Strawberry Santas

I got the cutest recipe in an email for an almost-healthy Christmas project for kids and kids-at-heart like me. A rep from Driscoll's Berries asked if I would like to post this recipe and would I ever! I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I know I have the 'buns in the oven' - well, the dough is rising for cinni buns, mini walnut sticky rolls, orange buns, apple rolls and my favorite zweiback. You may just call this a creative-in-the-kitchen sort of day, which I love best of all! Consider this to be recipe #1 in this year's Christmas Countdown!

Here is the recipe from Driscoll's for the cutest little Strawberry Santas EVER!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut
• 12 large, flat chocolate cookies such as Famous Chocolate Wafers
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 12 large Driscoll's Strawberries, hulled
• 12 small Driscoll's Strawberries, hulled
• 24 Driscoll's Blueberries
• 24 mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 24 mini white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small, wide, microwave-safe bowl on low setting until smooth. Place coconut in wide, shallow, small bowl. Place cookies in single layer on serving platter.
2. Combine cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl and mix to create thick frosting (add more sugar as needed if too thin).
3. Place cream cheese frosting in sturdy, resealable plastic bag and snip one corner off bottom to create disposable decorating bag. Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Refrigerate 10 - 15 minutes or until firm.
4. One by one, with strawberry tips pointing up and hulled base pointing down, pipe beard shape with cream cheese frosting at center of strawberry. Press strawberry into coconut beard-side down to adhere coconut to beard. Attach hulled end of strawberry to cookie base with a small dollop of melted chocolate.
5. Dip blueberries half-way into melted chocolate and affix two to each base of berry on cookie to form Santa's boots.
6. Pipe cream cheese frosting around strawberry tips to create heads. Use white mini chips for noses and semi-sweet mini chips for eyes.

Peanut Butter and Jelly bars

Spring Break's over - at least here in Nevada - but it doesn't stop the kids' cravings for good stuff to eat. Then again, maybe we should say all kids large and small! Here is a great recipe found by browsing (I sure do love the internet sometimes):

PBJ Bars - Totally Yum!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

• Ingredients

1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy)
1/2 cup grape jelly (or other flavor)
1 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil and peanut butter.
3. Set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture.
4. Press remaining mixture into a parchment lined, greased 8x8" square pan.
5. Spread jelly over the crust in pan.
6. Mix the 1/2 cup of cookie mixture with the peanut butter chips until large crumbles appear.
7. Sprinkle the crumbles evenly over the crust in the pan.
8. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

Bakewell Pudding

A simple dish, but classic and tasty all the same. Once again, from the BBC. This is said to be a dish prepared by mistake by a cook in a wealthy household many years ago, and it's remained a favorite since then.

Bakewell Pudding

Ingredients

• 450ml/ ¾ pint breadcrumbs (1 1/2 c)
• 600ml/ 1 pint milk (2 c)
• 3 eggs 
• 55g/2oz sugar (1/4 c)
• 8og/3oz butter
• 25g/1oz ground almonds (1/8 c)
• Jam

Preparation method

1. Butter a pie dish, add the breadcrumbs, covering them with a layer of strawberry or any other kind of jam.
2. Mix the milk with the beaten eggs, the ground almonds, and the butter and sugar.
3. Beat all the ingredients together, pour into the dish and bake for 1 hour at a moderate heat.

Cheese Ball with Attitude

There is nothing "cheesy" about this non-traditional version of the traditional appetizer or snack except the abundance of cheese and other goodness inside. Serve with crackers of your choice (preferably those which are a bit more sturdy). Great with a glass of vino, a stein of brew or your favorite beverage. Simply delicious.

                                                             

Cheese Ball

Totally tasty yummy deliciousness

Ingredients:

Cheese Ball

• 1 pkg of Neufchatel cheese
• 3/4 pkg shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 c or so)
• 1/4 diced medium sweet onion (approx. 1/4 c)
• 1/4 c grated Parmesan or Parmesan/Romano cheese
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes or a dash of Tabasco Sauce (if desired)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (if desired)

Topping

• 1/2 small single serving pkg of cheddar cheese Sunchips, crushed
• 1/4 c dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 c finely chopped pecans

I prefer Neufchatel to Cream Cheese because of the lower calorie count and the fact that it's softer and easier to work with, requiring no softening.

1. Mix all cheeses and onion (and pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce, if desired), first with a wooden spoon to smush it together and then with your hands (yes, it will be messy). 
2. Quickly shape into 2 smooth round balls of roughly the same size. Let sit while preparing the topping.
3. In a pie plate (or dish with sides), mix topping ingredients together. 
4. Roll the cheese balls in the topping to cover completely. 
5. Wrap in cling wrap or place in a Ziploc bag and store in the fridge until serving time. If possible, let flavors blend by not serving for at least 4 hours or overnight. Keeps well for up to a week, if refrigerated in Ziploc bag.

SO much tastier than the supermarket variety, and just think -  you made it all by yourself!

Dazzling Seasonal Cupcakes

Here is a selection of really cute and quite amazing Christmas and Winter Cupcakes from "Hello, Cupcake" and "What's New, Cupcake?", 2 books which have been featured on the New York Time's Bestseller List and which are chock-full of excellent design ideas. Enjoy - and have a Merry Christmas and a joyous, creative New Year!

March of the Penguins

Ornament cupcakes

Walruses

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Polar Opposites

Roll Kuchen

There are many recipes for this Mennonite Cruller, otherwise known as "Rollkuchen" - or rolled cookies. As so many others, it's real farm food with eggs, flour, butter and milk as the main ingredients. As always, it's better when you add just a bit of sugar to it, and of course, most farm families would use either sweet milk or cream to prepare the treats. This recipe seems like a nice compromise:

Roll Kuchen to be served with Arboose (watermelon) 

Roll Kuchen

• 1 tsp salt
• 3 c flour
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 milk warmed with 1/4 c butter to melt

Form quite a stiff dough and roll out as thinly as possible, cutting slits in the middle and pulling one end of the rectangle through the slit. This forms the traditional Roll Kuchen shape. Fry in deep hot fat until golden. Serve with preserves or (in summer) watermelon.

Roly-Poly PB-Chocolate Balls

I don't know about you, but summer sometimes makes me feel like a little kid again. With that comes the craving for ... peanut butter! I've found several snacks, Weight Watchers or not, that feature this ingredient, so in the interest of summer, here is the first of the Peanut Butter Treats, fresh from the Betty Crocker kitchens. As always, just beware of peanut allergies:


Roly-Poly PB Chocolate Balls (Yields 24 candies)

From our friends at Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 1 c milk chocolate chops
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 c creamy or crunchy peanut butter 
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/2 c light corn syrup
• 2 c Cheerios

Preparation:

1. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips and water over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
2. In med. bowl, stir together peanut butter, powdered sugar and corn syrup until well-blended. Stir in cereal until evenly coated.
3. Lightly spray hands with cooking spray. For each candy, roll 1 tbsp of mixture into 1 1/2 inch ball; place on cookie sheet and press slightly so bottoms of balls are flat.
4. Spoon about 1 tsp cooled chocolate onto each ball. Refrigerate about 30 minutes, or until firm. Store in covered container in the refrigerator.

Hint: Spray the spoon with cooking spray to keep the peanut butter from sticking when scooping it out of the bowl.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Ball)

• Calories 150
• (Calories from Fat 70),

• Total Fat 8g
• (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g,
• Trans Fat 0g),
• Cholesterol 0mg;
• Sodium 70mg;
• Total Carbohydrate 16g
• (Dietary Fiber 2g,
• Sugars 10g),
• Protein 3g;

Percent Daily Value*:

• Vitamin A 0 %;
• Vitamin C 0 %;
• Calcium 2 %;
• Iron 4 %;

Exchanges:

• 1 Starch;
• 0 Fruit;
• 0 Other Carbohydrate;
• 0 Skim Milk;
• 0 Low-Fat Milk;
• 0 Milk;
• 0 Vegetable;
• 0 Very Lean Meat;
• 0 Lean Meat;
• 0 High-Fat Meat;
• 1 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choices:

• 1;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Watermelon Pops

Here is a recipe from our friends from the Kraft kitchens that is not only a lot of fun, but it's totally delicious for this hot hot weather! There may not be any watermelon in these, but they sure look the part, and kids will love making them.

Watermelon Pops (Yield: 16 pops)

From kraft.com

Ingredients

• 1 c sugar, divided
• 1 pkg (3 ox) JELL-O Lime Flavored Gelatin
• 2 c boiling water, divided
• Ice cubes
• 1 c cold water, divided
• 1 pkg (3 oz) JELL-O Strawberry Flavored Gelatin
• 3 tbsp miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 pkg (4 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 c thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Preparation:

1. Mix 1/3 c sugar and lime gelatin mix in medium bowl. Add 1 c boiling water; stir for 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to 1/2 c cold water to measure 3/4 c. Add to lime gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Refrigerate 25 min.
2. Repeat Step 1 using strawberry gelatin mix, omitting the refrigeration step. Pour into 16 (3-oz) paper cups. Freeze for 20 minutes. Stir 1/2 tsp chocolate chips into gelatin in each cup.
3. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer in medium bowl  until well-blended. Stir in COOL WHIP; spread over gelatin in cups.
4. Pour lime gelatin over cream cheese mixture. Insert wooden popsicle stick into gelatin in center of each cup. Freeze for 3 hrs or until firm. Remove pops from cups just before serving (for easy removal, dip cups in warm water for 15 secs. before peeling them off. Do not twist or pull popsicle sticks).

Note: Popsicle, or craft sticks, can be found in craft or hobby stores. 

Dog Bones for Dogs AND Kids

Here is a snack that does double duty - you can feed them to your children and to your pup! Easy to make and great to give as gifts to any dog-lover.


Knick Knack Paddy Whack Give the Dog a Bone....?

Ingredients                          <courtesy of FreeFoto.com>

• 1/2 c peanut butter
• 1/2 c dry milk
• 1 tbsp honey
•  1 c finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

Directions

1. Mix in bowl 1/2 c peanut butter and 1/2 c dry milk
2. Add 1 tbsp honey and mix very well
3. Divide dough into 6 pieces
4. Mold each piece into the shape of a dog bone
5. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on both sides (or roll the bone in the crumbs)

Let Junior and Fido enjoy!

Individual Pizzas

Here is a recipe for a happy child - a snack that they can make to their own specifications, without the "icky" stuff that they would rather not eat! The tortillas make the perfect easy crust, and kids can have their choice of suggested "fixin's." There's also a home-made pizza dough recipe at the end for those of us who are pizza purists :)

Individual Pizzas

Courtesy of 123RF

 Ingredients

• Small flour tortilla OR hand-made pizza crust (recipe to follow)
• Pizza sauce (your favorite)
• Sliced mushrooms, peppers (various colors), olives or other favorite veggies
• Pineapple tidbits
• Chopped ham or pepperoni
• Grated cheese(s)

How To Construct a Pizza

1. Place the tortilla on a paper plate
2. Allow children to spread pizza sauce on the pizza and cover with their favorite ingredients
3. Remove pizzas from the paper plate and place onto a baking sheet
4. Put the oven on "broil" and place the baking sheet on the second from bottom rack
5. Remove the pizza once the cheese is bubbly and the tortilla slightly browns around the edges
6. Allow to cool slightly, then slice and children can enjoy their creations!

Home-Made Pizza Crust

Some folks like the recipe on the Bisquick package, while others like to use a food processor. I prefer a regular, hand-prepared yeast crust.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 pkg)
• 3/4 c warm water 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil (preferably olive oil)
• 1tbsp honey
• 1 tsp (sea) salt
• 2 c all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Stir sugar into warm water and sprinkle dry yeast over the top. Let sit for 10 minutes
2. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the honey and oil. 
3. When the yeast is ready (foamy and all dissolved), add that to the well and mix together with a wooden spoon.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead the dough until totally smooth and elastic
5. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth in a warm place, allowing to rise for about 45 minutes
6. Punch down dough and divide into 2 separate balls (for 2 large pizzas) or 6 small balls for individual pizzas
7. Roll each ball until thin with a rolling pin and place on a baking sheet. Crimp up the edges to hold the sauce and toppings. Prick each crust all over with a fork.
8. Top with sauce and favorite toppings 
9. Bake at 450 degrees for approximately 12-18 minutes (until crust is golden and the cheese is melted)

Fruit Salsa

This is one of the easiest salsas I have found, and my cooking classes went mad for it. You can use any variety of fruit, as long as you use the lemon juice to keep the fruit from browning. The photo is from tasteofhome.com. They have some excellent salsa (and other) recipes there too!

Fruit Salsa

Use any of the following fruits in combination and simply drizzle with a mixture of honey and lemon or lime juice. Always wash, peel and slice or cup fruit into small chunks before tossing with the honey and juice, otherwise the peel can distort the flavor and make it bitter to the taste. Allow to sit (covered) in fridge for approximately one hour or more to blend flavors. Colorful, healthy and delicious! Serve with cinnamon chips or cinnamon toast.


Fruit Combinations

1. Kiwis, peeled cut in small chunks; strawberries, washed and sliced lengthwise; apples, peeled and cored then sliced into thin pieces, canned crushed pineapples
2. Sliced mandarin oranges,strawberries, chopped seedless green or red grapes, apples
3. Oranges, grapefruit, kiwi and apples, peeled and cut into small chunks
4. Oranges (peeled and cut into small chunks), firm bananas (peeled and cut into thin disks), strawberries (washed and sliced lengthwise) and washed blueberries
5. Strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit and apples (as above for preparation)
6. Kiwis (peeled and chopped), strawberries (washed and chopped) and cucumbers (peeled and chopped)
7. Canned crushed pineapple, strawberries, kiwi and raspberries
8. Canned or fresh peaches, blueberries, strawberries or raspberries and canned pineapples
9. Canned peaches (chopped), strawberries, blueberries, sliced blackberries (in season), canned pineapples 
10. Your choice of favorite fruits. Just remember, if you use one "mushy" fruit such as bananas or canned crushed pineapple, balance it with firm fruit such as apples, pears, strawberries or blueberries for texture.

Apple Cartwheels & Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Here's the combination that made one of the biggest "splashes" in my kids' cooking class. The children enjoyed the adapted recipe (I won't use peanut butter with children because of nut allergy threats) and said it was "the best thing ever." 


Apple Cartwheels

1. Wash and core Granny Smith or Red and Golden Delicious apples (an apple corer is a wonderful thing)
2. Mix together: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, honey, cream cheese and raisins or craisins
3. Pile the filling into the holes in the apples, letting it pop out the top a bit
4. Turn apple onto its side and (adults) cut into thick slices 
5. Alternate apples on a plate or platter for children to enjoy (and they will!)

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

1. Cut small flour tortillas into 8 slices per tortilla
2. Brush with melted butter and liberally sprinkle on a mixture of cinnamon and sugar
3. Heat in 350 degree oven until bubbly - about 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully for scorching

Remove and serve with Apple Cartwheels or Fruit Salsa. Yum!

Donna Sunshine's Nieman-Marcus Cookie Recipe

My friend, Donna, has given me a recipe sent to her by one of her friends. Thanks Donna - looks like a good one!

 Nieman-Marcus Cookies [recipe may be halved]

  

Ingredients

• 2 c butter
• 2 tsp soda
• 5c blended oatmeal (blend to a fine powder)
• 2 c brown sugar
• 1 8 oz Hershey Bar (grated)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 c flour
• 2 c sugar
• 24 oz chocolate chips
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 3 c chopped nuts (your choice)

Cream together the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts.

Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes approximately 110 cookies. Enjoy!