Crustkies

Growing up my grandma would have some sort of treat baking when I walked to their home after school. On occasion she would bake a pie. But my favorite part of her pie baking meant there would be leftover pie crust dough turned in to 'cookies'.

This week had some leftover pie dough from Tony's pie baking and figured I'd make some "Crustkies". This is an easy way to cheat and make cute little treats for snacking on. Plus, no mess and fun for kiddos too. You don't need to make your own crust, just buy a package of pre-made pie crust dough in the refrigerated section of the market.

Roll out dough as directed on package and cut in to smaller pieces with either a knife or fun cookie cutter shapes.

Place cutout dough on a strip of ungreased foil and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until edges turn golden brown. Let cool slightly and enjoy these little treats!

For an extra special touch, use colored sugars in addition to cinnamon and sugar to dress up the crustkies.

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut

Tonight I made an amazing meal a la Ina Garten. Prosciutto wrapped halibut with roasted root veggies. Oh so yummy! Courtesy of the Back to Basics cookbook.

Prosciutto Roasted Bass or Halibut with Veggies

2 c. peeled and diced butternut squash, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
2 c. peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
2 c. peeled and diced parsnips, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
2 c. peeled and diced carrots, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 (8 oz) skinless fish fillets, such as striped bass or halibut
4 thin slices prosciutto
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh
8 lemon wedges

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss the squash, potatoes, parsnips and carrots. Drizzle 1/3 c. of olive oil on the veggies and season with 1 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Combine.

3. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until they are barely tender, about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through for even cooking and coloring. Remove pan from oven and mix with garlic, then roast until the vegetables are tender, an additional 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, line another baking pan with foil and place a baking or cooling rack on top of the foil. Lightly brush the fish fillets on both sides with olive oil and season each with one-fourth teaspoon of salt and one-eighth teaspoon of pepper. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each fillet, forming a wide band around the center and overlapping the ends on the underside of each fillet. Arrange the fillets on a rack, at least 1 inch apart, and roast until the fish is opaque, is firm to the touch and begins to flake, about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook.

5. While the vegetables and fish are roasting, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium sauté pan. Add the rosemary sprigs and reduce the heat to low. Cook, shaking the pan gently, until the rosemary leaves are just crisp and the butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the rosemary and stir in the lemon juice. Set it aside.

6. To serve, place the fish on a platter or on individual plates and spoon the rosemary butter over the fillets. Surround the fish with the vegetables, garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot.

Italian Wedding Soup

Today I made one of my favorite soups, Italian Wedding. It is such a delicious and hearty soup with a broth that doesn't weigh you down. I use the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook, and I highly recommend you try it!  (what, are you surprised that I used an Ina Garten recipe?)

As a tip, QFC and other stores are selling Isernio's chicken sausage filling without sausage casing, and it is cheaper than buying the sausages intact. This saves you time when you're making the meatballs (it requires chicken sausage that you take out of casings). Serve with warm, hearty bread and you're good to go!

Click HERE for a copy of the recipe, courtesy of Food Network.

To Market, To Market...

I love grocery shopping, especially at new stores or just 'nicer' ones in the area. Touring the aisles and finding new foods. Yup, I'm a dork. What I really love are funny food finds or displays, and this one takes the cake. During my weekly grocery trip I stumbled upon this "Christmas Story" display and couldn't stop laughing. I actually tried to find a manager to see if I could buy the 'leg lamp' for a white elephant exchange!

Bacon. Salted. Caramels. 'Nuf said

What does chopped bacon, butter, sugar and a little elbow grease create? Bacon Salted Caramels. TOO. DIE. FOR. I'd post a picture of the finished product, but then I'd end up eating more of them...

Here is a link for a similar recipe.  I can't find the one I used and am on the quest to tear my house apart!

Santa and Jingle Balls

Today we visited Santa! We made our third annual trek to the downtown Nordstrom to see the jolly old man and Blake couldn't wait. Blake kept telling us that he would ask Santa for a train and that baby sister wanted a train too (uh, huh. Sure...). We saw quite a few friends on our way to and from Santa too, which made the trip even more fun.

And what better way to celebrate the holiday season?  Making some yummy holiday treats!

Jingle Balls
3 c. creamy peanut butter

7-8 c. powdered sugar
2 c. softened butter
4 tsp vanilla
3 packages (12 oz) chocolate chips
6 Tbsp parawax

Mix peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Melt chocolate chips with parawax on stove over low heat. Roll peanut butter mix into balls about the size of a quarter. Tip - work with a small amount of mix at a time while keeping rest of mix in fridge - otherwise it gets sticky. Put balls in fridge until you are ready to dip in chocolate so they stay firm.

Using toothpicks or small forks, dip the balls into the chocolate. Set on wax paper and refrigerate.

Warning: This recipe makes about 120 chocolate covered balls! A great recipe when you want to make goodies for friends. Otherwise, cut recipe in half!

Bourbon Balls

While the boys went to the last Husky football game of the season, I tried to enjoy the fact that I wasn't in a cold stadium worrying about a newborn.  But, of course I wished I could have been there!  Oh well. 

During the quiet time at my house I made 9 dozen cookies for Piper's cookie and platter exchange party. Each attendee will go home with 9 dozen cookies - one dozen of each kind! I made bourbon balls and sampled quite a bit in the creating process. Yum!

Bourbon (or Rum) Balls
2 1/2 c. crushed Nabisco Nilla Wafers
1 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 c. finely chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 c. (or to taste) Rum or Bourbon

Mix everything together in a medium sized bowl.  Roll into little balls and then roll in additional powdered sugar and place on a cookie sheet.  Refrigerate and serve.