she snuck a taste!

FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Arrange berry tartlets into an American Flag for Flag Day. For instructions, go to foodnetwork.com/flagtarts.

 After fourteen days of making and eating strawberries, I admit to a bit of Strawberry overload. Someone brought a strawberry pie into work today and I had to pass on it. Even Mr. L stated that we were barely a third of the way through all these strawberry days and he was getting sick of strawberries.

That was until I made these cupcakes. It's a recipe from the Martha Stewart Cupcake Book. I'll post the recipe in the next day or two. They were very light, not overpowered by the strawberry flavor and even with strawberry overload, it was hard to not eat more than one a day!

A Strawberry A Day - June 9 - Strawberry Brownies

I know I sound like a broken record with these A Strawberry A Day posts, but this again, was super easy to do  and didn't take much time. It was simply spreading some strawberry preserves over some brownie batter before baking.

And if you think that's too simple and really won't make a difference, think again. Out of all the strawberry things I've made so far, this got the best response. Okay, it may have had something to do with the fact that it was chocolate and brownies but still, anyone who I gave a brownie to, wanted another one. Even the one person who said they didn't like strawberries asked if there was more.

FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:

Thursday June 9, 2011

Make a snack to share with coworkers: Spread brownie batter in a pan, swirl in warmed strawberry preserves and bake.

I used a package of Duncan Hines Double Fudge brownie mix and Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves (http://bonnemaman.us/).

Just in case you're paying attention, this is actually the June 8th post that got switched.