Cherry Cream Cheese Danish

What You Need
Ready made Puff Pastry (1 sheet)
Cherry pie filling (or fruit of choice)

Cream cheese mixture
Half block of cream cheese (4oz)
1 Tbs sugar
vanilla extract (few drops)
lemon juice (just a splash)
Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for 10 seconds and mix in the sugar, vanilla, and lemon. The amounts are really just to taste.

Drizzle icing:
1 cup of powdered sugar
2-3 tsp orange juice or until you get the right consistency.


To Make It

1. I cut the sheet of thawed pastry into 9 squares. 
2. Then spread the cream cheese mixture on a diagonal.  Added a few cherries
3. Pulled the opposite corners up and pinched them together. 
4. Brushed with a bit of egg wash and baked at 400-425 until golden brown, about 15 minutes in my oven. 
5. Let them cool slightly before drizzling with the icing.

Oreo Truffles

What You Need

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 
• 1 package Oreo cookies 
•  16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

 Directions

1. Place the entire package of Oreos in a food processor or blender and pulse until crushed completely.  If you do not have a food processor or blender, you can also place the cookies in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush the cookies.
2. Pour the crushed cookies into a bowl and mix with the cream cheese until well blended.  You should start by using a spoon, but may need to use your hands to ensure the cream cheese is evenly distributed.  Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
3. Shape the mixture into 48 (1 inch) balls and place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes.  While rolling, if you feel the mixture is becoming too soft, simply place the bowl in the fridge until the mixture becomes more firm. 
4. Shortly before removing the balls from the freezer, melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave.  If using the microwave, heat in 30 second intervals and stir in between.  Do this until the chocolate is completely melted.  Take the melted chocolate and set aside for 1 minute.  Now you can dip each ball into the melted chocolate and place on a wax or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  You should have leftover chocolate.  
5. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.  Shortly before removing the baking sheet from the fridge, take the remaining melted chocolate and if it has hardened you can place it in the microwave for 5-20 seconds.  Wait a few minutes for it to cool and then place in a ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner.  Remove the balls from the fridge and pipe the chocolate on top of each ball.
6. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes and then you're ready to serve!

Caramel Rolls

What You Need

• 1 pkg. frozen dinner rolls (12 count)
• 1 small pkg. cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 c. brown sugar

To Make It
Grease a bundt pan and place frozen rolls inside. Sprinkle dry mix on top. Cook the butter and brown sugar until boiling. Pour over rolls and place in a cool oven overnight. Remove rolls from oven and then preheat the oven to 350, bake 20-30 minutes.

Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding

What You Need
1   12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip
1   14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1   8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cup milk
1   5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
6-8   bananas, sliced
2   bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

To Make It

Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.  Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.  Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.  Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.  Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pistachio Pudding Layer Dessert

INGREDIENTS


Crust:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup Cool Whip

Pudding Layer:

• 1 box Instant Pistachio pudding
• 1 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• Garnish:
• Additional Cool Whip and Chopped Pecans

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Using your hands, combine flour, cold butter, and pecans until it forms a crumbly dough.  Press into the bottom of an 8×8 or 7×10 pan and bake until golden brown (10-15 minutes).  Remove crust to cooling rack and let cool completely.
2.  In the bowl of a mixer, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and Cool Whip using the whisk attachment.  Whip until fully combined and spread over the cooled crust.
3.  In a large bowl, mix pudding mix and cold milk until pudding is thickened.  Fold in coconut.  Spread over cream cheese layer.  Top with additional Cool Whip and pecans and refrigerate several hours until firm.
Note:
For a larger dessert, double the recipe and make in a 9×13 pan.

Nutella Cream Puffs

What You Need

 

Cream Puffs

• 5.5 tbs butter
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 cup minus 1 tbs cake flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/8 tsp fancy cinnamon

 

Nutella Filling:

• 6.5 oz Nutella spread
• 2.5 tbs butter
• 6-8 tbs heavy whipping cream

To Make It

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring the butter, sugar, milk, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the flour, whisking vigorously until it turns into a homogenous paste. Let cool and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and stir in the cinnamon last.

Fill a piping bag with a round tip with the batter and pipe small mounds on a baking sheet. Top with pearl sugar (optional).

Bake for 9 minutes. Then open your oven door slightly (or stick a wooden spoon in it to hold it open) and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Remove and let cool.

Nutella Filling:

Beat all ingredients together on high until fluffy. Add more cream according to taste.

Pour the filling into a piping bag with a small round top. Poke holes in the sides of each cream puff, or on the bottom with the tip of the piping bag and fill with frosting.

Blueberry and Mascarpone Turnovers

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries
• 2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 egg, beaten
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Special equipment: a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.
Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut the pie dough into 12 circles. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture in the center of the dough. Fold the dough in half to enclose the filling and pinch the edges to seal. Using the tines of a fork, gently crimp the sealed edges. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
While the pastry is chilling: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Fry the turnovers for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sugar while still hot. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.