Cheesy & Pizza Puffs

Cheesy Puffs

I love entertaining over the holidays. Every year my parents have a big Christmas Eve party and friends and family stop by for drinks, and food, and catching up. It's always a lot of fun. I can't make it home this year so I plan to throw a little party here for just my little family, but with all the same elements, food, drinks and catching up (I forget my husband's name some days!) with the people I love most.

This little appetizer is sure to make an appearance on Christmas Eve. My cousin Kelly made them for us when she visited 2 summers ago and I fell in love with them! Made with Pillsbury Cresent dough, these tender little, buttery bites have a wonderful cheesy-garlic flavour. I decided to play around and made one batch with pizza sauce and finely diced pepperoni and cheese and the result was delish!

Great on their own or dipped in marinara or pizza sauce, these little appetizers are sure to be a hit at your next holiday party!

Cheesy Puffs

1 pkg. Pillsbury Cresent rolls (1 tube makes 18 puffs)
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp grated cheese (I use marble cheddar)
1 egg white
1/4 tsp italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Open cresent roll tube and unroll the dough.
2. Press together the pieces to form a square.
3. Sprinkle the garlic powder over the rolled out dough and top with the cheese.
4. Roll up the dough starting at one end to form a log.
5. Slice into 1/2" rounds (pinwheels)
6. Place rounds onto a cookie sheet and brush tops with egg white.
7. Sprinkle tops with a bit of italian seasoning.
8. Bake at 375˚F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden.
9. Serve warm right from the oven.

Pizza Puffs

Pizza Puffs

1 pkg. Pillsbury Cresent rolls (1 tube makes 18 puffs)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp pizza sauce
2 tbsp finely diced pepperoni
3 tbsp grated cheese (I use marble cheddar)
1 egg white
1/4 tsp italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Open cresent roll tube and unroll the dough.
2. Press together the pieces to form a square.
3. Spread pizza sauce over the dough leaving about 1" at one end.
4. Sprinkle the pepperoni over the pizza sauce and top with the garlic powder and then the cheese.
5. Roll up the dough starting at the end opposite the end without pizza sauce to form a log.
6. Slice into 1/2" rounds (pinwheels)
7. Place rounds onto a cookie sheet and brush tops with egg white.
8. Sprinkle tops with a bit of italian seasoning.
9. Bake at 375˚F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden.
10. Serve warm right from the oven.


enjoy!

Amanda

Christmas Baking Giveaway

Click on the image to see a more detailed picture

We all know I love to bake, so this Christmas I'm spreading the joy of baking with this gift basket of baking supplies!

Giveaway Details
Here is what you get if you win...
1. Christmas print oven mitt
2. Christmas print heat pad (matches oven mitt)
3. Candy Cane printed spatula
4. Snowman shaped non-stick cake pan
5. Wilton Christmas-themed Sprinkles (container has 6 different kinds)
6. Set of 4 Wilton Comfort Grip Christmas Cookie Cutters
7. 2 packages of Christmas Print Cupcake Liners
8. 15 pack of Wilton Shaped Party Bags (Gingerbread man print)


Here is how you win...
For a chance this giveaway, leave a comment in this post answering this question...

What is your favourite kind of Christmas cookie?

The Rules
1.) Open to Canadian and continental USA residents only.
2.) One winner will be chosen on 12/07/09 by using random.org.
3.) Make sure that I have a way to contact you when you leave a comment; either through your blog or an email.
4.) One comment per person, please. EXTRA ENTRIES (1 entry per item): follow me on twitter and leave me a comment here saying you're following me (+1 entry), tweet about this giveaway (+1 entry), mention this giveaway on your blog and leave me a link to it (+1 entry)
5.) I will contact the winner via email or commenting on the winner's site.
6.) You have until 12/09/09 to claim the giveaway, or I will have to choose another winner.

This giveaway is brought to you by me. All items were purchased from Sobey's, Walmart & the Bulk Barn. I will not be held responsible for any burns, cuts, scrapes, bland or over-cooked cookies as a result of using these items. That is all. Happy baking!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me!
~ Cookie Monster

I mentioned a couple posts back that I bought this great magazine filled with yummy cookie recipes. Well, I'm slowly making my way through them. Today's cookie caught my eye cause they're topped with my husband's favourite chocolates. So I made them foolishly thinking he'd give them a try. Nope. He did however eat a few handfuls of the leftover chocolates. What a trooper.

He doesn't know what he's missing though. These tender little peanut butter cookies, rolled in sugar, and topped with a Rosebud™ are totally poppable and incredibly yummy! Perfect for your upcoming Christmas Cookie exchange or just for snacking on with your hot chocolate while you watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (my fave!) with the kids.

Peanut Butter Blossoms taken from Better Home and Gardens 2009 100 Best Cookies

1/2 c. crisco shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 tbsp.milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 c. sugar
Rosebuds™ or Kisses™

Instructions:

1. Put shortening and peanut butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined.
2. Add the 1/2 c. sugar, the brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Add the flour slowly while mixing. If necessary switch to a wooden spoon to complete the mixing.
4. Roll the dough into 1" balls and roll in the 1/4 c. sugar to coat.
5. Place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart and bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms and sides are lightly browned.
6. Immediately press a chocolate into the centre of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tip: Have a couple of cookies before they've cooled, they're chewy and warm and the chocolate is all melty. Heaven!

enjoy,
Amanda

Salmon Cakes with Herb Cream Sauce

Nothing gets kids running to the table, excited for dinner, like fishy cakes!



Okay, I lied... chances are if they knew this was on the menu they'd be hiding under their beds. Unless they're my kids. My kids have a strange affinity for salmon, not strange like salmon is gross (cause my husband and I love it), just strange cause most kids their age like hot dogs and.. well... just hot dogs.

Salmon is one of those super foods, full of anti-oxidants and Omoega-3s, brain food. But salmon, especially fresh salmon, is expensive. When you're attempting to stay within a food budget, one salmon meal could easily use half your week's food allowance. Ever since our teenaged nephew moved in with us I've watched our weekly grocery bills sky-rocket and I've watched my husband get more and more depressed over how much of his paycheck is getting left at the grocery store.

In an attempt to keep my husband from going off the deep end, and serve my family the fish they all so deeply love, I tried to figure out a way to make everyone happy. That's when I remembered my grandma's salmon cakes. She used to make these all the time when I was little, using up left over mashed potatoes and a can of salmon. $7.99/filet (x 5 for my hungry family) vs. $1.99 for 1 can of salmon. Now THAT'S a budget conscious meal!

You could easily make this with tuna, shrimp or any other cooked and flaked, white fish. Give them a try with my herb cream sauce and serve up some affordable brain food!

Salmon Cakes with Herb Cream Sauce

Salmon Cakes
1 can salmon (I use Cloverleaf Wild Red Pacific Sockeye Salmon), with skin and bones removed
2 c. potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled
1/2 container of light garlic & herb cream cheese
3 scallions, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. dried dill or 1 tsp. fresh
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes until for tender. Drain and a return to the pot and place the pot on the burner for a few seconds to dry out the potatoes.
2. In a bowl mash the potatoes with the cream cheese.
3. Add the salmon, egg, scallions and bread crumbs, dill and salt & pepper. Mix to combine thoroughly.
4. Shape into 8 patties.
5. Heat butter and oil in a skillet and fry patties until golden brown & heated through.

(ridiculously easy) Herb Cream Sauce
1/2 container light garlic & herb cream cheese
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

1. Place cream cheese and milk in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 30 seconds (or until cream cheese really soft and milk is heated) and stir to combine.
3. Season with salt and spoon over salmon cakes.



enjoy,
Amanda

Fudge Ecstasies

I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day and this magazine jumped off the rack and right into my cart, it was crazy! Okay, really my 11 month old with the "sticky fingers" got hold of it and wasn't giving it up without a fight. Once I pried it out of her fingers I flipped through a few pages and was in cookie heaven. SO many recipes for cookies I'd never seen before! Chocolate, coconut, nuts, fruit, spices it had it all!


I rushed home and before I put the $300 worth of groceries away (including milk and frozen foods!) I sat down with the magazine and poured over every page making a mental checklist of every cookie I wanted had to try. These babies were at the top of my list.

A cross between a cookie and a brownie this delicious little cookie is all about fudgey, chocolatey goodness. I can't wait to snack on these with a big ol' glass of milk while watching The Grinch this holiday season.

I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of this magazine while it's still on the shelves, it's a great collection of yummy treats!

Fudge Ecstasies taken from Better Home and Gardens 2009 100 Best Cookies

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (2 oz.)
2 tbsp. butter
2 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. chopped nuts (cashes, pecans or almonds work well)

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the chocolate chips, the unsweetened chocolate and the butter and heat ove low heat until melted. You can also melt the chocolate & butter in a bowl in the microwave.
2. Add eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and baking powder and beat with a spoon until combined.
3. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and the nuts.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet 2" apart and put into a preheated 350˚F oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are firm and the surface is dull and cracked.
5. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.


enjoy!

Amanda