Crazy for Crust

Baked Penne

March 9, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 3 Comments

A few years ago my friend Joann (shameless plug: she's the author of Laney: The Brookehaven Vampires) made this pasta dish for a 4th of July neighborhood street party. We had all congregated outside with tables and pop-ups and had even dragged the BBQ around the side of the house to the street. If I remember correctly, this dish came out after a lot of the barbecue food had been eaten; we were stuffed with hot dogs and chips and dips. Did I mention it was probably over 100 degrees? And the pasta is a baked dish? But that didn't stop me, oh no. I ate two bowls of pasta until I was ready to explode. And then promptly asked for the recipe.This is a great dish for company, although I make it often for just the three of us. A 9x13 pan of pasta + … {continue reading}

Cookies & Cream “Oreo” Cupcakes

March 7, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 1 Comment

The minute I saw these cupcakes on Annie's Eats I knew I had to make them sometime. My daughter's birthday was the ideal option, since she LOVES Oreo cookies. (I know - you're thinking hmmm, I thought I saw that cute Disney cake that was for her birthday? Yes, you did. That was for her party. These were for her actual birthday. Spoiled kid, I know!)They are a sweet, moist vanilla cupcake with an Oreo cookie crust (right up my alley). They have chunks of Oreo cookie mixed in and a surprisingly light yet creamy and delicious frosting. It's like a whipped cream frosting crossed with a cream cheese frosting. Soooo good.I made a mistake when making them. I had taken out two sticks of butter (one for the cupcakes, one for the frosting) and after … {continue reading}

Sausage Croissants

March 4, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 3 Comments

These sausage croissants are the easiest breakfast you can make. And they are so good! My mother-in-law makes them and after one bite I had to have the recipe from her. There are only two ingredients: croissant dough and breakfast sausage. Can it get any easier? They are a breakfast version of these mini pigs-in-blankets that my daughter loves. And, shocker, she loves these breakfast treats too. (Although I have been known to find naked sausages with croissant crumbs on her plate when she's done.)And one of the best things about these is that you can freeze them! For later! Are you in a rush for breakfast most mornings? We haven't experienced that very much around here yet - Jordan is in afternoon Kindergarten. But next year she'll start … {continue reading}

Snickers Brownies

March 2, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 3 Comments

My mom loves Snickers. So when her birthday rolled around I thought I'd try and turn a Snickers bar into something else. Naturally I thought of brownies, since I've been on a major brownie kick lately. I have a recipe from Food Network Magazine for Snickers-style cupcakes so I incorporated some of their ideas into this recipe.Trust me - you want to make these brownies. I recommend making them when you have company, or can share them. I am a major "eat the entire tray of goodies" person, but even I couldn't eat more than one of these in a sitting. They are very rich and you almost need a fork to eat them, but they are awesome. The caramel melted into the brownie more than I thought it would, and they may not be the prettiest things I've ever … {continue reading}

Pretzel Rolls

February 28, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 1 Comment

I love soft pretzels. If I happen to be somewhere, like an amusement park, it's hard for me not to get one. Heck, even going to Target can be dangerous if I'm hungry (since they sell them in their restaurant). Awhile ago I was at Whole Foods and saw a loaf of Pretzel Bread. Genious! A soft pretzel you can use to make a sandwich. I think I ate the loaf of it in a day. (Um, it was small, yeah, very small.) Needless to say, when I saw this recipe for Pretzel Rolls in Food Network Magazine I ripped it out so fast I think I got a paper cut. They are a little bit of work, but totally worth it. I served them for sandwiches, but they'd even be good just as themselves, with a little butter, or even some cheese spread.Next time I make them, I'll … {continue reading}

Another Adventure in Cake

February 16, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 2 Comments

We celebrated my daughter's 6th birthday last weekend. Well, we celebrated with her friends. She's a lucky girl; she's got another party with family this weekend (for her actual birthday). The theme of the party was "Disneyland," complete with character cut-outs, themed games, and cake.Of course there was cake. There still is cake, 4 days later. Only now we have cake, and valentine treats, and candy. Oh my.I'm buried in sugar.And I love it.I got one of those giant cupcake pans for Christmas, and I really wanted to use it. I wanted to do a Mickey Mouse hat on the top of the cake, and the top of the giant cupcake resembles that shape. But of course, you can't just have a giant cupcake cake. No way. You have to layer it on top of another large … {continue reading}

Heart-Shaped Pop Tarts

February 10, 2011 By Dorothy Kern Leave a Comment

I love Valentine's Day. As a young (single) adult I hated it (as do most young single women, I suppose). Once I met (and married) my husband I loved Valentine's Day because we'd go out to dinner, have a romantic evening, and I'd get flowers. Once my daughter got to be a few years, old Valentine's Day changed. It somehow became a kid holiday. Parents, do you know what I mean? Suddenly I was making heart-shaped everything: pancakes, sandwiches, muffins. Leaving out a Valentine surprise for her became as exciting as Santa Claus.Each year I try to find something new and different to make for her to eat (heart-shaped, of course). A long time ago I came across a recipe for homemade pop tarts from Smitten Kitchen. They sounded awesome and as soon … {continue reading}

Valentine’s Day Cake Balls

February 7, 2011 By Dorothy Kern Leave a Comment

Have you ever heard of a cake ball? If you haven't you're in for a treat. They are exactly what they sound like: little balls of cake. Except for one thing: they are dipped in chocolate. Yes, you heard me right. Cake and chocolate, like a truffle. I'll wait while you go get a napkin to clean the drool off your computer.I'd never heard of these delightful concoctions until about a year ago, when I discovered Bakerella. If you haven't been to her website, you really should check it out. She started out making cake balls and then started making cake pops (way before Wilton jumped on the bandwagon, I really hope they've sent her a thank you card). Her pops are truly works of art.Like truffles, cake balls take time to make. But they are so good! … {continue reading}

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips & Chocolate Sauce

February 3, 2011 By Dorothy Kern 6 Comments

If you haven't already guessed, I love sweets. A lot. Sure, I like me a bag of chips now and again, but usually when I go for a snack it's got sugar in it. So my sweet tooth was feeling left out of the Super Bowl Snack planning. Chips and dip are a staple for any party, especially one involving football. I don't know the statistics, but I have a feeling that the Super Bowl is like Black Friday for the chip companies. I have no idea why this recipe popped into my head yesterday. Maybe it's because I love chocolate or because my daughter had cinnamon toast for breakfast. I'm not sure, but you'll be glad it did. Cinnamon sugar tortilla chips with a chocolate dipping sauce. Amazing right? Perfect party food for those of us who hit … {continue reading}

Super Bowl Snacks II (Green Bay Grilled Cheese)

February 1, 2011 By Dorothy Kern Leave a Comment

In honor of all things fair and equal, I figured I should come up with a Super Bowl snack for Green Bay. The first thing that came to mind was, of course, those cheese-head hats they wear. Google "food traditions" and "Green Bay" and you quickly discover they like a few things a lot in Wisconsin: beer, brats, and cheese. I immediately thought of a grilled cheese sandwich. They're easy, delicious, versatile, and they make great party food.Now, my daughter would prefer just cheese and bread, but I wanted to mix it up a little. While making sausages with peppers and onions for dinner the other night it popped into my head: grilled cheese with peppers and onions. Salty from the cheese, sweet from the peppers and onions. I also decided to add … {continue reading}

Baked Penne

Cookies & Cream “Oreo” Cupcakes

Sausage Croissants

Snickers Brownies

Pretzel Rolls

Another Adventure in Cake

Heart-Shaped Pop Tarts

Valentine’s Day Cake Balls

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips & Chocolate Sauce

Super Bowl Snacks II (Green Bay Grilled Cheese)

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