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Back to School Recipe: Pizza Sticks

August 28, 2011 By 8 Comments

The kids are going back to school tomorrow.  No more homeschool for me (is your company hiring?  I need a job).  I made the difficult decision to send the kids off to school instead of keeping them home.  They are very excited about it!  And, I have to admit, I am a little excited about it, too.  So much so, that I’ve been busy this week planning out fun little lunches for them to take to school.

I came across a suggestion to make Pizza Sticks that could easily be made in advance, frozen and tossed into a lunch box with a container of pizza sauce for dipping.  My boys are big fans of pizza so I decided today to try them out.

They are SO good!

I just went searching for a basic and simple pizza dough recipe.  Then once it was risen, I added in some chopped pepperoni and shredded Parmesan.  I think this would be really good with some mozzarella or cheddar tossed in as well!

The dough was really sticky when I was trying to roll it into sticks.  They ended up being big ole fat sticks.  I need to remember to buy some cornmeal.

They baked up nice and golden brown in about 20 minutes.  The house smelled SO good!

I then took a pair of scissors and cut the sticks into pieces instead of logs and let them cool.  I plan on putting them in a tupperware with a side of pizza sauce for dipping.  FUN!

Lunchbox Pizza Sticks

(modified from AllRecipes)

  • 1 pkg active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 cups flour (I used all-purpose)
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp white sugar
  • 1/2 Tbs Italian (or pizza) seasoning
  • 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

In a mixing bowl dissolve the packet of yeast in the warm water.  Let set about 10 minutes (until creamy looking).  Add flour, olive oil, salt, sugar and Italian seasoning and mix on low speed of a mixer (or by hand) until well mixed.  You don’t need a dough hook here.

Cover bowl with a towel and let the dough rise till about double, approximately 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Once dough is risen, add pepperoni and paremesan and mix lightly with your fingers or a spoon.  Dough will be sticky.  Turn out onto a well floured surface and form into sticks.

Now, I was thinking that next time, I might just form the dough into a rectangle and bake whole.  Once baked, I can then cut into strips/sticks.   But this time, I formed four, long sticks (length of cookie sheet) and baked on a floured (or cornmealed) surface for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Once, cool, cut into desired size pieces and freeze.  Sticks can be put into the lunch box frozen in the morning and will be thawed by lunch.  Serve with pizza sauce.

 

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Sugar-Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream

July 19, 2011 By 11 Comments

It was my Dad’s birthday this past week and I wanted to bake him something special.  He is diabetic and doesn’t get to enjoy home-made baked goods like he used to and I’ve been experimenting with some recipes lately for him.  I decided I would make his birthday cake.

I’ve been thinking about whether I could make Swiss Meringue Buttercream with Splenda or not and I didn’t see why not.  I had asked on Twitter and I had one friend reply back that he had made meringue cookies with Splenda.  That was good enough for me.

I had made Sweetapolita’s Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the twins’ Mario and Sonic birthday cake that was absolutely delicious, so that was the recipe I started with.  The only change I made, was I substituted Splenda for the sugar.

I cut Sweetapolita’s recipe in half, so I combined 2 cups of Splenda and 1 cup of fresh egg whites into my double boiler (I used a small metal mixing bowl set inside a small pan of simmering water).

If you have ever used Splenda in anything before, you will know it foams when added to liquid.  Here it foamed.  A lot.  I wasn’t sure if it was even combining, it was just kind of a thick, lumpy, foamy mess.  This was the first time I got nervous.

After much whisking, it finally seemed to be incorporating together but I could not lose the foam.  I just kept whisking and praying.

I had my candy thermometer nearby and kept watch over the temperature.  When it reached 140 degrees, it kind of separated.  It was very thick and foamy and eggy (is “eggy” a word?) on the top 2/3 and the bottom was pure yellow liquid.  Here is where I panicked…again.  But I poured it into my Kitchenaide Mixer and started whipping with my whisk attachment.  I prayed.  Again.

My meringue was looking less than desirable.  It had little lumps.  I was already contemplating an alternative and was going to start pulling stuff out for a regular chocolate buttercream.  But the mixer kept whipping and I kept praying.

My meringue remained lumpy, but did thicken up nicely.  I was conflicted.  I was afraid if I started adding my five cubes of butter here that I was just going to waste FIVE cubes of butter.  This was either going to be brilliant or a disaster.

I love living by the edge of my seat!

I started to slowly add my chunks of cool butter.  Like regular swiss meringue is known to sometimes do, it separated and looked really watery.  But I kept adding my butter and I kept my mixer flying.

Eventually….

I’ll be damned if I didn’t have something that resembled smooth, creamy, and buttery Swiss Meringue Buttercream!

WOOT!!

It was at this point that I added in a handful (maybe 1/2 cup) of fresh pureed strawberries, my salt and vanilla.  I wanted to try and mask the Splenda taste that I could detect.  I don’t know if I could taste it because I’m not used to eating Splenda or if it was just really strong.  Because everyone else that tasted it said it was AWESOME!

Go me!

Recipe for Sugar-Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream

8 large egg whites (1 cup)

2 cups granulated Splenda

5 sticks of butter (I used salted, but original recipe says unsalted), cut into cubes.  Soft but still cool.

1 Tbs pure vanilla extract

dash of salt (probably can skip it if you use salted butter)

1/2 cup pureed fresh strawberries (optional)

Really, Sweetapolito has THE very best method instructions and I basically just followed them.  You just need to be aware that Splenda will foam and not dissolve into the heated eggs making for a very nervous baker.  But if you just follow it through…it WILL work and it WILL be delicious and it WILL make your diabetic daddy very happy.

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I just made my dad a sugar-free chocolate cake with sugar-free Swiss Meringue buttercream frosting.  I am quite shocked that it actually worked!  Oh Yeah!  Recipes coming soon…

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

June 21, 2011 By 9 Comments

 

Yep.  I totally went there.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes.  Absolutely amazing, delicious, rich, buttery and amazing!  Did I already say “amazing?”  Oh well, I’ll say it again…AMAZING!

I came across this recipe while Stumbling a while ago and decided to make these bad boys on Mother’s Day (yeah, I know I’m late with the post…better late than never!).  I found the recipe on Tidy Mom but she found the recipe on Annie’s Eats.  Both AMAZING websites (ha, I said it again).  But that just goes to show that AMAZING cupcakes get around.

Hehe…I’m so freaking funny.  Must be the sugar high.

Anyhow, the recipe is a bit complicated.  There are a few steps involved with filling the centers with cookie dough, but it is so worth it that you won’t even care.  Just suck it up and do it.  Totally worth it.

Let me say it again…totally worth it.

Cupcake Ingredients:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

Cookie Dough Filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Side-note:  The cookie dough filling is SO delicious.  And since it it egg-less it could be used in a lot of other recipes.  We do a chocolate fountain at family parties and little spoonful’s of cookie dough would be a perfect addition to that!

Frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract

Decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies (I used a snack pack of Chips Ahoy, they were perfect)
Mini chocolate chips

Assembly/Baking Directions:

Cupcakes:
Fill 24 cupcakes with paper liners and preheat your oven to 350° F.  Cream the butter and brown sugar together with a mixer (I used my Kitchenaid with a paddle attachment).  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt,  whisk together to blend.  Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk into the mixer bowl on low speed.  Mix just until blended.  Add in the vanilla and fold in the chocolate chips.

I use my 1/3 measuring cup to divide the batter equally between the prepared cupcake liners.   Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookie Dough Filling:
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

Fill The Cupcakes:
With a small paring knife, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake and fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture (about 1 lumpy teaspoon).

Frosting:
Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Mix in the flour and salt.  Add the milk and vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth and fluffy.

Decorating:
Using a large tip (of your choice) and pastry bag, generously frost your cupcakes.  Quickly add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips and a mini chocolate chip cookie.

Did you happen to notice how much butter is in the recipe?  I double lined these cupcakes and this is what seeped through to the outer liner!  Just call me Paula Dean.

So now I’ve shared my favorite cupcake recipe (of the moment).  What is your favorite recipe?  Please share!

Credits:  Recipe from Annies Eats.  She is AMAZING!

 

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Recipe & Review with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

June 8, 2011 By 6 Comments

Nothing like waiting till the last minute to enter a contest, huh?

Well today I’m here to tell you about some new offerings from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and share a favorite family recipe for the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Toast Ambassador contest!  Fun!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® recently introduced two delicious new products – Whipped & Creamy Taste and Spray Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil – that we can’t wait for you to try.

  • I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil is great for roasting chicken and vegetables. It’s the only spray made with extra virgin olive oil – 0 calories, 0g fat and 0g trans fat per serving
  • I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Whipped and creamy taste has 78% less saturated fat and 50% fewer calories than butter per serving

My husband has gotten me into the bad habit of using real butter on everything.  I won’t pretend it’s not delicious, but it really isn’t good for me.  Besides that, it’s a pain in the butt to break out a solid cube of cold butter to put on a soft piece of bread or toast.  I loved the Whipped & Creamy straight out of the fridge and it tasted just as good as the “real” stuff (just easier to manage and healthier for me!).  It’s a win win.

Grilled Pizza Sandwich’s

I was invited to create a toasted recipe with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and enter it into a National blogger contest with the winner being declared the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Toast Ambassador!  Since it involves a trip to New York for the finalists, I figured I would give it a shot!

My family camps.  A LOT.  And I’m always trying to find cheap, delicious and easily portable recipes to take with us on our trips.  Last year we went to the Grand Canyon and I had the brilliant idea of trying to make pizza’s over the campfire.  We have these really cool campfire cookers that are really handy to have.  You can make a whole variety of sandwich’s and other toasted items in them over your fire.

Generally we had just been making grilled turkey and cheese, or plain grilled cheese sandwich’s but I wanted to spruce it up and try something different.  I brought along sliced mozzarella, some squeeze pizza sauce and sliced pepperoni’s.  Instant campfire pizza!

Here is my recipe!

Ingredients:

  • Sliced bread.  Any really will do, but I find I like a good Italian or Sourdough bread for my pizza sandwich’s.
  • I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spread (Original or Whipped and Creamy)
  • Sliced mozzarella cheese.
  • Pizza sauce (I find the Contadina squeeze bottle is really easy to use and take with you)
  • Pizza toppings!  I use pepperoni, but this would be really great with any pizza topping:  sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers!  The combos are endless

Directions:

Butter the outside of two pieces of bread.  On the inside of the sandwich, squirt some pizza sauce and put a slice of cheese (or two!).  Fill with any of your choice toppings.  Put the two pieces of bread together, butter side out and cook!

Now, I didn’t go camping this week, so I couldn’t show you my campfire version.  But you would put your sandwich in the campfire cooker and place in an open fire until toasted.

At home, grill over medium heat until toasted on each side.  Just as you would a regular ole’ boring grilled cheese sandwich.

The kids LOVE these!  They are so easy and fun.  When I make them at home, it really brings back memories of our fun Grand Canyon vacation.

Enjoy!


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