Brie en Croute

I've had this appetizer at Mise en Place in New Hampshire as well as at a friend's house...I absolutely love it and was excited to try it myself!  Turned out really well, and it was super easy to make.

Brie en Croute

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of Pepperidge Farm's Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
• 1 8 oz brie cheese round
• crackers, sliced apples, etc for serving

Directions

1. Thaw 1 puff pastry sheet for 40 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a work surface and place the brie in the center of the sheet. 
4. Fold the edges of the sheet over and around the cheese.  
5. Beat the egg and water together to use as a wash to seal the sheet around the brie.  Brush the seams with the egg wash.  
6. Place the brie seam-side down in a baking dish (that you plan to serve with), and brush with egg wash.  
7. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.  Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.  Serve with crackers or sliced apples.

Monkey Bread

This is a party hit that is served as a "finger dessert."  Sugary, cinnamon-y, yumminess. :)

Monkey Bread

Original recipe from JoCooks

Ingredients:

• 3 cans Pillsbury biscuits (10 in each can)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

2. Cut each biscuit into quarters.

3. In a big Ziploc bag, add a cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and mix it well. Add the biscuit pieces to the bag. Close the Ziploc bag and shake until each piece is fully coated in the cinnamon sugar.

4. Put the cinnamon sugar coated pieces of biscuits in a bundt pan.

 

5. In a sauce pan melt the butter and add the brown sugar to it. Once the butter is melted and the sugar fully dissolved, pour it over the biscuit pieces.

6. Bake this for about 45 minutes, or until the top is dark brown.

Another batch of ccc

Another attempt of mine to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe...I'm still looking...

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Original recipe from Barbara Bakes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Gradually add the flour mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto baking pans lined with parchment paper. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes.

Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy Cookies

Original recipe by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup pecans (3 ounces)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until darkened and fragrant, 5-8 minutes.  Let cool, then coarsely chop.  Set aside.
2. Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
3. With an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and beat in vanilla.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Stir in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until just combined. 
4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared sheets, about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 16 to 18 minutes. 

Roasted Red Potato Home Fries

Roasted Red Potatoes Home Fries
Recipe adapted from Savoring the Thyme
serves 3 people
 
Ingredients:

• 4 large Red Bliss potatoes (with skin)
• 2 slices Canadian Bacon (or regular stripped bacon)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Wash and cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks and place in a bowl. Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper and scatter over a shallow baking pan lined with foil.  Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes.  Toss halfway through baking.
   After the potatoes have baked, add the garlic to them, toss and bake another 5 minutes.
3. Using a medium non-stick frying pan at medium heat, add olive oil and cook the bacon for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Lay on a paper towel (to absorb the fatty oils) and then slice into smaller pieces.
   Remove the potatoes and place them in a large bowl.  Add the Parmesan, parsley, and bacon.  Toss together.