quick and easy bacon, pb, cream cheese cinnamon rolls

Love finding creative ways to kick up even the most simplest of ingredients/products at Trader Joe's. It seems every time I go there there is always some new product. For those that follow me on Twitter, you know that when I do go there I'm always sharing photos of the latest finds. One of the latest finds that I had to finally give a try was the cinnamon rolls. They are next to the buttermilk biscuits in the refrigerator section, usually close to the dairy products.
The rolls are ok. They are very light, not heavy at all which is good. I like a lighter cinnamon roll especially if I'm going have a lot of stuff on it. Gotta balance the stuff to bread ratio. It's strange that there are only five rolls in a pack (why 5 I don't know, where did the 6th one go? To trader joe himself?). It also says "jumbo" on the package--I just don't think they are jumbo, certainly not small, but rather med-large size. They taste good when I added the extra flavors; I just wish there was more cinnamon filling inside the rolls of dough--just wasn't enough. Would I buy them again? Sure. Very easy to put together, and the best part very easy to kick up a few notches.

quick & easy pb, bacon, cream cream cinnamon rolls
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1 pack of Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Rolls (in the can)
2-3 TB of Trader Joe’s peanut butter-cream cheese
3-4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
A few dashes of cinnamon, optional

Cook 3 – 4 strips of bacon until crispy. Crumble into small pieces, set aside.

Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions. Take the sugar topping in the cinnamon pack and mix with 2-3 TB of the Trader Joe Peanut Butter-cream cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until well mixed and melted.
When rolls are done baking pour the pb-cream frosting over the rolls, top with the bacon, and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

homemade crunchy peanut butter eggs

This idea came about one sleepless night when I woke up at 2am, turned on my iphone, wrote down in my 'to make recipes': a really good crispy pb egg for Easter.

 Knowing I was going to use the same theory/recipe I used when I made the chocolate-pb cups, AND I wanted to factor in a more powerful crunch than what I originally used in the cups. So after much mulling I thought why not panko crumbs? Panko crumbs have a wonderful crunch and texture, plus it holds up very well to moisture. After much experimentation I think I nailed the filling just right. Taste-testing the filling as I went along I just knew these were going to be stellar. And let me tell you, they are fabulous. Very rich, decadent and perfect for upcoming Easter treats.
I'm pretty sure I nailed the pb filling down pat. Crispy, crunchy, not too sweet, with just a hint of salt. I was going to try a couple eggs dipped in the white chocolate but clear forgot.




Can I just say the middle filling is to die for good...again?
You have to make these......go...now!

chocolate peanut butter eggs w/ crunchy filling
from vanillasugarblog.com
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cook notes: 
I used Whole Foods brand organic crunchy pb (it's taste is just perfect), make sure to use plain panko crumbs, use a good quality milk chocolate since you want a good taste and one that will be easy to temper. Always do a taste test and make sure you like the filling before shaping them. If they get to have large chocolate spillage bottoms, don't worry, let them harden up and you can trim them with a sharp knife.

12 oz high quality milk chocolate
1 ½ cups crunchy peanut butter (I used whole foods brand organic crunchy)
2 TB confectioners’ sugar (if you want it sweeter add more)
¼ to ½ cup plain panko crumbs (add as much or as little as you like depending on level of crunch you want)
Giant pinch of sea salt

In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and panko crumbs. Do a taste test. See if it’s sweet enough for you or needs more salt. Cover bowl very well so no air gets in and place in fridge to harden up (at least a few hours or overnight).
Form dough into oval shapes (or whatever shape you want), place on parchment lined tray and chill again.
While the eggs are chilling get the chocolate melted and ready for dipping.
In a double boiler, carefully melt the chocolate (set a metal bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water).
When you are ready to dip the eggs in the chocolate use a fork to place them in the melted chocolate, turn them over, coating all sides of the egg and then place back onto the parchment paper to set. It’s ok if you get chocolate drips or lines on the sides of the eggs; once they are hard you can just trim the edges off with a sharp knife.
I let mine harden at room temp. If it’s warm out you might want to place them in the fridge to harden..
Once the chocolate is set and hard, take a sharp knife and trim off the chocolate drippings or lines on the bottoms of the eggs, if desired. This just give it a nice look.
Makes about 12 eggs, depending on how you shape them.

chocolate pistachio fudge (my way)

Do you like fudge? I don't, really. I find it too sweet. Those fudge shops that you see in the malls and outlets, I cringe when I get near one because of that overwhelming smell of corn syrup. It's just so strong for my nosebuds. And here comes the second part: I do like a lighter fudge, a less sweeter fudge. Let me explain. For me, I think the whole purpose of a good fudge should be a good balance of butter (yes butter), sugar, vanilla (or chocolate or whatever flavor you are making), cream, and some sort of texture. I firmly believe fudge should always have some texture, if not then it's just a block of sugar. Ick. So, with all that said I think I have found a "lighter" version of fudge with a buttery, milky taste; not over-powered by sugar. The consistency is NOT creamy like standard fudge, but more flaky/airy which is perfect for the melting-in-your-mouth factor. Rest assured once you taste it you won't really care that the texture is different because this fudge literally melts away in your mouth. (that was the best part after all this experimenting).
So where do you stand on fudge? Love it hate it? You might want to give this a go if you are on the fence--this might change your mind about all that corn-syrupy fudges. I can tell you this does NOT taste like a block of soft, chocolate sugar. I think you'll love this kind of fudge.

Note: I did NOT get this recipe off a Hershey's can; it's a bit different than that one. I played around with my molasses-peanut chew recipe and came up with this fudge recipe.

chocolate-pistachio fudge
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5 TB salted butter
1 TB butter to grease ceramic/glass dish
5 and ½ ounces high quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup cream
1 & ½ cup white sugar
1 ts high quality vanilla extract
Giant pinch of sea salt
1 or 1 ½ cup of salted, roasted pistachios (use as much or as little as you desire)

Remember this is hot sugar, never touch the hot sugar, never be tempted to taste test, and always use oven mits.
Butter an 8-by-8-inch or 8 x 9 baking dish, set aside. Get out a candy thermometer and clip onto pot.
In a large heavy duty pot (with high sides preferably) combine the butter, chocolate, cream, sugar, and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly and CONSTANTLY scraping the bottom of pan. (You will be doing this for a while). Let it boil and cook until the temperature reaches around 247 -249 (soft ball stage). Once it hits this temperature remove from heat
And add in the vanilla extract (it will make a lot of noise and sizzle, just add in and stand back then stir in)
Once mixed, add in the pistachios, stir, then pour the hot mixture into your prepared buttered baking dish.
Let cool off at room temperature. Should take a couple hours to harden up.
Gently lift it out of baking dish and transfer to a wooden board or plastic cutting board. It might be hard to lift out, I just turned the dish upside down and let gravity pop it out.
Using a sharp knife to cut into little squares. You should get about 20-25 little squares?

sweet potato fries w/ cheeseburger

OK not the most glamorous dish I know. Don't click away. At least think of this dish as meal that you can create/customize to your own liking. If you don't like what I put on it, think about putting your own types of proteins on it. This can easily be a meal; a tasty and creative meal when you break it down and think about the endless toppings that go with sweet potatoes: be it sweet or savory. Still with me? Good.
So lately, with this head cold I've been craving all kinds of foods and creations. Plus I am addicted to sweet potato fries--who isn't? Sweet potatoes are so good for you; nutritional powerhouse, loaded with Vitamin A, and have anti-inflammatory properties which I didn't know. Click here for more info. This dish is really tasty, fast to put together, and almost carb-less. Other inspiration came about from a comment I received when I made the infamous "cheeseburger & sweet potato fries pizza". A person said how they wished they could have this pizza, but are off carbs for a while. Of course that got me thinking why not try and make a "almost" carb-less version of that pizza, but just as tasty? And the best part with this dish is the no carb crash & burn later (which I hate). I know sweet potatoes have some carbs in them, the good carbs. The first round of this I made for breakfast, topping it with cooked sausage and eggs. GOOD stuff! I craved it again and made this version with the cheeseburger.
If you do make this, and I know I will again and again, try it topped with a fried egg or two. And yes, those are pickles on there, but they are bread & butter (sweet). Dill pickles do NOT go too well with this. Also, you all know I have a fussy hubby that hates vegetables and fruits BUT he eats this, all of it. And his dad loves me for that and gives me kisses for it too. Gotta love that right? :-)
The show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" is that an excellent show or what? Well one episode they had sweet potato fries loaded with chili, and then another they had Chef Cat Cora giving us her favorite way. So glad to see and hear that sweet potatoes are quickly becoming popular, and even made into restaurant-like chains and food trucks. Wouldn't that be fabulous to have a food truck that serves up sweet potato fries topped with various fresh toppings, themes, and trio's of dipping sauces? I would get my fries topped with a taco salad or maybe a good thai style peanut sauce. If I was in a sweet mood, maybe some warm melted peanut butter with a hint of maple syrup and raisins. How would you top your sweet potato fries?

sweet potato fries w/ cheeseburger
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1 pack of frozen sweet potato fries
1 pound of ground beef
salt & pepper
couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
bread & butter pickles, optional but amazing
ketchup, optional but wonderful

Other ideas:
a couple fried eggs on top
caramelized onions

Bake fries according to package direction.
Brown ground beef.
In the last few minutes of browning the beef add in the Worcestershire sauce, then add in the cheese. Take off heat.
Layer fries on a plate, then add the cheeseburger mixture, and pickles. Or whatever else you fancy.

a good sugar cookie

The perfect sugar cookie, a good sugar cookie--hard to find isn't it?
Well it's hard to recreate too.
What is the perfect sugar cookie? Is it taste, texture, creaminess, the right amount of sugar to butter ratio?
For me it's not being too sweet, with more butterness taste over sugar taste.
What about you? What do you look for?
We all have different likes, wants & needs in a sugar cookie.
I love a light airy cookie with real buttery taste, crisp edges and just a hint of chewiness (a hint!).
Need to have the right sugar sprinkles on my sugar cookies for texture and eye appeal.


Some sprinkles really stink--too corn syrupy tasting or too chemically tasting. Who likes that? Not me. But I have found some really good sugar sprinkles made with pure sugar, no chemicals, and colored naturally. In of all place, my second home: Whole Foods. Yes indeed. They have the best sugar sprinkles. They are a bit pricey, but the flavor is spot on--what one would think a sugar sprinkle should taste and look like: like sugar and like big old chunks of glistening sugar crystals. No dyes, or chemicals either. Best part? The sugar crystals stay crunchy "after" baking. A lot of good bakers look for that. So give these a go, you can find them at any Whole Foods in the baking section, next to the jimmies, in the same area as the extracts, herbs, and spices.

This recipe, if you do make them try using the European butter.
It's just a better grade of butter with a better flavor; a richer flavor of butter.
So if you like light sugar cookie with a hint of chewiness, gentle crisp edges and incredible pure butter flavor, then give these a go. I promise you will love these. When I made these for friends they were not only gone in a matter of minutes but everyone wanted the recipe. That good! These are perfect for any Easter functions you have coming up; way better than store bought.

perfect sugar cookie

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2 sticks unsalted butter, grated & kept cold (use European butter if you can, makes all the diff)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 TB pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour (13 ½ oz)
1 ts sea salt
1 and ¼ ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda

course sugar sprinkles, for decorating

In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix butter and both sugars until just mixed. It won’t be creamy because butter is so cold—that’s ok. Add the egg and vanilla, mix till just incorporated.
Add in the dry to the wet and mix till just incorporated—never over mix. The dough should be a little dry. We want to mix as little as possible as we don’t want the butter to get too warm nor do we want gluten to start forming—this will give us a nice light, airy, crispy cookie. Place bowl in fridge to chill/firm up. At least an hour, longer if its warm weather.
When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 degrees. You can divide dough how ever you like; I wanted large cookie so I made “almost” golfball sized balls and kept them round as they will spread when baking. Roll the balls in the sugar sprinkles on one side (or both if you desire). Place onto parchment lined cookie trays or non stick cookie trays. Do not press flat.
Bake for 18-22 minutes—all depending on your oven. Look for almost golden brown edges.
I got about 15-17 large cookies; if you make them smaller maybe you will get about 25-30 cookies, I don't know haven't made them small yet.