Cannoli Dip

Grace & I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day! Grace hosted her annual Mother’s Day brunch for our family. I’m sure she’ll have plenty to post about in the coming days.

For me, this is the first in a series of short little posts about pins I tried months ago but never shared –mostly because I didn't take any pictures or because they were complete failures (and I was too annoyed at the time to rehash them by typing up a post). This post is in the former category.

A few months ago, I hosted “book club” (we stopped the charade of actually picking book a long time ago). One of the items I made was Cannoli Dip from grouprecipe.com (we all know how much I love cannolis). This is one of the easiest, most delicious pins I've ever attempted.

Unfortunately, I was preparing the dip in a rush and only took one or two blurry pictures with my cell phone.

I basically followed the directions exactly -except I omitted the pistachios. Unlike PSY, I am not a fan.

I served the dip with broken pieces of ice cream sugar cones. 

The Verdict: This dip was delicious – very light. This is a great alternative if you want something different and lighter then cake batter dip. I honestly think this is my favorite dip that I've ever made. Mental Note- I need to make this again!

Things to Note/Consider: I wouldn’t change anything about this recipe. To switch it up, you may want to consider other items to serve the dip with – fresh fruit, vanilla wafers, or graham crackers.

Cannoli Dip

adapted from GroupRecipes.com

¼ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels, plus some more for garnish

1-15 ounce container of ricotta cheese

¼ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup powdered sugar

1-8 ounce container Cool Whip

• In a bowl, add sugar, ricotta cheese, vanilla and chocolate.
• Stir until well blended
• Fold in Cool Whip
• Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips
• Chill for 30 minutes before serving

Smores Bars

I am excited to be linking up this tasty post to the latest Pinterest Challenge!

Check out all the other links at Young House Love, Bower Power, Red Bird Blue, and Sparkle Meets Pop!



Remember how I mentioned the next book club when I posted about the baked spinach dip in mini bread bowls? Well I was so busy and running around like a nut that week that I didn't have time to bake or cook. I shamefully ran to ShopRite and Target after work to pick up some cheese and crackers and a cute plate and this was just the best I could do:

Keepin it real: sometimes life just gets too busy to bring a homemade goodie to every event...

Pitiful, right? Anyway, I tried to redeem myself with book club last night. I wanted to test out this new Smores Bar pin:

from Sugar Cooking. It looks like Sarah's blog has become inactive, but thankfully this recipe is still up there. Its pretty easy, basically you just make a graham cracker crust dough:

Then layer it up with some Hershey's bars and a jar of Fluff (the original recipe made it clear to use Fluff and not actual marshmallows:

To put the dough on top, I just made a couple balls and flattened them. I laid them on top and then filled in any holes with a little smush of dough. Pop it in the oven at 350 for 30-35 minutes and you are left with this delicious creation:

And all cut up into delicious little cookie bars:

look at those yummy gooey layers!

The Verdict: Not only did they smell amazing while they were baking and cooling, they were absolutely delicious. I was nervous because it almost seemed like there wouldn't be enough graham cracker, but it was fine. I was also afraid they would be a little flat but the dough rose pretty high.

Things to Consider: While its a pretty simple recipe, it doesn't come together really fast. Between the dough mixing and the baking time, it was like an hour for me. Not that an hour is really that long, but its not a quick, throw together and out the door type thing. If you are looking for something a little faster, the smore cups might be a better fit. Also, its only a 8" x 8" square pan, so you might want to make two if its for a big crowd (although they are pretty thick and heavy - a little goes a long way). 


Smore Bars from Sugar Cooking
(originally from Lovin' in the Oven)
my edits in red
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s) - I used 3.5 regular 1.55oz bars
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows) - I used almost an entire small jar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Baked Spinach Dip Cups in Mini Breadbowls

Remember the caprese dip I made for the Book Club I held in January? Well I promised in that post to review the other appetizer I made - spinach dip cups. I  pinned this awhile ago, and this was actually the second time I made them (the first was for Christmas Eve, but in all the holiday craziness, I didn't document the process).


Source: Picky Palate

I am pretty sure Shannon or I have reviewed one of Jenny's recipes before, but I can't think of one to point out. Don't these look delicious though? And they were pretty simple to make.

I prepped the filling earlier in the day so that all I had to do before the book clubbers arrived was cut up the dough, top will the filling, and pop in the oven.

I started by wilting the spinach in some olive oil and then add in the chopped garlic:

Then I dumped it into a mixing bowl with the sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and spices and mixed it all up. I threw a top on the bowl and popped it in the fridge.

About 20 minutes before everyone arrived, I preheated the oven and took out my filling and a tube of french bread dough. I cut up the dough into 12 even little disks and pressed them into the bottom of my muffin tin:

I dished out the filling evenly among the bread dough and topped with the shredded mozzarella:

And into the oven they went for about 20 minutes (until they started browning along the edges of the bread)

I don't really remember waiting 5 minutes before pulling them out, but I don't think it made a difference. Here they are all finished and ready to be consumed:

 

 

 

The Verdict: Clearly I enjoyed them if I made them twice. They are pretty easy and fulfill my love of spinach dip. The first time I made them they were a little bland so I jazzed up the spice ratio a bit the second time. They are definitely a great option for entertaining in small groups - it might be a pain to have to make a ton of them for a large party.

Things to Consider: First, I added more spinach than the recipe calls for. I probably used close to 3 cups. Also, I can never find Ancho Chile Pepper so I use regular Chile pepper (but sparingly, it sort of freaks me out that its used in spinach dip at all). Lastly, the original recipe says to cut the dough in 10 equal pieces but it seems silly to me to leave to spots open in the muffin tin, so I cut it into 12. I think the bread to filling ratio works out better this way too.

I have book club again tonight - stay tuned to see what app I decided to try out!


Baked Spinach Dip Cups in Mini Breadbowls:
recipe by Picky Palate, my edits in red.

Ingredients:

• 13.3 oz roll of refrigerated french bread loaf, I used Simply Pillsbury
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 3 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 Cup light sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons fresh shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Ancho Chile Pepper (I used regular Chile pepper)
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Garlic Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Sicilian Sea Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 10 muffin cups with non stick cooking spray. Unroll package of french bread loaf and slice into 10 (12) equal size slices, about 1 inch thick. Press each slice into about a 3 inch round, I did this by pressing in between my hands. Press into the bottom and up sides of the muffin cup. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes then add garlic, cook and stir for another minute then turn heat off.
3. Place cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach and garlic, Parmesan Cheese, Ancho Chili Powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Mix until well combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dip into each of the centers of bread bowls. Top evenly with shredded cheese and bake for 15-17 (20) minutes until just turning brown on edges. Remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes (oops, I forgot) before removing from oven.
(10 (12) mini spinach dip bread bowls)

Caprese Dip

Back in November, I was scheduled to host Book Club. And then Superstorm Sandy hit and we lost power for 8 days. The power loss also forced us to postpone JJ's first birthday party (I swear one day I will share pics of that as well) and before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season had begun. As a result of all that, Book Club got pushed back to the end of January. We had to remind each other a bit about the book since it had been so long, but we made it work. If anyone is interested, we read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The general consensus was that it was really hard to put down and super engaging, but the end didn't quite feel right with everyone.

Anyway, my friend MC made this delicious Caprese Dip at her Christmas party a couple weeks before (when I made the Dough Dips) and I thought it would be perfect for Book Club. I did a quick search on Pinterest for a recipe and found tons. I picked this one because it seemed to have the most direction:

From the Foodie Couple

It really is so simple to do. I just cut up my cheese, tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes) and basil ahead of time and threw it in the fridge.

About 15 minutes before everyone was supposed to arrive I put it in the oven. It took more like 20 minutes and then 10 minutes in the broiler, but that could be because I refrigerated it first.

Once out of the over I drizzled some balsamic vinegar on it, but I think I did it a little early because it sort of just mixed with the melted cheese and oil that was on top - not my prettiest presentation. I served it with some pita chips and french bread.

The Verdict: Apparently this dip was nothing new to the club. It was served at a meeting I missed last year. Oh well, I think we still enjoyed it. It tastes really good especially right out of the oven. And it is really one of the easier apps you could ever make.

Things to Consider: While it is tasty, it is really hard to eat. Its hard to scoop out and get on your bread without the cheese "stringing up" all over the place. And it cools off so fast that it starts to sort of gel together. It was suggested that it might be easier to use a mini crock pot or something else that would keep it warm and easier to eat. Cleaning the dish after was also not very fun. Overall, though, I would probably make it again if I needed something quick and fresh for a small group.

I also made these spinach dip cups for this book club meeting and will have another post reviewing them soon.

Has anyone else tried this dip? Any tips on making it easier to serve?

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

As I said in my last post, I skipped baking for the second meeting of my book club. It was just not happening that week. Turned out I didn't have much time to bake for the 3rd meeting either. So I searched Pinterest to find something quick and easy. It didn't take me very long to stumble upon these Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls from Make Happy.

Just a few ingredients, no baking involved, and I had everything on hand? Sounds perfect!

I mashed up the pretzels:

Mixed up the "filling"

Made the balls:

Then attempted to dip them after they chilled in the fridge for awhile:

Finished product:

The Verdict:
I thought they were delish. I love, love, love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate. Throw in some salty pretzels too and I am in heaven. They were a bit heavy, so I don't think I could eat too many. They were also pretty ugly - I am a terrible dipper. I don't think I ever get the chocolate the right consistency.

Things to Note/Consider:
Follow the directions. I just dumped everything together and tried to mix it all. Apparently I was supposed to mix the brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter together first. That would have made life easier. Also, they have a tendency to melt if left out (and on your fingers). I think using candy melts might help that. The recipe is supposed to make 22 balls. I think I got less than that and I made them sort of small. Our book club is small, but if I was going to something bigger, I would definitely double the recipe.

Overall, I think I will be making them again. They were an easy dessert option that seemed to be well liked. Marisa even has a recipe that makes this in a bar form - perhaps I should try that since I suck at dipping. Anyone have any tips on how to make it come out a little better?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

(From Make Happy)

1 1/2 C pretzels

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp butter, softened

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Crush pretzels into small bits
• In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all ingredients are completely blended and smooth.
• Add pretzel bits to peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly.
• Add powdered sugar and, again, mix thoroughly
• Prepare a chilling tray--a dinner plate covered with waxed paper works well.
• Take about a teaspoon of the peanut butter pretzel mixture into your fingers and gently pat it into a ball with your fingertips. (The powdered sugar will make the peanut butter less sticky, but it's still too sticky to roll well, hence the patting.)
• If the peanut butter starts sticking to your fingers, your fingers are too warm. Run your fingers under cold water for a minute to chill them, and begin rolling again.
• Place the peanut butter balls onto the plate. When you have rolled all the balls, place the entire plate into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• After the peanut butter balls have chilled, prepare your chocolate. Pour the chocolate chips into a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. If needed, microwave for another 10 seconds and stir again. Continue until the chips are completely melted, which means they stir easily into smooth, fluid chocolate with no lumps.
• Place one peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate and gently roll it around with a fork until completely coated. Remove from the bowl with the fork and place back on the waxed paper plate. Repeat for all other balls.
• Once all the peanut butter balls are coated in chocolate, return the plate to the refrigerator and chill another 30 minutes.

Brownie Batter Dip

Earlier this year, I joined a book club. (Side note: how is it June already?! I feel like I just ended my maternity leave and I've already been back at work longer than I was out!) So far we have read three books. Of course, like most book clubs, we talk about the book for maybe a half hour and then just drink wine, eat, and gossip. For the first meeting (we read Sarahs Key), I wanted to bring something sweet, but also easy and something that would travel well since I had to bring it to work with me. Shannon suggested I try this Brownie Batter Dip she pinned from Something Swanky:

Just a couple ingredients and I get to eat brownie batter? Sounds good to me. It was literally one of the easiest things I have ever made, so I don't even have pics of the process, just the finished product:

I wasn't sure what to use as dippers (the original post didn't really mention anything), so I bought a couple of things I thought would go well.

The Verdict: It was ok. The girls said they liked it, but like Shannon, I am not a huge cream cheese based dip fan. I feel like all I could taste was the cream cheese. I even added more sugar than the recipe called for hoping that might mask it. I guess I was just expecting it to taste a little more like actual brownie batter. When you get down to it though, its chocolate, so it wasn't terrible.

Things to Note/Consider: Too cream-cheesy, but that could just be me. Like I said, the other book clubbers seemed to like it - although we had way too much food that we barely made a dent in anything. I would probably try it again. It was very easy and paired with all the dippers, I could probably be convinced to eat more of it :)

Brownie Batter Dip

from Something Swanky

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 c. butter
• 2-3 c. powdered sugar (varies by desired consistency)
• 5 tbsp. AP flour
• 5 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 3+ tbsp. milk (varies by desired consistency)
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer, whisk together the cream cheese and the butter.
2. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and 1 tbsp. milk.
3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, and 1 more tbsp. of milk if needed.
4. Whisk all until smooth.
5. Add remaining powdered sugar and milk alternately until dip reaches your desired consistency.

For the second book club meeting, I brought cupcakes from a bakery - it was a long week! But this most recent time, I made these, stay tuned!