Don’t be fooled, these deviled egg cookies might look like your standard party eggs on the appetizer table but they are meant for the dessert table!

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My original plan was to share these deviled egg cookies on April Fools’ Day because I legit fooled people into thinking they were deviled eggs, but alas I lost track of time and missed it by 2 days. Over the years I’ve not been the best at catching this holiday but I have shared plenty of silly-fun food recipes of the years.

For example: my recent carrot cake crepes, new ways of thinking of deviled eggs in the form of deviled potatoes and deviled strawberries, disaster turned fun holy crap cookies, rice krispie sushi for a nephew’s birthday, buckeye AND chocolate deviled eggs, and my every growing collection of Halloween and Cheetos recipes.

Some might say I have a thing for deviled eggs and deviled egg-like food. Some might be right, because obviously today is yet another silly deviled egg creation. This time instead of testing peoples limits by making a dessert filling for a real hard boiled egg white (it’s not that weird I promise, the egg white is just a mostly bland vehicle anyway) I went for something less scary for those that are not as adventurous – sugar cookies.

I baked these deviled egg cookies in an egg-shaped silicone baking mold a friend gifted to me for the sole purpose of making these (thanks Beth!). We had seen others online baking similar things but I had an idea – what if I dipped the tops in white chocolate to make them look like true egg whites? Sure enough if you dip them in white chocolate and lay them face down on wax paper, once they set and you peel them off they really do look like little egg white cavities ready to be filled with deviled egg filing. All that remained was a little lemon curd frosting for the filling and red sanding sugar for “paprika” to lock it in.

I do have to admit I was a little distressed that the white chocolate coated eggs weren’t perfectly shaped despite my best efforts to remedy the fact that the cookies obviously weren’t perfectly flat. However several people said they are more realistic to the struggles of peeling eggs to make deviled eggs which was hilariously accurate.

So instead of trying to make these again but *prettier* I decided to just go for it and share them in all their imperfect glory. The internet needs a little more reality even if it’s just in the chocolate coating of a cookie to make it look like a deviled egg. Even if deviled egg cookies are a bit of a distortion of reality – whoops!

DEVILED EGG COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 20 Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SUGAR COOKIE

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

TOPPING

• 6 oz. white chocolate candy coating
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp lemon curd
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Yellow and red food coloring
• Red sanding sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat three 8-cavity egg-shaped silicone baking molds with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Blend in the egg and vanilla just until incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture 1/3 at a time until incorporated.
4. Place a 1-1/2 tablespoon ball of dough into each cavity (I used a medium cookie scoop). Place silicone trays on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until the tops are slightly golden.
5. Remove from oven and immediately press an small indentation (where the egg yolk would have been if it were an egg) using the back of a measuring spoon. Allow to cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the cookies cool, prepare the white chocolate. Line a flat tray with wax paper; set aside.
7. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler (or metal/glass bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water). Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
8. Dip the top (flat side with indent) of the egg cookies into melted chocolate letting excess drip off. Place on wax paper, chocolate side down. Repeat with remaining cookies then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. 
9. While the chocolate sets, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, beat together the butter, lemon curd, and powdered sugar until creamy. Add a couple drops of yellow food coloring and the smallest drop possible of red, mixing into the frosting to create a rich yellow color. Add a little milk or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency, but should remind you of deviled egg filling.
10. Spoon or pipe into the indentations of the cooled, white chocolate topped egg cookies. Sprinkle to red sanding sugar to resemble paprika. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: Adapted from my Sugar Cookie Spoons.

The adorable carrot cake crepes will be the star of your brunch spread this spring season, made easy with premade crepes.

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It’s the last day of Spring Sweets Week and I saved the cutest recipe for the end – carrot cake crepes that look like carrots! Seriously, how stinking cute are these? And they are so simple to put together using premade crepes.

The filling is a blend of cream cheese, whipped topping, pulverized carrot cake flavored Oreos (but you can substitute dry carrot cake mix), fresh shredded carrots, and pecans. Add a little orange for extra flavor and you’re ready to spread that creamy carrot cake filling over half a crepe to then be rolled up into a cone/carrot shape.

But the real trick is saving some of that filling before adding the smashed Oreos, carrots, and pecans, adding food coloring to dye it orange, drizzling on top and then sticking in some fresh parsley, cilantro, or maybe you have some carrot greens leftover from the carrot you shredded.

If you did happen to snag some carrots with the greens still attached, chances are you have a ton left (and carrots), so you should just go ahead and make carrot gnocchi with carrot top pesto to use them up and then serve these carrot cake crepes for dessert. Although I guess crepes are for breakfast? Do whatever feels right. Just know these don’t store well and are best enjoyed immediately.

Check out even more Spring Sweets Weeks recipes to serve along with these carrot cake crepes:

• Orange Poppy Seed Muffins by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Pineapple Pistachio Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Deviled Egg Sugar Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Carrot Cake Tamale by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Dubai Chocolate Easter Eggs by Magical Ingredients
• Kentucky Derby Pie by Art of Natural Living
• Fresh Strawberry Snacking Cake with White Chocolate Chips by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Raspberry Pound Cake by Rave About Food

EASY CARROT CAKE CREPES

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Yield: 20 Crepes Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 Tbsp orange juice (~1/2 orange)
• Red and yellow food coloring
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot cake Oreos* (~8 cookies)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans**
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 10 crepes, halved (I used Melissa's Produce brand)
• 2 tsp milk
• Fresh cilantro, parsley, or carrot top greens, for garnish
• Orange zest, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, blend together the cream cheese, whipped topping, and orange juice. Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and place in a small bowl; set aside. To the medium bowl of filling, fold in the carrot cake cookies, chopped walnuts and shredded carrots until evenly distributed.
2. Spread 2 Tbsp of filling over each crepe half, leaving 1/2-inch around the edges. Starting at one end, roll the crepe up to create a cone/carrot shape. Repeat with each crepe half***.
3. To the small bowl of reserved filling, add a couple drops of red (~2) and yellow (~4) food coloring and stir to create an orange color. Add 2 teaspoons of milk to thin it enough to drizzle over the crepes.
4. Insert the stems of the carrot greens, mint, or parsley into the top of each crepe with leaves sticking out to resemble a carrot. Sprinkle with orange zest, if using, and serve immediately.

Notes

*If you cannot find the carrot cake Oreos, swap for 2/3 cup carrot or spice cake mix, but make sure to heat treat by heating in microwave to 160 degrees F - about 1 minute stirring every 15 seconds. **You could also add/substitute nuts for toasted coconut or raisins if you prefer. ***If not serving immediately, keep components separate until ready.

Source: Adapted from my Carrot Cake Dip, Cake Batter Fruit Dip, Oreo Cheesecake Fruit Dip, and A Season to Smile.

Nutty pistachio and tangy lemon pair exceptionally well in these soft and pillowy pistachio lemon ricotta cookies, topped with a lemon glaze and even more pistachios.

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On the second day of Spring Sweets Week I gave to you, a batch of pistachio lemon ricotta cookies. They may not be as colorful as the blood orange ricotta cookies recipe from which they were derived, but they certainly pack as much flavor.

The earthy nuttiness of the pistachios pairs just as well with the zesty freshness of lemon as it does with lime (as seen in key lime pistachio cheesecake and lemon-lime pistachio bars). And in case you were unsure what flavor you are dealing with, the yellow lemon glaze on top sprinkled with chopped pistachios should help.

Normally I am not a soft/pillowy cookie fan but these pistachio lemon ricotta cookies have just the right about of chewiness that I am on board. Of course that meant that I had to chop up the pistachios more finely so as to not have large crunchy spots in these otherwise soft textured cookies.

Don’t get me wrong, I love nuts in cookies but my husband often seems off-put by surprise nuts inside so that’s why I chopped them up smaller. Granted I then saved the larger pieces for topping but at least you can see those coming. My logic is flawless, don’t come at me.

• Strawberry Swirl Banana Bread by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Sushki by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Baked Carrot Cake Donuts by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Sourdough Cardamom Buns by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Carrot Halwa by Magical Ingredients
• Lavender Creme Brulee by Art of Natural Living
• Chocolate Raspberry Marble Pound Cake by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Easy Lemon Curd by Rave About Food

PISTACHIO LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES

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Yield: 4 dozen Prep Time: 40 MInutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIES

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (from ~5 lemons)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

GLAZE

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ~1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from ~5 lemons)
• Yellow food coloring, if desired
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, ricotta cheese, pistachios, zest, and vanilla and mix just until combined.
4. Add half the flour mixture and mix until combined. Repeat with the second half until a soft dough forms. Use a medium cookie scoop to roll into golf ball sized  balls and place on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, then start to add the lemon juice a little at a time until you reach desired consistency (I prefer mine a bit less firm). Add a few drops of lemon food coloring, if desired, and mix until blended.
7. Spread glaze over the cooled cookies (or dip tops into the glaze) and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Let set until firm.

Source: Adapted from my Blood Orange Ricotta Cookies.

This basil lime curd tart has a Biscoff crust, fresh strawberries on top, and is finished with basil whipped cream.

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What happens when you make something so good you think about it years later? Normal people would just make that same thing again, but what if it could be just as good but different? That’s what I did after dreaming about my blood orange curd tart for two years.

I changed almost everything about it from the crust, to the filling, and the topping. This time around the crust is crushed Biscoff (Speculoos) cookies because that’s one step up to traditional graham cracker crust, especially when the filling is a lime curd tart. But not just any lime curd, a basil lime curd tart.

Once the basil lime curd tart was set, I topped it with a heaping pile of macerated strawberries. A very organized heap, but a heap nonetheless. And no tart is complete without some chantilly cream (sweetened whipped cream) so I added a little basil to that too.

I made this for a friend’s birthday but it doubled up as the kick starter for Spring Sweets Week. Technically spring has begun but the weather is yo-yoing around that it’s hard to know what season it is from day to day. But instead of dressing for the job we want, we will be eating for the season we want. Check out what everyone else made listed right before the recipe for my strawberry basil lime curd tart.

• Strawberry Pop Tart Cookie Bars by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Napoleon with Fresh Berries by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Lemon Crinkle Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Lemon Pudding Cake by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Matcha Strawberry Cream Buns by Magical Ingredients
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies by Art of Natural Living
• Bowtie Cookies with Strawberry Jam by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Lush by Rave About Food

STRAWBERRY BASIL LIME CURD TART

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Yield: 10 Servings Prep Time: 4 Hours 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1 cup crushed Biscoff cookies
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FILLING

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp lime zest (~2 limes)
• 1-1/4 cup lime juice (~10 limes)
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 large basil leaves

TOPPING

• 1 lb. sliced strawberries
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 1 large basil leaf, minced

Directions

1. Move the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
2. Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor* add the Biscoff cookies, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with vanilla. Pulse until the butter is fully incorporated, 20-30 seconds**. 
3. Coat a 4 x 14-inch tart pan with a removable bottom*** with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough into the pan and press the crust evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
4. Place tart pan directly on oven rack and bake until the top edges of the crust are just barely starting to turn golden, 15-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF.
5. Make the filling: Place the butter and lime zest in a heatproof bowl, then set a mesh strainer over the bowl; set aside.
6. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolks. While continuing to whisk, gradually pour in the lime juice until combined. Add basil leaves and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches 160-165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, about 5-10 minutes. Immediately pour the curd through the prepared mesh strainer and into the bowl of butter. Whisk to combine then pour into the cooled crust.
7. Bake the tart at 325ºF until the the center wobbles like firm gelatin when gently shaken, 20-30 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack for about an hour, then chill until firm, 3-4 hours or overnight.
8. Make the topping: When ready to serve, in a medium bowl, combine the sliced strawberries and 2 Tbsp+2tsp sugar. Toss to coat and set aside to macerate. Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, whip the heavy cream until it form soft peaks. Add the remaining teaspoon of sugar and minced basil and whip further until it forms firm peaks. Serve topped with macerated strawberries and whipped cream on top.

Notes

*Can also use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. **If using a stand mixer, run on medium-low until the dough comes together, 3–5 minutes. ***You can also use a 9-inch round tart pan.

Source: Adapted from my Blood Orange Curd Tart, inspired by Pick Yin.

That’s no robin’s egg on top, these Cadbury mini egg cheesecakes use spring’s favorite candy for a festive take on miniature cheesecake.

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Today is the official first day of spring but some of my bulb flowers already bloomed last week because of the extra freakish weather we’ve been having in Ohio. Legit it was in the 70s one day and snowing the next. Thankfully a friend gave me the novel idea of cutting them to put in vases inside. How I did not think of this on my own is a bit pathetic but they are safe indoors for as long as cut flowers can last – certainly longer than frost bitten ones.

Besides erratic weather, spring brings the best thing since the Reese’s pumpkins in the fall – Cadbury mini eggs! Personally, I prefer the royal dark ones because most mass produced milk chocolate is hardly chocolate anymore (I’m looking at you, Reese’s), but I also enjoy the dark chocolate as a contrast to an otherwise overly sweet treat. That being said, cheesecake isn’t overly sweet so you could use either type of Cadbury chocolate in these mini egg cheesecakes based on your preference.

Other than that I don’t really know what else you need to know to be convinced to make these mini egg cheesecakes, unless you are a purist and eat them straight out of the bag with no exceptions. If so, I respect that. But if you are willing to part with half a bag I think these are worth it. They are quicker to prepare than a full-sized cheesecake, can be made ahead (basically have to be due to chilling time), and are cute but not too cute to eat! But if cheesecake isn’t your jam then I also have recipes for Cadbury mini egg cookies, 7-layer bars, gooey butter cake, and rice treats.

CADBURY MINI EGG CHEESECAKES

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Yield: 1 dozen Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1 sleeve (2 oz, 4 sheets) graham crackers, finely ground in food processor (~1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted

FILLING

• 12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 mini candy coasted chocolate eggs*, chopped (~1/2 cup)

GANACHE

• 1/2 cup chopped dark* chocolate
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted
• 36 mini candy coasted chocolate eggs*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ground chocolate graham crackers and melted butter into a bowl until well combined.  Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups** that have been sprayed with cooking spray.  Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat.  Partially bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven.
2. In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate eggs.
3. Pour mixture evenly into the 12 cups, filling about 3/4 way full. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through. Let cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl add the chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds until melted.
5. Once cooled, remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a teaspoonful of chocolate ganache, a sprinkle of toasted coconut, and 3 chocolate eggs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

*I like Cadbury royal dark, but you can use milk chocolate if you prefer. **Can also use regular muffin pan with cupcake liners. Yield and cook time may differ.

Source: Adapted from my Mini Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecakes and decoration inspired by A Pumpkin and a Princess.

Skillet Sloppy Joe Pot Pie takes a weeknight dinner classic to the next level by baking it in a cast iron skillet topped with cheddar cheese and biscuits.

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Originally this was going to be my Pi Day recipe. My husband thought that it was a stretch to make a sloppy joe pot pie in a cast iron skillet topped with biscuits for Pi Day but it doesn’t have to be pie to celebrate pie day, it just has to be round! Cast iron skillets happen to be round. Although when I found out that National Sloppy Joe Day was on March 18th I decided to postpone. Instead I shared a Dubai chocolate tart for pie day which I think was a good trade off since now I got to have both.

The first time I made a sloppy joe pot pie it was topped with tater tots, but even when I precooked them before baking them on top I didn’t feel like the tater tots were crispy enough. Maybe I like my tater tots extra crispy (truth) but I was not prepared to share what I considered to be a lack-luster recipe. However I still wanted it to be a fairly simple recipe so I ended up using refrigerated biscuits instead. Yes the biscuits are going to be a but soggy but in this situation I am okay with it.

SKILLET SLOPPY JOE POT PIE WITH BISCUITS

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced (~1-1/2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and minced (~1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (~2 cups)
• 1 (16.3 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits (8 count)**

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack on the bottom third.
2. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet* over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up gently, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove meat to a paper-towel lined plate and return skillet with meat great to heat.
3. Add the onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the brown sugar, chili powder, mustard, salt, and pepper until evenly distributed. Add the beef back to the skillet along with the tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until starting to thicken.
5. Remove from heat, spread mixture evenly in the skillet, sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese on top, then arrange the biscuits evenly over top of the cheese.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until the biscuits are starting to turn golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the biscuits and bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

*Or other oven-safe skillet. **Can use homemade if you prefer, but cook time may vary.

Source: Adapted from Mama Knows Gluten Free and my Root Beer Sloppy Joes.

If potato soup and a Reuben sandwich got together they would create this Reuben soup. Can use leftover corned beef but it’s worth making some just for this!

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How many things can be Reuben-inspired? I feel like when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day, this little blog of mine is putting that question to the test. I may not have any recipes for an actual Reuben sandwich but over the years I have shared recipes for Reuben Taquitos, Reuben Pizza, Reuben Dip, Reuben Burgers, Reuben Mac & Cheese, and Reuben Stromboli. Today I am adding one more to that list – Reuben soup!

This is Reuben soup actually a different version of my Cheddar Baked Potato Soup that has been heavily adapted to incorporate all the things a Reuben should have – sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, corned beef, and your choice of Thousand Island or Russian dressing. I recently learned that Russian dressing is technically the more traditional option but Thousand Island became more popular because it is sweeter and balances out the sauerkraut and corned beef.

While technically this was meant as a way to use up leftover corned beef I honestly think it is worth preparing corned beef just so you can make this Reuben soup. It’s that good. Better yet, I used the corned beef broth that ultimately was created when cooking my corned beef in a slow cooker as the broth in this recipe as opposed to using regular beef broth. Waste not! Of course don’t forget a slice of toasted rye bread for swiping up any soup that’s left in your bowl.

REUBEN SOUP

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Yield: 8-10 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (~1 cup)
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped (~1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups beef broth*
• 3 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 tsp carraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground white black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole or 2% milk
• 2 cups cooked corned beef, chopped
• 1 cup grated Swiss cheese, plus more for serving
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Thousand Island or Russian dressing, for serving
• Green onion, sliced, for serving
• Toasted rye bread, for serving

Directions

1. In a stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
2. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture, stir to coat, and continue to stir while cooking for 3 minutes.
3. Add the broth, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add in the potatoes, sauerkraut, Worcestershire, carraway seeds, white pepper, thyme, and paprika then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
4. Stir in the cream, milk, and corned beef. Add Swiss cheese 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Add hot sauce, salt* and more pepper, to taste. Serve topped with more Swiss cheese, dressing, Green onion, and toasted rye bread.

Notes

*Salt needed will depend on the salt content of the beef broth used. I used the liquid beef broth leftover from making slow cooker corned beef.

Source: Adapted from my Cheddar Baked Potato Soup, inspired by Poggiolieats.

If you love Dubai chocolate bars you’re going to fall even more in love with this Dubai chocolate tart with a thicker crispy filling and creamy ganache topping.

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Originally I had a sloppy joe pot pie planned for today and my husband thought it was a stretch. But “pie” is in the name and to celebrate pi day you truly just need round food. However, that was before I discovered sloppy joe day is March 18th so I postponed it a few days. I did not change it because of my husband :-P.

Dreaming up this Dubai chocolate tart also helped in the decision otherwise I would have left it. Yes yes, it’s a tart not technically a pie but it’s still round so it still works! I was dreaming of a Dubai chocolate bar but with a buttery crust, a thicker layer of filling, and a softer milk chocolate ganache layer on top that you can literally sink your teeth into. But how is that accomplished?

Despite Dubai chocolate going viral sometime around late 2023 this is the first time I have ventured into making something inspired by it myself. Honestly, I was a little bit intimidated by finding and using chopped kataifi pastry dough, especially since many recipes call for frozen versions that you thaw and chop yourself. I am sure it’s fresher and better tasting but when I found dried kataifi I finally took the dive.

Then I discovered that you have to toast the kataifi. Not just because it results in the characteristic crispy crunchiness that is the inside of a Dubai chocolate bar but because, just like raw cookie dough, it contains raw flour and may be contain harmful bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella. So both both reasons please toast the kataifi! And make sure you used a large skillet with high sides. You need to stir it constantly and it will fly everywhere if you are not careful. I have to admit it was still a bit messy but this Dubai chocolate tart was well worth the cleanup.

Then I ran into another dilemma: pistachio butter or pistachio cream? I originally planned on making homemade pistachio butter but discovered that again many recipes use pistachio cream which its more like chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) in that it is heavily sweetened and has a thinner consistency than nut butters. So I bought myself my first jar of pistachio cream and already knew I was in trouble because it’s delicious!

After managing to not eat all the pistachio cream by itself I had enough to make this Dubai chocolate tart. All that was left was buying some good quality milk chocolate (because most commercially available milk chocolate in this country is chocolate candy sugar garbage) to make the ganache on top and I was on my way to making what I hoped would be one fantastic dessert.

Sure enough when I brought this Dubai chocolate tart into work almost none of it made it home. Even the nut and chocolate-averse person didn’t hate it. The crispy sweet and salty pistachio kataifi filling was perfectly sandwiched between the chocolate pie crust and sweet milk chocolate ganache topped with chopped pistachios. Happy pi day indeed.

Bonus points is that this would also be a great option for St. Patrick’s Day. This might not be the most vibrantly green option but it’s naturally green and that deserves credit too. After all, I have passed off less vibrantly but naturally green things in the past including pesto deviled eggs, matcha rice krispie treats, coconut-pistachio pie, pistachio baklava bars, spinach pizza, and key lime Greek yogurt pie – what’s one more?

One year ago: Portuguese Egg Tarts
Four years ago: One Skillet Corned Beef Pot Pie with Potato Chip Crust
Five years ago: Irish Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust & Whiskey Caramel
Seven years ago: Lucky Lemon Cream Pie
Eight years ago: Coconut Chess Pie
Nine years ago: Shepherd’s Pie Pizza
Ten years ago: Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins
Eleven years ago: Coconut-Pistachio Pie
Twelve years ago: Crustless Ginger Blueberry-Pear Pie
Thirteen years ago: Banana Pudding Pie
Fourteen years ago: Flower Bouquet Cake Pops
Fifteen years ago: Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter Pie

DUBAI CHOCOLATE TART

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Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cold shortening (or unsalted butter)
• 1/4 cup cold milk

FILLING

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 oz. chopped kataifi pastry dough (about 2 1/2 cups), thawed if frozen
• 1-1/2 cups pistachio cream
• 2 Tbsp well-stirred tahini
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

GANACHE & TOPPING

• 6 oz. good quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp chopped roasted pistachios

Directions

1. For the crust: In a food processor or a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Add shortening by pulsing in a food processor or cutting in with a knife until it resembles coarse wet sand.
2. Add milk to flour mixture and mix until distributed. With hands, form dough into a round flattened disc, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
3. Roll dough out on a floured surface to fit to a 10-inch tart pan (or pie plate). Transfer to the pan and fold over any excess crust, carefully pressing the dough evenly into and up the sides of the pan. Using a fork pork holes evenly over the bottom surface, and chill for 15 minutes.
4. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line the crust with parchment lightly coated with non-stick spray and fill with pie weights**. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and bake another 5 minutes or until the crust is no longer shiny. Remove to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
5. For the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet with high sides over medium heat. Add the kataifi, stirring to coat in the butter, and cook while stir frequently until golden brown and toasted, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.
6. In a small bowl stir together the pistachio cream, tahini, and salt. Evenly pour over the chilled kataifi and stir until distributed. Transfer mixture into the cooled tart and spread evenly; set aside.
7. For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl. In another small heat-proof bowl, microwave the heavy cream for 1 minute or just until it starts to boil. Immediately pour over chocolate and cover bowl with saran wrap for 5-7 minutes. Whisk until smooth, pour over the top of the tart, then smooth evenly with an offset spatula. Decorate with chopped pistachios and chill until set, at least 1 hour.
8. When ready to serve, remove tart from pan, slice and enjoy!

Notes

*Since it’s not a leavened recipe, you can substitute Natural cocoa powder but the crust will have a lighter color. **Or dried beans

Source: Crust from my Chocolate Blackberry Pear Tart, Filling adapted from The Kitchn and Food Network, Ganache adapted from my Dark Chocolate Peanut butter Cup Cake.

Don’t let the racks in the powdered sugar fool you, these basil lime gooey butter cookies are as chewy as they are flavorful.

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Second to Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite holidays for which to cook and bake. I feel like they both lend themselves to so much creativity and are often overshadowed by all the festive and/or traditional creations for the bigger holidays. Most people don’t have set things that they make for Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day so I can usually get away with more than I could otherwise.

These basil lime gooey butter cookies might not be the most festive thing I’ve ever made in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day but they are green and that’s the most important part, right? They are based on my lemon gooey butter cookies but with some basil added in for a little something special. Also since I didn’t have lime extract, I added more lime zest and used lime juice instead. The result may be a more subtle flavor than with the lemon version but they are still quite delicious.

These basil lime gooey butter cookies are slightly bigger than normal as well as I was just feeling a slightly larger cookie, but I left directions in the notes if you want to stick to the classic little guys. I did use a small amount of green food coloring as well – just enough to give them a slight green hue. If you are not a fan of food coloring, even the more “natural” food coloring, then feel free to leave it out. Just be prepared for them to not be very green so don’t say I didn’t warn you :-P.

BASIL LIME GOOEY BUTTER COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 3 dozen Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 MInutes Cooking Time: 12 Minutes 12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• Zest from 2 limes (about 4 tsp)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh minced basil
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• Green food coloring, optional
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed (or handheld electric mixer and a large bowl), cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in sugar, zest, juice, and basil until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk (and a few drops of green food coloring if using) and beat until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
3. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
5. Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls (I used a medium cookie scoop*), flatten slightly, roll in powdered sugar to coat, shake off excess, and place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and crackly. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled, transfer cookies to an airtight container.

Notes

*In the past I have used a small cookie scoop, baking 10 minutes, with a yield over 4 dozen

Source: Adapted from my Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies.

Are you ready to share this Cheetos snack mix at your next party or on a road trip? It is extra cheesy, some would say dangerously so.

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Behold – the birth of cheesy Cheetos snack mix! While I could have taken a shortcut and mixed together a bunch of cheesy snacks like I did with my easy Cheez-it snack mix, substituting all the non-cheesy things for more cheesy things like Cheetos and goldfish, I wanted the cheese contribution to be mostly attributed to the Cheetos themselves for this momentous National cheese doodle day. Afterall, it is called Cheetos snack mix.

Instead I kept the mix more similar to a typical Chex mix but added some cheddar cheese powder to the seasoning blend, effectively coating everything in a cheesy layer. Fun fact: I used to steal the cheese packets from other boxes of mac and cheese to make the current box I was preparing cheesier. If only I had a jar of this cheddar cheese powder growing up we maybe wouldn’t have been left with a bunch of plain elbow noodles.

Other than the addition of cheese powder to the seasonings, Cheetos is pulling most of the weight in the cheesy factor of this Cheetos snack mix. As such I doubled the amount I used but only added half to the original concoction. I wish I could say that was intentional but after making it I felt like there needed to be more Cheetos representation so I added more. As an added bonus I liked the contrast of the seasoned Cheetos with the classic Cheetos so it ended up being a happy adjustment.

The only dilemma now is that I made this entire batch for a household of two which means, as much as I’d like to think I could eat it all myself, I will be handing out little baggies of Cheetos snack mix to friends to help them celebrate one of my favorite food holidays of the year. Just call me the Cheetos fairy.

CHEESY CHEETOS SNACK MIX

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Yield: 14 cups Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 cups crunchy cheese doodles Cheddar cheese crackers (such as Cheetos®), divided*
• 2 cups cone-shaped corn snacks (such as Bugles®)
• 2 cups checkerboard-shaped crispy rice or corn cereal (such as Chex® or Crispix®)
• 2 cups checkerboard-shaped crispy wheat cereal (such as Chex®)
• 2 cups rye bread chips
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F with racks placed in the upper and lowers thirds.
2. In an extra large mixing bowl add 2 cups of the Cheetos, Bugles, Chex and Crispix cereals, rye chips, and pretzels. Stir together until evenly distributed.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter for 30 second intervals until melted. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, followed by the cheese powder, salt, garlic, onion, pepper, paprika, and cumin.
4. Slowly pour butter mixture evenly over dry ingredients while gently stirring until evenly coated (or the best you can).
5. Spread mix evenly onto two large rimmed baking sheets.
6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and rotating the pans front-to-back and top-to-bottom every 15 minutes, or until mostly dry.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Stir in remaining Cheetos and transfer to an airtight container to store at room temperature.

Notes

*Why do I add half of the Cheetos before mixing and half after? Because I liked the contrast of the seasoned Cheetos with the classic Cheetos. And I wanted a double dose of Cheetos since this Cheetos snack mix after all.

Source: Adapted from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen and All Recipes.