I’m sneaking in just under the wire for the Super Bowl with one of my favorite finger foods – these buffalo cauliflower wontons. I’ve made these for several larger parties and events and they’re a huge hit every time – everyone loves a spicy, cheesy delight wrapped up in a cute little wonton package. An added bonus?  They’re baked rather than fried, and the bulk of the filling is cauliflower, so this makes for a much lighter finger food to throw back on game day (or any other day).

4.5 from 2 reviews

Buffalo Cauliflower Wontons

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Buffalo-flavored cauliflower wrapped in wonton skins and baked - a perfect light appetizer.

Category: Appetizer

Yield: 30 wontons

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 30 wonton wrappers
• 3 cups raw cauliflower (this is usually about ⅔ of a large head for me)
• ⅓ cup yellow onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 oz reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 Tbsp cayenne pepper sauce (I use Frank's - I put that shit on everything)
• Cooking spray
• Bleu cheese dressing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent and slightly softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, pepper, cream cheese, cheddar and hot sauce until well-combined.
4. Prepare the wontons. Spray the prepared baking sheet with cooking spray. Set a small bowl of water next to the wonton wrappers. Spoon about 1.5 tablespoons of filling into each wrapper, and fold over to make a triangle (as pictured). Lightly wet your fingers with the water and press down the edges to firmly seal.
5. Place the wontons on the prepared baking sheet and spray each lightly with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, turning halfway through. The wontons should be lightly browned and crispy on the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature with bleu cheese dressing for dipping.

3.2.2807

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Not going to lie – I have been scrambling big time this year in terms of the holidays. I was out of town traveling for three out of four weeks, and the one week I was home was spent frantically trying to catch up on work before taking off again. Holiday prep has been last-minute and down to the wire, but I’m finally ready to throw down some eggnog and watch people tear up some wrapping paper.

These truffles have saved the day for me countless times when I’ve needed quick, festive treats to hand out to friends or bring to get-togethers. It’s a pretty standard recipe, but we swap out the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese and use rich dark chocolate to keep it vegan – man, the day we found out that Oreos were vegan and that Nor could still have them was a grand day indeed. I make these all the time now and just handed out a batch to a few happy work friends last night. If you’re looking for a last-minute holiday handout, these balls will save your life.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Easy Vegan Oreo Truffles

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Classic Oreo truffles made vegan with non-dairy cream cheese.

Category: Dessert

Yield: 36 balls

Ingredients

• 1 package (36) Oreos
• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
• 16 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Place the Oreos in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground (alternatively, you can place the cookies in two layers of Ziploc bags and use a rolling pin to smash them).
2. Reserve ¼ cup of the cookie crumbs. Place the rest in a large bowl and add the softened cream cheese. Mix thoroughly until cookies and cream cheese are combined.
3. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Freeze for 20-30 minutes.
4. While the balls are chilling, place 12 ounces of the chopped dark chocolate in a double boiler or in a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stirring constantly, melt the chocolate until it reaches 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and add the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and stir vigorously until completely incorporated and smooth. You just tempered chocolate!
5. Remove the balls from the freezer. Using the tines of a fork to balance the balls, dip each ball in the chocolate and roll to completely coat it. Remove from the chocolate and allow the excess to drip off. Set on the wax paper covered baking sheet and immediately sprinkle it with a few of the reserved cookie crumbs. Allow to set completely in the refrigerator.

Notes

If you don't want to temper your chocolate, just melt it all over the simmering water/in the double boiler, or microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until completely melted and smooth.

3.2.2807

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Greetings from the open road! I’m currently on a cross-country road trip and am not online much, but I wanted to share these apple bars with you while I had some time to sign on – I brought them to a brunch a few weeks ago and they were a massive hit. Enough people have asked for the recipe that it’s time to get these puppies posted.

This recipe is from my mom, and she’s been making it since I was a kid. We have no idea of the original source – we’ve always called it apple brown Betty, but when I looked up apple brown Betty recipes, they all seemed more like crumb cakes or cobblers. These are simple blondie-like bars with fresh diced apples cooked with the batter. When baked, they get a beautifully browned crisp layer on top that goes perfectly with the soft spiced apples. On top of being to-die-for good, they’re incredibly simple to make – all you need is a bowl and an hour to bake them.

Now it’s back to the highway with me – we’re off to Sedona, AZ today after a day spent refueling by the pool in Palm Springs, CA – if you want to keep up with our adventures across the country, follow along on Instagram!

5.0 from 1 reviews

One Bowl Apple Bars

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

55 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Easy one-bowl apple bars are simple to make and not too sweet - a perfect snack or breakfast bar.

Category: Dessert

Yield: 20 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher/sea salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 cups diced apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are best)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until combined.
3. Add eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and beat until combined, about 1-2 minutes. The batter will be thick. Fold in apples and walnuts (if using).
4. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

3.2.2807

The post One Bowl Apple Bars appeared first on Baked In.

MINIATURE FOOD. This is a problem for me. Whenever I walk by mini food at the farmer’s market, out comes my wallet and there goes my good judgment. If it’s tiny, I must have it. Baby eggplant, baby zucchini…once I even bought baby sweet potatoes. Once I peeled them, there wasn’t much left, but what was there was adorable.

My weakness struck again, unsurprisingly, when I saw these little bitty bell peppers. Obviously I needed two cartons. I snacked on a bunch of them, and made this easy appetizer with what was left. These couldn’t be easier to make, and while I wouldn’t say they’re healthy per se, they’re lightened up with a bit of Greek yogurt and definitely on the better end of the spectrum when it comes to finger foods.

I preferred them baked to get that melty, browned goodness from the goat cheese, but if you’re short on time, they can just as easily be served cold. They make a great game day snack or appetizer, and are of course adorable and small. Goat get yourself some mini peppers and whip these up!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Miniature sweet peppers stuffed with herbed goat cheese. Can be served cold or hot.

Category: Appetizer

Yield: 32 pepper halves

Ingredients

• 16 miniature bell peppers, halved, seeds removed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 ounces goat cheese, softened
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley and basil)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly oiled foil and set aside.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and sweat for 1-2 minutes, until just fragrant. Remove from heat.
3. Combine goat cheese, yogurt, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds until well combined (you can also just stir together in a bowl - just finely chop the garlic first if you do so).
4. Spoon about 2 tsp of the mixture into each bell pepper half. Serve immediately, or bake for 12-14 minutes until filling is lightly browned on top.

3.2.2807

The post Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers appeared first on Baked In.

Are you sitting down? Grab the edge of something sturdy and steady yourself – because this post contains neither apples nor squash. I know, it’s crazy. But I think we need a little break from the autumnal explosion, and probably some sugar, too. Fear not – we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled fall programming in no time. I promise you won’t be thinking about gourds once you try these cupcakes.

It’s getting a little too chilly out for ice cream, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy everything that’s great about a root beer float – we’ll just do it in cupcake form. These are the perfect handheld embodiment of a real root beer float, with chocolaty root beer cake, a sweet root beer filling/glaze, and vanilla-root beer flavored frosting. And, obviously, a cherry on top. These were a big hit with the friend I sent them home with and his family, and pretty popular in the office, too.

I cut up paper straws to make them look even more like a float, but a great edible alternative would be those pirouline cookie straws – I just didn’t have any. Either way, they’re delicious. I’m hoping someone requests them again soon so I have a good excuse to make them again. In the meantime, back to squash and apples!

3.5 from 4 reviews

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Root beer floats in cupcake form - chocolate root beer cake, root beer glaze, and root beer/vanilla frosting.

Category: Dessert

Yield: ~24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups root beer (NOT diet)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp root beer extract

Glaze/Filling

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp root beer extract
• ¼ cup milk

Frosting

• 1½ cups shortening or butter, room temperature (I prefer shortening for this)
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp root beer extract

Garnishes

• Maraschino cherries
• Cut paper straws or pirouline cookies

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
2. Combine root beer, cocoa powder and butter in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking frequently, until butter is melted and there are no lumps. Add the sugar and brown sugar and whisk until completely dissolved. Set aside or place in refrigerator to cool to room temperature.
3. While the root beer mixture cools, combine flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl and stir to combine.
4. Combine eggs and root beer extract in a small bowl and beat to combine. Pour eggs into the room temperature root beer/cocoa mixture and stir to combine.
5. Add flour mixture to the root beer mixture and fold together to combine. The batter may be slightly lumpy.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared cupcake liners, filling each ⅔-3/4 full. Bake 20-22 minutes, until tops spring back lightly when touched. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely.

Make the Filling

1. While the cupcakes are cooling, place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Combine root beer extract and milk and stir to combine. Pour into the powdered sugar and whisk until mixture is smooth. If it's too thick, add more milk to thin it out. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
2. When cupcakes have completely cooled, use a paring knife to remove a 1-inch circle from the middle of each cupcake. Fill the hole with 1-2 tsp of filling. If you wish to skip this part, you can simply spread the filling on top of each cupcake as a glaze.

Make the Frosting

1. Place butter/shortening in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
2. Sift in powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla and root beer extract and continue beating for 1-2 minutes. Frost cupcakes and top with cherries. Stick a paper straw or pirouline cookie into each cupcake. Serve.

3.2.2807

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The post Root Beer Float Cupcakes appeared first on Baked In.