Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

A recipe similar to this one has been in my "to be baked" file for a long time. I decided to try out a homemade Funfetti mix rather than buying one from the store, and I like the results! I was surprised how fast it all came together.

Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sprinkles

2 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, canola oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Fold in sprinkles.

Roll cookies into balls, bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove and let cool.

Put cream cheese in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add milk while beating until desired consistency is reached.

Spread frosting between cookies and enjoy.

Homemade Cheez-Its

These homemade Cheez-Its have the perfect flavor. Really. They're worth a try!

Homemade Cheez-Its

1 cup flour

4 Tbsp butter

8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 to 1/3 cup cold water

Combine flour, butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper in a food processor until crumbly. Add water by spoonfuls until a dough consistency is reached.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Unwrap dough and use a rolling pin to get it as thin as you possibly can. If you have a pasta roller, this would be a great thing to use it for. Then use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into small squares.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake the crackers at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until crispy and the bottoms are golden brown.

Ham & Corn Sandwiches

This sandwich is one of my favorite childhood foods. It seems to have just the right combination of flavors. These freeze very well--assemble everything and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil. When you're ready, unwrap and put it straight from the freezer into the oven and plan for about 10-15 minutes extra cooking time. This is a great way to use Easter leftovers!

Ham & Corn Sandwiches

1 loaf French bread

4 oz cream cheese

12 oz ham, thinly sliced

24 oz frozen corn in butter sauce

5-6 green onions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut french bread in half lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Soften cream cheese for about 10 seconds in microwave. Spread over cut french bread halves. Layer ham on top of cream cheese.

Thaw frozen corn pouch in microwave or warm water. In a medium bowl, combine corn, green onions, mayonnaise, mustard, and cheese. Spread evenly over both halves.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. If the edges get too brown, cover in aluminum foil. Let cool for a few minutes, slice, and serve.

Parmesan Ranch Meatballs

I haven't made it to the grocery store for awhile, but I fortunately had all the ingredients for these meatballs. It's always nice to find a recipe that doesn't require a trip to the store (even if it is only a 1/2 mile away).

Parmesan Ranch Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 egg

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well-combined. Form into meatballs and place into an oiled 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Turn meatballs over and broil for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine with sauce and serve. Makes about 20 meatballs.

Simple Apple Dumplings

In the search for a quick dessert to use up a few items I had on hand, I came across this simple recipe.

Simple Apple Dumplings

1 granny smith apple

1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup Sprite, Ginger Ale, or Mountain Dew

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 8" or 9" square baking pan.

Cut apple into 8 wedges. Remove core and peel.

Separate the roll dough into triangles. Starting at the small end, roll each apple wedge into a triangle of dough. Place into baking dish.

Combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour over the dumplings. Pour desired soda pop over dumplings.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until dumplings are golden brown.

Serve immediately, topped with vanilla ice cream.

Pizza Dough

I've made at least 8 pizzas in the last month, but each time they are eaten so fast that I don't have time for a picture. This pizza dough and the sauce (post below) have become family favorites.

Pizza Dough

*makes enough for four 14" pizzas

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

1 3/4 cups cold water

Measure water into large measuring cup and then place in freezer to chill until needed.

Combine flour, salt, and yeast. Add olive oil and water. Stir until all flour is incorporated. Knead by hand (5-7 minutes) or with dough hook (3-5 minutes) until dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions.

Spray the inside of 4 sandwich-sized plastic baggies with cooking spray. Place 1 portion of dough into each bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to three days. This dough also works well if frozen and then moved from the freezer to the refrigerator one to two days before baking.

Two hours before you want to cook the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Lightly flour your counter top. Shape the dough into a small disc, about 4-5" in diameter, and place on top of floured counter. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with olive oil. Every 30 minutes or so, come back to the dough and stretch it out a bit further. The dough is very supple and will stretch easily. The goal is to have a pizza dough that is about 14" in diameter.

The way you cook the pizza will vary depending on what equipment you have. Here is how I do it...

Approximately 30-45 minutes before baking, turn oven to the highest baking temperature it can handle (mine does 550). Place cast iron pizza stone on lowest oven rack while preheating oven.

Once oven is heated, remove pizza stone and quickly place pizza dough on top. Cover lightly with sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Return pizza to oven on lowest rack and cook for 6-8 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. When pizza is done, remove from cast iron stone immediately. Lightly brush edges with olive oil and serve.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Please leave a comment and let me know--I'm always looking for new ideas. Our favorite pizza currently is fresh mozzarella with bacon and prosciutto.

Pizza Sauce

This delicious pizza sauce takes less than two minutes to make and is delicious! It tastes best if allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight. Once you taste it, you'll be impressed that something so yummy came from such a quick and simple recipe.

Pizza Sauce

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate overnight (or up to one week) if time allows.

This recipe makes enough sauce for about six medium-sized pizzas.

Fluffy Pancakes

I made this recipe for the first time today, and I was pleasantly surprised with how good they were. This is definitely my new "go to" recipe for pancakes. They have a perfect texture and flavor. I promise that these are better than the recipe you are currently using!

Fluffy Pancakes

3/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1 cup flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

2 Tbsp butter

In a small bowl, stir together milk and vinegar. Allow to sit for five minutes. It will look curdled--that is normal.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

Place butter in a small bowl and melt in the microwave. Once melted, crack the egg into the butter and stir with a fork or whisk until well-combined. Pour butter/egg mixture into milk/vinegar mixture and mix again.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Gently stir only until all ingredients are uniformly moist. Don't over mix or the pancakes will be tough.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray, and drop 1/4 cup spoonfuls of batter onto skillet. Cook until bubbles form and pop, then flip and cook the other side.

Yield: about 8 pancakes

Gumdrop Fudge

I attended a class last week that featured recipes for Christmas gifts that are simple and delicious. This recipe really fits the bill. It is simple enough to have kids make it, and it tastes great!

Gumdrop Fudge

1 1/2 cups chopped gumdrops

1 1/2 lbs white chocolate candy coating

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

Grease an 8 or 9" square pan with butter and set aside.

Using kitchen shears, chop gumdrops into small pieces. I like to use the shears and cut each one into quarters. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, combine candy coating, condensed milk, and salt. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until candy coating has melted and mixture is smooth. Do not turn up the heat--it burns easily!

Stir vanilla into fudge. Add gumdrops gradually while stirring to ensure that they don't end up in one big clump.

Pour fudge into prepared buttered pan. Let stand at room temperature until firm, about three hours.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

If you have canned pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving, here is a very moist sheet cake that will put it to good use. I like it plain, but mini chocolate chips or finely chopped nuts would be good additions too.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

3 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

30 oz canned pumpkin puree

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp salt

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Milk, to taste

*This recipe calls for canned pumpkin which is different from pumpkin pie filling. If you use pumpkin pie filling, take out the pumpkin pie spice and add 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend until well-combined.

Spread evenly in an ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes (27 works great for me). Cool before frosting.

To make frosting, cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Add milk to reach desired consistency.

Lemon Pots de Crème with Raspberries

This custard-like dessert is delicious and fast. The tartness of the lemons mixes well with the sweet raspberries for a great summertime treat.

Lemon Pots de Crème with Raspberries

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Food coloring (if desired)

1 cup raspberries

1 Tbsp sugar

Combine cream and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium pot and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches a vigorous boil. Continue cooking for three minutes while constantly stirring.

Remove mixture from heat. Add lemon juice and a few drops of yellow food coloring. Stir well. Allow to cool for five minutes.

Pour into four to six small ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours.

For raspberry sauce, I combined raspberries with about 1 Tbsp of sugar in a food processor and pulsed until smooth.

Top cream pots with raspberry sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream (if desired).

Easy Soft Mints

If you are one of those people who think that everything mint tastes like toothpaste, then this isn't the one for you. For everyone else, here is an extremely easy soft mint recipe.

Soft Mints

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

2 lbs powdered sugar

3/4 tsp Creme de Menthe Oil

2 drops green food coloring

Beat cream cheese and butter until well-creamed, about two minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and stir until well-incorporated and smooth. Add flavoring and coloring. Stir until color is even.

Put mixture into the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Once chilled, roll into small balls. (Optional) Toss in additional powdered sugar. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Makes about 50 small balls.

Sugar Drops

It seems like everyone has different specifications for the "perfect" sugar cookie. This recipe fits my definition of perfect--soft, dense, and a little chewy. Mmmm!

Sugar Drops

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups flour

Place butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for one minute. Add oil and stir until well-incorporated. Add sugars. Mix. Add egg. Mix. Add vanilla and lemon zest . Mix. While mixing, add remaining dry ingredients slowly. Stir just until combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to tightly pack the dough into a large scoop. Dough will be crumbly. Place drops of dough onto baking sheets at least 2" apart from each other. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake for 16 minutes (12 minutes for smaller cookies). Let cool slightly and then enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

Here's a slightly more sophisticated chicken nugget with honey mustard--although the Wendy's version is delicious too!

Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper

1 lb chicken tenders

2 cups panko bread crumbs

Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, vinegar, and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce in a separate bowl.

Place chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into strips) into a pie dish. Pour in remaining sauce. Turn chicken to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place panko bread crumbs into another pie dish. Remove chicken from the refrigerator. Pick up each individual piece, place in the bread crumbs, and stir to coat.

Bake chicken on a greased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes. Then turn on broiler and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Serve with reserved sauce.

Sausage & Stars Appetizers

If you're looking for an elegant or gourmet appetizer, this isn't the one for you. It is quick, easy, and kid-friendly though! My rating: 4 out of 5.

Sausage & Stars Appetizers

1 lb italian sausage
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 egg

1/4 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dijon mustard

Remove puff pastry from freezer and place it on your countertop so it can thaw.

Remove casing from sausage. Divide sausage into approximately 25 round balls. Flatten balls slightly. Cook on the stove for 2-3 minutes per side. You don't want to cook it all the way through--just get the outside browned.

Break egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Brush beaten egg over the top of the puff pastry. Use a small cookie cutter and cut out 25 stars (or a shape of your choosing) from the puff pastry.

Put sausage balls on a cookie sheet. Top each one with a puff pastry star. Put a toothpick through the middle of each one.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Whisk together jam, mayonnaise, and dijon mustard to use as the dipping sauce.