Apple and Blueberry Turnovers

I had some leftover apple and blueberry pie filling, but I didn't have enough to make a whole pie so I made turnovers instead.

The recipe for the crust is the same I use for my pies which you can find here on my blog under Easy Pie Crust.

Then all you need is the pie filling of your choice.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After making the dough, roll it out and cut into squares. Put a little pie filling in the center of the square and fold it over. Seal the edges by pressing down with a fork. Slice about three holes on top of the turnover and put on a cookie sheet to bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Banana Bread

I always get a few bananas that become overripe, but they are still good for banana bread. So if I don't feel like making bread right away I put them in the freezer to use later. Then when they are thawed out and ready to use they are easy to mash.

Recipe:
3 bananas mashed

1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 sugar
1/4 c oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
nuts optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine mashed bananas, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla.


Mix together the wet and dry ingredients.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bread pan.

Bake for about 50 minutes.

Taffy Apple Pizza

I made this dessert for my friend's rehearsal dinner, and people were grabbing pieces off the plate even before I got in the door.
Then when I got home I was wishing that I had some leftovers so I just made another batch. It's a really simple recipe and super delicious.

Crust:
1 (about 18 oz) pkg of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

Topping:
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c peanut butter
3 granny smith apples
caramel topping
(optional) 1/2 c chopped peanuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out cookie dough to 1/4 inch on a cookie sheet or circular pizza pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes then loosen the cookie from the pan.



Combine cream cheese, vanilla, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Spread over cooled cookie.


Peel, core, and slice apples and arrange over cream cheese mixture.


Drizzle caramel over the top and if you want sprinkle with nuts.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bread with Berries

If you want a fresh tasting summer treat make this lemon bread.

Bread:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese
3 Tbsp powdered sugar

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
splash of milk
2-3 tsp lemon juice

Topping:
whipped cream
fresh berries

Cream the sugar, butter, and eggs.
Then mix in the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Lastly, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.


In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese and the powdered sugar together.

Pour half the batter in a greased and floured bread pan. Then, spread the cream cheese mixture in the middle, and top with the remaining batter.



In a 350 degree oven, cook for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown.




Top with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

I've been holding onto a jar of cherry rhubarb pie filling from Door County for some time now. I was in the mood for pie so figured I'd finally use it.

So no, the pie is not made from scratch, but I always make my own crust which you can find the recipe for under "Easy Pie Crust."

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

I made this delicious cheesecake for Alex's birthday. I found the recipe on the food blog Annie's Eats and adapted it a bit to make it smaller. I simply did not need to be consuming that much cheesecake.
The smallest springform I have is 8 inches when the original recipe called for a 9 inch pan. It's not a huge difference so I'm sure I'll still be eating cheesecake as dessert for every meal for awhile!
If you're not a fan of coffee flavored things I would still give this a try because it is not overpowering. You definitely need to be a chocolate lover though because the ganache over an oreo crust is pretty rich.

Crust:
21 oreos
3 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
pinch of salt

Ganache:
1 c. heavy cream
2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/6 c. coffee liqueur

Filling:
2 pkgs. cream cheese (8 oz each)
2/3 c. sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp dark rum
1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp brown sugar
2 large eggs

Topping:
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. sugar
optional- chocolate covered espresso beans

(visit annies-eats for a larger yield)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Crush the oreos and mix with the melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to coat all of the crumbs. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes and then let it cool.

Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Put the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes to melt.


Whisk in liqueur until smooth.


Pour 2 c. over crust, and put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.




Keep the rest of the ganache for decorating.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in flour.
In a separate bowl mix rum, coffee powder, vanilla, and brown sugar until dissolved. Add to cream cheese mixture. Beat in eggs, one at a time.



Pour the filling over the chilled ganache.
Bake for one hour.
Cool for 15 minutes on cooling rack while making the topping. Keep oven at 350.

Whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour the topping over the hot cheesecake, and bake for about 10-15 minutes. If you think it's weird to have a sour cream topping, don't worry. The vanilla and sugar make it super sweet.


Return to the cooling rack and let it cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Put it in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes before decorating it with the leftover ganache.



Put the ganache in a bag with a decorative tip and be creative! Top with chocolate covered espresso beans if desired.

Lasagna Rolls

I wanted to make veggie lasagna with a twist so I figured I'd roll up the noodles instead of layering them. It tastes the same, but it looks prettier. It's also easier to dish out.



lasagna noodles (about 8 for an 8x8 dish)
ricotta cheese
2 big garlic cloves
half an onion
artichoke hearts
chopped spinach (I used frozen)
mozzarella cheese
tomato sauce

Thaw frozen spinach and boil water for noodles. Oven should be set to 350.

Add garlic, chopped onion, artichokes, and spinach to ricotta cheese.


I love my garlic press!

Spread the mixture onto one lasagna noodle and roll up. Then set in a dish with a little sauce on the bottom.

Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until cheese is all melted and starting to brown.