Walnut Plum Puffs

Confucious say: EAT LOTS OF PLUMS!

No really.  Would you believe this tasty stone fruit was listed as one of the most popular Chinese foods back dating back to 479 B.C.?  According the About.com, the plum has been written about and drooled over for centuries with even Confucious himself comparing them to a love interest: 

"The branches of the aspen plum
To and fro they sway
How can I not think of her?
But home is far away."
-Confucious 551-479 B.C.

Food writer Peggy Trowbridge Fillipone says plums are the second most cultivated fruit on the planet, second only to apples.  That is A LOT of plums!

This tart harnesses the power of the plum:  brown sugar balancing the natural tartness, walnuts complimenting the earthiness, and puff pastry creating the perfect buttery package to wrap it all up.  I think Confucious would approve!!

WALNUT PLUM PUFFS

Adapted from Grace Parisi

Makes 6 

Ingredients

• 3 ripe plums, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup or more granulated sugar for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine plums, brown sugar, and corn starch to make filling.  Set aside.
3. On a lightly floured surface unfold puff pastry.  With a sharp knife cut dough into six sections.  Working with one section at a time, roll out the puff pastry to about a 4X4 inch square.  Spoon 1/6th of the filling onto the center of the dough square and top with about one tablespoon of walnuts.  Bring together the four corners of the dough and, using your fingers, pinch together the sides making sure to leave the top open to vent steam. Carefully place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (OR foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.) Repeat with remaining dough sections.
4. Brush all the puffs with the beaten egg and the sprinkle with lots of granulated sugar.  
5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.  Allow to cool in the pan for about five minutes.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Muffins

Ahhhh, cinnamon sugar!!  The perfect combination of spicy sweet.  Doesn't it just scream childhood memories?  I am pretty sure everyone was treated with a cinnamon sugar something when they were a kid.  For me, it was cinnamon sugar toast.  My mom used to slather lightly toasted bread with lots of salty butter and then top it with a heaping amount of cinnamon sugar.  The spice mixture just perked me up and made me smile!  It still does today!!

Don't be intimated by this recipe.  It is quick, easy and super delicious.  What is my secret weapon, you ask?  Store-bought bread dough!  Have you ever used this stuff?  I love it!!  Use it to make a loaf of tasty french bread, roll it out to make a thick pizza crust OR pull apart muffins!!  YEAH BABY!!

CINNAMON SUGAR PULL APART MUFFINS

Adapted from JOY THE BAKER and Tease-spoon of Sugar

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients

• Pillsbury Simply Rustic French Bread dough
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small skillet, brown butter over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes.  You know the butter is browned when it turns a light caramel color and smells slightly nutty.  ((Be careful not to burn the butter!))  Once browned, set the butter aside to cool.
3. Remove bread dough from tube and place on a cutting board.  Starting in the middle, divide the dough with a small slit.  The divide again and again until you have 31 slits.  Using a very sharp knife, slice the dough.  You should end up with 32 slices.  Flatten each slice with you hands or a rolling pin and place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. 
4. In a bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. To assemble the muffins, brush each dough slice with the brown butter.  Then sprinkle with the entire sugar mixture.  (Yes, ALL of the cinnamon sugar!)  Stack the dough slice on top of each other. (some stacks will have five slices and some will have six.)  Using a sharp knife, slice the stacks down the middle.
6. Place two of the sliced stacks, side by side, cut side down into a greased muffin tin.  Repeat with the rest of the stacks.
7. **This step is very important!!**  Before you put the muffin tin in the oven place it on a larger, rimmed baking sheet.  This will catch any butter/sugar overflow and avoid a very smokey oven.
8. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Gently remove.  Enjoy!!

Funfetti Mug Cake

It's Funfetti Friday!! Do you have any big plans this weekend? I have something for your to-do list: this funfetti mug cake. I don't know about you but when the weather is cold and drab, as it usually is in March, I enjoy a weekend night in. There is something about cuddling up on the couch after a good meal, watching a movie and enjoying a nice, hot mug of.... cake? Yes, cake!!!

This is a fun change to your typical chocolate mug cake. The batter is not too sweet and the rainbow sprinkles add lots of fun color and texture! So grab your favorite large mug and get your cake on!!!

FUNFETTI MUG CAKE

Adapted from DELILLE/Spark People

Makes enough for 2 servings (if you want to share)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
• a dash or two of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons of rainbow colored sprinkles
• A pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a large mug, mix together all dry ingredients. Add milk, oil and vanilla extract. Then stir in rainbow sprinkles and salt.
2. Bake in microwave for 2 minutes. If the cake is not completely done then continue cooking in 15 seconds intervals until it is cooked through. Eat straight out the mug. Enjoy!

Aunt Lela's Chocolate Pound Cake

It has been a been a fun couple of days cooking up a storm in my mom's kitchen!  On Tuesday we whipped up Ida Mae's Low Country Biscuits (which I will be posting about soon) and yesterday we made my Great-Great-Aunt Lela's Famous Chocolate Pound Cake!

Lela was my grandmother's aunt.  She lived in Richmond, Virginia and was known for her chocolate pound cake.  (I really wish I had a picture of her!)  I never had the chance to meet my great-great aunt but I have always heard such wonderful stories about her.   Lela was a nurse in the early 1900s until she left her career to take care of her brother's two sons after their mother died.  My mom remembers her as typical Southern woman of that era, a little hard and stern on the outside but tender at heart.  Lela never married or had any children of her own but she was a "mother" to many of her nieces and nephews.  

Aunt Lela's Chocolate Pound Cake recipe is infamous is my family.  (No kidding... my father's mouth started watering when I told him we were making it!)  It is a buttery, dense cake with a wonderful chocolate taste without being too sweet.  She would make it for special occasions and anytime she went to visit someone.  Aunt Lela passed away in 1988 but her recipe for this decadent dessert lives on!

AUNT LELA'S CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of flour
• 6 tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a hand blender or in a standing mixer.  Add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
4. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.  With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to egg-butter mixture, alternating with milk and vanilla extract.  
5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 75 to 90 minutes (cooking time varies with different cake pans and ovens... mine took 90 minutes) until a skewer is inserted in the cake and comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Using an offset spatula or a knife, gently loosen to release cake from pan.  Enjoy!!

Note: My family enjoys this cake without icing however I think a nice chocolate ganache or creamy glaze would be a wonderful topper!

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Salted Avocado Lime Cookies

The avocado is a tricky fruit.  It's never ripe when you need it and then it's too ripe when you don't.  What is a girl to do?  Now, I love avocados.  Who doesn't??  They are creamy and luscious and earthy.  They tone down even the spiciest of tacos and heighten the most plain of salads.  

Joe and I were planning on serving walking tacos at our Super Bowl party this past weekend.  However with the abundance of other snacks we pulled the taco plug leaving a bag of perfectly ripened avocados with no purpose.  A few are destined for a fruity, citrusy salad (which I will be posting about later) but I wanted to expand my avocado horizons.  What to make?  COOKIES!! 

This recipe combines some of my favorite flavors: lime and salt with a hint of creamy avocado.  I also played around with the piping shapes making stars AND roses.  If you are not a master piper - not to worry - these cookies are very forgiving. 

SALTED AVOCADO LIME COOKIES

Adapted from Created By Diane

Ingredients

• 1/2 large avocado
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
3. In another bowl, cream together avocado, butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth.  Mix in lime juice, lime zest and vanilla.  Then slowly add in flour mixture until everything is completely incorporated.
4. Place cookie dough into pastry piping bag fitted with a star tip (1M or 2M).  Pipe cookies onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Then top with a nice sprinkling of kosher salt.  (See how to pipe rose shaped cookies below!)
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are golden around the edges.  Enjoy!

***MAKE SURE TO LIKE 'WENDY SEE WENDY DO' ON FACEBOOK!!*** 

 

Buckeye Balls and a Guest Post from Follow the Wife

We are in for two treats today here at Wendy See Wendy Do: the wonderfully talented Libby from Follow the Wife is guest blogging AND she is sharing a tasty recipe straight from her mom’s kitchen!

Follow the Wife is a great resource for all soon-to-be and wish-they-still-were brides!!  Libby has great tips on how to change your last name, fun ideas for bridesmaid gifts, DIY wedding projects and much more.  Including some delicious recipes!  So without further ado… Take it away Libby!!

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Hello Wendy’s wonderful readers. I could not be more excited to be guest posting today. Wendy has been dazzling me with such amazing and delicious recipes and I’m honored she thought of me. Since I got married in May, I’ve been getting more creative in the kitchen thanks to the supply of new cooking tools I received at my shower. I’m also cooking a lot more now because I have someone to cook for. Pre-wedding it was grilled cheese and salads every night. But now I go to work on hearty beef stews, creamy risottos and, my favorite, mac and cheese. 

I’m a pretty good cook, but for this task I needed a little help. So I turned to the one person who could really help me hit this blog post out of the park: my mom. Wendy asked me to share a family recipe and my mom’s famous Buckeye Balls were the first thing that came to mind. She’s been making them for as long as I can remember—in fact, she got this recipe from a friend before I was even born and they have been a staple at every holiday gathering since then. 

You probably recognize the Buckeye as the Ohio State University mascot. The Ohio Buckeye is the state’s tree and on it bloom these nut-like capsules that have inspired today’s tasty treat. My family has no connection to Ohio or its famed university, but we do love peanut butter, which is the main ingredient in Buckeye Balls. 

Susan's Famous Buckeye Balls

Recipe from Follow the Wife

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 12 oz of creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 lb of confectioners sugar 
• 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 tbs of Crisco

Directions

1. In a food processor or stand mixer blend the peanut butter and butter till creamy. Add the vanilla and sugar and gradually pulse. If the mixture is too thick slowly add a few teaspoons of water. Once combined, roll into teaspoon-sized balls and set them in the refrigerator for about an hour to chill.
2. Melt the chocolate and Crisco in the microwave on high for one minute, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds. Using a spoon, dip the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate and place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Drizzle remaining chocolate over the Buckeye Balls and refrigerate again to allow the chocolate to harden. Enjoy! 

Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am sooo cold.... sooo cold!  My hands are freezing.  My feet are freezing.  My nose is freezing.  CHICAGO IS FREEZING!!  My solution... Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies.  These bad boys are amazing right out of the oven.  Gooey centers... crispy edges... and a spicy bite that is sure to warm you up!!

BUT of course I have forgotten to bring my butter to room temperature!  WAIT? NO!!! I WANT THE COOKIES NOW.  Don't you hate it when this happens?

Cold butter.... what to do??

FORTUNATELY... I picked up a trick from someone a few years ago (for the life of me I can't remember who) on how to get your butter to room temperature in a minute... not an hour!

Love my new rolling pin!

Place your cold stick of butter between two sheets of wax paper/parchment paper.  

Getting warmer...

Take a rolling pin and start pounding.  Once you flatten the butter out quite a bit you can start rolling until the butter is about 1/4 inch thick.  

Room temperature butter in a minute!

VIOLA.... you have room temperature butter.  Move quickly though and peel off the butter before it gets too soft! (If it does... no worries... just use a spatula to get it off.)

Chocolatey goodness.....

Now, where were we??  OHHHH... the freezing cold and Mexican Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Chipotle Cinnamon Sugar -- Spicy Savory Sweet

I used chipotle chili powder which can be really spicy.  So if you are concerned about the heat level then you can use regular chili powder or a combination of the two to get the spice just right!

I eat them straight out of the oven!!

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart/Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder if you want it less spicy)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, whip together butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar until creamy with an electric mixer.  Scrape down sides of the bowl and then beat in eggs.  Once combined slowly beat in flour mixture.   When dough is completely incorporated add in chocolate morsels and beat until combined.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and chili powder.  Using a tablespoon, form 1 inch balls of dough.  Roll dough balls in sugar mixture.  Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.  Bake cookies in batches for about 10 minutes, until cookies puff up and begin to crack.  Let cookies cool on wire racks.  Serve warm or completely cooled.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Bites

Cinnamon Sugar Flaky Delish!!

So far this week I have talked about pie and leftovers... so I thought it would only be appropriate to combine the two for this post and make it cinnamon sugary delicious.  If you read my blog Sunday - you hopefully enjoyed my recipe for Candy Cane Cookie Pies.  In the process of making those pepperminty delights I had quite a bit of leftover pie crust dough.  What to do??

Left over pie crust dough

I LOVE pie crust.  I can say with absolutely certainty that it is the only reason I eat pie.  Frankly I think all of that gooey filling gets in the way of the crunchy, flaky, buttery, toasty pie crust.  ((FYI: NEVER LOOK AT THE NUTRITIONAL INFO ON THE BACK OF THE PIE CRUST BOX!! TRUST ME!)) 

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Did you know that the first pie crusts ever made (we're talking hundreds and hundreds of years ago) weren't meant to be eaten AT ALL?  Slice of Life Sunday says Middle Eastern civilizations of long-ago made the inedible olive oil-based crust to keep the filling moist while cooking and to prevent spoiling.  Man were they missing out! 

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Well I certainly didn't want to let my extra pie crust go to waste!  No, sir!  So I decided to make Cinnamon Sugar Bites.  They are so simple to make they should be illegal!  (That and the amount of calories are probably horrendous but we won't think about that!)

Bites in the making

All you have to do is roll out your leftover pie crust dough and trim to make a rectangle.  Then divide and cut the dough into equal size bar shapes.  I used the left over dough from that to make even smaller bar shapes to make a tiered bite.  Then comes the cinnamon sugar!!

Cinnamon Sugar

Coat the bars with LOTS of melted butter and then liberally sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over those bad boys!  I almost ate one raw because they looked to good!

Tiered cinnamon sugar bites

Bake and viola.... 

Look at those flaky, pie crust layers!!

Bet you can't eat just one!

CINNAMON SUGAR BITES

Ingredients 

• Leftover pie crust dough
• Flour
• Melted butter
• Cinnamon Sugar (equal parts cinnamon and sugar)

Veggie Ham Crescent Wreath ReciDirections

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll out leftover pie crust on a floured surface to prevent sticking.  Cut off edges to make a rectangle.  Divide and cut dough into equal-sized bar shapes.  Place on sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray.  Repeat if you have additional leftover dough, making smaller bar shapes to create a tiered bite.
• Brush melted butter on top of the bars then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU MAKE WITH YOUR LEFTOVER PIE CRUST DOUGH?

Mini Candy Cane Cookie Pies

Peppermint packed recipe below

This weekend Joe and I had the fun task of taking down and putting away all of our Christmas decorations.  It's one of my least favorite things to do!  Miles of garland, tangled lights, millions of ornaments are all stowed away until next year and all we have left are candy canes.  LOTS of candy canes!

MMMmmm... Perfectly Peppermint

PLUS a box of the mind-blowing, culinary invention: Candy Cane Joe-Joe's from Trader Joe's.  They are sublimely delicious candy cane flavored Oreo-type cookies. 

Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's

Every year I struggle with what to do with the red and white candy treats and always wonder where did they come from anyways.  This year I decided to do a little peppermint research.  According to the Wiki-wizards, candy canes came on the scene in Germany in 1670.  A choir master asked a local candy maker to whip up a treat to keep kids quiet during his Christmas Eve performance.  The "staff" shape is meant to help the children remember the shepherds who cared for baby Jesus.  After that the cane shaped treats took off and became widely associated with the holiday season.

Early image of candy canes (via Wikipedia)

Like egg-nog... there is a point when I cannot handle anymore holiday inspired treats.  So I wanted to have one last peppermint horrah this weekend and use up all of my candy cane flavored goodies in the process. But what to do?

Nutella and peppermint.... awesome combo!

Thanks to one of my favorite blogs Picky-Palate and their devishly delicious looking Oreo and Peanut Butter Layered Baby Lattice Pies recipe -- I came up with a peppermint plan!  MINI CANDY CANE COOKIE PIES!

Look at those layers of chocolate cookie, peppermint cream and Nutella!

Talk about a winning combination: chocolate cookies, peppermint cream and Nutella cradled in flaky pie crust and topped with crunchy peppermint candy!    

First ice the tops of the Candy Cane Cookies with Nutella and make a stack of two cookies

Place cookies in muffin tins lined with 4-inch circles of pie crust

Top with more pie crust and use a fork to seal it together

Brush pies with melted butter and top with crushed candy canes

Peppermint Pie Perfection!

MINI CANDY CANE COOKIE PIES

Adapted from Picky-Palate

Ingredients 

• 2 refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts
• 16 Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe Cookies
• 1 cup Nutella
• Candy canes, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Veggie Ham Crescent Wreath ReciDirections

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Unroll pie crusts and cut out eight 4-inch rounds and carefully press into muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Spread Nutella onto each cookie and then stack two on top of each other.  Place cookie stacks into each pie crust. 
• With remaining dough, cut out 3-inch rounds and place on top of each pie.  Using your fingers or a fork crimp the edges.  Make a small slit on the top of each pie.  
• Brush melted butter on top of each crust and then top with crushed candy canes.
• Bake until pie crust is golden, about 25-30 minutes.  ENJOY!

 
Yield: 8 pies


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY CANE INSPIRED DESSERT??