ITALIAN BISCUIT COOKIE

This recipe is for an Italian Biscuit Cookie or as my husband likes to call the " Dream Cookie."  You may be wondering why he calls these cookies the "Dream Cookie"?  These cookies are so good you feel like you are in a dream?  The sugar, butter and almond flavoring combine together and literately melt in your mouth.  Add the buttery & creamy icing to the top and you feel like you have died and gone to heaven!!!!  I found these biscuits on Pinterest and they were called "Spring Biscuit Cookies".  Let me tell you....you can make these cookies in the spring, you can make them in the summer, you can make them in the fall, you can make them for Easter, Christmas, Birthdays....etc....No matter when you make them or where you bring them I promise you they will be gone, gone, gone! I have made them for Easter & Mother's Day and I tinted the frosting pastel colors or left them plain white and sprinkled pastel sugars on them.  This time around I made them for a trick-or-treat broker open house (yes, we are trying to sell our home).  As you will see I tinted the frosting a light orange, placed a candy corn in the middle and wrapped them up as a "thank you" goody bag.  I doubled the recipe and brought some over to a friends house as a gift for Halloween and brought extras to my parents Halloween party.  Make these cookies once and you will make them again, and again, and again!  People will request you bring these to their parties!  These are the types of cookies you will not be able to eat just one.  You eat one and then you just keep eyeing the platter of cookies and sooner rather than later you just go ahead and grab another...because they are just that good!  Believe me..or rather believe me husband when he says these truly are a "Dream" Cookie!

CIAMBELLONE - TUSCAN RING CAKE

I'm back!!  Well, I am back for at least the night.  Let's take the blog posts one post at a time!  For those of you who are not aware...I am pregnant with my fourth!  Yes, we will now have twin four year olds, a 15 month old and a new born....ahhhhh!!!!  I have not been able to post because I was so ill during my whole first trimester.  Now I am well into my second trimester, but to find any time to myself with a house full of little bambinos is close to impossible!  I have in fact found the time tonight and am very excited to tell you about a new cook-book I have fallen in love with.  The cook book is called  " Cucina Povera - Tuscan Peasant Cooking".  I have always labeled my cooking as "rustic gourmet".  I do not cook fruffy food with funny, unknown ingredients.  I cook using simple and fresh ingredients that are not complicated.  This cook book is simple italian food that reminds me of my grandma big time.

  Within the last week I made three recipes , the first of which is called "Ciambellone" a tuscan ring cake.  Italian deserts are my most favorite, because they are high in flavor, but low in sugar. This cake uses 8 ingredients that most of us have in our kitchen at all times with some added lemon zest and  fresh squeezed lemon juice.  It also calls for a cup of extra virgin olive oil which makes this tremendous crispy crust on the outside of the cake while leaving the interior of the cake moist and delicious.  These recipes are very old fashioned and do not use any high tech kitchen gadgets.  When mixing the ingredients to this recipe I used just a regular wooden spoon as not to overmix anything.  I sprinkled some powdered sugar atop the cake and served a dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side.  Super simple and super yummy!

HALLOWEEN SPIDER CUPCAKES

We have a Halloween get together every year and every year I try to find a fun dessert that my girls can make with me.   This year I found a really cute recipe for Spider Cupcakes that were super simple to make, easy for my girls to decorate and yummy for the kids (and some of the adults too!) !

FROZEN TIRAMISU

I have pretty much always stayed away from making any kind of "ice-cream" cake or pie.  Most of the recipe just seem a little too simple...meaning why don't I just serve my guests a bowl of ice-cream.  I have changed my mind after making a great, great dessert:
Frozen Tiramisu.  For father's day I was looking for a dessert that I had never made before and my family had never tried before.  I found this recipe in a Better Home & Gardens special interest magazine called " Just Grill It!".  Not only did I find the recipe for the Frozen Tiramisu, but I also marked the pages for some more frozen desserts and a ton of grilled recipes...look for it on the magazine rack!  So this Frozen Tiramisu turned out awesome!!!!!  It may have started out a bit slow.  My husband kids and I got home from a party last saturday at about 9:30 at night.  We put the kids to bed and I decided to look over the recipe so I would know what to do the next day to make it.  While reading the recipe over I realized that I needed to make this dessert in layers and needed to freeze it for 3  hours between layers and when done freeze the entire dessert for 8-12 hours...AHHHHH.  So at 10:00 at night I am making this darn dessert and then I realize I am out of butter.  My dear husband (pretty awesome) ran out to get me some butter. While he was gone I looked behind the milk carton in the fridge and realized I did in fact have butter.  Long story short...once I finally got started  the dessert was pretty easy to make.  It was well worth it as well....as the dessert was awesome, awesome, awesome!!!!  Plus you can freeze the leftovers and snack on it later in the week!

THE BEST EVER - PUMPKIN DIP

At our annual Halloween party this year a friend of mine brought over The Best Ever - Pumpkin Dip.  I don't really even know the true title of the recipe....but I call it The Best Ever...because it is just that....The Best Ever.  Honestly....all you need to do is take one little bite and you will want to eat the whole bowl of dip....with a spoon!  It was a huge hit at my party!  It is a dip that you can make throughout the holiday season and belive me you will want to make it again and again and again!


THE BEST EVER - PUMPKIN DIP 

• 1  12 oz. can pumpkin
• 1 large container of Cool Whip
• 1 large instant vanilla pudding - do not make the pudding, just add the mix
• 1 tsp. pumpkin  pie spice

Mix all ingrredients together well.  Serve with Nilla Wafers and Graham Cracker Sticks.

PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES W/ CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

I have to admit, I am not a huge sweets person.  I would much rather have a big bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy than a piece of chocolate cake.  That being said...I just made a dessert for our annual Halloween party that won me over BIG TIME!  I found a recipe in a Taste of Home magazine for Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting.  Let me tell you....these cupcakes are heaven wrapped up in a small little package!  In fact, I loved them so much, I had two of them the night that I made them.  Yes, I am pregnant....but I think even if I was not pregnant I still would have had two of these pumpkins.  I then had one the night of our party and then I had one the following night as well.  So the cupcakes won this battle - Cupcakes- 4 , Kara-0!  If you are looking for one must have recipe for the upcoming holiday season please look no further.  You could probably even use the batter to make a cake as well.  I cannot brag enough about these cupcakes.  Make them once and you will be hooked!

CARAMEL APPLE BREAD PUDDING

Here is a little secret....you know those little recipe magazines that you see when you are in the check out line at the grocery store...I buy them!  I buy them all the time.  I am addicted to them.  But I especially buy them around the holidays.  They have the best recipe for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New  Years.  I mostly  buy them for their baked goods recipes.  A few weeks ago I was standing in the check out line and a Taste of Home mini recipe book caught my eye by stating " Halloween: Food & Fun"!  That was all I needed to give in and pay the $4.99.  There were many great recipes in this book, but I found the best recipe of all, and I in fact have made it twice since.  This recipe was the Caramel Apple Bread Pudding. To be honest with you I am not a huge fan of bread pudding...that is until I found this recipe.  Usually bread pudding is thick and dense and heavy once cooked. This bread pudding was ooey and gooey and soft and fluffy and creamy and light in texture.  It was fantastic!  Please...I beg of you...please try to make this for at least one of your upcoming holidays....your guests will RAVE!

WICKED WITCH CUPCAKES

Halloween is one of my favorite events to plan a party for.  There are so many fun adult food and beverages, but there is also so many cute kids recipes to make....it is all about the kids right..wink, wink!  Anyway, here is another fun idea that I got from those little cookbooks you find in the check out line at the grocery store.  This book was called "Taste of Home Holiday:  Halloween Food & Fun".  I always try to make something fun for our annual Halloween party especially for the kids.  This year I picked the Wicked Witch Cupcakes! They were too cute to pass up!  I did however really simplify it for myself and just bought a box cake instead of making home-made cupcakes from the recipe they provided.  I will attach the recipe for the cupcakes below, but if you are like me and want to make things easier...just use a chocolate cake mix.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

Nothing says July 4th in the good ol' USA as good as a cherry pie does.  So I have "one upped" the cherry pie and have created Individual Cherry Cheesecake Cobbler Pies!  Ok...say that three times fast.  These individual desserts are to die for!  The are the perfect combination of cherry pie, cheesecake and cherry cobbler.  Place a nice big scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top and you have got a killer dessert.  I am telling you, even people who don't like dessert loved these when I made them.  To make it super simple for yourself purchase pre-made pie crust instead of making your own....that will really save you a lot of time.  Try this dessert for your 4th of July celebration...they will be the hit of the party!!!

"HERBED" THEME TEA PARTY MENU

I made it!  I officially made it through my first ever cooking "gig" without even breaking a sweat (well I think I did a little bit the last 10 minutes), but other than that all went extremely well.  My husband kept asking me if I was nervous and I just kept saying " Well, no I am not nervous at all...but I feel like I should be".  All went smooth and the good turned out fabulous!  I got to spend my day doing things I love...making food and watching people enjoy it.  I want to than Vignette's for giving me this oppurtunity!  I am including all my tea party menus and recipes for all to enjoy.

MENU:

-Tarragon & Thyme Chicken Salad
-Assortment of rolls with Honey-Chive Whipped Butter
-Grilled Asparagus Salad
-Minted Strawberry & Cantelope Salad with a Limoncello Syrup
-Lemon Verbena & Blueberry Teacake with Fresh Whipped Cream
-Mini Cherry Babycakes

GREAT MEMORIAL DAY DESSERTS

I had already posted these two great dessert recipes on early blogs, but had to post them again they are so good.  Smore Brownies and Cherry Cheesecake Bars, two very simple and great tasting desserts for the upcoming Memorial Day week-end.  Whether you are having a party, are invited to a party, or if you just want to make them for your fam, these are two desserts that should be made!

SMORE BROWNIES

•1 package brownie mix (make according to directions: eggs,
  vegetable oil, water, etc...)
•6 graham crackers broken into pieces
•1 package milk chocolate morsels
•2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Make the brownie mix according to the package directions adding the correct amount of eggs, oil and water it calls for. Mix brownie mix until well blended.
2. Spray a 9x12 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Pour the brownie mix evenly into the baking dish.
4. Place brownie mix into a pre-heated (350 degrees) oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes until lightly set.
5. Take brownies out of oven. Sprinkle the graham crackers over the mix. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the graham crackers. Last sprinkle the marshmallows over the top.
6. Place brownies back into over and bake for another 15 minutes or so until the marshmallows or a nice golden color - they will have the look of a smore.
7. Take browies out of oven. Let them cook completely in pan for about an hour or so.
8. Cut brownies into small squares. Place on platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHERRY CHEESECAKE BARS  

• 2 cups flour
•1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
•3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
•1/2 cup butter, softened
•1 (8 oz.) packaged cream cheese, softened
•1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
•1/4 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
•1 (21 oz.) cherry fruit filling

1. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease foil.
2. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl, stir until crumbly * I use my hands to make a crumbly crust.
3. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture unto the bottom of prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
5. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 minute or until fluffy.
6. Gradually add condensed milk and almond or vanilla extract, beating until smooth.
7. Spread over crust, and top with cherry fruit filling.
8. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup crumb mixture.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden.
10. Cool on a wire rack. Lift cheesecake out of pan using foil. Cool completely.
11. Place in fridge for a few hours. Cut into bars and serve or continue to chill.
12. Dust bars with powdered sugar.

 *Makes about 15-20 bars depending on how big you make them. I make them into 3x2 rectangles so they are on the smaller side. This way your guests can have a little of another dessert as well.

MOTHER'S DAY - Part Four - The Final Chapter

Ok everyone....this is it!  This the last post and final chapter of my Mother's Day Menu.  In this post I am going to share with you my recipes for my Flatbreads:  Tomato & Basil and Olive, Artichoke & Rosemary.  This are super simple flatbread pizzas to make.  I cut them up into 3 inch strips and they make a great presentation.  I served them right on the wood cutting board I used to cut them on.  It gave it a rustic feel.  I am also going to post the dessert recipes!  These desserts were to die for!  My guests actually did not believe that I made them....they thought I bought them from a bakery.  That to me is a compliment, because bakery goods are awesome and professional.  The mini Cherry Baby Cakes were super cute and melted in your mouth.  The  Lemon Layer Cake with Raspberry Curd and Whipped Cream, was honestly one of the best cakes I have ever tasted.  There are a few steps to the making of this cake, but it is not hard by all means.  The final presentation and taste of this cake is unbelievable!  These two are a must make item for your summer gatherings!

LEMON CORNMEAL CAKE W/ LEMON GLAZE & CRUSHED-BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Happy Cinco De Mayo!  My plan was to make a big elaborate Mexican Feast tonight to celebrate the 5th of May....but I decided against it for two reasons: (1) my husband will be in meetings in the city until late tonight, (2) I am having 16 people over this Sunday for Mother's Day and I will be cooking up a storm.  So that being said....I thought I would post a dessert I made last week-end a Lemon Cornmeal Cake w/ Lemon Glaze & Crushed-Blueberry Sauce.  I could pay homage to the Mexican culture by featuring a recipe that uses cornmeal; a staple in the Mexican cuisine. 

This dessert was awesome! I found it in my April/09 issue of Bon Appetit. The blueberries can get really sweet so I would suggest that you cut back on the amount of sugar you put in the blueberry sauce and also don't pile the blueberry sauce on....just a dollop on top....if you don't like things too sweet.  The cake is not sweet at all, but by the time you add the lemon glaze and then the sugary blueberry sauce it can get really, really sweet.  We actually like the cake by itself with the glaze with a few strawberries sliced on top and on the side...that was great.  The blueberry sauce we actually used the next day on our pancakes instead of syrup....that tasted great...not to sweet at all because the pancakes are not sweet to start with.  Anyway...this cake is simple to make...and it also makes a great presentation!

THE FIRST OFFICIAL COOK-OUT OF THE SEASON

Is anybody else as excited as I am about cooking out?  Finally the weather is getting warm enough where we have all started to think about grilled food and eating outdoors.  We had a busy day spreading about 15 yards of mulch around our plant beds this past saturday.  We enlisted the help of my 7 year old nephew (I know, I know child labor laws..).  He was really a good worker!  After they finished I invited my brother and sister n'law and thier kids over to our house for the first official cook-out of the season.  Here is what was on my menu:  Grilled Balsamic & Rosemary Porkchops, Italian Bread Salad, Fresh Green Bean Salad with Shallots, Bacon & Blue Cheese.  We washed it all down with some ice cold beers and the official summer cocktail: Spiked Lemonade!  Since there is always room for dessert I made a quick Open Faced Strawberry Shortcake.  This meal was quick and easy to make. I actually came up with it based on what I had in my pantry, fridge and freezer.  Sometimes spur of the moment dinner parties turn out to be some of the best!

LEMON CLOUD

Usually when I am having guests over for dinner I make way too many apps, and way too much food for dinner.  I am Italian...that is just what we do!  Then I make a ton of dessert, but most everyone just takes a bit of dessert and is never that hungry for dessert because they ate too much of everything else.  Last year I had my parents and in'laws over for a big Italian dinner.  I made pork roast and home-made eggplant parmesan.  I knew that by the time dessert came around nobody would have any room. So I decided to make a light dessert called Lemon Cloud.  I found this in my dessert recipe notebook.  I am not sure who the author is, but they should be given a big pat on the back because it is awesome!  It is a light, fluffy, whipped lemon mousse.  This dessert was a big hit!  I also just made it again for our neighbors.  Again, I made a heavy dinner, steak and cheesey potatoes.  I knew I had to make something light for dessert.  I served the Lemon Cloud garnished with some sliced strawberries and kiwi and served it with some Caputo's bakery cookies.  This dessert was a winner again.  It is so light and creamy and fluffy it just melts in your mouth!  ( wish I had a photo to show you...it makes a beautiful presentaion...but again I have a smashed camera!)

GRANDMA'S EASTER LEMON KNOTS - " TARALLI "

I would like you to take a moment and think about your childhood. Think about the recipes and dishes that your grandmother's or your mother's made for you.  Is there one dish that really stands out from all of the others.  A dish that when you walk into a restaraunt, a bakery or into someones kitchen that is making something that smells like  the dish you remember,  all of a sudden it just brings you back.  That smell or flavor just brings you back to your childhood.  It brings back memories!  I have many recipes that bring me back to my childhood when my grandmother's would put together the big family holidays, but one recipe in particular that just encompasses my childhood is my Grandma's  Easter Lemon Knots or " Taralli ".  For some odd reason when I was little I did not pay too much attention to the Easter holiday.  Don't get me wrong, it was fun...the whole Easter Bunny thing and eggs were great...., but in the overall picture of  all the holidays, Easter for some weird reason was at the bottom of my totem pole.  Which is why I find it so surprising, now that I am an adult, I find myself getting very emotional the last few years around Easter time.  While it was mundane when I was a child, I would give anything now to have it over again....just for one day...just to bring it all  back.  So that is why last year I decided to bring the memories back for my family and for myself and make my Gandma's Lemon Knots.

CARROT CHEESECAKE

This recipe has "Easter" written all over it!  The taste, the look, the whole shebang!  We had my family over this past Sunday to make Italian Easter Pizza (recipe coming in a new post soon).  Because we were already going to be taking over the kitchen making Easter Pizza we decided ordering in food would be the best.  I still wanted to have a little something home-made so I made this awesome Carrot Cheesecake. The flavors are a cross between carrot cake and pumpkin pie with the light creamy texture of the cream cheese.  I must say it was pretty awsome!  It was also semi easy to make (there are a few tricky steps like getting the nuts around the outside of the cake) and every ounce of time spent on this cheesecake is worth it.  This dessert is a must, must , must for the upcoming Easter holiday!

IRISH OATMEAL COOKIES

McCann's brand Irish Oatmeal is imported from Ireland which makes it not only great tasting, but authentic as well.  They have an outstanding recipe for Irish Oatmeal Cookies on the back of their box.  I actually made these cookies last year for a St. Patty's Day party we were invited to...they are great!  This year I am going to have to omit the walnuts from the recipe only because my daughters cannot eat nuts and I want them to enjoy them too.  Makes these great cookies for a party or just for your family on St. Patrick's Day...they will love them.  Just a little note:  on the side panel of the McCann's box is an Irish blessing that I pass on
to you:

"May you have warm words on

a cold evening.

A full moon on a dark night.

And the road downhill all the

way to your door."

IRISH OATMEAL COOKIES 

• 1 1 /4 cups softened butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1 2/ cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 cups McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars.  Add the egg and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add tot he butter mixture.  Mix well.
4. Stir in the oatmeal, raisins and walnuts.
5. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire cooling rack.

*Makes approx. 36 cookies

** Recipe and photo courtesy of McCann's

BUNNY PATCH DESSERT

It is funny, now that I have kids I am always finding dorky and yet cute recipes that I think would be fun for them. Things I would not normally make for a room full of adults such as this Bunny Patch Dessert cake.  It is totally easy to assemble if you follow the recipe. You could also just make a plan boxed cake and then decorate it with the coconut/food coloring, marshmallow bunnies and jelly beans.  I would make this dessert for the kids and then have a beautiful carrot cake or cheesecake for the adults.  But how cute would this be on the Easter dessert table...all the kids would just love it!


BUNNY PATCH DESSERT


• 1 package Sara Lee pound cake, frozen, cut into 10 slices
• 1 can (21 oz.) Comstock or other brand pie filling (blueberry, cherry or whatever flavor you like)
• 1 tub (12 oz.) Cool Whip whipped topping thawed
• 1 cup Coconut
• Green food coloring
• Pastel Easter candies and marshmallow Easter bunnies & jelly beans to decorate the top of cake with.


1. Line bottom of a 12 x 8 baking dish with cake slices.
2. Top with pie filling
3. Top with cool whip
4. Put in fridge to set
5. In the meantime tint the coconut a pale green with the food coloring. Sprinkle it over the top of the cake to
    look like grass.
6. Decorate with easter candies, marshmallow bunnies and jelly beans to make it look like the bunnies are
    playing in the grass.

* Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Kraft

Cherry Cheesecake Bars

We were invited over to our friends house this past Saturday along with our kids and some other families.  I was to bring some sort of dessert to share.  Since the weather had been a bit warmer this past week-end I wanted to make something fruity instead of heavy and chocolaty (is that a word ?).  I found a recipe in my dessert file from an old Southern Living issue.  It was for Cherry Cheesecake Bars. This seemed to be the perfect recipe; a little crust for the taste of a pie, a little cream cheese filling for the decadence and a little cherry fruit filling to feel a little like spring!  The dessert was a hit!  This could be a great recipe for the upcoming Easter Holiday!