recipes

Easy Miniature Pies

/ Sarah Collins / 1 Comment

These are some easy pies I made. I didn’t have a recipe, just an idea. This recipe would probably make twice as many pies, but 120 pies would be a lot of pies.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans pie filling – different flavors (I used cherry and blueberry) *
  • 1 container of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling
  • 4 boxes of Fillo Pastry Shells
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

  1. Cook Fillo Pastry Shells on a cookie sheet as directed on the box and let cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Prepare crumble topping by combining butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. Stir until crumble is in small chunks.
  4. Place 20 of the Fillo Shells on a serving dish. Place about 1 tsp of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling in each pastry shell. Top each cheesecake with about 1/2 tsp of pie filling. Place in refrigerator. Note: You will have cheesecake filling left over.
  5. Fill 20 of the Fillo Shells with approximately 1 tsp of the pie fillings each. Fill 20 of the Fillo Shells with the other pie filling. Sprinkle crumble on top. Note: You will have pie filling and crumble left over.
  6. Bake the miniature pies in oven until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Caution: Do not bake the Cheesecake Miniature pies.
  7. Let cool completely.
  8. Prepare Whipped Icing:
    1. Place a mixing bowl in freezer for at least 5 minutes.
    2. Beat heavy whipping cream on high speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar. Add Vanilla.
    3. Continue to beat on high speed until mixture forms peaks and can hold its shape.
  9. Place Whipped Icing in a piping bag, or a Ziplock bag with the end cut off, and pipe the icing over each of the pies.

* Please do not use store brand pie filling. Buy the good stuff.

Each box contains 15 Fillo Pastry Shells

Fillo Pastry Shell

The entire container of Philadelphia Cheesecake filling would probably fill about 60 Fillo Pastry Shells. I didn’t use it all because I wanted a variety of pies. Some cheesecake filling and the pie filling can be placed into a bowl and eaten, by the cook, while baking.

Good Stuff
Miniature Pies – The Whipped Icing taste like whipped cream.

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

/ Sarah Collins / 1 Comment

Oh, my house smelled so good after I made this cake. I started with the recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions:

  1. Move oven rake to center position in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray Bundt pan with Pam for Baking
  3. Wash and remove stems from blueberries. Drain and let dry on paper towel.
  4. In a small mixing bowl gently whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
  5. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans
  6. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and white sugar. Beat on medium/medium high speed until mixture is creamy.
  7. Beat one egg at a time into sugar mixture.
  8. Add Vanilla into sugar mixture.
  9. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture; about 1/3 of flour mixture at a time and beat on low speed until combined. Scrap bowl well and beat on medium speed until fully combined.
  10. Stir in sour cream.
  11. Fold Blueberries into batter.
  12. Pour approximately 1/2 of the batter into the Bundt pan.
  13. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the cinnamon/pecan mixture over the batter in the pan.
  14. Gently add the remaining batter to the Bundt pan. Make sure the batter in even in the pan.
  15. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon/pecan mixture over the batter.
  16. Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.
  17. Check the cake the make sure it is done by sticking a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, continue to bake the cake and check for doneness every 5 minutes.
  18. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Place a folded dishrag on a countertop and gently tap the Bundt pan on dishrag to loosen. Invert cake on wire rack and let cool completely.
  19. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

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Oreo Chocolate Bundt Cake

/ Sarah Collins / 1 Comment

It’s that time again when the baking starts, and the goodies head off to work. I have several Nordic Ware Bundt pans, so this year I wanted to make some Bundt cakes for the baking season. After intense research, I decided to make an Oreo Chocolate Bundt cake. I started with the recipe from Liv for Cake.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cup Hersey Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup milk (room temperature)
  • 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1 cup butter (room temperature)
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 12 Oreo cookies broken into chunks

Note: Room Temperature – I place the items on the counter until the butter is soften. The butter should hold it shape but easily dented. It usually takes about an hour obtain room temperature, depending on the temperature of the room and the butter.

Icing

  • 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Morsels
  • Powder Sugar (if needed)
  • 1/2 cup of Hershey White Chocolate Morsels

Decorations

  • 6 Oreo cookies crushed into crumbs
  • 30 Oreo whole cookies (Optional)
  • 2 12oz packages of Hershey White Chocolate Morsels (Optional)

Instructions:

The Basics

  1. Move oven rack to the center position
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  3. Spray Bundt pan with Pam for Baking and dust with cocoa powder

Cake

  1. In a small mixing bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Whisk together until it takes on a chocolate color and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy. If using a hand mixer, scrap side of bowl regularly to make sure all ingredients are combined.
  3. Beat one egg at a time into the butter and sugar mixture, making sure it is thoroughly combined.
  4. Add vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture, making sure it is thoroughly combined.
  5. Add about a third of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat on low until combined.
  6. Add about a third of the milk to the mixture and beat on low until combined.
  7. Add about a third of the sour cream and beat on low until combined.
  8. Repeat step 5 – 7 until all the ingredients (except Oreos) are well blended together.
  9. Pour half of the cake batter evenly into the Bundt pan. Springle the Oreo chunks onto the Bundt pan. Cover the Oreo chunks with the remaining batter.
  10. Make sure the cake batter is spread evenly into the Bundt pan.
  11. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted unto the cake come out clean.
  12. Cool the cake for 10 minutes. Tap on the Bundt pan to loosen the cake and invert onto a cooling rack.
  13. Cool the cake completely. It will take several hours.
  14. Move the cake to the cake dish for icing and decorating.

Decorating – Optional

As an added bonus, I placed chocolate covered Oreos around the cake before Icing.

  1. Cover a work area with parchment paper to allow Oreos to harden.
  2. Place 12oz of white chocolate morsels in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
  3. Stir. Microwave for 15 seconds and stir again. Repeat until the morsels are completed melted and creamy (no chunks).
  4. Immediately, dip Oreos into white chocolate and place on parchment paper. Springle with the Oreo crumbs.

Note: I was able to make 15 covered Oreos with one 12oz bag of morsels.

Icing – Chocolate Ganache

  1. Once the cake has cool completed, you can put the Chocolate Ganache on top.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, place 1/2 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream. Microwave for 1 minute until cream is hot (not boiling).
  3. Add 1/2 cup of chocolate morsels and let sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir the mixture until it has the chocolate color. The mixture must be thin enough to pour on the cake, but not runny like water.
  5. Let the mixture sit for another 5 minutes and stir. If mixture is still too thin, keep repeating this step until the mixture is cool.
  6. If the mixture is still not thick enough, add 1 tsp of powder sugar to the mixture, stir well, until the mixture is at the right consistency.
  7. Pour evenly on top of the cake.
  8. Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate morsel in microwave and drizzle over ganache.
  9. Springle the remaining crushed Oreos over the cake

The report from the office was that the cake was devoured. So, it was probably good.

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Pizza Stuff

/ Sarah Collins / Leave a comment

This recipe was created after I gave up all flour and I still wanted pizza.

Pizza Stuff

Pizza Stuff

Ingredients:

  • 1 lbs. Ground Meat
  • 1 lbs. Italian Sausage
  • 4 Slices of Cooked Crispy Bacon crumbled
  • 50+/- Slices of Pepperoni
  • 20+/- Slices of Canadian Bacon (optional)
  • 1/2 small onion chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 bell pepper chopped (optional)
  • 8 oz. of shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 12 oz. of shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder

Needed Items:

  • Skillet
  • Baking Dish – I usually used a deep pie dishes but any baking dishes will work.
  • Spoon to stir mixture

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Place Ground Meat in skillet and season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  A 1/4 teaspoon of each is usually sufficient.  Add Italian Sausage, Onions and Bell pepper. Cook until the meat mixture is brown.

After meat is brown add approximately 20 slices of Pepperoni and 20 slices for Canadian Bacon to ground meat mixture.  This is strictly according to your taste.  I usually add both to the bottom of the skillet and stir.  Let the mixture simmer while you prepare a baking dish.

  • Layer the bottom of baking dish with Pepperoni
  • Cover the Pepperoni with half of the meat mixture
  • Cover the meat mixture with half of the Cheddar Cheese
  • Add another layer of Pepperoni
  • Cover the Pepperoni with the remaining meat mixture
  • Sprinkle crumbled Bacon over meat mixture
  • Add another layer of Pepperoni
  • Cover entire dish with the Mozzarella Cheese

Bake in Oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until all cheese is melted and turning golden brown.  I usually cook for 20 minutes and  then check every 5 minutes until done.

Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and slice and serve.

This dish maybe low carb, but it does have a lot of fat.