Quick and Easy Apple Tart

This dessert is quick and easy and let's not forget delicious. With fall right around the corner this will be winner on your dessert table. 

1 whole Sheet Puffed Pastry, Thawed And Cut In Half

4 whole Apples, Cored, Halved And Sliced Very Thin

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 dash Salt

 Powdered Sugar, For Serving 

Caramel Sauce, For Serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. Place puffed pastry rectangles onto a baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray.

2. Add sugar and salt to apples. 

3. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
4. Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go. 

5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. 
6. Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter. 

7. Serve plain, with caramel topping, whipped cream, and/or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

Petite Vanilla Bean Scones


I'm a huge fan of scones and let's just say this one will not disappoint. Plus it's a Pioneer Woman recipe, hello! 

3 cups flour

⅔ cups sugar

5 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoons salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

1 large Egg

¾ cups heavy cream (more if needed)

2 whole vanilla beans

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

½ cups whole milk

1 whole vanilla bean

dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla “caviar” inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

3. Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.

5. Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together.

6. Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.

7. Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles.

8. Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze:

To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.

One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

Cowboy Calzone

Since it has been a while since my last posting, I feel obligated to explain, at least a little. It all started early January, when we got sick, all of us. Started with my son, then me, then my husband. It just lingered on forever, or so it seemed. Then the ice and snow decided to come to Texas, yes its true, we had ice and snow and temperatures in the single digits. Now I know that’s no big deal for some of you, but for us in the South, it’s a big deal, especially with the rolling black outs and all. Now if that wasn’t enough, next my computer decided to take a dive and now, after purchasing two new computers and having hours of technical help at my house, I am up and running and ready to start sharing my love for cooking and eating with all of you again. Oh and did I mention the family emergency intermingled into all of this, where my husband had to fly across country to deal with family issues. Enough explaining and I know this is boring you all, so lets get down to some serious business, cooking and Cowboy Calzones.

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook and I have to say it is definitely a keeper in my book. With the combination of meats, cheeses and the crust, oh the crust, this recipe is just wonderful. It is hearty, tasty and you can add as many extras as your heart desires. For me that means jalapeños of course. The extra spice is a bonus in my book, however, you can add just about anything that you and yours like. Make it simple or make it as elaborate as you desire, the final product is still, Simply Delicious.

Dough:

1 tsp. or 1/2 packet of active dry yeast

4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Pour 1 and 1/2 cups warm water in a bowl and sprinkle in yeast.

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in olive oil until just incorporated.

In a separate bowl, gently stir the yeast/water mixture. Drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture; mix until the dough forms a ball. (You can also mix by hand until the dough comes together.)

Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough in the bowl and turn over to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Filling:

1/2 pound hot breakfast sausage

1 pound ground turkey or beef

1/2 of a onion, diced

1/2 to 1 whole jalapeño, seeded and chopped

8 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

Salt and Pepper

Milk for brushing the tops of calzones

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large skillet combine the ground turkey or beef, sausage and onion. Brown over medium heat. Drain excess grease. Add the Rotel. Stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a bowl, combine the 3 cheeses, jalapeño and egg. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

Add the cooled meat mixture to the cheese mixture and stir gently to combine.

Divide the pizza dough into 10 equal-size balls. With a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Please know that I was able to make 10 out of this recipe. Others have only made 6.

Use a ¼ measuring cup of the meat/cheese mixture, place in the middle of each circle. Fold half of the circle over the other half, gently pressing to slightly spread and flatten the filling inside. Press and fold over the edge or use a fork along the edge to seal closed, and then transfer the calzone to a baking sheet with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the calzones with milk. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

Stuffed Mushrooms, Baby!

I made these Stuffed Mushrooms by The Pioneer Woman on Friday and let me tell you, they are easy and delicious! So I had to share it with you all.

These are excellent! To be perfectly honest I don't even care much for mushrooms so this says a lot about this appetizer. People seem to love these little finger foods as they disappear quickly. I couldn't stop eating them. So if you are looking for a quick and easy appetizer for your next gathering give these a try.

Stuffed Mushrooms, Baby!
The Pioneer Woman

24 ounces, fluid White Button Mushrooms
⅓ pounds Hot Pork Sausage
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
8 ounces, fluid Cream Cheese
1 whole Egg Yolk
¾ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
⅓ cups Dry White Wine
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instruction:
Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool. Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat. Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate. Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese. Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Enjoy!