Chocolate Peppermint Cake Roll

I saw this recipe more than a year ago on Joy the Baker and I have wanted to make it ever since. I finally got around to it this Christmas. The pictures didn't turn out as well as I would like, but the cake itself was delicious. It is light and fluffy but still rich and decadent. A deadly combination.

We had a few mishaps with the cake (no semi sweet chocolate so we combined milk and dark) and an even bigger mishap with the whipped filling (I mistook a bottle of peppermint oil for peppermint extract and the filling tasted like an aromatherapy bath, so we had to start over), but somehow it turned out.

I wouldn't really change anything from Joy's original recipe and she gives great step by step instructions with pictures. But we did add some crushed peppermint to the filling because I am a peppermint lover. Click on the link above for the recipe.

Warm Crab Dip



One of my favorite things about New Years is this dip. I like the games and the counting down and so on. But New Years food is my favorite. Shrimp and cocktails, Sparkling Cider, and of course crackers and dip. It is an easy dish that will transport well to your next holiday party.



Hot Crab Dip

1 can white shredded crabmeat (6-8 oz) drain off liquid and run water trough to get rid of
fishy taste and smell
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
¾ c. mayonnaise or greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 beaten egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon horseradish (optional)

Combind all ingredients together and pour into dish (ramekin, quiche dish, pie pan). Bake at 325 degrees for 25- 30 minutes. Serve warm with crackers.

Sour Cream Chicken

My husband and I had a discussion yesterday. Mostly he was telling me his favorite dishes that I make. Usually I have to poke and prod a little to get his opinion on what to have for dinner. So it was nice that he offered this list so freely. He brought up one of my family favorites, Sour Cream Chicken. It is one of those warm, comfort foods that is fantastically simple.

Sour Cream Chicken

6- 8 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream (8 oz)
2 Tablespoons milk (if you want it a little smoother)
dash of garlic salt
dash of pepper
Optional Seasonings: Parsley, basil, parmesan etc

Place chicken breasts in baking pan and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Combine soup and sour cream and milk. Pour soup mixture over chicken and completely cover chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. You can cut the chicken smaller and it will cook faster if you need to.

Crustless Quiche

A quiche is the perfect brunch item. It is savory, it looks great and it is so very versatile. The hardest part is making the pie crust for the bottom. So I just skip that step. And guess what? It still turns out delicious.

This quiche doesn't have a recipe. It has guidelines. That way it is totally customizable. Which apparently is not a word.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a quiche/tart/pie pan with non stick cooking spray

2. Pick 1/2 cup meat. Try sausage, bacon, ham, turkey or not at all. Cook it in small pieces and put in quiche /pie pan.

3. Pick 1/2- 1 cup veggies. I would try a combination of some of these: spinach, kale, zuchinni, onion (red or yellow), mushrooms, bell peppers or artichoke hearts. Saute your veggies in a little olive oil and add to meat.

4. Over the veggies and meat pour the following: 4-6 eggs and 1/3 cup dairy (milk, half and half, heavy cream)

5. Add some spices: salt, pepper, garlic, basil, chili powder, parsley, oregano etc

6. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese: cottage cheese, cheddar, mozarella, swiss, pepperjack, parmesan, feta, smoked gouda, and so on.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese on top is bubbly and browning.

The real trick to this is choosing the right combination. Some things just taste better together. Here are some good combinations if you needed ideas.

Italian: Italian sausage, onion, mushroom, basil, garlic, oregano with mozarella and parmesan.

Mediterranean: Zuchinni, onions, asparagus, mushrooms, sauted in balsamic vinegar, rosemary, oregano and feta.

Country: Bacon, ham, potatoes(baked), onions, cheddar

Lorraine: Bacon, onions, cayenne pepper,  swiss

Spicy: Hot sausage, spinach, jalapenos, onions, cayenne pepper, pepperjack cheese

Winner!

Congratulations to Entry #7: Katie Bair! Katie has won the Christmas Cookie Package and has 24 hours to claim it. Email me at onlifeandlemons@gmail.com to receive your prize.

Ok guys, confession time. I spent all week looking for the perfect sugar cookie recipe and did not find it. I tried my favorite cookie crust recipe, but it wasn't right for roll out cookies. Then I tried this recipe, and while delicious, they didn't hold their shape as much as I would have liked. So now I am asking for your recommendations. Do you have a tried and true sugar cookie dough? One that holds it's shape and still tastes good?

I guess these cookies don't look that bad, and I am a little partial to the psychedelic frosting job...

Giveaway!

Welcome to On Life and Lemons, my new cooking project! I am excited to share my recipes, post a few pictures and of course enjoy all this food. 

To kick off the start of the new blog, I am hosting a giveaway! It's not that exciting, but come on, it's free stuff.

If you win, you get a set of Christmas cookie cutters, a sweet snowflake spatula, a set of packaging boxes in case you want to share the cookies you make, and I will even throw in a Christmas card.

Stay tuned for a Sugar Cookie Recipe to use with those new cookie cutters. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simple Cheesecake

I'm not really a huge cake fan. I will eat it at a party, and I will even make it on occasion, but if given the choice I would go with a brownie, ice cream or pie. For our wedding we had peach cobbler instead of a wedding cake. When I was a kid I used to ask for pumpkin pie for my birthday, we would put candles in it and everything. And this year, I made a cheesecake for the special day. 

I looked up all sorts of recipes online, each claiming to be the best or most authentic in the New York style. But I ended up going with a recipe my mom had. It was simple, easy and delicious. 

Cheesecake can be a little intimidating. It seems so fancy, and some recipes require a lot of careful work. But this one is totally doable. And if you do mess up, it's not the end of the world. There were 2 cavernous cracks running through the cheesecake when I let it cool, hence the sauce and mounds of raspberries. But no one would have known, until I told you just now. 

Simple Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Crust

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

4 ounces butter or margarine, melted

Filling

1 cup granulated sugar

3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 8-ounce carton of sour cream

Sauce

2 cups raspberries (1 cup pureed in a blender, 1 cup fresh for topping)

½ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Combine graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the melted butter or margarine. Press into the bottom of a springform pan. Set aside.

Cream the softened cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the sour cream, which should be at room temperature.Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for half an hour at 350 degrees F. Turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside for another half hour. Chill and refrigerate for at least 4-8 hours.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add lemon juice and one cup of raspberry puree, turn heat to medium high and let boil for 3-4 minutes until thick. Let sauce cool before pouring on cheesecake. Top with fresh raspberries. 

Best Brownies

I know the adjective "best" is a dangerous one. Especially when it comes to food. Because food is such a personal thing and preference has more to do with it than any of the ingredients in a recipe. So let me rename this recipe. Best Combination Fudgy Brownies with Rich Frosting That I Have Made. There, that is a little harder to argue with.

But really. These are some good brownies. And make sure to use the frosting (see revised title). They are so rich, I can't eat more than one. They are made in a saucepan, which is kind of unique. But they are not difficult, so don't get nervous.

I made these to bring to an event. I brought them in the cutest box (a box I saved after getting a package in the mail because I knew this box would be perfect to carry baked goods) and they were a big hit.

For Brownies:

1/2 cup butter

 1 cup white sugar

 2 eggs, beaten in separate bowl

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For Frosting:

½ cup butter

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar (I think… I just dumped it in from the bag)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar and vanilla. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot butter/sugar mixture to the eggs in a separate bowl, beat. We do this to slowly heat up the eggs. If we add the eggs to the pan right away, we would get scrambled eggs. Once eggs are warmer, slowly beat them into the butter/sugar mixture in the saucepan. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

For Frosting:

 Using a clean saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and let boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add milk and vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar a cup at a time until you get a smooth mixture. It will not be stiff like a normal frosting, it will look more like hot fudge. Pour over warm brownies. Eat warm if you want a delicious mess, or let it cool for an hour. 

What to do with leftover rice

Make this creamy rice pudding!

When you wake up to this

Then it's time to make this

Growing up, our rice pudding was a baked dish, and it was delicious. It wasn't until I went to Peru that I learned that people make rice pudding on the stovetop, and it too is creamy and delicious.

Creamy Rice Pudding


1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
 2 cups milk, divided
 1/3 cup white sugar
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1 egg, beaten
 1 tablespoon butter
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Collet Salsa

I had some really amazing friends growing up. They were sisters, which was cool. And we lived on the same street, which was convenient. And their dad made the most delicious salsa ever, which is awesome.

I got special permission to share the recipe, so enjoy!

Dallas Collet's Famous Salsa

1 large can whole, peeled tomatoes

1-2 serrano peppers, depending on desired heat

1/2 white onion

dash garlic salt

dash pepper

1/2 green bell pepper

1 bunch cilantro

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Sometimes a little fresh garlic too

Dice (or food process) serrano, onion, bell pepper and cilantro very fine. Combine with tomatoes in blender and pulse or blend until deisired consistency. Add salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. 

Pumpkin Everything

I went on a pumpkin kick. And I made Pumpkin everything. Almost everything was delicious. I have to say almost because I attempted to make a Pumpkin Shake, except I didnt have ice cream so I had to use frozen bananas, and it was gross.


I made Pumpkin Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting

And the most wonderful Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares. Seriously, these are amazing.

I already posted about Pumpkin Waffles.

And I forgot to take pictures of the Pumpkin Curry Soup, but it was good too.

But the Pumpkin Pancakes were by far the best. Add some Apple Cider Syrup and you are better than best.

Make these. They are delicious.

Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch clove
1 cup 1% low-fat milk (can be any kind)
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg

Directions:
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and egg. Fold mixture into dry ingredients. Spray or grease a skillet and heat over medium heat: pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup.


Apple Cider Syrup:

1/2 cup white sugar

 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch of nutmeg, cloves and ginger (optional)

1 cup apple cider

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

 2 tablespoons butter

Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Stir in the apple cider and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil; boil until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter until melted. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Waffles for General Conference

It's funny the things we remember. I have vivid memories of General Conference weekend when I was growing up. Even if we only did something once, it seemed like a tradition.

Like the soup luncheon in between sessions with our friends. I think we only did it one year, but for some reason that is what I think of when I think of "between sessions". Or the Bingo cards that Sandi made for the younger kids, but that we all filled out anyways. And how we didn't have tv channels so we used to listed to it on the computer, or go over to the neighbors. The boys would dump out this huge bucket of legos and play for 2 hours. One year I made a whole stack of greeting cards. I might even still have a few leftover.

While I was in Peru we listed to conference in a our little house over the internet. But to get a good enough computer connection we had to plug directly into the router. Except the router was hooked up in a room infested with fleas. So we stretched the cord as far as it would go to the doorway and then we all sat in the hallway on our mattresses and hoped the fleas wouldn't attack. Good times. Yay for another temple in Peru!

Wow, that was a lot more rambling than I intended to do. I really wanted to point out that as with many other people, General Conference means good breakfasts. I dont know how I got so side tracked...

In any case. This GC I tried something new. Pumpkin Waffles. And because pumpkins and cream cheese were a match made in heaven I also invented something I will call Cream Cheese Syrup (It is suspiciously a lot like Cream Cheese Frosting).

And so without further ado

Pumpkin Waffles
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray

Pre heat waffle iron. Stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.

Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly.

Cream Cheese Syrup

4 oz cream cheese (1/2 block)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4-1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Heat 1/2 cup milk and cream cheese in saucepan until smooth and powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Add more milk until you have reached desired consistency. Serve warm over waffles.

German Chocolate Brownies

I work out so that I can eat more. It is probably counter productive, but it makes me feel better. I am taking a weight lifting class this semester and loving it. If I am sore after class I feel like I have worked hard and deserve a brownie. If I am sore all weekend, well then I deserve brownies all weekend. And if they happen to be rich, coconuty, and wonderfully chocolate brownies, all the better.

These brownies are truly superb. If you are a German chocolate cake fan, you need to give these a try. And if you like brownies and aren't allergic to nuts or coconut, you too should try them out. They do take a little bit of time, but are definitely worth it.

For Brownies:

½ ½	cup semi sweet chocolate chips cup milk chocolate chips
½	cup butter or margarine
1 ¼	cups flour
1	cup sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
½	teaspoon baking powder
½	teaspoon salt
3	eggs, beaten
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
½	cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. In 3-quart saucepan, melt 2 cups chocolate chips and the butter over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in flour, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, salt and eggs. Spread batter in ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake 27 to 34 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

For Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

 1 cup sugar

½ cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 egg yolks

Mix the above ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick then add:

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2 cup shredded coconut 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

To finish off my kick of Asian recipes I bring you, P.F. Chang's inspired lettuce wraps. I have only been to PF Chang's once, and it was few years ago so I couldn't really tell you if these taste like the real thing. But I can tell you that these are delicious.

We start with this luscious, beautiful thing called Butter Lettuce. This particular lettuce came from our bountiful basket, courtesy of Jake and Richelle who picked ours up for us. Isn't it beautiful? I hear you can also use something called Bib lettuce.

We fill it with a tasty combination of chicken and mushrooms with a nice crunch of water chestnuts. This savory filling has been cooked to perfection with an assortment of asian spices and sauces.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients: 

1 head butter lettuce (10 leaves)
1 pound ground chicken breast
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
4 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (8 ounce size) sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Directions:

Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain.

Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often to break up the meat. Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili powder. Cook until the meat is crumbled and brown. Add water chestnuts and mushrooms.

Stir in sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves on the outer edge of a platter. Spoon meat mixture in center. 

Panang Curry

I adore Thai Food. There is something unique about thai cuisine which makes it more sophisticated somehow. I think it is the coconut milk.

The only problem with thai food is that it can be quite expensive. I found a solution to this when I discovered this recipe a couple summers ago. All the ingredients could be found at an asian market, they weren't too expensive, recipe wasn't hard and the end result was delicious. I fell in love. I made this recipe for everyone. Multiple times. Ask my family or my roommates from that year, I was obsessed with it. But I guess I kind of got over it, or maybe I just forgot, or found new recipes to try. In any case, I realized that I had never made my Panang Curry for Matthew. And so I whipped out the recipe, made a trip to the Asian market and got busy.

It was just as good as I remembered. We had our neighbors over for dinner and we all deemed it a success. If you like thai food, I really hope you try Lettuce Wraps that I will post soon...

Lime leaves have a very strong flavor and don't soften much with cooking. This is why you remove most of the leaves before serving. But I still like the continued flavor, so I chop two very finely and leave them in.

Panang Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts,

1-2 Tbsp Panang Curry Paste (depending on how spicy you like it)

2 cans coconut milk coconut milk (about 4 cups)

8 kaffir lime leaves, 6 whole, 2 finely chopped (see above picture)

Dash of salt

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 bell peppers- red, orange or yellow, cut into thin julienne strips and halved

8-10 cups cooked rice

*curry paste, lime leaves, fish sauce and coconut milk can all be found at most Asian markets

Directions:

1. Wash the chicken and cut into thin, bite size pieces, and fry until barely done.

2. In separate pan, fry bell peppers until al dente, soft but with a crunch to them, set aside.

3. Heat 1 can of coconut milk over medium heat until the oil surfaces. Add curry paste, stir constantly for 2 minutes until fragrant and red oil surfaces. Add the chicken, and cook for a further 2 minutes or until done. Add the remaining coconut milk.

4. Season to taste with salt, fish sauce, sugar and whole lime leaves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add chopped lime leaves and bell peppers and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove whole lime leaves and let curry rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

5. Spoon 1-2 cups rice in each bowl and top with curry.  

Baked Crab Wantons

This last week I have been on an Asian food kick. I love Asian foods but have always been a little afraid to try and make them on my own. After a complete and utter failure at trying Orange Chicken in the crock pot, my fears were further confirmed.

This last week has renewed my hope however as I have found some tasty and easy oriental food to try out. This first recipe was an appetizer I made for the fireworks party up in Bountiful.

I tried the recipe a couple different ways and found a winner. The plate of wantons was empty in seconds, and they got pretty good reviews. And so without further ado, Asian Kick Recipe #1

Baked Crab Won Tons (Rangoon)

Ingredients:

1 can (8 oz.)? white crabmeat, drained and chopped
1 package cream cheese (8oz), softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 green onions chopped

A dash or two of garlic salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
24 won ton wrappers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, ½ of green onions, garlic salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.

3. Push 1 won ton wrapper in each mini muffin cups. The edges of the won ton wrappers will extend beyond the mini muffin tin cups and may need to be folded slightly. Spray all wantons down with cooking spray. Bake empty wantons for 10-15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and bottoms look baked.

4. Fill the center of each won ton cup with crab mixture. 

5. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until edges of cups are golden brown and filling is heated through. Top with additional green onions and serve. 

*Note: It may be tempting to just fill the crab mixture in the unbaked wanton wrappers and bake it all at once. I tried this. I ended up with soft wantons. I guess they tasted ok, but there wasn’t that lovely crisp and crunch that you need in a wanton. 

Baked French Toast

I got up at 6 this morning. I know that may not seem so very early to some of you. But for someone who normally rolls out of bed 20 minutes before she needs to leave for work, it was pretty early.

And why, might you ask was I up and about at such an hour? Baked French Toast. That's why. Warm and crunchy with caramel and nuts, it tastes like heaven. Or at least that is what Matthew said when he tried a piece. He also stated, quite accurately, that something this good has to be bad for you.

He was right. This recipe is far from healthy. It is drenched in caramel after all. But is is oh so delicious.

We start with some french bread. Sliced and arranged oh so beautifully in a 9X13 pan. Now if you have lots of time, just let it sit out for a day or so and get nice and stiff. Or, if you are in a bit more of a rush, stick it in the oven for 7 minutes at 400 F to toast it.

In a bowl whisk together your eggs, milk/ cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Or if you forgot to whisk in the cinnamon (me), just sprinkle it on top. 

Pour egg mixture over toasted bread, covering each slice as completely as possible. Some of the liquid will pool at the bottom, don't worry it will soak up.
Let the toast sit for a few hours, or ideally overnight.

In the morning, pop it in the oven (covered in tinfoil) for 20 minutes. While it is cooking, mix up your caramel until big and bubbly. After 20 min pull out the pan, pour on your caramel, sprinkle with nuts and stick it back in the oven for another 20 (uncovered). Enjoy!

Baked French Toast

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1loaf French bread

6 eggs

1 ½ cups milk or half and half

2 tsp vanilla

1-2 tsp cinnamon

Slice bread, arrange in 9x13. Toast in oven for 7 min at 400 F. Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over bread. Let sit overnight. I flipped the bread over after a few hours to let the other side soak up some egg stuff.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake for 20 minutes covered with tinfoil. Start caramel mixture.

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 ½ Tbsp light corn syrup

½ cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, ect)

Mix butter, sugar and syrup in saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour over French toast. Sprinkle with nuts. Return pan to oven, uncovered for 20 more minutes.

Voila. Deliciousness. 

And here is a shot of real life. Where I put baked French Toast on my porch to take pictures because that is where there was the best light at 7am. 

Fruit Pizza Tart

I call this a Fruit Pizza Tart because I made it in a tart pan, and not because it is actually a tart. But to tell you the truth I don't really know what qualifies as a tart.
Scratch that, I just googled it. This is what came up.

This dessert is neither a pastry nor a promiscuous woman, so I guess it is not a true tart. Oh well.

We begin with a simple and unassuming sugar cookie.

Homemade dough that is refrigerated for a few hours until nice and firm. Refrigerating cookie dough will help the cookies hold their shape and not spread as much, which is what we want. Try this for cut out cookies too.

Tasty dough is pressed into a tart pan with fingers. Make sure you get the dough all the way up the edge, and don't mind the finger prints, they wont be there long.

See? No finger prints, just a beautiful golden cookie. This sugar cookie crust is so perfect for fruit pizza. It is very soft and chewy and has a buttery goodness about it that will go perfectly with our whipped filling.

After a generous spreading of our whipped filling we are ready for fresh fruit. Use anything and everything. Bananas and strawberries? Yes.
Are you feeling expensive and want to add raspberries? Do it.
Don't like blueberries? (Rhiannon) Well you might want to still add them because they are so colorful, but don't feel bad about picking them off.
My wonderful husband picked up some of these fresh fruits for me, and don't they look nice together?

Just before serving, pop that sucker out of the tart pan so you can see that beautiful scalloped crust.

Slice. Serve. Enjoy.

Fruit Pizza Tart

*Sugar Cookie Crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups butter

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

*Makes two full crusts. If you don’t want that much, just half the recipe or make cookies out of the leftovers.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in flour, soda and salt until just blended. Dough should be pliable but not overly soft. If dough feels too soft add a couple tablespoons flour. Shape dough into disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight.

Flatten dough into tart pan, cake pan, or pizza pan. Make dough as thick as you want your crust to be.

Bake for 16-18 minutes in the preheated oven, until browned at the edges. If you have a thinner crust, watch the cookie carefully as it will cook faster. Also, don’t be alarmed if you peek in the oven halfway through and see a super puffy cookie that looks like it is taking over the pan, it will shrink when you take it out of the oven.

Whipped Filling:

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

3-4 Tablespoons honey

1 block cream cheese- very soft (make sure it is soft, otherwise you will get chunky filling)

Whip whipping cream until soft peaks form, add honey until it is as sweet as you desire. Stir in cream cheese until well blended. Spread filling onto cookie crust and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Just before serving, top with fresh, sliced fruit in a lovely arrangement. Sprinkle with sugar.