Brownie Walnut Pie

Sometimes you just need a quick-and-tasty dessert. This recipe is perfect for that, and it's kind of fun too (because who woulda thunk to make brownies in pie form?). Once you see how easy this is, you may want to add it to your Christmas baking list! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 refrigerated pie crust 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup chopped walnuts chocolate sauce and extra walnuts (or whatever you want to use as a topping)
Directions: 1. In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over very low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool for 20 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp edges. 3. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add in sugar, flour, and vanilla, and mix until combined.  4. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture and nuts. 5. Pour filling into the pie crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 6. Top with a chocolate sauce drizzle and sprinkle with walnuts (or do whatever sort of topping you want... strawberries? Plain with vanilla ice cream?). 

(butter and chopped chocolate)

(pie crust!)

(starting the filling...)

(adding nuts...)

(ready for the oven!)

(all done!)

(mmm... brownies in a pie!)

(chocolate drizzle + walnuts)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Pockets

First of all, a friend of mine sneakily took my computer and published an interesting post on the blog yesterday while he was at our house. So if you happened to see "my" list of 12 things I loved about 2012... just know that it wasn't actually me. Haha. I deleted it pretty quickly, but I'm sure a person or two saw it in the meantime and was very confused. 
Now that we're clear on that, let's talk about this yummy recipe! It's like the delicious version of Hot Pockets. I know it seems like Hot Pockets and the word "delicious" don't mix, but these really are yummy and they're perfect for making a bunch and then eating them one at a time for quick lunches!  

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 12 oz fully-cooked chicken sausage links, sliced thinly 1 lb broccoli (about one bunch), cut into small florets 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 8 oz grated provolone cheese 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sausage, broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes in the oven (until the broccoli is tender), stirring half-way through. Let cool. 2. Transfer cooled sausage mixture to a medium bowl. Add the cheese and toss to combine. 3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. On a floured surface, roll and stretch each piece into a 7-inch circle. 4. Spoon the broccoli mixture onto one side of each dough circle (about 1/2 cup each), leaving a half-inch border around the edge of the circle.  5. Brush water on the border of each dough circle and fold them in half to form semi-circles. Press the edges firmly to seal.  6. Place the pockets on a baking sheet and cut slits in the top of each one. Bake at 425 for 18-24 minutes, or until golden brown. ((To freeze and serve later, freeze the unbaked pockets on the baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. To bake, place a frozen pocket on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes.))

(ready to be roasted!)

(after roasting)

(cooled sausage mixture)

(adding in cheese)

(finished filling mixture)

(dough circles -- if it's imperfect like this, it's totally okay!)

(ready to be folded and sealed!)

(pockets ready for the oven)

(all done!)

Ta-da! 

Enjoy!

Candy Cane Biscotti

Here's another fun Christmas recipe, perfect for Christmas morning with coffee or tea, or as an addition to your Christmas cookie repertoire! My mom (who knows her biscotti) ate a couple and said "This is what biscotti is supposed to taste like!" so I think it's a pretty good recipe. :o)

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 candy canes, crushed
(optional) White chocolate for drizzling
(optional) extra candy canes, crushed for garnish

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
3. By hand, stir in the crushed candy canes.
4. Divide the dough into fourths on a lightly floured surface. Shape each fourth into a log, about 9 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. Place the four logs on a lightly-greased large cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops of the logs are cracking and the ends just start to turn light brown.
6. Remove the logs from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325. Leave the logs on the cookie sheet for ten minutes to cool.
7. Place logs on a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch slices with a sharp, serrated knife. Put the slices back on the cookie sheet, cut-side down. Bake in the 325-degree oven for 12-14 minutes, flipping them over once halfway through. Cookies should be lightly browned and crisp on both sides when done. Cool on a wire rack.
8. (optional) Melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the biscotti. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.

(crushing candy canes)

(all crushed!)

(mixing the dough)

(after adding the candy canes)

(separated into four logs for baking)

(slicing the logs into slices)

(biscotti slices)

(ready to go back in the oven!)

(all baked!)

(cooling on a wire rack)

(After this, I drizzled them with melted white chocolate and sprinkled them with crushed candy canes. I'm so upset I forgot to take a picture of them totally finished, but you can just picture it!)

(I gave them away in these little tins last year.)

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Christmas Popcorn

Here's a yummy treat to take to neighbors, or to bring to work, or to add to a gift that needs a little something! This could obviously be adapted for other holidays as well...

Ingredients:

1 bag of unpopped popcorn, lightly salted but NOT buttered

1 cup of white chocolate chips

1/2 container of Christmas-colored sprinkles

Directions:

1. Pop popcorn as directed.

2. Melt chocolate chips in a large pot on the stove over VERY low heat, stirring continuously.

3. When chocolate is melted, add the popcorn to the pot and use a spatula to mix the popcorn and chocolate. After popcorn is coated, dump in the sprinkles and stir to mix.

4. Spread the popcorn into a single layer on a baking sheet or piece of parchment or wax paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so (this will help the chocolate to harden).

5. Remove from the fridge and break up any kernels that are stuck together. Store in an air-tight container.

(melting the chocolate chips)

(stirring together the chocolate and popcorn)

(spread out on parchment paper)

(in the fridge to harden)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Mini Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

To everyone making Christmas cookies: you NEED to make these.
To everyone who uses baking as a stress-relief tool during law school (or any other school) Finals: you NEED to make these.
To everyone else: you NEED to make these too, because they're just that delicious. 
I know, I know... you're going to take one look at the ingredients and say "coconut oil? I don't have that," but I'm telling you... go out and buy some. It is SO, SO worth it for these little morsels of deliciousness!

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk (discard the white) 2 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp coconut extract 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 2/3 cups shredded coconut 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions: 1. Whisk together melted coconut oil and sugars in a large bowl. Set aside and let sit for 15 minutes. 2. Add in egg, egg yolk, and extracts. Whisk until smooth. 3. Add in 1/2 cup flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the rest of the flour a bit at a time, stirring to form cookie dough (you may need to use your hands to mix a little!). 4. Fold in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips. 5. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 7-8 minutes (they won't brown or anything, just make sure the tops are lightly crisped). Cook on a wire rack.

(this is what coconut oil looks like)

(melted coconut oil and sugars)

(mixing...)

(adding eggs and extracts)

(mixing...)

(adding flour, baking soda, and salt)

(adding the rest of the flour)

(cookie dough!)

(adding chocolate chips and shredded coconut)

(finished dough!)

(on a baking sheet...)

(all done!)

(my brothers-in-law got me this for Christmas last year... isn't it cute?)

(cooling on a wire rack)

(delicious cookies!)

(miniature cookies are so fun!!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!