Crunchy Fruity Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 small rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
2 celery stalks, chopped
handful red grapes, sliced in half
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
pinch cayenne pepper

Ingredients:
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and taste for seasoning; chill until ready to serve.

Brown Sugar Apple Pie

This recipe can be used with a pre-made frozen crust or homemade crust
Ingredients:
Filling:
3 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4” thick
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T cornstarch
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t allspice
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl to coat fruit.

Topping:
1/2 C flour
1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
1 ½ t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
6 T chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
Blend first 7 ingredients in a food processor. Add chilled butter cubes, pulse to resemble sand.

Directions:
Toss filling to redistribute juices, transfer to crust and mounding in center. Distribute topping over and around apples. Loosely cover pie with aluminum foil then place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20 mins at 325. Remove from the over and cool on a rack for at least 2 hours.

Coconut Syrup

Ingredients:

7-8 T. butter
¾ c. buttermilk

1 c. sugar

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp coconut extract

Directions:

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

Use on waffles, french toast, pancakes, or crepes.

Crepes

Ingredients:
1 ½ c. flour
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 c. warm milk
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp melted butter

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Pour a small amount on a hot skillet and swirl it around to thin it out. Cook until nearly golden and then flip.

I like these with whipped cream, cinnamon & sugar, and warm fruit.

Bagel Sandwich

First spread your bagel with Dijon Mustard.
Then choose a thin slice or two of either:
smoked turkey or chicken
lean ham
crisp bacon
a cheese of your choice. I used a spicy jalapeno havarti.
Top with a few slices of veggie . . or just thin tomato. Keep the tomato thin so it broils up nicely.
If you want a veggie sandwich just use some peppers and cheese.

Stuffed Celery

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dill weed
2 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper
1 tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 head celery, root end cut off and leaves removed.
salt and pepper or a dash of Tabasco if desired
1 can of crabmeat, drained or 1 cups small shrimp

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, chives and seasonings together.
Stir in Shrimp or crabmeat and peppers.
Separate celery stalks, wash each and dry with paper towel.
Fill each stalk with cream cheese filling. If it looks a bit messy use a small silicone spatula or damp paper towel to clean up the edges.
Cut each filled stalk into 2 or 3 inch lengths and place on serving dish.
Sprinkle with dill weed, or chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zestedInstructions:

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.
Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine.
Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets.
Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread.
Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

BBQ Chicken Braid

*Note: the amounts of chicken, onions, barbecue sauce, and cheese in the recipe can be altered based on your preference - simply add more or less to your liking.

Makes 2 large braids

Ingredients:
1 recipe French Bread Rolls (see below at the end of the recipe)
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.After the french bread roll recipe has gone through the first rise, split the dough into two parts. Lightly cover one portion and set aside. Roll the other portion into about an 11X17-inch rectangle (I roll mine out directly on a silpat liner to make for easy transfer to the baking sheet and oven).

Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side.

Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, onions and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid.

Pinch or twist to seal.

Place the braid on a lined baking sheet (or simply transfer the silpat liner to a baking sheet) and let rest for 15 minutes. While it is resting, follow the same steps above for the second portion of dough. Bake the first braid for 15-20 minutes (while the second braid is resting), until golden brown and bread is baked through. Remove from oven and bake the second braid.Let the braids rest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.

French Bread Rolls Recipe:
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Hazelnut Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcakes
1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbl butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup hazelnut coffee creamer

Nutella Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbl hazelnut coffee creamer
1 cup nutella

Directions:
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the first 5 ingredients. In separate bowl cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time and stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and creamer. Pour batter into lined cupcake pan and bake for 7-10 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Nutella Buttercream
Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in nutella and creamer until combined. Add powdered sugar until desired consistency is acquired.