Who can resist buttery, flaky breadsticks made of puff pastry? Not me! And you thought puff pastry was only for tarts and pies.

If you can use a rolling pin, mix a few spices together, sprinkle some cheese, and twist strips of dough together, you will love this recipe for Spicy Cheese Breadsticks by Tasty Kitchen member Heather Christo.

I have a feeling most of you have some if not all of these ingredients in your kitchen: puff pastry, flour, shredded cheddar cheese, fennel, cayenne pepper, poppy seeds, and kosher salt.

Heather’s blend of spices is what makes these breadsticks yummy!

First you will need to generously flour a clean surface for rolling dough. Unfold the puff pastry and roll it as thin as you can. Make sure to retain the square shape as closely as possible. Periodically check to make sure the dough is not sticking to the surface by adding more flour when necessary.

Look at this beautiful sheet of buttery goodness!

Add all your spices to a small bowl.

Give the spices a quick stir. This will make it easier for you to sprinkle and spread on the puff pastry.

Evenly sprinkle the spices over the puff pastry. Use your hand to make sure you get it as even as possible from edge to edge.

Using a rolling pin, roll over the spice so they embed themselves into the puff pastry. This is a critical step in making sure the spices remain on the puff pastry without rubbing off.

Similar to a previous step, sprinkle the spiced puff pastry evenly with the cheese, edge to edge, using your hands if necessary. Using a rolling pin, roll over the spiced puff pastry to embed the shreds of cheese into the pastry.

Cut the puff pastry into 8 even strips. You can use a pizza cutter or a knife. I like to make one cut down the middle of the pastry, then two more cuts down the center of each half, and then one last cut to halve each strip so I have 8 perfectly even strips.

With both hands on each end of a strip, gently begin to twist each strip until it will not twist any further. Do this with all eight pieces.

Carefully transfer the breadsticks to baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the breadsticks in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they look nice and golden brown with cheese oozing out of them.

Allow the breadsticks to slightly cool before serving them. Heather suggests serving them vertically by placing them in a tall cup and fanning them out. They are almost too beautiful to eat!

Thanks so much Heather, our family loves your breadsticks!

For more great recipes and home decorating or entertaining advice, be sure to check out her blog, Heather Christo Cooks.

Printable Recipe

Spicy Cheese Breadsticks

by Heather Christo on December 19, 2011 in Appetizers, Snacks December 19, 2011 AppetizersSnacks

See post on Heather Christo’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Share f a e

8

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

Flaky, hot and buttery bread sticks with little bits of melting cheese.

Ingredients

• 1  Sheet Puff Pastry (A Box Typically Contains 2 Sheets)
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• ½ cups Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Flour, For Rolling Out Dough

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare a sheetpan with parchment or a Silpat.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the sheet of puff pastry until it is quite thin.

In a small bowl, mix together all of the seeds and spices. Sprinkle them over the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll them into the dough.

Sprinkle the cheese over the dough. Roll the cheese into the dough.

Slice the dough into 8 even strips. Twist from both ends of each dough strip so that the dough spirals into a breadstick. Lay them on the lined sheetpan.

Bake the breadsticks for 15 minutes until golden. Let cool for a moment then transfer to a tall glass and fan out to serve.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s also a weekly writer for PBS Parents’ Kitchen Explorers. She’s the best-est.

 
If you love ahi (tuna) sashimi or sushi, then you are going to love this easy Hawaiian Ahi Poke recipe by Tasty Kitchen member A Spicy Perspective. When served in little bowls, this dish makes a stunning starter for a dinner party.

Let’s get started.

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need: sashimi-grade ahi steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, shallot, scallions, and sesame seeds.

The first thing you’ll need to do is pat the ahi dry with a paper towel on both sides.

Using a sharp knife, cut the ahi into 1/2-inch cubes.

Places the cubed ahi in a bowl and set a side for a couple of minutes.

To make the sauce, start by cutting a shallot into very thin slices. Make a couple of cuts to break up any shallot rings. Place the shallots into a medium mixing bowl.

Thinly slice a small bunch of scallions. Add the scallions to the bowl with the shallots.

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, and sesame seeds to the bowl.

Look at how pretty all those ingredients are together!

Give the sauce (which also serves as a marinade) a quick stir.

Add the ahi to the marinade or add the marinade to the ahi.

Gently stir the ahi until it is coated with sauce.

Spoon the ahi into 8 individual bowls and serve immediately.

Thank you, Sommer. My husband, mother, and I enjoyed indulging ourselves in your yummy appetizer!

For more great recipes, please check out Sommer’s blog, A Spicy Perspective.

Printable Recipe

Hawaiian Ahi Poke

by aspicyperspective on December 23, 2011 in Appetizers, Salsas December 23, 2011 AppetizersSalsas

See post on aspicyperspective’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 8 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Share f a e

8

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

A fresh seafood salad popular all over the islands. Poke makes a splash at any holiday party served in shot glasses!

Ingredients

• 2 whole Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna Steaks
• 1 whole Shallot, Sliced
• ½ cups Chopped Green Onion
• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Seasame Oil
• 1 teaspoon Chili Garlic Paste Or Sriracha
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Preparation Instructions

Pat the ahi dry, then neatly cut it into small 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a bowl.

Add the shallots, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, and sesame seeds.

Gently toss. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Makes 6- 8 appetizer portions.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s also a weekly writer for PBS Parents’ Kitchen Explorers. She’s the best-est.

 
Just when I thought I had seen every variation of Rice Krispie treats, Tasty Kitchen members Chrissy/Lauren (Chrissy and Lauren of From the Yellow Kitchen) delightfully prove me wrong with their fun and creative Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats made with chocolate, Nutella, peanut butter, marshmallows, pecans, and rice cereal. These bars are a chocolate lover’s best friend, especially since no baking is required and they only take minutes to prepare. For the record, I’m partial to these types of recipes because of the “easy factor” with a huge chocolate payoff. Who is with me?!

Let us begin.

First you’ll need the following ingredients: chocolate chips, peanut butter, Nutella, mini marshmallows, pecans, and Rice Krispies. The recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate, but you could easily substitute milk bittersweet, or dark chocolate depending on your personal preferences.

Mix the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and Nutella together in a microwave safe bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave by cooking it in 30-second intervals, making sure to stir the mixture immediately after every interval until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is completely smooth.

Stir in the pecans, marshmallows, and rice cereal until all the ingredients are well coated with chocolate.

I added an additional cup of cereal to mine because I thought it could use a bit more. Use your own judgment in deciding to add more cereal, pecans, or marshmallows.

Transfer the mixture to an 8×8 pan or small baking dish coated in non-stick spray.

Spread the mixture until it is evenly distributed.

Add more pecans and marshmallows on the top and press down.

Place the pan in the refrigerator for one hour before cutting into squares. Tip: Forty minutes in the freezer works nicely, too!

The texture on these bars is not like a traditional rice cereal treat. It is more on par with a yummy chocolate bar somewhere between fudge and a haystack. I would also recommend allowing the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature before adding marshmallows, otherwise they melt and you don’t get those gorgeous (whole) marshmallow chunks in the middle of each bar.

My suggestions and tips are slightly different than the original recipe (based on my preferences). The original recipe is a good base which can easily handle more amounts of the listed ingredients based on your own personal preferences. Check out their original blog post too, for suggested variations.

Thanks ladies!

Printable Recipe

Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats

by LittleYellowKitchen on February 26, 2011 in Brownies and Bars, Desserts February 26, 2011 Brownies and BarsDesserts

See post on LittleYellowKitchen’s site!

4.86 Mitt(s) 7 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 9

Share f a e

9

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

All the ingredients for a sweet and crispy Rocky Road treat with a little peanut butter and Nutella to top it all off.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ½ cups Peanut Butter
• ½ cups Nutella
• ½ cups Mini Marshmallows
• ¼ cups Pecans
• ¾ cups Rice Krispies

Preparation Instructions

Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and nutella for 2 minutes in the microwave. Stir.

Mix in the marshmallows and pecans. Fold in the Rice Krispies.

Pour mixture into a well-greased 8×8 glass baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Optional: top with extra pecan pieces and marshmallows.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s also a weekly writer for PBS Parents’ Kitchen Explorers. She’s the best-est.

 
Fall has arrived with all her glory and I guarantee there is an oven somewhere baking a scrumptious pumpkin treat. Today I’m sharing a really … really … REALLY awesome Streusel-topped Pumpkin Bread which I absolutely love, submitted by TK member Shaina of Food For My Family.

The recipe has two parts to it: the streusel topping …

And the bread.

To make the streusel topping, mix butter, brown sugar, flour, and flax seed using a food processor, pastry cutter, fork, or fingers until combined.

Mix in the oats. The reason I add the oats after everything else is combined is because I didn’t want the food processor to grind the oats. Set this mixture aside. We’ll bring it back in the end.

For the bread, cream the butter and sugars …

Until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and add eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl until batter is well combined.

Mix in the pumpkin puree …

Spices …

And then flour and buttermilk.

Batter should be light orange and thick. Divide batter between two prepared loaf pans.

Fill the pans approximately 3/4 full.

Top off each loaf with half the streusel mixture.

Bake for 70-80 minutes. Be sure to check and see if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick is clean when you remove it, the bread is ready to be pulled from the oven. If any raw batter sticks to the toothpick, allow the bread to bake 8-10 minutes longer and test again.

Once the bread is removed from the oven, allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

This bread can be served warm or at room temperature and will stay moist for a few days if stored in a Ziploc bag or container.

The streusel topping on the pumpkin loaf is the perfect balance of wholesome goodness and sweetness without overpowering the flavor of the bread. I found the texture, sweetness, moistness, and spice blend to be in perfect harmony. If you plan on baking one pumpkin bread recipe this fall, this is the one for you!

Thanks again, Shaina. I love your blog, Food For My Family, and this recipe!

Printable Recipe

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread

by Food for My Family on November 25, 2009 in Breads, Quick Breads November 25, 2009 BreadsQuick Breads

See post on Food for My Family’s site!

4.76 Mitt(s) 21 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 16

Share f a e

16

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

A moist and dense pumpkin bread perfect for a cup of coffee on a cold fall morning but delectable enough to make the dessert table.

Ingredients

• ¾ cups Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups Granulated Sugar
• ¾ cups Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 4 whole Eggs
• 2-½ cups Pumpkin Puree
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ¼ teaspoons Allspice
• ¼ teaspoons Grated Nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoons Cardamom
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• _____
• FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
• ¼ cups Butter, Softened
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• ¼ cups Oatmeal
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seed
• ¼ cups Chopped Pecans (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350º F. Grease and flour the bottom of two 8″ loaf pans. To make the topping, mix together all the topping ingredients using a fork or pastry cutter until combined thoroughly.

In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Stir in pumpkin puree.

In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Whisk together until no lumps remain. Add half of the flour mix to the pumpkin mix, blending well. Beat in buttermilk. Add remaining flour mix and beat lightly until smooth.

Pour batter evenly into the two prepared 8″ pans. Cover each with half of the topping mix. Bake at 350º F for 70-80 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and enjoy.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s the best-est.

 
What exactly is a hot chocolate triple chocolate chip cookie? This cookie addict just had to find out! Browsing through all the delicious cookie recipes here on Tasty Kitchen, I was very intrigued by this creative adaptation for the traditional chocolate chip cookies. Not only does it use pre-made hot chocolate packets, it also uses three different types of chocolate chips. Now you’re speaking my love language.

Tasty Kitchen member, Alison Anderson, is the genius behind this great cookie. When you bite into the cookie, it tastes exactly like hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookies. This is a fusion of the very best kind! So let’s get started.

You will need butter, white and brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, hot chocolate packets, flour, baking soda, salt, and three types of chocolate chips: milk, semi-sweet, and white.

Cream the butter and sugars.

What you’re looking for is a nice and light texture. Typically when you begin to cream butter and sugar together, the mixture is very dense.

By beating them for a few minutes longer the dense mass transforms itself into a frosting-like (light and fluffy) texture.

Add eggs and vanilla making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until it is well combined. The recipe calls for mixing all the dry ingredients into a bowl before adding it to the wet ingredients.

The mixture should resemble chocolate ice cream in color and visually.

Add chocolate chips and slowly mix them in. If you have kids they will love helping with this part because they will steal chocolate chips when you’re not looking. Go ahead and let them have fun. This is the only time I will advocate stealing anything. We’re talking about chocolate here—I get it.

The recipe calls for chilling the dough for an hour. I allowed mine to chill for a little bit shorter. Chilling dough helps for a few reasons. It gives the ingredients time to come together, makes for an easier time for scooping, and also helps retain its shape when baking.

When I bake cookies I always use a cookie scoop to form uniform dough balls. It helps for the cookies to be the same size. This way my kids don’t complain that the other one got a bigger one. If you want to avoid the ‘Mom, Suzie got a bigger cookie than I did!’ battle, do yourself a huge favor and invest in a cookie scoop. They are very inexpensive and will become one of your most valuable kitchen tools—I promise.

The key to scooping uniformed dough balls is to make sure the scoop is packed with dough.

Like this!

Be sure to scrape the scoop alongside your mixing bowl so any excess dough is removed.

Feel free to lick and eat the batter of the beater and the scoop. It’s a baker’s reward.

Bake cookies 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Some ovens may take longer so be sure to check after the recommended times. Mine took 13 minutes.

And make sure you have a glass of milk ready when they come out of the oven.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes a lot of cookies. I cannot tell you an exact amount because I chose to freeze some of my cookie dough for a rainy day, but I’m guessing it probably makes about 4 dozen.

Just for fun, I suggest adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or an additional ½ teaspoon of sea salt. The cinnamon would make it more like a Mexican hot chocolate and the hint of sea salt adds is nice because it offsets all the sweetness from the chocolate.

Thanks, Alison. My kids loved your cookie recipe!

Printable Recipe

Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies … The Triple Threat … The Best Cookies I’ve Ever Made

by elimaxandlela on July 29, 2010 in Cookies, Desserts July 29, 2010 CookiesDesserts

See post on elimaxandlela’s site!

4.73 Mitt(s) 45 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 10 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 30

Share f a e

30

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

I decided to see what happens if you add hot chocolate mix to cookie batter. AMAZING things, that’s what.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks Salted Butter, At Room Temperature
• 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (I Like Baker's)
• ⅔ cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
• 3-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 4 packages (1 Oz. Packets, NOT Sugar-free) Hot Chocolate Mix
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Each White, Milk, And Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients in 3 to 4 parts, making sure all is incorporated. Fold in chips. Chill the dough for an hour or so. Use a 1/4 cup as a scoop to scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s also a weekly writer for PBS Parents’ Kitchen Explorers. She’s the best-est.

 
I love the versatility of wonton wrappers. Most commonly used in Chinese cuisine, wontons are often filled with a savory pork and cabbage filling then boiled as part of a delicious soup or deep fried as an appetizer. However, I’m seeing wonton wrappers being creatively used as an alternative to traditional ravioli pasta dough or fried in strips to use as crunchy croutons on tops of salads. This time, we’re going to fill them as a sweet bite-sized treat. Today I’m happy to share with you an easy chocolate-hazelnut-filled dessert everyone will love.

If you’ve ever been to a crepe bar/restaurant, one of the most popular fillings is Nutella and bananas. There is something irresistible about a chocolaty hazelnut spread as smooth as creamy peanut butter but as decadent as chocolate ganache. Now imagine this filling paired with the wonderful flavor of banana then deep fried in a paper thin shell. What you have is a crispy golden brown morsel filled with heavenly goodness.

This recipe by TK member Miss Mischief (Meredith) for Nutella Banana Wontons is so easy and yet it is a crowd pleaser guaranteed to disappear quickly! So let’s get started!

Here is what you’ll need: wonton wrappers, canola oil or peanut oil, Nutella hazelnut spread, bananas, egg, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.

This recipe works best if you streamline each step.

Line a few cookie sheets with wonton wrappers.

Lay them side by side in single file rows.

Thinly slice bananas so each banana makes approximately 24 pieces. The best way to do this is by scoring the tops of each banana but making dent marks with your knife. Keep dividing and marking the banana in successively smaller halves, repeating the process until you have 24 pieces. After you’ve scored each one, cut along your marks. The picture above shows I’ve scored 12 pieces on each banana which were approximately ¼” thick. But I found these were too big and realized I should have cut them even smaller. Ideally, each slice should be about 1/8″ thick (.3 cm).

Open up a ziplock bag and fold the top over itself.

Place the bag in a cup with the edges overlapping the rim of your mug. Spoon approximately ½ cup of Nutella into the mug.

Tip: To remove as much Nutella as possible from the spoon, place your fingertips on the outside of the bag and use them to scrape off as much spread as you can against the spoon as you lift it up and out of the bag.

Snip one of the bottom corners of the ziplock bag. This will become a make-shift pastry bag. Seal the top edge. Point the bag with the cut tip facing down and twist the top of the bag so most of the Nutella is pushed downward until the spread meets the opening (think toothpaste).

Pipe a small Hershey Kiss sized dollop in the center of each wonton wrapper.

Place a banana slice over each dollop and press down slightly.

Prepare the egg mixture by beating the egg. This will be the glue which will hold the wrapper together.

Place a filled wonton in the palm of your least-used (non-writing) hand. With your other hand, dip your pointer or middle finger in the egg mixture and use it like a paint brush to wet two adjoining sides of the wrapper.

Fold the wet sides over the dry ones to form a triangle. Using both hands, pointer fingers, and thumbs, glue the wonton sides together by placing the edges between your fingers and pressing down along the seams to seal them.

Place completed wontons back on a cookie sheet.

Pour oil in a medium-large, non-reactive frying pan, skillet, or pot and set burner to high heat. To check if your oil is ready to use, carefully flick a drop of water in the pan. If it starts sizzling upon contact, your oil is ready.

Using a metal spatula or a large spoon, place as many wontons into the hot oil as your pan will fit without them overlapping. Fry each side until golden brown. It only took me about 15 seconds per side so be sure to not leave your pan unattended. Because we’re not cooking raw meat like a traditional wonton, what you’re really looking for is a golden crispy color when frying these. Your cooking times will vary and it’s best to eyeball your wontons by color as a time measure.

When wontons are done frying, carefully remove them and place them on a cooking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat the frying process until all the wontons are cooked.

To finish these wontons off, coat them in cinnamon sugar. The best way to do this is by placing cinnamon sugar in a small bowl with tall sides. Place each wonton inside the bowl and give it a gentle shake back and forth. Turn the wonton over and repeat.

Or you can sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops of each wonton for a beautiful effect on one side.

Pretty!

Allow wontons to slightly cool for a few minutes before serving them.

Didn’t I tell you you’d have a crispy golden brown morsel filled with heavenly goodness?

Just for fun, place one wonton in a bowl of ice cream for a fancy treat.

 
A few tips and suggestions:

1. When deep frying anything, be sure to use a cooking oil such as peanut, canola, or safflower which can handle high heat and has a high smoking point.

2. Do not use too much Nutella or thick banana slices. It’s difficult to fold the wrapper over itself and seal the edges if there is too much filling.

3. Always attend the stove while deep frying. These wontons cook very fast (under 30 seconds each side) and will burn if left unattended.

4. Never use wet utensils when frying. If water droplets come into contact with hot oil, it will splatter and you may get burned or your clothes may become oil-stained.

5. Recipe makes 48 pieces. Serving suggestion is 2 wontons per person. Realistically, a person could easily eat between 3-5 of these, so plan accordingly.

6. Coating these with powdered sugar looks better but the cinnamon-sugar mix tastes better.

Many thanks to Tasty Kitchen member Miss Mischief for this fabulous recipe!

Printable Recipe

Nutella and Banana Wontons

by Miss Mischief on May 31, 2010 in Desserts May 31, 2010 Desserts

5.00 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 20

Share f a e

20

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

I made these the other day for a party and they were a HUGE hit with both the kids and adults!

Ingredients

• 1 package (12 Oz. Package) Wonton Wrappers
• 2 cups Canola Oil
• 1 jar (13 Oz. Jar) Nutella Hazelnut Spread
• 2 whole Bananas, Cut Into Pieces
• 1 whole Egg, Beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Defrost wonton wrappers in the refrigerator at least a day in advance. Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a small fry pan (just big enough for 1 wonton at a time). I had about 3/4 of an inch of oil in my pan, just enough to suspend the wonton while frying. Make an assembly line with the Nutella, bananas, and egg wash. Place about 1 teaspoon of Nutella in the center of a wonton wrapper then put a banana on top. Wet all four edges of the wrapper with the egg wash and seal into a triangle shape. Fry until golden brown on each side, remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle each side with cinnamon sugar. Recipe makes about 40 wontons.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s the best-est.

 
When it comes to ice cream sundaes, banana splits are the grand daddy of them all. This nostalgic ice cream dessert has been around since the early 1900s and its popularity over the years has never ceased. It is a timeless classic which I have adored since I was a small child and still do today. As the world quickly changes around us, banana splits remain the same today as they did over 100 years ago.

A traditional banana split is made of a banana vertically cut in half and lined on each side of a boat shaped serving bowl. A scoop of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream is sandwiched between the two halves of the banana like three peas in a pod. Each scoop of ice cream is then topped off with its own sauce of hot fudge, strawberry, and crushed pineapple. Finally, the sundae is made complete with a crown of whipped cream, a sprinkling of chopped nuts, and a maraschino cherry on top. When I discovered Annalise’s recipe for a Banana Split Ice Cream Cake on Tasty Kitchen, I instantly knew I had to make it! It is the perfect marriage of all things banana split except in a ice cream cake version.

If you love ice cream sundaes, you are in for a fantastic treat. It’s a fun way to enjoy a classic banana split but served as an ice cream cake. This recipe is not difficult but does require time—but it’s so worth it! I’m convinced people who hate bananas (cough … Ree Drummond) will love this dessert. So let’s get started, shall we?

Here is a list of everything you’ll need to get started: Oreo cookies, butter, vanilla and strawberry ice creams, hot fudge sauce, frozen sweetened strawberries, crushed pineapple, and whipped cream. I also opted to add a few chopped almonds and maraschino cherries just for the heck of it. The recipe calls for a springform pan but doesn’t mention which size to use. I used an 8” and would suggest using a springform pan between 8”-10”. The smaller than pan, the taller the ice cream cake will be and vice versa.

This recipe is all about layers and building on top of one another after the previous one has set. The first layer is the Oreo chocolate cookie crust.

Place Oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs resembling rich dark soil. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the cookies in a Ziploc bag and achieve the same effect by using a rolling pin to crush the cookies.

Add melted butter the food processor and pulse a few more times to make sure the butter is evenly distributed.

Dump mixture into the springform pan. Using the back of a spatula or by using your fingers, press cookie crumb mixture down and firmly to form a uniformed crust on the bottom of the pan.

The recipe calls for cutting four bananas in ½” thick slices but I found I only needed 2.5 bananas. I point this out only to let you know you may or may not need to use as many bananas the recipe calls for. Cut enough banana slices to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer and then put the springform pan in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

A note to banana haters (you know who you are): If you dislike bananas because of their texture, the banana slices in this recipe become frozen. This changes the texture from mushy to a frozen piece of fruit that’s more like hard banana ice cream. This may be the recipe which converts your disdain to love. Just saying.

Scoop slightly softened ice cream on top of the banana layer until it is completely covered. Smooth and press down the ice cream layer by using a spatula dipped in hot water. Place cake pan in the freezer for 2 hours.

Note: Although the photo above shows a 1.5 gallon of strawberry ice cream, the recipe actually calls for only a pint. I bought the bigger size because it was actually cheaper than the smaller container. In my opinion you could use either. But if you do go with the bigger size, you’ll want to use approximately 1/3-1/2 of the container.

Warm the hot fudge in the microwave for 30 seconds with the lid removed. Stir the jar so the sauce has a nice spreadable consistency. Empty the entire hot jar of hot fudge sauce on top of the strawberry ice cream layer and smooth it out from edge to edge. Place the cake pan back in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the fudge layer has firmed up.

Grab the vanilla ice cream and repeat the exact same steps as the strawberry ice cream.

Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and return the ice cream cake to the freezer for at least 6 hours or until very firm. What you’re looking for is for the cake to be completely rock solid frozen. Allowing the ice cream layers to set overnight works beautifully.

When you’re preparing the cake to serve, be sure to make sure the frozen strawberries have thawed. Drain the strawberries and then spread the mixture on top of the frozen ice cream cake. Make sure to leave about a 1” edge around the cake.

To loosen the cake from the pan, take a knife and run it around the inside of the pan.

Unlatch the springform pan from its base.

To finish the ice cream cake off, top the edges off with swirls of whipped cream. For an added touch, sprinkle chopped nuts on top of the cake and add maraschino cherries on top of the whipped cream crowns.

Serve with crushed pineapple on the side.

Final thoughts: I will not lie. As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, this recipe requires time. It is best made at least 1 day ahead but can be stored in the freezer for a couple weeks. This makes a great alternative to serving a traditional cake on any special occasion and best of all … requires NO BAKING. It is nostalgic, whimsical, and fun to eat.

Thanks again to Tasty Kitchen member Annalise Ree of Sweet Anna’s for this creative way of preparing one of my favorite ice cream treats!

Printable Recipe

Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

by Sweet Anna's on January 11, 2010 in Desserts, Ice Cream, Special Occasion January 11, 2010 DessertsIce CreamSpecial Occasion

See post on Sweet Anna's’s site!

4.89 Mitt(s) 9 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 8 hrs

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

Share f a e

12

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

Soo good. Really. That’s all there is to it!

Oh, and don’t let the ‘cake’ part fool you … there’s no cake in this ‘cake’!

Ingredients

• 20 whole Oreo Cookies
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 4 whole Bananas
• 1 pint Strawberry Ice Cream
• 1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream
• 1 jar (about 16 Oz. Jar) Hot Fudge Sauce
• 1 container (16 Oz. Container) Frozen Sliced Sweetened Strawberries, Thawed And Drained
• Fresh Whipped Cream, For Serving
• Crushed Pineapple, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

Take out the strawberry ice cream to thaw. Place the Oreos in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush well with a rolling pin or small frying pan. Pour the melted butter into the Ziploc bag and mix it up. Press this crumb mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.

Slice the bananas into 1/2″ rounds and arrange in a single layer on top of the crust. (Use as many banana slices as needed to fill the layer.) Place the pan into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Scoop the softened strawberry ice cream in small scoops on top of the frozen banana layer, smoothing it together with a spoon dipped in warm water. Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the ice cream is firm again.

Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer to thaw. Warm the hot fudge sauce slightly, just until it is easily spreadable. Pour the fudge over the strawberry ice cream layer, smoothing the top, and place back into the freezer for 15 minutes or so, until the fudge has firmed up again.

Scoop the softened vanilla ice cream in small scoops on top of the fudge layer, again smoothing it together with the back of a spoon dipped in warm water. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer for at least another 4-6 hours until very firm. (At this point the cake could be frozen, well wrapped, for a week or longer!)

Pour the drained sliced sweetened strawberries into a bowl and crush with a pastry blender or a fork until the berries are all mashed up. Store in the fridge until almost ready to serve the cake.

Spread the crushed berries over the top of the cake, to within one-half inch of the edge. Serve with fresh whipped cream and crushed pineapple for those who want it!

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. She’s the best-est.

 
French toast is one of my most favorite foods to eat any time of the day. When I saw this Tasty Kitchen recipe posted by manda2177, it was love at first sight. It makes ordinary French toast extraordinary. May I introduce you to Stuffed French Toast?

Here’s a list of everything you need: a loaf of French or Italian bread, eggs, milk, butter, cream cheese, cinnamon, and jam or fresh fruit (if you’re like me, you’ll use both). I also added slivered almonds just for the fun of it, but you don’t have to … unless you want to. If you do, let me know when and where I can invite myself over for breakfast. Thanks.

Before you can invite me over for breakfast, you’ll need to know how to make this. Slice a loaf of bread in 2-inch pieces. You should get about six pieces all together, not including the end pieces. Using a paring knife, cut a deep slit across the top in the middle of each slice, approximately 4 inches long (as pictured above). This will form your “pocket.” Once you’re done, set the bread aside.

I decided to go with strawberries for the filling. They were almost too pretty to eat. You could use any fruit or no fruit at all, but I highly recommend strawberries.

Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and cut slices in each one. Turn them a quarter turn and slice them again, adding them to a bowl.

Next, macerate the strawberries, which is fancy way of saying add a little sugar and mix it in. Set them aside and allow the sugar to release its magic.

Next, add jam to the cream cheese and mix both of them until well combined.

The cream cheese mixture now looks like strawberry yogurt. Yum!

Now comes the fun part! Grab a slice of bread and add about a tablespoon (or as much as you like) of cream cheese filling. Personally, I like about 2 tablespoons per slice. Do the same thing with the fresh fruit. Make sure to close the opening by gently pressing the bread together. This will make frying them easier and less messy. Set the filled slices aside.

Now it’s time to make the egg bath. Mix eggs, milk, and cinnamon together until well mixed. Turn the stove top on to medium-high to preheat the skillet. While your skillet is heating up, dip sliced bread in the egg wash for about 20 seconds on both sides. Only dip as many slices as you plan on frying. In other words, if your pan can only fry two pieces at a time, be sure to only coat two pieces of bread a time.

Add a little butter to the surface of skillet. This will help prevent the French toast from sticking. I heart butter.

Fry each slice for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and serve.

If you’re interested in making your stuffed French toast a little more glamorous, sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops of the slices and garnish with fresh strawberries and almonds.

Look at how beautiful these babies are! Can you believe how easy that was, yet how fancy this looks by adding a little magic dust (a.k.a. powdered sugar)?

Final thoughts: although I loved this recipe, I would like to suggest a few things. For a whole loaf of bread, you may want to double the amount of cream cheese and jam the original recipe calls for. If you plan on using fresh strawberries for the filling like I did, I recommend using a 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar mixed in. Also, because I found the stuffed French toast was plenty sweet on its own, I opted not to add maple syrup.

Many thanks to Amanda for this great recipe. It’s now in my regular Sunday morning rotation!

Printable Recipe

Stuffed French Toast

by manda2177, i am baker, i am mommy on September 8, 2009 in Breakfast September 8, 2009 Breakfast

4.91 Mitt(s) 22 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Share f a e

6

• Print
• Leave a comment
• write a review

x

Print Options

Page size

Letter 3x5 4x6

Text Size

Small Medium Large

Content

Include description
Include prep time, etc.
Show image

Print

Description

A wonderful twist on a breakfast classic!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French Bread
• 3 Tablespoons Any Flavor Fruit Spread (You Can Also Use Jelly, Jam, Or Fresh Fruit)
• ½ packages Cream Cheese (4 Oz), At Room Temperature
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• ½ cups Skim Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation Instructions

Heat skillet or electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees.

Cut french bread into 2-3 inch wide slices. Then, with a paring knife, go back and cut halfway into each slice, in the center, creating a ‘pocket’ that your fruit mixture can be stuffed into.

In a bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and three tablespoons of fruit spread of your choice. (I used all organic blueberry spread in the picture.) Combine well.

In a separate bowl, break 2 eggs; add cinnamon and milk and combine well.

Now, take fruit mixture and stuff into the ‘pockets’ of your french bread slices. Place on a baking sheet.

When done stuffing each piece of bread, completely coat each piece in egg mixture. Make sure all sides are covered. Do all pieces before starting to fry.

Put 2 tbsp (you can use less!) of butter into a hot skillet and melt completely. Add all of the bread to the skillet and cook roughly about 3-6 minutes on each side, until it reaches a nice golden brown. You want to make sure the cream cheese mixture heats through.

When done cooking, serve immediately with butter and syrup.

 
 
_______________________________________

Alice Currah is the force behind Sweet Savory Life and Everyday Alice. She and her husband Rob are the proud parents of three children: Abbi, Mimi, and Elli. Alice is the winner of Saveur’s Cover Contest and is on the Forbes.com list of Eight of The Very Best Food Bloggers. All we’ll say is that we knew she was a winner way before they did.