Chocolate Crinkle Cookies With Mars Bar Center

Delicious easy and who wouldn't love this cookie? You can freeze and pull them out when you are crunched on time... For last minute indulgence. 

Ingredients:

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix

1 8oz Package Cream Cheese, softened 

1 Stick Butter, softened

2 Eggs, room temperature

2-3 Mars Bars (optional)

Powder sugar for rolling

1. Bring all ingredients to room

 temperature.

2. Cut mars bars into 1/2" cubes. You should get 10 pieces from each, a total of 30 pieces in all. Place in fridge until needed. 

*you don't have Mars :( too bad...you can use whatever chocolate you like, Hershey's caramel kisses work fine. 

2.  In a large bowl cream the butter and cream cheese with whisk. Add eggs mix until combined. 

3. Add cake mix and combine using a wooden spoon. Mixture will be thick. 

4. Scoop 3/4" batter and roll into balls. I use a truffle scoop, if you don't have one you can use a tsp. you should get around 34-38 balls. 

5. Place a mars into the center of each ball enclose the piece with the batter.

6. Roll the dough in powder sugar. And chill over night. *I also freeze these when I need them for last minute guests, toss in powder sugar and straight to baking. 

6. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

7. Roll the balls again in powder sugar. Lay 2" apart in a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 

 8. Back 10 minutes the cookies will begin to spread and give the crackle appearance (12-15 min. if frozen). And the batter should look somewhat dry. Let cool. Sprinkle with powder sugar.

9. Enjoy babes!

Pita Croutons

 I get asked a lot how to make pita chips or pita croutons, all the time!!! To people who know how to cook it might be simple, but trust me...I have tried some bland, not so flavorful ones even made by the chefs that I've worked with. I know that because they are not so familiar with the spices that are used in Middle Eastern foods.
They are truly simple and add so much depth and crunch to a salad.
These croutons are used in one of the most popular Middle Eastern salads we make, Fatoush.
Which I will post as well.


Ingredients:
3-4 Pita breads, cubed or cut into wedges
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper and Salt
1/2 tsp. Coriander
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
Dash Cayenne Pepper

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Mix all the ingredients except the pita bread together.
Drizzle on top of the pita chips, mix to coat.
Lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment. You don't have parchment, no need to panic!  Go without.
Bake for about 5-10 minutes or until the croutons are golden brown.
Make sure to give the croutons a stir half way, so they can all get browned.
*You might think that these chips are a bit oily...who cares! Use less oil next time!
Let cool top or even nibble...Enjoy!



 I normally get my pita and spices from the Middle Eastern stores. The pita bread is so much authentic and thicker than what you might buy at your local grocery store...plus they don't taste like crap!
I also get asked a lot about where I buy my spices. They are from a local provider that I use, Green Land Food. They have every single spice you can imagine for unbeatable prices and great quality. Check out their web site http://www.greenlandfood.net/ so worth it...

 

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Squash Hush Puppies

2 Cups Squash/zucchini grated and well drained

   (* I drain my grated squash overnight in a strainer)
2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Corn Meal

2 Cups Buttermilk 
1 Cup Cheese grated, of your choice (I use pepper jack)
1/2 Onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
Dash Cayenne Pepper
Oil for deep frying



Directions:
1.Place all the ingredients in a large bowl mix till combined.

2.Drop teaspoons full of the mixture in the hot oil. 

   The will sink to the bottom, but will float as they start to cook. 

3.You want to turn them, so they get browned and cook on both sides. 

4.Cook about 1-2 minutes, you should achieve a dark golden brown color. 

*If you are not so sure if they are cooked open one up. 

*Depending on the size of your pot, you don't want to over crowd them. About 6 at a time. 

*Feel free to half this recipe. It will make anywhere from 24-36 puppies depending on the size of your scoop.

Egg & Avocado Salad Sandwich

Light, easy, healthy and most of all delicious egg salad sandwich. On a hot summer day, this is the perfect lunch! My recipe makes two sandwiches. Enjoy the salad which ever way you prefer as a sandwich, or on a bed of greens.


Ingredients:
4 Eggs, hard boiled cubed

1 Avocado diced

4 Tbsp. Mayo (optional, you can also substitute with mashed avocado)

1 Celery stick, finely chopped

1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. Onion, finely diced

2/4 tsp. Paprika

Salt/Pepper to taste 

4 slices toast of choice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.

2. Divide the mixture on two slices of toast.
3. Top with tomato and cucumber slices.
4. Enjoy!
 

 

Nutrition Facts

 



Eggs are full of high-quality nutrition they are a high source of Vitamin D, which helps to absorb Calcium. They are packed with protein, and a power house for fighting disease.

 

Paprika is a great source of Magnesium and Vitamins A, C, E...and so much more. It is low in cholesterol, sodium and packed with anti-oxidants. Aids with digestion, stimulates energy and great for the immune system. 

*I use paprika in EVERYTHING I cook. It adds a great subtle flavor, and the health benefits are tremendous!

 

 

 

Banoffee Pie

This English dessert made of a pie or cookie crust, toffee (originally made by boiling a can of Nestle condensed milk. I skip this and make home made caramel sauce), bananas and cream. Of course, anything other than that is just a version. As you can see I added chocolate, per request. 
I am going to be honest here...I am not a big fan of this dessert, but I am a chef...and not everything I make is about me. However, everything I make has to be delicious!!! 
I first made this for my sister who lives abroad. When she came for a long visit she asked me to make this for her because she missed it, and it happens to be her favorite. But then again anything with bananas is her favorite. So I have experimented a few times, and found this to be the best...Don't let this scare you!!! It is incredibly easy to make!
 The only one step that I don't do is boil a can of Nestle condensed milk in a pot of boiling water which turns it into caramel. I skip that part and make my own caramel sauce...I can't live without and always use. Feel free to use the method of your choice.  

Ingredients:
1 Cup crushed Ginger Snap cookies

1 1/2 Cup crushed Graham Crackers

3-4 Tbsp. melted Butter
3 Bananas
Whip Cream
Chocolate sauce for garnish

Toffee Sauce
 2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla extract


Cookie Crust Directions

1. Crush the cookies in a food processor, but not too fine.
2. Add the melted butter to the cookies, combine and press down in the cheesecake pan. (You can also use a pie dish if you like).
3. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

 Caramel Directions

1. In the meantime start on the caramel/toffee.
2. Place the sugar on medium heat in a deep sauce pan *(you need a deep sauce pan because when you add the cream it will start to boil and rise, you don't want it to boil over!).
3. Melt sugar completely. Stir with a wooden spoon.
4. When sugar has melted add the cream. It will start to boil.
5. Reduce the heat and stir until the sauce comes together and thickens. *If you see the sauce is too thick then you can adjust it by adding more heavy cream.
6. The last step would be to add the vanilla.

*The consistency should be a thick caramel, not runny (it will thicken as it cools). The more it cooks the thicker the sauce is...You want the rich caramel/toffee color.
1. Remove from heat and let cool. I use an ice bath just to speed up the process.
2. Pour cooled caramel into the cookie base.
3. Chill for 20 minutes.
4. Cut the bananas and lay flat on top of the caramel.
5. Pour the whip cream over the bananas.
6. Chill until ready to serve.
7. Enjoy!

Breakfast Smoothie

Everybody needs one of these smoothies every now and then. The kind that make you "poop", is what I mean. Well, at least I do :/ ...especially after a long week of eating everything you come across. 

Drink it first thing in the morning, and surprise yourself. 

Ingredients:

Spinach, big handful 

Water 1 cup

Raspberries 1 cup

Banana, 1

Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp 

Almond butter 1 Tbsp

Ground Flax seed, 1-2 Tbsp

Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp.  

French Beignets

I enjoy making beignets. They are very versatile, simple and absolutely delicious. My friend who is from Senegal (French influences because of French invasion) would make them, and bring me a bag full.
They puff up and make hollow pocket which allows you to experiment with your own flavors. Make anything from simply sweet powder sugar ones to stuffed fruits or savory goodness. I will explain how later on...
I came across this recipe, I didn't come up with this myself. All I know is I have made a couple of different recipes, but this is my favorite. *I swap out 1 1/5 cups of the flour with cake flour to make the dough lighter (or so I think). I might be wrong, but in my head I'm not. You can also use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose. It makes for a denser dough.
*Depending on the size of your cut dough this recipe will yield up to 2 dozen beignets.

Powder sugar, Cinnamon sugar and Nutella filled Beignets
 

Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. active dry Yeast 
1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Shortening (or butter)
1 tsp. Salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup Evaporated Milk
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
7 1/2 cups all purpose-Flour + for dusting
1 quart oil
Powder sugar

Directions:

1. Add the 1/2  cup warm water and yeast in a bowl. Let sit.
2. In a mixer bowl add sugar, shortening and salt. Mix lightly to combine.
3. Add the hot water and mix on low for 30 seconds just until sugar has dissolved and shortening melts.
4. Mix in the evaporated milk. 
5. Add lightly beaten eggs and yeast mix 20 seconds.
6. Change to the dough attachment, add flour to the mixture and mix until it forms a ball. You do not want to over mix! 
7. Place dough in a bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate so dough can rest and double in size. This will take approximately 1 hour.
8. If you are using any sort of filling this is your chance to mise en place...meaning get all your ingredients for fillings in order.
9. Once dough is ready roll out about 1/4" and cut in the shape you like. I like using the round cutter when I want to fill/stuff them. You can ball up and roll out the extra dough, just keep in mind the more you do this the tougher the dough gets :/
10. Let the dough rest on the counter and bring oil to 350 degrees.
11. Drop cut dough (no more than 6 at a time) in the hot 350 Degrees oil. Flip the beignet when golden brown, remove from oil when golden brown on both sides.
12. As soon as the beignets come out of the hot oil you want to dust them with sugar. Place powder sugar in a brown bag drop beignets and shake. If you are filling them use a piping bag with the cream, chocolate or whatever your heart desires and pipe, or you can simply cut the beignet half way and stuff with fruits.



Right way to fry

I like to use a large pot fill it 1/2 way with oil. Using a candy thermometer helps me to ensure that the oil stays at the right temperature. You can always filter the oil after frying using cheese cloth pour oil through the cloth into a clean container. Store it and reuse at another time.

So many different ways to satisfying your sweet tooth. I also do a simple sugar glaze.
1 Cup powder sugar 1-2 Tbsp. milk/orange juice or liquor
Mix and dip the donut into the glaze.