Sweet Cranberry Mini Buns

     These are sugary, sweet, buttery pull-apart buns with a fluffiness that melts in your mouth.  Once you start eating them, it's really hard to stop.  They bake up in about 25 minutes and take only a few minutes to put together.  It will take much less time to see them disappear once you put them out.  
 

1 can of small (10 biscuits) refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
4 Tablespoons butter, melted



Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

Line the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch round cake pan or casserole dish with parchment paper.  

Separate dough into the 10 biscuits then quarter each of them.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar, cranberries and lemon peel.

Dip biscuit pieces into butter then sugar mix to coat and place in bottom of cake pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with any left over sugar mix and drizzle with leftover butter, if any is left.

Bake until it starts to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. 

 Run a knife along the side of the pan to loosen.  Place a plate on top, turn the plate and pan over, then lift the pan off of the biscuits.  Pull the parchment paper off.  You can serve it like that or flip over again to show the other side up.  


Serve immediately.

Quick Cheesy Pull Apart Bread Appetizer

   An appetizer made with cheese, bread and butter; what's not to like?  Use your favorite kind of bread.  Mine is potato rolls so I used over-sized potato rolls for this, but a whole loaf works too.  You can even use whole wheat bread and pretend it's healthy. 

1 round loaf of bread or two over-sized rolls
1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 lb Swiss cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bread crosswise into 1 inches slices to within 1/2 inch of the bottom.  Repeat cuts in the opposite direction.

Cut cheese into 1/4 inch slices and break into pieces.  Place the cheese in all the cuts.  

In a small bowl, mix butter, green onions and poppy seeds.  Drizzle over the bread.

Wrap in foil and place on  baking sheet.  Bake 15 minutes, unwrap and back until starting to brown and cheese is melted, about another 10 minutes.

Pasta Bake - Pastitsio Style

     If you've ever made Pastitsio, you'll immediately recognize that this is not it.  However, if you've never made Pastitsio, this is a great dish to try because it's easy to make and has the same elements, and of course, it tastes really good.  I just call my version a pasta bake and eliminate any confusion. 
     The topping is tangy, which compliments the creamy texture.  The tomato sauce is not only delicious, it can be used as a base for any pasta dish.  The casserole easily comes out in perfect squares and makes a pretty and impressive dish. 

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb of ground lamb, you can also 
          use ground pork or chicken
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced fine
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes, sliced
4 oz (1/2 cup) pasta shapes,
          with ridges works best
1 lb Greek yogurt
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large pan and ground meat.  Cook, stirring often, until it starts to brown and then add onion and garlic until meat is completely browned and onions are tender.

Stir in tomato paste and flour and combine until meat is coated.  Saute for 1 minute so the flour doesn't taste raw and to deepen the flavor of the paste. Gradually stir in the broth and wine and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.  Set aside to cool.

Mix together eggs and yogurt and add cooled pasta.

To assemble, pour meat mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 11 casserole dish.  Arrange tomato slices on top, then spoon the yogurt/pasta/egg mixture on top of that.  Bake until the top starts to brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.  Cut into squares and serve immediately, no need to cool.

 

Cheesy Bacon Corn Bread Muffins

      With a little help from some boxed mix, these take only 5 minutes to throw together and they are delicious.  Keep in mind, this is another recipe that is versatile.   Make it your own to match your tastes and meals. 

1 box corn bread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup of milk
__________________________

Here's what I added:

2 cooked strips of bacon, crumbled
1 Tablespoon of grated onion
1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat to 450 degrees.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix just until dry ingredients are wet.  Don't over mix.

Spray whatever baking pan or tin you are using with non-stick spray.  I put them into mini-muffin tins, not quite filled to the top, but almost.  They also work very well with regular size tins or pour the whole thing into a 8 x 8 baking square dish, sprayed, of course.  

Bake 15-20 minutes, until they start to get golden brown on top. 

Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes and then serve...and this is key...with lots and lots of butter.  

Cheesy Asparagus Toast Point Appetizers

  These creamy, cheesy appetizers are so good that it would make anyone love asparagus. 
   But don't think that's the only vegie that will work.  This recipe is great because you can use it with a variety of ingredients. 
    I think just about any fresh vegetable will work.  Get creative and add some lemon or fresh herbs or even some cayenne pepper to add to the heat.  If you topped them with a little bacon, you'd have the best open-faced toasted cheese sandwich ever!  Change the bread to a pizza crust and it's dinner.  These are even good the next day cold.  Or warm up a slice in the morning and add an egg to the top of one for breakfast.  So many possibilities.


1 cup fresh asparagus, trimmed

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees.

Place slices of bread on a baking sheet and place in the oven while it is preheating.  Leave it in there until it is slightly toasted, then remove and set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook uncovered until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes. Once asparagus is cold, drain well and set aside.

Combine ricotta, olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, and heavy cream in a small bowl. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces.

Spread ricotta mixture over each slice of toast, top with asparagus. Sprinkle with Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses.

Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Cut into points (quarters) for an appetizer.

Apple Cinnamon Bun Muffins

     This is so incredibly easy to do, nobody will believe it only took you a few minutes - maybe 30 at the most - and a few ingredients.  The middle of each muffin puffs up to form a delicious center mixed with the apples, while the outside is crispy and buttery.  I just talked myself right into another one and it is even better than I described.  Give these a try and impress your friends and family. They will wonder when you took a baking class.

1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tart apples
1/2 cup raisins
8 Tablespoons of sugar (= 1/2 cup, divided)
2 Tablespoons of flour
3/4 + 1 1/4 teaspoons of cinnamon
Dash of salt
1 package of 8 large flaky refrigerated biscuits*
2 teaspoons of butter, melted

 *Don't use the low-fat.  It won't work as well.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the apples, raisins, 3 Tablespoons of sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Microwave 2-3 minutes until slightly tender.

Flatten each biscuit into a 5" round.  Combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle a rounded teaspoon on each circle.  Top with 1/4 cup of apple mixture (cooled slightly).  Bring up the edges and pinch to seal.  Please seam side down in an ungreased muffin cup. 

Brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.  Cut an X into the top of each one.

 
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Don't mistake the browning butter for doneness, check the biscuit itself.  It should take at least 18 minutes but these are forgiving and won't burn easily if you want to leave them in the full 22 minutes, as long as your oven temperature is accurate.  


 

Cool for 5 minutes then place on rack to cool.  Or you can do what I did and eat one, burn my mouth and then go for a second.  Poor guys never had a chance to see that rack.
 
 

Everything and Anything Cookie

     This is just one of those cookies that will be different every time you make it.  I came up with this so I could make whatever I wanted to based on my mood at the time.  In the summer, fresh fruits would work nice and in the fall; nuts, winter; dried fruits and in the spring; bunnies..no wait, don't do that. 
    
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups of anything you like  -  I did 2 cups pretzels, 1 cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of coconut macaroons, 1/2 cup of apple cookies, 1/2 cup each mini M&Ms and chopped peanut butter cups for the picture.  You can add as little or as many ingredients as long as it's 5 cups.  Try dried fruit, coconut, nuts, candy bars, chopped Girl Scout cookies...anything.  You can even pretend it's healthy and put in oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, tofu...yech, don't use tofu, please.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and both sugars together.  Add vanilla and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.  

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to light and fluffy mixture, slowly, while beating.

Add your 5 cups of goodies and stir by hand until completely mixed.  Shape 1/4 cupfuls of dough (I used an ice cream scoop), roll into balls and put on an ungreased or silicon lined baking pan.  

Bake 12-17 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool for a minute then move to rack to cool.