Cookie Empanadas



These cookies are just sinful.  What's not to love in this recipe?  The dough is made of butter, cream cheese, and flour.  Then you fill them with jelly.  Then you bake them and roll them in cinnamon and sugar.  Good grief.  Amazing.  They're especially good just out of the oven.

The recipe only made about 15 cookies.  I did half with apple jelly and half with strawberry preserves, and I thought the apple ones were better (but it's not like I turned down any of the strawberry ones).  The preserves leaked out of the cookies more during baking, and the jelly held up better.  You could easily switch up flavors, but the jelly was better to cook with. 

I will absolutely make these again.  These would be great Christmas cookies.  Delicious!

Cookie Empanadas

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fruit jelly
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Day/Week Before: Cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended. Beat in the flour. Shape dough into a smooth ball, wrap in foil or cling wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to a week.

Day Of: Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Preheat oven to 375.  Shape dough into one-inch balls, then press the balls flat with the bottom of a glass on a floured surface.  Place small spoonful of jam in center of each round, moisten edges with water.  Fold round over and press edges together. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately roll in sugar mixed with cinnamon. 

Teak Dog Tuesday!

Teak went for a swim and retrieved his bumper like a champion.

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

These were great!   I made the filling for the caps the day before, and then I stuffed them and baked them the day I served them.  These would probably be even better if some breadcrumbs were involved, but these were excellent how they were.  I tripled the recipe below, but you can change it to suit your own needs.  You can also use whatevevr mushrooms you want, but I used baby bellas.  Yum!

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400. 

Remove mushroom stems; set aside caps, and chop the stems.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Slowly cook and stir the chopped stems and onion until the onion is soft; remove from heat. 

Place onion caps on baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for 5-6 minutes, and remove from oven. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the mushroom stem mixture, bacon, and 1/2 cup of cheese.  Mix well.  Scoop the mixture into the mushroom caps.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.  Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli

I made this dipping sauce last week for some grilled shrimp, and it was awesome!  It was easy to throw together, and I already had all the ingredients.  I made it the day before I needed and let it sit overnight so that the flavors could blend together.  It was delicious!

The original recipe calls for 4 crushed garlic cloves, but I only used 2, and I always use the minced garlic that I can store in the refrigerator.  I also used reduced-fat mayo and the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil--YUM.  I love sun-dried tomatoes, so I let some of the oil into the aioli besides just the tomatoes.

Like I said, we used it for shrimp, but you can use it for anything you like.  Enjoy!

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli

1 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

In a blender or food processor, process all the ingredients until smooth.  Chill until ready to serve.

Teak Dog Tuesday!

Teak visited his friend Kate yesterday, but because Kate is bigger than Teak, she tends to knock him down a lot.  Teak gets tired of it, and you end up with before-and-after shots like these.

                   Friends:

                Enemies:

Sangria

I love sangria.  This was my first attempt in making it myself, and it couldn't have been any easier or more delicious.  I will say this, though: I highly recommend a designated driver.  It's dangerous!  I started making this from Pioneer Woman's recipe, but I added orange juice just to have something in the pitcher that wasn't completely alcoholic.  I will definitely make this again.

It's a shame that I didn't take a picture of the pitcher when it was full, but it was beautiful. 

Sangria

1 bottle red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 bottle white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup vodka
1/3 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 orange, cut into slices
1 lemon, cut into slices
2 limes, cut into slices

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, and allow it to refrigerate overnight before serving.  Serve cold or over ice.  Have tongs out to retrieve fruit.

Ultimate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy October!  October is the birth month for me, my sister, my sweet friend Erica, and her sweet baby who is making his debut in the world right now, as I type.  This will be a great month. 

I don't eat regular chocolate, but I love white chocolate.  My favorite cookies in the world are the Subway white chocolate chip cookies (for Valentine's Day, Buck gave me a dozen cookies instead of a dozen roses, and I was not disappointed at all--no sarcasm).  These cookies were incredible!  How could they not be delicious, since they have two sticks of butter?  They're our new favorites!  You have to try these. 

Ultimate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 bag white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. 

Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and eggs.  Gradually add dry ingredients, and mix until a smooth batter forms.  Fold in white chocolate chips. 

Scoop rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets, and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen cookies.