Prep time: 7 min

    Cook time: 25 min

    Serves: 8

Deep dish pizza ain't got nuthin' on these babies. Dive into these savory pizza bites and let all your dreams come true!

INGREDIENTS

1 tube Pillsbury Simply French Bread

1 1/4 cup Muir Glen Crushed Tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1 cup precooked sausage crumbles

2 tablespoons bacon bits

1 1/2 cups Italian cheese, grated

8 slices pepperoni

DIRECTIONS

1. Open the Pillsbury Simply French Bread and gently unroll it until flat. Cut into 8 even squares.

2. Press the squares of bread dough into each of 8 muffin tins, which have been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the Muir Glen crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, onion salt, chili powder, and Italian Seasoning. Spoon evenly into each of the dough cups.

4. Sprinkle the sausage crumbles and bacon bits over the sauce in each cup. Top with cheese. Add a single pepperoni slice on top.

5. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges of the bread cups are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

6. Eat and enjoy!

    Prep time: 15 min

    Cook time: 35 - 45 min

    Serves: 6 individual loaves

Cheesy beer bread, all hot and steaming in the one hand and in the other hand a cup of comforting soup… that is what I call a balanced diet!

INGREDIENTS

500 g self raising flour

500 ml beer

250 ml mature cheddar cheese

Fresh herbs or your choice – I used thyme

5 ml salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180 C. Mix all the ingredients together is a mixing bowl and spoon into a pan or mugs which you have sprayed with Spray ‘n Cook. Bake for 35-45 minutes. 

    Prep time: 35 - 40 min

    Cook time: 35 - 45 min

    Serves: 6 cups

Although they may look difficult to make, cookie cups are an easy way to impress your guests. Create little cups from cookie dough and fill to go with just about any dessert.

INGREDIENTS

Baileys White Chocolate Whipped Cream:

250ml Whipping Cream

100g White Chocolate

3 Tbsp Baileys Coffee Liqueur

Coffee Cream:

100g Light Brown Sugar

450ml Full Cream

2 Egg Yolks

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Tbsp Granulated Coffee

2 Tbsp Baileys Coffee Liqueur

½ Tsp Gelatine

Coffee Cups:

50g Hazelnuts/ Pecans

50g Flour

60g White Sugar

30g Light Brown Sugar

180g Butter

1 Egg Yolk

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Pinch of Salt

Caramel (to stick the handles on)

DIRECTIONS:

Baileys White Chocolate Whipped Cream:

1.  Pour whipping cream into a small pot and begin to heat. Once heated, add the baileys and white chocolate. Stir until the white chocolate has melted; remove from heat and leave to cool.

Coffee Cream:

2. Add the full cream into a pot and start to heat over stove. Then stir in the Baileys and granulated coffee until dissolved.

3. In another bowel mix together the sugar, egg yolk and cornstarch. Pour the hot cream mixture into the bowl slowly and continue to mix to ensure the liquid stays smooth.

4. Sprinkle the gelatin in a tiny bit of hot water and to the coffee cream. Leave the cream to cool.

Coffee Cups:

5. Roast the pecans /hazelnuts until toasted and golden. Once the nuts have cooled, put in food processor and blend until they feel doughy to touch.

6. Add the flour, white and brown sugar as well as the salt and combine well. Then add the butter, egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until the mixture turns into dough.

7. Roll the dough out to about 5mm thickness and line the dough in panettone baking cups. You can purchase them here!

8. Use the remaining dough and roll and shape into handles.

9. Each of these coffee cups need to be baked in its individual little panettone cups with baking weights filled to the rim to ensure the dough doesn’t rise.

10. Freeze the cups and handles for 2 hours.

11. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and remove dough cups and handles straight from freezer to the oven. Bake for 15min until browned then eave to cool. Once cooled peel the paper from the cups and bake again for a further 10 minuets.

12. Once cooled, you can stick the handles on with the caramel and place in freezer until ready to use.

13. When ready to serve divide the coffee cream into the 6 cups. Whip the baileys white chocolate cream with mixer and top to serve.

    Prep time: 35 - 40 min

    Cook time: 25 - 35 min

    Serves: 6

Tender, moist, and positively luscious, this Caramel  and Walnut Cake is guaranteed to become a favorite!

INGREDIENTS

Sponge:

4 Medium Eggs

120g Granulated Sugar

120g Butter

140g Plain Flour

1 tspn Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

Mascarpone Cream:

250g Mascarpone Cheese

100g Cooked Condensed Milk

Caramel:

150g Granulated Sugar

100g Fresh Cream

15g Unsalted Butter

1/4 tsp. of lemon juice

To Decorate:

100g Walnuts

METHOD

Sponge:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the shelf in the centre of the oven. Grease and line two cake tins with baking parchment.

2. Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the sugar, butter and vanilla. Crack in the eggs and beat well with a wooden spoon or mixer, until the mixture is light coloured and fluffy. Divide the cake mixture between the tins and smooth the tops.

3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mascarpone Cream:

4. Use an electric mixer and mix the mascarpone cheese to remove any lumps. Add condensed milk and continue to mix until smooth.

Caramel:

5. In the saucepan, combine the sugar, and of lemon juice. Including a little lemon juice is one way to help prevent your caramel from crystallizing and seizing up as it cooks. Use the wet pastry brush to wash down any crystals from the side of the pan.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Rather than stirring to dissolve the sugar, which could cause crystallization, gently swirl the pan.

7. Once it’s come to a boil, continue to cook, and occasionally wash the sides of the pan with a pastry brush until the color starts to change—this will take about 5 minutes. When it starts to brown in spots, swirl it occasionally just to even out the color, and keep the hot spots from burning. Once the color starts to change, watch your caramel very closely—it can go from undercooked to overcooked within a few seconds.

8. You can check the color by putting a dab onto a white plate. Very light caramel won’t really have that bittersweet caramelized-sugar flavor. The darker you go, the more bitter and complex the flavor gets, but you don’t want to take it so far that it tastes burned. Stir in the cream and butter to the caramel and leave to cool

Garnish:

9. Blend the walnuts in a food processor.

10. To sandwich the cakes together: Add a layer of mascarpone cream to the top of the sponges, finish by placing the creamed side of the sponges together. Cover the entire cake with the caramel sauce and garnish with the crumbly bits of walnuts.

    Prep time: 20 min

    Cook time: 20 min

    Serves: 35 - 40

These salted chocolate caramels have beautiful the rich flavors and are a tasty salty-sweet combo.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (113 grams) butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (36-40% butterfat content)

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup

1 cup (200 grams) sugar

1 pound chocolate (we like to use semi-sweet chocolate)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon course or flaked sea salt

METHOD

1. Lightly oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan then measure and cut a piece of parchment paper that will fit inside the pan and come up the sides by at least 1 inch. Next, lightly oil the parchment paper and place into the pan. Set the pan aside.

2. Cut butter into 8 pieces then combine with heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot and butter has melted. Set aside, we will use this later. 

3. In a small saucepan combine the water and corn syrup. Then, add the sugar, but try your best not to splatter the sugar up the sides of the pan. Now, use a spoon to gently stir the sugar into the water and corn syrup, just moistening the sugar.

4. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has come to a boil. Then, cover with a lid for 1 minute. This adds steam/moisture to the pan, so any sugar that may have stuck to the sides of the pan melts and falls back into the boiling sugar.

5. Remove lid then attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Then, cook sugar for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar reaches a temperature of 320 degrees F (160 degrees C). At this temperature, the sugar will take on a light amber color around the edges of the pan. 

6. The moment the sugar reaches 320 degrees F (160 degrees C), carefully pour about a sixth of the butter and cream mixture then stir, using the base of the candy thermometer to incorporate it. Repeat with the remaining cream and butter (adding a sixth of it at a time then stirring). The sugar will bubble violently as you add the butter and cream – so do this carefully and slowly to prevent the mixture from bubbling over the sides of the saucepan.

7. Continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the caramel reaches a temperature of 240 degrees F (115 degrees C). This will create a soft caramel, if you want slightly harder caramels; bring the temperature closer to 245 degrees F (118 degrees C).

8. The moment the caramel reaches your desired temperature, pour into the prepared loaf pan. Then, let the caramel cool 3 1/2 hours.

9. Unmold the caramel. If the caramel is too soft to work with, place into the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes to firm up. Then, use a large sharp knife to cut into your desired shape. We like to cut into 1-inch by 1-inch squares.

10. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

11.  Use a large knife to chop chocolate into small pieces. Separate about 1/3 cup of the chocolate and set aside then add the remaining chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Add the butter then microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, stir then repeat until melted (stirring after every 30 to 45-seconds). Once the chocolate has melted, add the 1/3 cup of chocolate and stir until smooth and shiny.

12. Use two forks to dip each caramel into the melted chocolate then place onto waxed paper. Place a little salt on top of each caramel then allow chocolate to cool and set.

13. Wrap caramels in plastic wrap or waxed paper and enjoy immediately, or you can refrigerate or freeze for enjoying later.

    Prep time: 30 min

    Cook time: 60 min

    Serves: 20 – 40

This is perfect for a big party. The crunchy bacon is accented with hints of garlic and onion seasoning and combined with 4 creamy elements: Mexican blend cheese, pepper jack cheese, cream cheese and mayo.

INGREDIENTS

40-45 Jalapenos

10 slices bacon

8 ozs. Mexican blend cheese, shredded

8 ozs. Pepper jack cheese, shredded

8 ozs. cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

5 slices cheddar cheese

5 slices pepper jack cheese

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. While wearing rubber gloves, slice the stems off of the jalapenos. Run the tip of a knife around the inside of the pepper and scrape out the seeds. Rinse to remove any remaining seeds.

3. Place the jalapenos top side up in a bundt pan.

4. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to touch, crumble the bacon and add it to a large bowl.

5. To the bowl, add the shredded cheeses, cream cheese, mayonnaise and spices. Mix until thoroughly combined.

6. Using a small spoon, fill each jalapeno with bacon cheese filling. Place the jalapeno back in the pan.

7. Cover with foil. (You can refrigerate the poppers at this point up to 3 days. Continue with the next steps when ready to entertain.)

8. Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

9. Remove the foil and top with a single layer of cheddar cheese slices followed by a single layer of pepper jack cheese slices.

10. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese begins to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve with skewers or toothpicks.

    Prep time: 30 min

    Cook time: 20 min

    Serves: 8

This gorgeous chocolate roulade is as light as a feather. Add berries to the whipped cream filling to make a decadent dinner party dessert.

INGREDIENTS

175g/6oz good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

6 free-range eggs, separated

175g/6oz caster sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

300ml/10fl oz double cream

icing sugar, to dust

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a 33cm x 23cm/13in x 9in Swiss roll tin then line the base and sides of the tin with a large sheet of greaseproof paper, pushing it into the corners. Make a small diagonal snip in each corner of the paper; this helps to fit the paper snugly into the corners of the tin.

2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)

3. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until stiff but not dry. If you turn the bowl upside down, the whites should be stiff enough not to fall out.

4. Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl with the sugar and whisk using the same whisk (no need to wash it) on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until thick and creamy and the mixture leaves a thick ribbon-like trail when the beaters are lifted. Pour in the cooled chocolate and gently fold together until well combined.

5. Gently stir two large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen the mix, and then fold in the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon (you don’t want to squash out the air you have just beaten in). Sift the cocoa over the top and lightly fold it in. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently move the tin around until the mixture is level.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until risen and the top feels firm and slightly crisp. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin (expect the roulade to fall and crack a little) and set aside until cold.

7. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Lay a large piece of greaseproof paper on the work surface and dust it lightly with icing sugar. Turn the roulade out on to the paper so its lining paper is on top, and then carefully peel off the paper. Spread the roulade with the whipped cream, leaving a border of about 2cm/¾in all the way around the edges.

8. With one of the shortest edges facing you, make a cut along it with a sharp knife, going about half way through the sponge. This will help to start the rolling up. Now roll this cut edge over tightly to start with and use the paper to help continue the tight rolling, by pulling it away from you as you roll. Don’t worry if the roulade cracks - that is quite normal and all part of its charm.

9. Finish with the join underneath then lift the roulade onto a serving plate or board using a large wide spatula or two fish slices. Dust with icing sugar.

    Prep time: 10 min

    Cook time: 5 min

    Serves: 12 mozzarella sticks

This is a super easy and super tasty game day appetizer. Crunchy, salty, and cheesy – three things I’m looking for when there’s a ball game on. They are extremely kid-friendly, too. All you need is string cheese, wonton wrappers, oil, and some marinara sauce.

INGREDIENTS

6 mozzarella cheese sticks, sliced in half

12 wonton wrappers

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

½ cup marinara sauce, for dipping (homemade or store-bought)

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of 325-350 degrees.

2. Place each cheese stick half onto the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet the tips of your fingers with a little bit of water and moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper so that it will seal nicely. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the cheese, followed by both sides, then finally the top to seal.

3. Carefully place the wontons seal side down into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve promptly with warm marinara sauce on the side.