FILLED OATMEAL COOKIES – The only thing better than an oatmeal cookie is a filled oatmeal cookie, right! It seems they were one of those cookies traditionally baked at Christmas time, probably due to the cost of dates and the time consuming process to make them.
Whenever my mother was doing her Christmas baking, she gradually filled every cookie tin she owned and then started using empty ‘Rodger’s Golden Syrup’ pails to store them in. These pails were good for the purpose because they were airtight. To keep us ‘kids’ from nibbling on them before Christmas had actually arrived, the pails were discretely placed among her jars of canning downstairs. Somehow a pail got missed, so that year we enjoyed some very tasty cookies in about February.
I personally just love dates but Brion, not so much. As an alternative I decided to make half the recipe with Cranberry filling so it would work for both of us.
MINCE-APPLE TARTS – Mince(meat) pies, like Christmas puddings, were originally filled with meat, such as lamb, rather than dried mixed fruit as they are today. The shape was an oval to represent the manager that the baby Jesus slept in, with the tops representing his swaddling clothes.
A custom from the middle ages was that if you eat mince pie on everyday from Christmas until the 5th of January (12 days) you will have happiness for the next 12 months. At one time in the UK, mince pies were a status symbol at Christmas. Having pies like this, made in various shapes, meant you could afford to employ the best pastry cooks.
It seems mincemeat is one of those things that people either really like or they want nothing to do with it. Brion and I always enjoy to have a few (fruit) mincemeat tarts at Christmas time. Tossing in a bit of apple, walnuts and some extra rum or brandy doesn’t hurt either.
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Date Filled Oatmeal Cookies / Mincemeat-Apple Tarts
The hint of citrus in the filled oatmeal cookies elevates them to a whole new level.
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Ingredients
Date Filled Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Date Filled Oatmeal Cookies
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Instructions
Date or Cranberry Filled Cookies
In a large bowl, cream margarine & sugar; beat in milk & vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder & salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture until blended. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or longer.
Filling
In a double boiler over medium heat, bring dates (cranberries), sugar, water, juice & zest to a boil; stirring often. Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer, stirring occasionally, until fruit is very soft. Uncover & cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until mixture forms a thick paste. Let cool completely.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll out cookie dough to about 1/8 - 1/4" thickness & cut into 1 1/2 - 2" circles. Place on baking sheet & bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until golden edge is crispy & center is still soft. Transfer immediately to rack & allow to cool completely. Spread filling evenly over smooth side of half of the cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies.
Mince - Apple Tarts (24)
On a floured surface, roll out pastry. Using a 2 1/2" cookie cutter, cut 24 circles. With a canape cutter, cut out 24 various shapes such as stars, trees, bells etc. for the top of tarts. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place shapes on an ungreased baking sheet; sprinkle with sugar. Bake cutouts for a few minutes until light golden. remove from sheet & cool.
Press tart pastry sheels into bottom & up the sides of miniature muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Spoon into tart shells. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until filling is bubbly & crust is light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from pans. Top each tart with a cutout.
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Recipe Notes
- Due to the fact that the filled cookies will get quite soft after a few days, I like to keep them in the freezer & eat them while they are still slightly frozen.
- For the tarts, you can either buy frozen tart shells or I do have my favorite pastry recipe posted on the Thanksgiving blog in October 2016.
Today, November 24, our neighbors to the south are celebrating Thanksgiving. Over the years, Brion and I have been in the USA numerous times on this occasion and enjoyed the food and holiday atmosphere very much. Today’s blog post acknowledges the American holiday with some special meal choices.
At the heart of a memorable dinner is the main entree, so why not make it just a bit more special by serving it ‘En Croute’. In the culinary arts, the term en croute (pronounced ‘on Kroot’) indicates a food that has been wrapped in a pastry dough and then baked in the oven. Traditionally the type of pastry used was a simple dough called pate pastry. Today, puff pastry is frequently used for most en croute recipes.
The key to preparing items en croute is that however long it takes to cook the pastry until it is golden brown is how long the item will spend in the oven. Some of the best choices are beef tenderloin, salmon or a brie cheese, due to the fact they require less time to cook.
In the 1950’s and 60’s, Beef Wellington or as the French called it, ‘Boeuf en Croute’, became very popular. It was an elegant meal, using a beef tenderloin covered with liver pate and wrapped in pastry. My first introduction to this meal was a much more low key version. It was simply achieved by making a nicely seasoned meatloaf, wrapping it a basic pastry and baking it. My mother would serve it with a tomato soup sauce. Definitely good but not quite the elegance of the true en croute entrees.
Two favorites of mine are variations of the classic ‘boeuf en croute’. One uses boneless turkey breast topped with a cranberry, hazelnut stuffing and baked in a tender puff pastry then served with a citrus-fig cranberry sauce. The other one is a seafood en croute using fresh salmon. The salmon is topped with shrimp or scallops in a seasoned egg/cream mixture and baked in puff pastry. A dill cream sauce is served to compliment this entree. Having a few alternatives to change out your traditional holiday meals always keeps it interesting.
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Turkey / Seafood 'en Croute'
Alternative ideas for those special occasions.
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Ingredients
Citrus - Fig Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
Citrus - Fig Cranberry Sauce
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Instructions
Turkey en Croute
Saute garlic & onions in olive oil & butter 1-2 minutes. Add bread crumbs; toss until they begin to brown slightly. Add hazelnuts, thyme, cranberries, salt & pepper. Add only enough turkey stock to make stuffing hold together.
Place the first pastry sheet on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place turkey breast along the center line of the pastry sheet. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash. Place stuffing on top of the turkey. Place the second pastry sheet over the turkey & stuffing. Trim the edges to form an oval shape. Save the trimmings in the fridge.
Bring the edges of the dough together & seal by pinching them. Roll the dough from the bottom layer over the top layer & press down all the way around the perimeter of the pastry. This creates a tighter seal. Brush egg wash over the entire surface of the pastry. Decorate, cutting leaf shapes from trimmed pastry & score leaf veining into them with the tip of a sharp knife. Cut four 1/2" slots in the top of the pastry to let steam escape. Chill for 20 minutes or longer in the fridge before baking. This helps the pastry to puff.
Bake at 400 F. for about 15-20 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 F. Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the center has reached at least 170 F. to be sure the turkey is completely cooked, about 35-45 minutes longer. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into servings.
Citrus - Fig Cranberry Sauce
Simmer all ingredients together slowly for 30-40 minutes or until the cranberries are fully cooked & the mixture reduces & thickens to a jam-like consistency. Stir the sauce often as it simmers. Remove the star anise (if using). Store in a plastic container in refrigerator until serving time.
Seafood en Croute
On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Cut each sheet into four 6 x 5-inch rectangles. Place a salmon fillet in center of four rectangles.
In a small bowl, combine the shrimp (or scallops), cream, onions, parsley, dill, garlic, pesto, salt & pepper. In another small bowl, beat egg white on medium speed until soft peaks form; fold into shrimp mixture. Spoon about 1/4 cup over each fillet.
Top each with a pastry rectangle & crimp to seal. With a sharp knife, cut several slits in the top to let steam escape. Place on a 15 x 10 x 1-inch parchment lined baking sheet; brush with egg wash. Bake at 400 F. for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 F.
Dill Cream Sauce
Mix all ingredients & refrigerate until serving time.
Recipe Notes
- The original recipe source for the Cranberry Hazelnut Turkey & Citrus Fig Cranberry Sauce can be found at rockrecipes.com
- The cranberry sauce uses star anise or extract but feel free to omit it if you do not care for that flavor.
- The Seafood en Croute recipe is one that is featured on tasteofhome.com which has always been my favorite 'go-to' recipe company forever.
Chia — the little seed with the huge nutritional profile. Known as a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fiber as well as positive health effects such as boosting energy, stabilizing blood sugar, aiding digestion and lowering cholesterol.
In the early eighties, when the terracotta ‘Chia Pet’ figurines were first marketed, I really didn’t pay much attention to them. I just thought they were a cute way to grow a ‘houseplant’ never checking out their true potential.
Chia seeds have a fascinating and long history of use in several cultures. The word chia means ‘strength’ in the Mayan language. The Aztecs, Mayans and Incas, supposedly all used chia as a staple of their diets as well as an energy food.
There seem to be endless ways to use these naturally gluten free little seeds. Just to name a few would be, as an egg substitute, in puddings, as a thickener in soups and gravy, in meatballs, sprouted in salads or for breading fish or chicken.
One of the recipes I have featured in my ebook is Chia Chicken Meatballs served with a fresh zucchini sauce over linguine pasta.
My husband, Brion is all about anything that promotes good health so this meal works for him. The chia seeds definitely give these little chicken meatballs some extra ‘pizzazz’. Hope you enjoy.
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Chia Chicken Meatballs with Linguine
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Instructions
Chia-Chicken Meatballs
In a small bowl, combine chia seeds with water; let stand for about 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, use your hands to evenly combine the chia gel with the remaining meatball ingredients. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with foil; coat lightly with baking spray. Scoop meatball mixture into 50 servings onto baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes; remove from oven. Cool half of the meatballs & freeze for another meal.
Fresh Zucchini Sauce
In a saucepan, melt margarine; saute zucchini & green onion until tender. Sprinkle with flour & seasonings. Add milk/broth & cook, stirring until slightly thickened. Fold in baked chicken balls.
Linguine
Cook linguine about 14 minutes in salted boiling water to which 1 Tbsp of olive oil has been added. Drain & combine with meatball/sauce mixture.
When I think of the various German meals my mother made when I was growing up, the only words that come to mind are ‘comfort food’.
It seemed there was no end to the ways in which bread or just dough in general could be used. Dumplings are a favorite food throughout Germany. The ingredients will vary depending on the type of dumpling. Most often they are shaped in a ball, then boiled or steamed in salt water. Dumplings can be served as a main meal, side dish, part of a soup or served sweet for dessert. Then, of course, there are the varieties with fillings such as cheese, fruit or meats.
There is no one way to define German cooking. Each region in Germany has its own specialties and variations. This is usually based on the foods available locally.
My mother cooked a wonderful mix of both German and Canadian meals. Although my parents were Canadian born, their parents had come to Canada from Germany/Russia. That knowledge of German cooking had been passed down to my mother and has left lasting memories for us siblings.
This particular meal of ‘HEFEKLOESSE’ was a meal my mother would usually make on a day when she was doing her weekly bread baking. It was served with fried potatoes and onions and a side dish of some of her stewed plums. Of course, at the time it was just another one of those fabulous ‘ comfort food’ meals that we all took for granted. Now all these years later, trying to recreate that taste is near impossible.
Every once in a while I get the courage to give it a try again and usually I rate my effort as good but not quite like mom’s.
Along with our dumplings and stewed plums I served some turkey kielbasa which rounded out the meal nicely.
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German Hefekloesse - Yeast Dumplings
The joy of comfort food!
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Ingredients
Dumplings / Potatoes & Onions
Ingredients
Dumplings / Potatoes & Onions
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Instructions
Dumplings / Potatoes & Onions
In a small bowl, pour lukewarm water; sprinkle with sugar & yeast. Place in a warm, draft-free spot & allow to stand 2-3 minutes. Stir to dissolve; leave 5 more minutes or until mixture almost doubles in size. In a large bowl, whisk together beaten egg, margarine, milk, salt & yeast mixture.
Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix until well combined; turn out on a floured surface, kneading for about 10 minutes. When dough is smooth & elastic, place in a greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap & a tea towel.
Allow to rise for about 1 hour or until dough doubles in size. Punch down & knead for about 3-4 minutes. Pinch off pieces of dough; shape into 24 balls about 1 1/2" in diameter. Lay dumplings on a floured board & allow to rise again until doubled in size.
In a large heavy skillet, layer potato & onion slices. Add about 2 cups of water, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt & 1 Tbsp margarine (or bacon drippings). Bring to a boil, partially cooking vegetables. Add dumplings; cover & cook about 15 minutes or until the water is completely gone. Usually you will hear a 'hissing' sound at this point. Potatoes & onions should be nicely browned.
Stewed Plums
Bring all ingredients to a very gentle boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool & serve.
Recipe Notes
- I recall a favorite old cast iron pan being used for steaming these dumplings in. Definitely it worked much better in obtaining a brown crusty bottom on the dumplings & potatoes then I could achieve in the pan I used.
The second Monday of October has been the day Canada has celebrated Thanksgiving since 1957. We have now entered into our Autumn season with all it’s breathtaking fabulous fall foliage. Part of Canada’s appeal is it’s four seasons that offer changing landscapes and temperatures.
I, for one, have always loved the changing seasons. That’s not to say that I like freezing cold and slippery roads but that I have come to understand the important role each one plays in the ‘big picture’. When Brion and I initially landscaped our property, careful consideration was given to what plants were planted. Over the years it has developed into a beautiful tapestry of color through our growing season.
Growing up on the farm, Fall was an especially busy time with the grain crops being harvested, garden vegetables being canned, frozen or just stored for use over the coming months. So much needed to be done before winter would set in. As a teenager it all just seemed like a lot of work. Even as hard as my parents worked at making a living from farming, I think they felt a real sense of satisfaction in what they were able to achieve. I realize now that even without being aware of it the visual beauty of the farmland at harvest was imprinted on me forever.
Thanksgiving Day in Canada is linked to the European tradition of harvest festivals. A common image seen at this time of year is a cornucopia, or horn, filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables. The cornucopia, which means ‘Horn of Plenty’ in Latin, was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient Greece. Turkeys, pumpkins, ears of corn and large displays of food are also used to symbolize Thanksgiving Day.
Over the years, Brion and I have chose to have a variety of different meats for our Thanksgiving meal. Turkey is always the tradition for our Christmas dinner and since the two holidays come fairly close together, why not! All that being said though, we decided this year to roast just the turkey breast with stuffing. I also incorporated some of that wonderful Butternut squash with cranberries into the meal as well. For dessert we are having some pumpkin chiffon tarts. As a ‘kid’, I remember having a great dislike for the regular pumpkin pie — you know the kind –‘solid’. Then one year my mother made pumpkin ‘CHIFFON‘ pie. Well, now that was glorious and I have loved it ever since.
Today in my recipes I have only included the Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Pumpkin Chiffon Tarts. I thought I’d get into the turkey and stuffing recipes later in the season.
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
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Butternut Squash with Cranberries / Pumpkin Chiffon Tarts
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Ingredients
Butternut Squash with Cranberries
Pumpkin Chiffon Tart Filling
Ingredients
Butternut Squash with Cranberries
Pumpkin Chiffon Tart Filling
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Instructions
Butternut Squash with Cranberries
Preheat oven to 375 F. Split squash in half; place hollow side down on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes or until completely soft to the touch.
In a small skillet, saute celery & onion in margarine until tender. Add the apple, salt, lemon juice & pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cranberries, sugar & water. Cook & stir until berries pop & liquid is syrupy. If you prefer, you could process this mixture for a couple of seconds in a food processor.
Remove seeds & membrane from cooked squash; mash well. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, balsamic vinegar & maple syrup. Place some squash in individual custard dishes. Make a hollow in the center for the cranberry 'filling'. Add cranberries & serve.
Pumpkin Chiffon Tart Filling
In a medium saucepan, combine first 7 ingredients; mix well. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, regular milk & egg yolks; combine well. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to a heavy custard. Boil 2 minutes, add 1 Tbsp margarine. Place wax paper over custard to prevent a 'skin' from forming. Let custard become cold (it can be refrigerated overnite at this point, finishing it the following day) then stir in 1/4 cup orange juice.
Whip envelope of dessert topping with 1/2 cup milk & 1/2 tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form. It should yield about 2 cups. Put aside the amount you need to garnish tarts with. Fold remaining whipped dessert topping into custard. Spoon custard into a large pastry bag with a large 'star' tip. Fill baked mini tart shells. Decorate with a small dollop of dessert topping.
Pastry
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Cut in white & yellow Crisco shortening. In a 1 cup measuring cup place egg & vinegar; beat well. Add enough COLD water to fill cup. Pour all at once over flour mixture, mixing until pastry pulls away from sides of bowl. This should only take a couple of minutes, making sure not to over mix pastry. Roll out on floured surface. Using the bottom side of tart pans, cut pastry circles & place over each 'cup'. Bake at 350 F. until golden. Cool on wire rack before filling with pumpkin custard. If your using purchased shells follow baking instructions & cool before filling as well.
Recipe Notes
- This pastry & pumpkin chiffon custard recipe was one I started using many years ago while working in the food industry. They were some of my favorites because they were pretty much 'fail proof'. If you want to make a double batch of each it will give you 4 - 9-inch pies. You can make them up to the point of decorating. Freeze until needed then just bring them out & thaw, decorate and you got a nice little homemade dessert just like that!
This meal, better known in German ‘circles’ as Weisse Bohnensuppe & Plachinda. Kind of an unusual pairing of sorts — bean soup with a sweet pumpkin pastry?? It is one of those meals my mother used to make that got pushed into the back of my memory. With pumpkin season approaching and the weather feeling like fall, hearty soups start to come to mind.
Once again I set out to bring back the ‘taste of a memory’. Of course, this usually starts with some discussion about the meal with my sister Loretta. Between the two of us we can usually remember enough so I can attempt to recreate the taste.
It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual turnovers. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing. I decided to make it as a ‘jelly roll’.
Here’s my ‘spin’ on this much loved meal. Good but as usual never quite as wonderful as my mother’s.
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White Bean Soup with Pumpkin Pastry
A full-bodied soup with a rich appetizing flavor served with a German pumpkin pastry.
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
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Instructions
White Bean Soup
Cover beans with water in a large stock pot & soak overnight.
Rinse & drain beans well; return to pot with ham bone & 12 cups water. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours.
Add parsley, onions, garlic, celery with tops, salt & pepper as well as the extra 6 cups of hot water. Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove ham bone, dice the meat & add to soup. Serve with pumpkin plachinda.
Pumpkin Plachinda
In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (or line with parchment paper).
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk together eggs, milk & oil; add dry ingredients, working into a soft, stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14 x 14-inch square; spread pumpkin filling down the center & half way out to the sides -- about 1/4 -inch thick.
Fold outside third of the dough over filling, repeating with the last third; pinch to seal. Leaving plachinda on paper, transfer to a baking sheet. If preferred, individual turnovers can be made instead. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice & serve warm.
As I mentioned before, pork tenderloin regularly pops up in my supper menus. Over time, I have prepared it in many different ways and hardly ever remember any that we didn’t care for.
Since my three rhubarb plants seem to still be producing those lovely stalks, why not use them! This blog recipe is easy, wonderful tasting and a great presentation all in one. Here’s my interpretation of Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Chutney. Enjoy!
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Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Chutney
The spice rub 'marinating' adds so much to the overall flavor.
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Instructions
Pork Tenderloin
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine spice rub ingredients. Butterfly pork tenderloin & flatten to uniform thickness. Place in plastic bag with spice rub & shake to distribute seasoning well. Close bag & allow to stand in refrigerator for several hours.
Rhubarb Chutney
In a heavy saucepan, combine first 9 chutney ingredients. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb, onion & dried cranberries; increase heat to medium & cook until rhubarb is tender & mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Can be made ahead of time & refrigerated until needed.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a piece of aluminum foil & place on a wire rack on a baking pan. Cut plastic bag open; lay tenderloin flat with cut side up. Spread chutney over tenderloin & carefully roll (using plastic bag), starting with the long side as you would with a cake 'jelly roll'. Place on greased foil on pan.
Lightly rub a small amount of olive oil or a 'fig balsamic dressing' over top of tenderloin. Bake for about 45 minutes or until tests done. DO NOT OVER BAKE! Remove from oven & allow stand for a few minutes before slicing.
Summer’s bounty of fresh fruit is so hard to resist. Raspberries for instance — vividly pink, exquisitely perfumed and very delicate. I think I’ve tried to use them in everything imaginable. For one company event some years ago, I was trying to come up with a sauce that would take my cream puffs to the ‘next level’. I decided to put some Chambord raspberry liqueur in it. Chambord is created using black and red raspberries, vanilla, citrus peel, honey and hints of fragrant herbs. I definitely could say I think I ‘nailed it’ with that raspberry drizzle.
Although the red raspberries seem to be the most popular and well known, I have tasted the gold ones as well. Fall Gold raspberries ripen in the late part of the season becoming very large and sweet. If you get a chance, they are certainly worth trying.
It seems strange that raspberries are actually a member of the rose ‘family’ and not considered a true berry. Irregardless, they are certainly delicious to eat and always give such great eye appeal to everything they are used in. Pie has become such a global favorite, you might say, it’s a work of art that comes easily. Today’s blog recipe for Raspberry Vanilla Cream Pie has always been one of my favorites.
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Raspberry Vanilla Cream Pie
Showy and delicious!
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Instructions
Oat Pie Crust
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, (sugar) & salt; bend in margarine until resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto the bottom & up the sides of a 9" pie pan. Bake at 400 F. for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Raspberry Filling
In a large saucepan, heat water over medium heat. Whisk in pudding mix. Cook & stir for 5 minutes or until thickened & bubbly. Whisk in jell-o until completely dissolved. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Gently fold in raspberries. Spoon into cooled crust. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve with a dollop of Cool Whip or Dessert Topping or decorate with a design.
MENU
SPICED CHICKEN POTATO LOAF * SAVORY PORK POTATO LOAF
BARLEY, CORN & PEPPER SALAD * CANDIED NUT & GORGONZOLA SALAD
SOUR CREAM BLUEBERRY TARTS
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Savory Pork Stuffed Potato Loaf
Recipes from some of this picnic menu are featured in previous blog posts.
SPICED CHICKEN STUFFED POTATO LOAF - from April 8/16.
SALADS - from June 9/16.
SOUR CREAM BLUEBERRY TARTS - from July 7/16.
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Instructions
Savory Pork Filling
In a large bowl, combine water & seasonings. Add pork & mix well. In a skillet, cook pork mixture until no longer pink. Remove from heat; drain on paper towels while it cools.
Potato Loaf
Boil potato, mash & cool. Fry bacon, drain & crumble. In a small bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well. Add bacon; mix until just combined.
Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto lightly floured surface; roll dough to about a 12" x 15" rectangle. Place a large piece of parchment on a sheet pan. Roll dough onto your rolling pin then unroll onto parchment paper. Place 1/2 of the cheese down the center of dough, top it with pork, green onions & remaining cheese.
Fold short ends in about 1". Using parchment, roll from the long side in a jelly roll fashion. Press down slightly to make a flatter shape. Cover with plastic wrap; allow to rise for 15 minutes while preheating oven to 375 F. Brush with egg wash if preferred. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Recipe Notes
- If time is of the essence, use purchased frozen bread dough or pizza crust.
- This picnic is definitely favored by men due to the 'hearty' potato loaf sandwiches.
With summer heat upon us, the idea of ‘no baking required’ seems just right. Over the years I have never really made use of limes to any extent. Kiwi, on the other hand, seems to always add so much eye appeal it finds it’s way into many recipes. The thought that comes to mind when you pair them up is a refreshing, sweet-sour flavor.
This brings me to my little mini cheesecakes. I thought I would do my favorite thing, which is to give preparation options. The fact that they freeze so well makes them great for those times when you need a little dessert but have no time to make it. Enjoy!
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No-Bake Kiwi Lime Cheesecake Minis
Cheesecake with options!
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Ingredients
Cheesecake using Whipped Cream
Cheesecake using Dream Whip OR Half & Half Cream
Cheesecake using Cool Whip
Ingredients
Cheesecake using Whipped Cream
Cheesecake using Dream Whip OR Half & Half Cream
Cheesecake using Cool Whip
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Instructions
Crust
In a small bowl, combine graham crumbs, sugar & margarine. Divide evenly into mini cheesecake pan & press down firmly. At this point you can either bake them for 5-7 minutes at 325 F. or leave as is. Either way works.
Cheesecake using Whipped Cream
In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla, lime juice & zest; mix to combine. Sprinkle jell-o powder onto cream cheese mixture & mix until thoroughly combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in whipped cream until well blended & no streaks remain. Evenly divide among the 12 mini cheesecake pan cups. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before topping with glaze.
Cheesecake using Dream Whip OR Half & Half Cream
In a medium bowl, combine boiling water, lime jell-o powder & lime juice; mix & let partially set. In a large bowl, cream cheese & sugar together; set aside. Using package directions, make Dream Whip (place in fridge until ready to use). Once jell-o is partially set, pour into cream cheese/sugar mixture (if using 1/2 & 1/2 cream add at this point) & beat to combine. If using Dream Whip, with a rubber spatula, fold into jell-o, cream cheese/sugar mixture. Evenly divide among the 12 mini cheesecake pan cups. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before topping with glaze.
Cheesecake using Cool Whip
In a small bowl, dissolve lime jell-o powder with boiling water; set aside to cool. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, lime juice & zest until smooth. Add cooled, partially set jell-o & mix well. With a rubber spatula, fold in Cool Whip. Evenly divide among the 12 mini cheesecake pan cups. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before topping with glaze.
Kiwi Glaze
In a small saucepan, cook sugar & chopped kiwi for a couple of minutes. Using a blender, blend to a smooth consistency; allow to cool slightly. Add 1 1/2 tsp RESERVED lime jell-o powder & mixing until glaze thickens. Cool slightly then using a spoon, divide evenly among the mini cheesecakes. Chill until set.
Recipe Notes
- If you prefer, you can double your crumb & glaze ingredients & make one large cheesecake in a 9-inch spring form pan.
- If you don't have a mini cheesecake pan just use a mini muffin pan with paper liners. It will work just as well.
- After I made these, I froze them completely. When I wanted to serve them, I set however many I needed out about 30 minutes ahead. There was never any difference in the quality of these cheesecakes in doing that.
