Home Made Pop Tarts

Who didn't have a Pop Tart every once and a while growing up?  Good cold, but better warm...

I decided to make home made pop tarts!  There are all kinds of recipes out there, but I took a shortcut and used refrigerated pie dough. I made a variety of strawberry, blueberry and brown sugar filled pop tarts with icing and sprinkles!

Ingredients (Makes about 8-12 tarts):
Dough: 2 packages of refrigerated pie dough (2 rolls of dough per pack)
Strawberry Filling: Smuckers Strawberry Preserves
Blueberry Filling: Smuckers Blueberry Preserves
Brown Sugar Filling: 3/4  cup of brown sugar mixed with 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon and 4 Tablespoons of Flour
Icing:  Confectioner's Sugar, Milk (just a little).

Instructions:

• I rolled each sheet of pie dough out a little bit (total of 4 sheets) and then cut out the square shape using a special pop tart press from Williams and Sonoma - More Details here. Each roll of dough will make about 4 squares, or 2 whole tarts (with excess for re-rolling - you can make more once you re-roll). 
• Brush a little egg around the outside of the square
• Fill the inside with your filling of choice (not to much - about 1-2 Tablespoons)
• Press one of the dough squares on top of the one you just filled
• Crimp the edges or use the pop tart press to make it look professional
• Continue and Repeat
• Bake in the Oven for 25 minutes on 350 degrees and brush milk on them at the 10 minute mark
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
• Make the frosting by mixing 1-2 cups of confectioners sugar and a couple Tablespoons of milk until it reaches the right consistency (should be thick)
• Frost your pop tarts (I put the frosting in a Ziploc bag, and the cut the tip off and used it as a piping bag)
• Add Sprinkles as desired

You are done. Enjoy!

Poolside Lunch: Smokey Tomato Orzo and Mozzarella, Pesto Panini

Yesterday, I was planning my menu for a girls lunch at my pool (with my 7 best girlfriends: Melissa, Allison, Stephanie, Sarah, Rachel, Marin and Sheryl).  With my new "twitter" account, I sent Giada DeLaurentiis (@GDeLaurentiis) a note asking her what she recommended for a vegetarian girls lunch by the pool (Rachel and Marin aren't carnivores like the rest of  us). To my surprise, she wrote back within an hour that she recommended her Orzo with Smokey Tomato Sauce.  You can find the recipe at this Link.

The secret ingredient is Smoked Salt. I had never heard of smoked salt before, but heard you could buy it at Whole Foods.  I went to Publix and didn't find it, next stop World Market and didn't find it...last ditch effort in the same shopping center - TJ Max HomeGoods, and it was there in the specialty foods section!  This recipe is INCREDIBLE.  I served it cold. I made according to the recipe except I used one pint of grape tomatoes and one pint of cherry instead of both cherry.  The honey is a great touch!

To go along with the Smokey Tomato Orzo, I made Panini sandwiches.  I bought 2 fresh baguette loaves and split each in half length wise.  I spread each side with a pesto and basil mixture (from the refrigerated section - 1 container) and then layered fresh mozzarella slices, basil slices, tomato slices, portobello mushroom slices (marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then lightly cooked in a pan).  I then put a little olive oil on the outside of the bread and put them in my panini press (I cut each sandwhich into 4 slices for a total of 8 sandwhiches). I then served cold.

Lemon Bars for dessert!  It was great! 

Double Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

I recently joined the 21st century, and opened a Twitter account.  I now "follow" all kinds of nonsense -   A quote I saw this week on Twitter by Foodimentry " Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience, by feeling guilty."

Well...you might feel a little guilty after eating this cake. It is INCREDIBLE AND INCREDIBLY EASY...Double Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

OK, so I'll admit it upfront. I used a boxed chocolate cake mix...but sometimes those work better.  Just make sure you use one of the "extra moist" extra chocolaty varieties.  I made the mix according to the package directions and poured it into two, 8 inch cake pans (very well greased and floured pans), and baked for 30 minutes according to package directions (350 degrees usually).

Once cooled, I frosted the cakes with the bestest chocolate frosting.

Frosting Recipe:

1 stick of butter, softened

8 oz of cream cheese, softened

1 box of confectioners sugar

1 tsp of vanilla

About 1/2 cup of melted chocolate, (slightly cooled) - use more or less depending on how dark or light you want your frosting

1-2 Tablespoons of milk to loosen it as you mix it

Mix the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla, and then add the confectioners sugar and finally the melted chocolate. Mix with an electric mixer and refrigerate until ready to use.

To frost the cakes:

After the cakes have cooled for about 10 minutes, pop them out of the pans, and then let cool completely (1-2 hours or so).  Once cooled, slightly cut the "dome" off the cakes with a serrated knife so you have 2 flat even cakes...save that excess for the "decoration" or just eat it or throw it out (see top of cake in picture for how I used it) :)

Put a good amount of frosting in the middle and stack the cakes together and then frost the top and outside. IMPORTANT: Work quickly or the frosting will get too soft.

Once frosted, let firm up in the fridge before slicing.

SO GOOD.