Pizza Egg Rolls

I'm a big fan of cocktail party foods - little noshes that can be enjoyed at all kinds of gatherings from tailgates to fancy parties. No silverware required. I really like homemade egg rolls and one technique paired with different fillings can provide lots of flavor combinations.

I usually purchase egg roll wraps (available in your grocer's refrigerator or freezer section) but you can substitute homemade pasta sheets cut into squares. Deep frying produces the crispiest skin, but the rolls can also be baked.

I filled these rolls with pepperoni, salami, home canned pickled banana peppers and mozzarella cheese and a side of pizza sauce for dipping. Other tasty fillings could include:

• Any combo of your favorite pizza toppings
• Taco meat, cheddar, jalapenos with a side of salsa or sour cream
• Corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese served with Thousand Island dressing
• Pulled pork or chicken with cheddar cheese and chopped dill pickles served with BBQ sauce 

Prepare filling. In addition to salami and mozzarella,
I added pepperoni and pickled banana peppers.

Combine flour and water. Mix to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Make rolls: Place wrap with corner pointing towards you.

Place fillings in the center.

Fold bottom corner over filling.

Fold side corners over filling.

Roll wrap up so folded corners are inside.

Using your fingertip, place some of the flour mixture on the
tip of the final corner. Fold corner over wrap to seal.

Roll remaining wraps.

Carefully lower rolls into oil heated to 350 degrees. Cook until
golden brown, turning once. Rolls can also be baked.

Crispy outside, cheesy and savory on the
inside. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Pizza Egg Rolls

makes 10 rolls

10 egg roll wraps

30 pieces pepperoni

10 slices salami, cut in matchsticks

3/4 cup pickled banana pepper rings

1/3 lb mozzarella cheese, cut in matchsticks

Pizza sauce for dipping

To seal rolls:

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp water

Peanut oil for frying

Combine flour and water in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Set aside. Place three inches of peanut oil in a deep pan on top of the stove. Heat. Use a candy thermometer to determine when oil reaches 350 degrees*. While oil heats make egg rolls.

Place three pieces pepperoni in the center of a roll. Top with 3-4 salami pieces (matchsticks), 3 pieces of cheese and a few pepper rings. Roll up and seal with flour mixture. Set aside until all rolls are made.

Carefully place egg rolls in hot oil. Cook for three minutes, turning once until golden brown. Drain in paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Let cool slightly. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.

*To bake rolls, omit oil and place rolls on a baking sheet. Spray rolls lightly with cooking spray. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Baked Oatmeal

Don't let the name of the dish put you off. It's not boring, or even the same as stovetop or microwaved oatmeal. In fact, baked oatmeal is a breakfast game changer. Seriously. It's that good.

I often eat oatmeal for breakfast - instant oats cooked microwave or granola. Often referred to as a "superfood", the whole grains are satisfying and hold me until lunch. However the texture can sometimes turn out too gooey and just plain unappealing.

This baked recipe keeps the grains separate and toothy. The addition of eggs and baking powder adds protein and a bit of lift that provides a unique texture somewhere between a loose cake and a moist granola. Best of all, I can whip it up on weekends and refrigerate for a fast, satisfying weekday breakfast.

You can alter the recipe to your tastes: adding more/less sugar, omitting the spice or adding others seasonings like nutmeg, citrus peel or vanilla. You could also make a savory dish by omitting the sugar and adding grated cheese and chives to the mix. Since my husband and I both enjoy this dish, I keep it pretty simple so we can customize with our own toppings, including fresh & dried fruits, our homemade fruit sauce, nuts, or even a fried egg.

Combine oil, eggs, sugar and cinnamon.

Mix in oats,  milk, baking powder and salt. Pour mixture
into a 9"x9" and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Golden and toasty. All the grains are separated.

Good enough to eat plain but I like it with a
splash of cream and a few pecans. 

Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from Around the Table
Serves 6-9

½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup milk
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, eggs and brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well. Mix in oats, milk, baking powder and salt.

Coat a 9×9 pan with cooking spray. Pour out mixture in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve immediately, pouring milk or cream on top of each serving. Add fresh or dried fruit and nuts if desired.

Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat briefly in microwave before serving.

No Knead Crusty Bread

Before I found this recipe most of my fresh bread making was limited to weekends. Between the kneading, rising and baking the time investment usually meant breadless weeknight meals. This recipe changed all that. Why do I love it so?

It comes together fast: I just mix up the ingredients in my stand mixture and transfer to a rising tub. No kneading required.

You can leave it in the fridge until you're ready to use it: The dough can sit...wait for it... seven days in the fridge. It will rise and fall. Don't worry! Just enjoy the 3-4 loaves of fresh bread each week.

It tastes good: I've made this bread a lot and it always turns out well - crackly crust, nice crumb and depending on how long it's been in the fridge, a sour tang. I sometimes swap out some of the all-purpose for whole wheat flour for a nutty flavor.

I can make different sized loaves: Since it's just the two of us, I like a smaller loaf that we'll eat in a day, rather than a larger loaf that can go stale. I mean, I'll just bake another loaf the next day. That's right fresh bread every day!!

When you're ready to bake bread, just pull a hunk of dough from the bowl, shape into a loaf, let rise for an hour and bake. Easy peasy.

Mix the ingredients. The dough will be wetter than traditional bread dough.

Place dough (without kneading) into a bowl to rise. I use a plastic bucket with a lid.

I was in a hurry, so this dough was refrigerated for
 only two hours. As you can see it nearly doubled in bulk.

The risen dough will be a bit drier, but still sticky. Remove
1/4 to 1/3 from the bowl and form into a loaf. Return
the rest of the dough to the fridge for later use.

I make round loaves. Place the formed dough onto parchment.
This enables you easily slide it onto the hot bread stone. 
If you don't use a stone, place formed dough onto a sheet pan. 

Let the dough rise for one hour. Make two 1/2 inch cuts before baking.

While bread is rising, preheat oven and stone. I use a pizza steel, similar to a stone.
Heat an oven-safe pan along with the stone. When you're ready to bake, add a cup
 of water to the pan. The resulting steam will create a crispy, crackly crust.

Bake until deep brown, 25-35 minutes.

Look at that crust!! 

Nice crumb. Great for paninis, garlic bread, toast and sopping up soup and sauces.

Or just add butter!

No Knead Crusty Bread

From King Arthur Flour
3 cups lukewarm water

7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (32 oz by weight)
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant or active dry yeast

Note: The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. Measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, measure flour by weight: use 32 ounces.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon or dough whisk till everything is combined.

Transfer dough rise to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do.

When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.

Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can. Place the loaf on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the bread moist as it rests before baking.

Let the loaf warm to room temperature and rise; this should take about 60 minutes (or longer, up to a couple of hours, if your house is cool). It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you're using one) to 450°F while the loaf rests. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven. Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly. Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown. Cool and slice.

Easy, No Knead Cinnamon Rolls

I love breakfast foods. My weekday routine usually consists of fast options like homemade granola and yogurt, fresh fruit, oatmeal and occasionally a frozen homemade waffle reheated in the toaster. Weekends are a bit different. Sunday mornings we move at a slower pace and sometimes indulge in a brunch of sweet and savory dishes, juice and lots of hot coffee. (For me - the hub doesn't drink coffee. I know. Weird.)

These rolls are a favorite for a couple reasons. Although this is a double rise recipe, the first rise happens in the fridge overnight. Mixing up the dough the night before means I can actually get up at a decent hour and still enjoy sweet rolls before noon. I also like that the dough doesn't require kneading. Just mix, place in a bowl and toss in the fridge. Easy peasy.

I've suggested a few fillings below, but feel free to add your own ingredients. I especially like the orange-spice combo. Traditionalists will appreciate the cinnamon-sugar filling and hedonists will like the chocolate filling. Feel free to add your own touches. I like pecans or walnuts in the mix, as well as dried fruit.

Feeding a crowd for brunch? This recipe easily doubles.

Begin by proofing the yeast: combine yeast and warm water in a small
bowl. Let stand for  couple minutes. Don't worry - it's supposed to look weird. 

Combine dough ingredients. Dough will be wetter than traditional bread dough.

Do not knead dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

On a floured surface, roll dough to a 12 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread
with 1/4 cup softened butter and sprinkle with desired topping. 

I used the orange-spice filling and added pecans and candied orange rind.

Roll up dough beginning with the long side. Slice into 12 rolls.

Place rolls in pan, cut side down. Cover
and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

One hour rise time. Looking good!

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-22 minutes.

Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over rolls. Brunch is served!

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Adapted from Taste of Home
Makes 12 rolls

DOUGH

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

FILLINGS

Spread dough with 1/4 cup softened butter. Top with choice of filling.

Cinnamon: 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Orange-Spice:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. grated orange peel

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. each ground cardamom, ground cloves and ground allspice

Dark Chocolate: 

2-oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely grated 

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking cocoa

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

GLAZE
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 1 1/2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to form a very soft dough (dough will be sticky). Do not knead. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Combine filling ingredients and set aside. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Roll to an 18x12-in. rectangle. Spread the 1/4 cup butter to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan, cut side down. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile combine glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread over warm rolls.

Fancy Cookies: Cocoa Nut Swirls

I'm always on the hunt for a new cookie recipe. Especially a fancy cookie that offers more interest than a drop cookie. These nut swirls have a unique shape and a surprising flavor combination of nuts, spice and cocoa...and other good stuff.

While these cookies pair well with a cup of coffee or tea, they stand out on a cookie tray. They're more understated that their sugary counterpart - rather a gown up treat with a hint of chocolate, spice and essence of liqueur. And they're much easier to make than their shape suggests.

I included Nocino in the filling. It's a liqueur made from walnuts, orange peels and spices (and a local distillery just started making it). The Nocino compliments the nuts and spices in the filling. If you prefer, you can substitute coffee or hazelnut liqueur.

Feel free to roll the cookies as you like to form the design. I rolled each half of the recipe differently to make traditional palmier and circular shapes.

Make dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes until easy to handle.

I like the flavor of Nocino for this cookie. If you
prefer, use a coffee or hazelnut liqueur.

Roll each dough portion to a 12x8 inch rectangle. Spread
the filling to within 1/2 inch of the long edge.

Roll the long edges inward until the dough meets for a palmier
shape. Refrigerate dough log for 4-24 hours. Slice and bake.

Or roll up beginning with the long edge for a circular shape.

I made both shapes.

These cookies add an interesting design
(and unique flavor) to your cookie trays. 

Cocoa Nut Swirls

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Yield: 72 cookies

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Nocino, coffee liqueur or hazelnut liqueur
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Make filling: combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons flour, and the liqueur with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until smooth. If desired, stir in nuts. Cover; set aside.

Make dough: beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the 2-3/4 cups flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

Assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough, one portion at a time, into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half of the filling, spreading to within 1/2 inch of the long edges. For palmier shape roll up the two long edges to meet in the center. For circular shape, roll beginning with long edge. Brush the dough seam with water and lightly press together. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Place on a tray or cookie sheet. Chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets; set aside. Using a thin-blade knife, cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake about 8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks; cool.

Fancy Cookies: Tassies

My family refers to tassies as "little pecan pies". I've made these cookies with several nut varieties, but the shells make a great crust for lots of fillings including pastry cream, pumpkin filling or even savory seasoned eggs.

The trickiest part of these cookies is making uniform shells. I divide the dough into eight equal pieces, then roll each dough piece into three balls. Each dough ball gets pressed into the well of a mini muffin tin.

Pressing the pastry into cups is much easier with the use of a tart tamper. This simple tool helps spread the dough evenly in the cup. It's a cheap investment and works with both a mini and regular muffin tins, depending on the size of your tarts.

For these tassies, I used hicans, a cross between a hickory nut and a pecan. Feel free to use the nut you prefer: pecans, walnuts, pistachios, macadamia, filberts or a mix. These cookies hold well in the freezer - just place in an airtight container and consume within six months.

Begin by making pastry: combine cream cheese, butter and flour.

Form dough into a flattened circle, wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

While the dough rests, prepare the nuts. These delicious hicans grow well in Ohio.

Divide dough into eight wedges. Form each wedge
into three balls for a total of 24 balls.

Drop pastry into the wells of a mini muffin pans.

A tart tamper makes quick work of forming the shells.

Just coat the end in flour, then push into dough ball.

The dough will be pushed around the tamper, lining the well.

Two pans done in a couple minutes!

Make the filling. I like using a measuring cup with a spout to help fill the cups.

Fill the cups with about 1 Tbsp. filling and bake.

Little pecan (hican) pies!

Pecan Tassies
Makes 24
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

1/2 cup butter, softened
3oz full fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or substitute your favorite nut)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Make pastry: Beat 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until combined. Stir in flour. Form into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Divide pastry into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into three balls for a total of 24 pastry balls. Place one each in the wells of a mini muffin pan. Using a tart tamper, or your fingers, push pastry into the bottom and up the sides of the well.

Make filling: Combine egg, brown sugar and melted butter. Stir in nuts. Spoon or pour about 1 Tbsp. filling into each pastry cup. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool slightly in pan. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.