Baked Apple Dumplings

 Ingredients

2 cans crescent rolls

2 Granny Smith apples

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg

1 cup Sprite

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking dish.

Peel and core apples, then cut into 8 slices each. Roll each slice into a crescent roll and place in baking dish.

Melt butter in medium bowl. Mix in sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture over dumplings, ensuring to coat all dumplings. Pour Sprite along edges over pan being careful not to pour over dumplings.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

Orange Cranberry Scones

 Ingredients

2 cups AP Flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Zest from one orange

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons orange juice

6 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

3. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until it is coarsely crumbled. Add orange zest and cranberries. Stir in the heavy cream until a dough forms.

4. Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly knead until everything holds together. Form into a nine inch disk. Cut into eight wedges.

5. Place scones on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until golden on top. Place on cooling rack.

6. While scones are cooling, whisk orange juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle over top of scones.

Meatballs Take 2

 Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 large eggs

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven broiler.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine beef and pork.

3. Add remaining ingredients. mix until just combined.

4. Form into 1 inch balls. Place on foil lined baking sheet. 

5. Broil 5 minutes, turn and broil for additional 4 minutes.

Butternut Squash Croquettes

1 medium sized butternut squash
⅓ cup flour
1 clove pressed garlic
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
dash of cayenne
splash of maple syrup
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup panko bread crumbs, for rolling

1. Roast Squash until soft, about 40 minutes in 440 degrees.

2. Remove flesh and mash. Combine mash with flour, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, syrup, salt and pepper.
3. Fold in scallions, cilantro and feta.
4. Place panko in a large ziplock bag. Roll squash mixture into balls.
5. Place in bag one at a time and shake to coat in panko.
6. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Zucchini Bread

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1.5 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium zucchini coarsely grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bread pan.
2. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves.
3. In large bowl (I use my stand mixer) combine oil, both sugars, eggs and vanilla. Mix in Zucchini. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into bread pan. Bake 50-60 minutes.

Butterscotch Bananas

1/2 cup pecans
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup dark rum

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly toast pecans, about 5 minutes, coarsely chop.
3. In large skillet, melt butter. Add sugar and cinnamon stirring occasionally until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes.
4. Gently stir in the bananas.
5. Remove from heat. Add rum and flambe.
6. Stir in pecans.

Serve over vanilla bean ice cream or waffles.

Cranberry Orange Bread

1.5 cups butter, softened
1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 cup sour cream
1.5 tablespoons orange zest
2.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 330 degrees. Spray cooking spray in two bread pans.
2. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Add orange juice, sour cream, orange zest, vanilla and cranberries
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture until just combined (do not over mix).
4. Pour into bread pans.
5. Cook for 75 minutes.