Panzerotti

This is a pretty quick dinner that my kids call backwards pizza. The dough requires no rising which can be good thing if you are like me, and don't always plan too long ahead of time.


Dough:

Dissolve 2 tsp of sugar in 1 C of warm water.
Sprinkle one envelope (or 1 T) of yeast on top. Let stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Mix lightly.

Add 4 T of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 C flour and mix together. Knead on a floured surface for several minutes or until smooth and a bit stretchy.



Roll dough and cut into rounds (I usually use a cereal bowl). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or some greased foil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spread sauce on the dough. Put grated cheese and whatever pizza toppings you like on half of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the cheese and pinch well with a fork or fingers to ensure a good seal. Cut some slits on the top and brush with olive oil. If desired, sprinkle some parmesan on top.



Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. Bon Appetit!

Tiramisu Layer Cake - AKA Kaluha Cake

Here is a fantastic-ly easy cake with W-O-W results!

It starts with a white cake mix (shh, don't tell)

and ends with lots of Oooo's and Ahhhh's!

Kahlua Cake:

1 pkg white cake mix (I like Betty Crocker the best)

1/4 c. instant coffee

1/4 c. coffee

2 T. Kahlua

Filling:

1 - 8 oz block cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sour cream

1/2 c. powdered sugar

4-5 T. Kahlua

Frosting:

3 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

4 T. Kahlua

Garnish:

2 T. cocoa powder

Chocolate curls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 (9in) round pans.

Prepare cake mix according to directions. Divide batter into thirds. Place 1/3 of plain cake mix into a pan. To the other 2/3's add the instant coffee, stir to combine - then pour into the remaining 2 pans. Bake for about 20 minutes. Use a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake to check for done-ness. Cool for 10 mins in pan, then turn out onto a wire rack.

In a measuring cup, combine 1/4 c. coffee and 2 T. Kahlua. When cakes are cooled, brush the coffee/Kahlua mixture over the 1 white layer. Set aside.

To make the filling: In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid, combine cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar and Kahlua. Beat until creamy and fluffy. Set aside.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid, combine whipping cream, powdered sugar and Kahlua. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Add about 1/2 of the frosting to the filling and stir until incorporated. Set aside.

To assemble the cake: Place one coffee cake layer on a serving plate. Then spread 1/2 of the filling over the cake. Top with white cake layer. Spread with remaining filling. Top with last coffee cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Place cocoa in a sieve and lightly dust top of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Better than Crunchie Bar

One of my favorite chocolate bars is a Canadian one called Crunchie. I have fond memories of buying small bricks of it from the Bulk Barn with my Nana, who still loves the stuff. This recipe is so quick and easy, either plain or dipped in chocolate.

2 1/2 C white sugar
2/3 C corn syrup
6 T water
2 tsp vanilla
2 T baking soda

Line the bottom of a 9X13" pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment sides are at least 2 inches above the sides of the pan. Grease with a little bit of oil, or some cooking spray. Set aside.

Add the sugar, corn syrup and water to a deep, heavy bottomed pan. Stir ingredients together then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, without stirring. Cook until the hard crack stage-- 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer. It should take about 10 minutes. During the cooking process, if there are any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, brush the sides with a clean pastry brush dipped in water.

Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the vanilla and then the baking soda. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit after adding the baking soda. Immediately pour into the pan. Let cool and set completely. Peel off the parchment and break into pieces. Dip in melted chocolate if desired or eat plain. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Bon Appetit!

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip

I love spicy anything.

The hotter the better!

I found this recipe in one of those

"2 free recipes" brochures that come in the mail,

from Taste of Home.

I didn't order what they were selling,

but this recipe is a keeper!

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip:

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 c. Louisiana-style hot sauce
1 c. ranch dressing
3 cans (4.5 oz. each) of chunk white chicken, drained and shredded
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 bunch of green onions, chopped, divided
Corn or tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, hot sauce and ranch dressing. Stir well. Add chicken, 1 c. cheddar cheese and 2/3's of the green onion. Combine - then spread into a 11x7 inch baking dish. I used a round stoneware pan, which worked well also.

Bake, uncovered for 20-22 minutes or until heated through. At about the 1/2 way mark, I sprinkled the remaining cheddar cheese over the dip. Once removed from the oven, sprinkle the remaining onions on top.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Bon Appetit!