Mini Fruit Pizzas

I'm torn about this one.  A big part of me doesn't want to tell you about this recipe.  Because I like you.  I care about you.  I want to save you from these.

But they are so delicious and so dang addictive that I just can't do it.

You HAVE to make these.  Just don't hold it against me, ok?  Ok.

Mini Fruit Pizzas
Recipe from Cooking Ala Mel

Cookie Base:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups flour

Sweetened Cream Cheese:

1 (8oz.) pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

2 peeled, sliced kiwis (halved)

6-8 sliced strawberries

blueberries (about 2 or 3 per cookie base)

1.  For the cookie base: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  

2.  Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the pecans and vanilla until fully incorporated.  Add in the flour and mix until just combined - don't overmix!  

You want this a little crumbly.

3.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.  This will make pulling the cookies out later SO MUCH EASIER.  Using a small cookie scoop, drop one scoop into each well of the pan.  Press the dough down firmly so it covers the bottom of each well evenly.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.

Just use your fingers to smush it down.  Be firm.

 GET AHEAD MOMENT: Keep these in the freezer until you're ready to assemble the pizzas!

4.  For the cream cheese mixture: Blend all ingredients together until light and fluffy.  Store in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use.  Pull out of the fridge about an hour before assembly.

Smooth. Creamy. Fluffy.  Where's my spoon?

5.  Assemble the pizzas: Snip the corner off the bag containing the cream cheese.  Squirt a dollup of cream cheese onto the cooled cookies; use the back of a spoon or a knife to spread it around.  Top each with a slice of strawberry, kiwi slice and a few blueberries. 

Whether you start making the cookies and cream cheese mixture a few days ahead of time, or the day of, you don't want to put the pizzas together until the last minute.  You want the cookie to stay nice and crisp.  Because I really packed down the cookie dough into the muffin tin, my cookies actually held up for a couple days, although toward the end the cookies were really getting soft.  

These make the most adorable addition to any party table.  I made them for Kieran's first birthday party, just to have a non-chocolate dessert alternative, and I think Gavin didn't even try the cupcakes.  He just kept going back for more fruit pizza!  And he wasn't the only one either... These were such a big hit!

Ok so I am totally going to reiterate the original poster's disclaimer about this recipe... Just because this dessert involves fruit, it should IN NO WAY be considered a healthy alternative.  Go back up to the list of ingredients for the cookie base.  That first item there is BUTTER.  An entire cup of BUTTER.  There's also CREAM CHEESE (I wouldn't recommend using lowfat or Neufchatel here; you want that fat for creaminess).  And SUGAR.  A couple blueberries and a quarter slice of kiwi will not combat the effects of the more fattening ingredients here.  

Pecan Chicken

What is it about tender, juicy, succulent chicken encased in a crunchy coating?  Is it magic??

Whatever it is, it's damn good!!

Pecan Chicken
Recipe from Claire Robinson, with a little influence from Rachael Ray

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.  Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently flatten with a meat mallet or heavy flat object to an even 1/3-inch thick.  Place the flattened chicken in a shallow bowl and add the buttermilk. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

No FP? Grocery stores carry ground nuts in the baking aisles.

2.  In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely ground (big chunks of pecans make for difficult coating; trust me). Transfer the pecans to a large rimmed dish and add the panko bread crumbs, nutmeg and orange zest. Mix to combine well.

No orange zest this time.  It's fine without but it's SO FREAKING AWESOME with.

3.  Remove marinated chicken breasts from buttermilk and shake off excess. Dip chicken in breading mixture, evenly coating both sides.

No need for flour or eggs in this breading lineup!

4.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add breaded breasts and shallow fry about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden in color. Remove from oil to and drain on paper towels. Immediately season with salt and pepper.

I'd rather shallow fry than deep fry any day.

I absolutely love this with a tossed salad and some kind of starch: fresh bread, some kind of potato, rice, doesn't really matter.  The chicken is truly the star here!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

I first heard about this concept of Pajama Day a long, long time ago.  Sounded cool, but as a busy working-outside-the-home Mom, when would I have the time to indulge in spending the day in our pj's??  So the idea of it just sat there in the back of my mind, simmering...

And now I'm at home with my kids.  And it's winter time.  And it looks like Wisconsin FINALLY decided to act like it was winter time and give us a good snow.  Sounds like a Pajama Day to me!!

And I've decided that it really can't be Pajama Day without a seriously good cookie to go with it.

Triple Chocolate Cookies
Recipe from Ellie Krieger

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped*
2 oz milk chocolate, coarsely chopped*
2/3 cup pecans

*Substituting white chocolate chips for one of these is also quite yummy.

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  In a large bowl, mash together the butter and sugars with a fork until well combined.  Add the oil and egg and beat until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla.

Mashing with a fork makes for easier blending later.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in both chocolates and nuts and mix well.

Great way to sneak in healthy whole wheat flour!

4.  Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake until the cookies are just set, about 12 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a rach to cool  Store at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Didn't even last long enough to get a picture of them baked.

These are DANG TASTY.  They are cookies, but they also have this chewy consistency that tastes almost like a brownie.  So a cookie, that occasionally masquerades as a brownie, and it's HEALTHY???  Dude.  Make these.  You're welcome.

Monkey Bread

"Hey Gavin, guess what Mama's making for breakfast Christmas morning?"

"What?"

"Monkey bread!"

..............."Oh.  How many monkeys is she putting in it?"

My boy is too funny.  Anyway, this is our Christmas morning tradition.

Monkey Bread
Recipe from my mother-in-law; method slightly adapted

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 (10oz) containers refrigerated biscuits [NOT Grands!!! Trust me on this one.]
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar

1.  Liberally grease a large bundt pan with cooking spray.  Sprinkle pecans around the bottom and set pan aside.  Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a resealable plastic bag.

A cinnamon bomb went off on the sugar

2.  Working in batches, use kitchen shears to cut each biscuit into quarters and toss into the sugar mixture.  Seal the bag and toss to coat the biscuit pieces.  Layer the pieces evenly in the bundt pan. 

No need to be precise, but try to keep it somewhat even.

3.  Whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar.  Drizzle the butter mixture over the "top" of the bread (this will actually become the bottom once it's baked).  At this point, you can either bake it right away or cover it and put it back in the fridge.  Because it takes me about 40 minutes to put it together, I always make it the day before.

I feel positively decadent just looking at this.

4.  If you've refrigerated the assembled bread, pull it out at least 30 minutes before baking.  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 40-45 minutes; let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Cover the bundt pan with a platter and carefully flip it over (you may need to give it some encouragement with a knife around the edges).  Voila!

Don't touch yet!!  It HAS to rest 10 minutes before inverting.  Set a timer. Walk away.

Your patience is rewarded.

This is an easy yet impressive breakfast item because it just looks so pretty!  And since it's REALLY SWEET, I like to serve this with some kind of eggs and a fresh fruit salad just to round things out a little more.

Gavin was panting at the table in anticipation.

Pecan Toffee Tassies

Every Thanksgiving dessert table is laden with cakes, cookies, trifles, and pies.  Especially pies.

Did you know that pies can come in miniature form too?  Yeah, I love that. :)

Like baby pecan pies!

Pecan Toffee Tassies
Recipe from Paula Deen

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 (10-ounce) package almond brickle chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

2.  Unroll the piecrusts onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into 2 (15-inch) circles. Cut out 48 circles using a 1 3/4-inch fluted or round cookie cutter, OR a small water glass, re-rolling dough as needed. Place in 1 3/4-inch muffin pans, pressing on the bottoms and up the sides of each of the mini-muffin cups.

Tip I just learned: use a shot glass to help the crust down into the mini tins

3.  Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and eggs in a large bowl, mixing well. Add the vanilla. Stir in the pecans and brickle chips. Spoon the pecan filling evenly into the pie shells. Bake for 25 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is lightly browned. Cool in pans on wire racks.

Half of a cookie scoop fills these babies nicely.

So, as cute as these are, there are pros and cons to making these.  Pro is they are superdangcute, bite-sized, and a little goes a long way.  Con is they are bite-sized, and you quickly lose count of how many you've eaten as you keep grabbing "just one more."  Consider yourself warned before adding these to your dessert table. ;)

Maple-Nut Chicken

I have really gotten into maple syrup in the last couple years, and I'm not talking about putting it on pancakes or waffles.  I've been using it a lot in baking (it's the binder/sweetener in my Nutty Granola) but I haven't really used it much when I cook.  And it certainly never occurred to me to use it in a savory dish.

Maple syrup as savory?  Maple syrup for dinner??

Oh yes, you can.

Maple-Nut Chicken
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts [if you have gigantor ones, cut them in half; I used 5oz breasts]
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

1.  Preheat EVOO a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Pat chicken dry and liberally (I'm serious.  Don't be shy now) season with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken on both sides until golden.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Love that golden color

2.  Drain all but 1 tbsp of fat from the pan.  Return to heat and add the vinegar, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken stock and syrup and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer a minute to thicken slightly.

Not ingredients I'd normally pair together

3.  Return chicken to the pan and add the nuts.  Spoon a little sauce over each piece, slightly cover the pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

A little sweet, a little nutty, a LOT good!

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about the combination of maple syrup and vinegar, but I like both so I was willing to give it a try.  You actually cannot even taste the vinegar in this sauce!  As the sauce reduces and thickens, the syrup gets sweeter, richer, and coats the chicken in it's lovely golden brown stickiness.  The nuts, whether you use walnuts or pecans, add another depth of flavor to the dish, as well as give this fabulous crunch. 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese & Pecans

Remember the other day when I mentioned wrapping chicken and beef in bacon?  Yeah, that's a totally fun and tasty thing to do.  Know what makes it even more fun?  Stuffing the meat of choice with cheesy goodness.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....................................

This is another one of those fancy-esque meals that can totally impress people but it really pretty simple to put together.  And if you're really pressed for time on the day you want to eat this?  Go ahead and do the assembly and bacon-wrapping beforehand; just keep them in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

My assembly line!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese & Pecans
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles [Note: goat cheese is awesome in this too.  Or give feta a try]
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, sliced on bias
8 slices good-quality center cut bacon

1.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper (sometimes I'm too impatient to pound the chicken; oh well!). Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Seasoning inside and out is important. 

2.  Cover the seasoned chicken with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with 2 slices of bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper (not too much salt though!  Remember that bacon is salty too).

A little goes a long way

3.  Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Want to get that crispy bacon crust going in the skillet before baking

Now, I just want to make clear that I do not like blue cheese.  However, I really enjoy this dish.  The first time I ever made this I did two breasts with goat cheese and two with blue cheese.  Both turned out great actually!  But since Rob's a biiiiiig fan of blue cheese and this is one of the very few ways I'll eat it, I decided to be nice and stick to that part of the original recipe.  If you really don't like it though, try something else.  I think this recipe works best with a crumbled cheese that has that bite to it, however if you like something milder, go for it!

The original recipe also calls for you to make a gravy with this.  I've never made it because I don't want a heavy sauce covering up all those wonderful tastes and textures.  Between the salty crunch of the bacon, the tender chicken, the creamy sharp cheese, the onion and crunchy rich pecans, I think these little rolls are perfect on their own!

Nuts about Granola!

I love granola...especially with raisins and nuts.  Granola is crunchy.  Granola is filling.  Granola can be a fancy dessert (think fresh fruit yogurt parfait).  Granola can be a simple Tuesday morning breakfast (think bowl and milk).  Granola can also be expensive.  Sometimes I'd walk through the cereal aisle, checking out what might be on sale, and if I saw any box of granola for under $3 I'd do a MAJOR happy dance.  Really?  $3?  Wow, pathetic.  Oh and then there's the organic aisle.  Can't forget the granolas in the organic aisle...I discovered this one that had almonds and dark chocolate in it that is to DIE for!  And I almost died over the price too.  Why does all of the tasty good-for-you stuff have to be so damn expensive???  Argh!

Yeah, I'm freaking out over a breakfast cereal.  Sorry about that.  I get a little excited about this sometimes.  I did warn you about that right?  Right. 

So granola was at one time relegated to a luxury item in our house, something only purchased when on extreme sale.  And then I was looking through one of my favorite cookbooks and stumbled across Nutty Granola.

Not only is this recipe easy, quick, and healthy, but it's DELICIOUS and CHEEEEAAAAP!

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
[Did you notice the lack of a fat ingredient, like butter or oil?  Yeah, I did]

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss to combine.

3. Spread mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once.

4. Let cool and store in an airtight container.  If you're lucky this will last a week.  If you're in my house and have a granola-crazy son in addition to your own granola-crazy self, I give it about 3 days.