cheese muffins.

I started by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Then, according to Fig’s directions, I dumped in—get this—3 cups of grated colby/jack cheese!

That’s just a heckuva lot of cheese, man. But hey—I’m not complaining.

I gave the mixture a quick stir, just to combine.

Next, I mixed the wet ingredients: egg, milk, and melted butter. I made sure the butter wasn’t too hot before I poured it in.

Then I added the wet ingredients to the flour/cheese mixture.

Stirring it together, I noticed how incredibly sticky it was!

And the cheese, I saw, was definitely the chief ingredient in the batter.

Because I’m morally against buttering and flouring pans (not really—I’m just lazy) I sprayed the muffin tin generously with baking spray (the stuff in the blue can). Then I spooned in the batter so it fit equally into the twelve cups of the tin.

Then I popped ‘em into the oven for 20 minutes. When I pulled them out, I stuck a fork into one of them and took a bite. I tasted a slight floury/doughy flavor, so I put them back in for five more minutes.
That did the trick.

And mmmm. They looked—and smelled—wonderful.

Very interesting texture on top…but I couldn’t wait to pull one apart.

The verdict? Completely delicious and delightful, and I’m not just saying that to be nice. They have a ver different texture than an average “muffin”—crispy around the outside and airy and extremely cheesy, on the inside. According to Fig’s directions, the muffins should be eaten warm…and she’s right. Though they’re tasty at room temperature, warm is definitely where it’s at. Thanks, Fig, for your entry.
Fig’s Cheese Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (I used salted)
Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.
Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Makes 12.

rolled up chicken dinner.

1.  Pound chicken  2.  Spread with prepared mashed potatoes  3.  Layer with broccoli  4.  Layer with cheese  5.  Roll and secure with toothpick  6.  Coat  with crumbs and Bake!!  See, it’s pretty easy!

Rolled Up Chicken Dinner

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thinness
1 1/2 Cups prepared mashed potatoes, on the thick side, helps if they are chilled.  Click HERE for my recipe
2 Cups steamed broccoli, chopped into very small pieces, almost minced
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 Cups panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1 Cup steamed broccoli, finely chopped
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place pounded chicken breasts onto a large baking sheet.  Spread a thin layer of mashed potatoes over each chicken breast then layer with broccoli and cheddar cheese.  Carefully roll each chicken breast up securing ends with a toothpick.  Place flour, salt and pepper into a shallow bowl.  Place beaten egg in a second bowl and the panko and ranch mix into a 3rd shallow bowl.  Dip/roll rolled chicken carefully into flour then egg, then panko mix (this will get a bit messy, don’t worry, it turns out great anyway!!)  Place chicken rolls back onto a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with cooking spray or is lined with silpat.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (juices are clear, not pink).  Let rest for 10 minutes.
2.  Heat cream of chicken soup, milk and chopped broccoli in a small saucepan until warmed.  Pour spoonfuls of sauce over each chicken roll and serve.
4 serving

strawberry milk chipsters

Strawberry Milk Chipsters

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 Cup strawberry milk Powder, Nestles
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-2 drops red food coloring
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 oz bag White Chocolate Chips
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter, strawberry milk and brown sugar until well combined.  Place eggs into a bowl and whisk in 1-2 drops of food coloring.  Pour into mixer along with vanilla and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.   Place four, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine then slowly add to wet ingredients along with white chips.  Mix on low until just combined.
2.  With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 9-11 minute or until edges just start to brown.  Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
about 3 dozen cookies

Apple streusel bars.

Apple Streusel Bars

SWEET PASTRY:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)

1 egg, beaten

APPLE FILLING:

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 c. (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples (I've used Granny Smith in the past, although this time around I used Gala and they were fabulous)

GLAZE:

2 c. powdered sugar

About 3 Tbsp. milk (whole milk is best)

1 tsp. almond extract

To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples.


Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.


When finished, allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.


Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners. (Or just use a fork(Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.


In an attempt to keep yourself from eating the whole pan, you, like me, will probably have to send half of them to a nice home...

puffed french toast.

Puffed French Toast
print recipe text only

2 eggs
2 ½ Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
12 slices Texas style toast, cut in half diagonally

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil (not olive oil) over medium heat. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, flour, and baking powder. Test oil heat by flicking some water into the frying pan. If it pops, reduce the heat. If hardly anything happens, turn up the heat. If it sizzles, it's just right.


Working quickly, take each 1/2 slice of bread and soak it both sides in the milk/egg/flour mixture. If you leave it in too long, it will get soggy, but you want to make sure enough of the egg mixture has soaked into the bread. Gently shake to remove excess batter and place in hot oil. Cook until puffed, golden brown, and a nice, crispy crust has formed on each side (probably 3-5 minutes per side; you really need to babysit them and make sure they're cooking correctly) and then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. While cooking remaining French toast, keep cooked pieces warm in an oven set to the lowest temperature it will go.

When ready to serve, roll each piece in cinnamon sugar.


If you're feeling extra naughty, go ahead and drizzle a little maple syrup, buttermilk syrup, strawberry syrup or scoop some honey butter on there. You can email me later and tell me how bad you feel about yourself, but I guarantee that it'll be worth it!


Golden and crispy on the outside with a sugary crunch, and heavenly soft in the middle.


Slice the bread into strips for great french toast dippers. Kiddos love these- or talk about killer party food! You could pile them high on a platter and then serve next to ramekins filled with different dipping sauces. Ie: Maple syrup, Buttermilk Syrup, Strawberry Sauce, etc.

creamy lemmon bars

Creamy Lemon Bars

20 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold real butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (you can use 1/3-less fat cream cheese)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (don’t even think about opening a bottle!)
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside. (The foil isn’t too pretty, but it makes clean-up and cutting the bars a cinch!)

In a bowl, combine Nilla Wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar. Chop butter into small pieces and then cut into crumb mixture with a pastry blender.

If you don’t have a pastry blender, just use 2 knives, or even your fingers to break up the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, like this:

Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

While crust is cooking, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 2 Tbsp. flour, and baking powder; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, and lemon juice and then pour mixture over crust.

Bake 25 to 30 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. These bars improve with time. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in refrigerator. (As if you'll have leftovers!)

Banana cream pie.

Banana Cream Pie from our BEST BITES>

1 4-serving size box of instant chocolate or vanilla pudding
1 c. cold water
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 cookie crusts. You can use anything--graham crackers, Nilla Wafers, shortbread, even Oreo.
Lots of bananas
1 pint whipping cream
1/3 c. powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes. In another bowl, whip 1 c. of whipping cream until soft peaks form.

Slice the bananas (probably 4 small bananas or 2 large bananas) and layer them on the bottom of the crusts. Be sure and save the plastic domes that come with the pie crusts--you'll need them later!


Set aside. Remove pudding from the fridge and gently dollop the whipped cream on top of the pudding. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until well-combined.

Now divide the mixture between the two pies.


Prepare sweetened whipped cream with the remaining whipping cream and 1/3 c. of powdered sugar and spread it on top of the two pies. Place the clear plastic shells back on the pies and allow to chill for several hours. This is actually really important--I tried eating it right away once and the pie wasn't banana-y at all and the moisture hadn't absorbed into the crust, so the crust just fell apart.
And there you have it--the best AND the easiest banana cream pie you'll ever have or need!