Crostata with Raspberry Jam

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• Flour for dusting, as needed
• 1 jar (3/4 cup) raspberry preserves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
• Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Directions:

Mix the flour, sugar, and lemon peel, in a food processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add salt. Pulse in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough onto a heavy baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Stir the lemon juice into the preserve and spread the preserves on top of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.

Bake the crostata until the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool.

Sprinkle with the almonds and dustwith the powdered sugar, if you wish. Slide a spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet and serve. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Caramel Fondue

Serve this easy and fun dessert at your next party.  Its great for a crowd and everyone loves picking what they want to dip.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken in pieces chocolate chips work fine 
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup caramel topping

Things to dip:

strawberries

pretzels

pound cake

marshmallows

pineapple

bananas

Directions:

Melt ingredients on stove top over med. heat, stirring until mixture is melted and smooth. Place in fondue pot and watch closely so that it doesn't boil or scorch.

Serve with strawberries, bananas, pretzels, pound cake, marshmallows, and pineapple for dipping.  Enjoy!

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Spaghetti Carbonara

This is one of the easiest pasta dishes and it uses ingredients that you probably always have in your refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
2 eggs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 white onion or 3 scallions
4 slices bacon
salt
pepper

Directions:
After boiling a pot of water, salt the water and put in the spaghetti and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Slice the bacon and add to a small sauce pan with the chopped onion or scallions.  Allow the bacon to become brown and the onions to become translucent. 

In a small bowl beat the eggs and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. 

Once the pasta is done drain the pasta.  Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into the original pasta pot.  Then add the pasta.  The pot should be off the heat by now.  Add the bacon and onions and stir the pasta.  Then slowly add the eggs in 3 increments.  After every increment of egg add more of the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Stir continuously until the cheese has melted and the egg has become a sauce.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Peanut Brownies

This is another different way to make brownies.  They taste just like giant peanut butter cups.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat in eggs one by one until the ingredients are completely combined.  In a separate bowl combined the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Add a little bit at a time and stir after each addition until all has been completely combined.  Stir in peanuts and chocolate chips.

Spread half of the batter into the bottom of a 9 x 9 greased baking dish.  Now take teaspoon fulls of peanut butter and dollop them on top of the brownie.  Taking a knife swirl the caramel in to get a marbelized effect of caramel throughout the brownie.  Add the rest of the batter and add the remaining peanut butter in teaspoonfuls.  Swirl to get a marbelizes affect.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Allow brownies to cool and enjoy!

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Spinach and Artichoke Manicotti

Do you have some leftover spinach and artichoke dip? Here is a great recipe that uses those leftovers to create a new delicious dish! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups spinach and artichoke dip
8 oz ricotta cheese
6 oz can tomato sauce
2 slices of bacon
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
10 manicotti shells
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
salt
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta.  Once water has boiled, put in manicotti shells and cook for 7-8 minutes.  Drain well and lay on a baking sheet to cool.

Heat a medium sauce pan and brown the bacon.  The bacon will release all of its fat.  Then add the onion and the garlic cloves.  Stir and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic begins to turn brown.  Add the can of tomato sauce and stir.  Allow tomato sauce to boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl but the 1 1/2 cups spinach and artichoke dip and mix with the ricotta cheese.  Add 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. 

To the sauce add 3/4 cup of milk and stir.  In a cup stir the remaining 1/4 cup milk with 2 tablespoons of flour until the flour has dissolved.  Stir the milk and flour mixture into the sauce.  Add the other 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.  Allow sauce to boil and thicken, about 5-6 minutes.

Grease the bottom of a baking dish and cover the bottom with a thin layer of the sauce.  Stuff each manicotti shell with the spinach, artichoke, and ricotta cheese filling.  Place them in the pan and top with the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top has become golden brown.  Enjoy!

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Whoopie Pies

This recipe is actually a low fat recipe.  They are so easy to make and absolutely delicious.  You won't even know they aren't the original full fat kind.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening 
• 1 egg white 
• 1/2 cup low-fat 1% milk 
• 3/4 cup marshmallow spread (I used strawberry marshmallow spread)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the sugar shortening, and egg white in a medium bowl until fluffy and well blended, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the flour mixture, then the milk, until just blended.

Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto large,  ungreased baking sheets, making 36 cookies.  Bake until top  springs back when lightly touched, 5-7 minutes.  Cool completely on the sheets on a rack.  Spoon 2 teaspoons marshmallow spread on the bottoms of half the cookies.  Top with the remaining cookies.  Enjoy!

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Lemon Bars

This is a very easy dessert that is perfect for the spring time! You could switch out the lemon zest and juice for any other citrus.  Lime and Orange bars would be delicious!

Ingredients:
Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling:

6 eggs, at room temperature

2 2/3 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons grated lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking sheet (otherwise known as a quarter sheet pan) with some cooking spray.


In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or you can use a food processor), cream your butter with the sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Turn the mixer speed to low, add the flour into your butter and mix until just incorporated. (Make sure not to over-mix.) Turn the dough onto the baking sheet, flour your hands and press it out evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Pop in the fridge for an hour (or overnight) to chill.


Pop the crust in the oven and bake until a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.


For the filling: While the crust is cooling, make your filling. Crack your eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Whisk until combined. Pour into the crust and spread evenly. Put back in the oven and bake until the filling is completely set, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.


Dust with confectioners' sugar and then cut into 20 to 24 squares to serve. Enjoy!

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