S'more Hand Pies

My desire to go camping is growing by the second. However, the open space on my calendar to do it, is not. So, I compromised....

I brought it to me.

S'more Hand Pies

2 refrigerated pie crusts (or, make your own. In this case, I got lazy)

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

S'more center:

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup marshmallow creme (ones above are sans marshmallow creme; if you like a really marshmallowy s'more, I suggest adding this)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425F. 

In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar; set aside. Unroll your pie crusts, and with a mason jar, cut as many rounds as you can (I got 8 with each). With a pastry brush, brush both sides of the dough-round with the melted butter. Then dip into the graham/sugar crumble, coating both sides as much as you can. Place your dough rounds onto your Silpat/parchment lined baking sheet. 

Place a small spoonful of your graham/sugar crumble, marshmallow creme, a couple marshmallows and chocolate chips into the center of the round. Leave a little space surrounding the filling, in order to pinch edges shut. Place the other coated dough rounds on top of the filling. Pinch edges shut (I used a fork). If the edges do not pinch, brush some of the extra melted butter on first, then pinch. 

Bake your hand pies for 10-13 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Serve shortly after removing from the oven while the filling is melted and warm.

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Oatmeal Cinnamon Blueberry Cookies

This past week, I had a hankering for oats. Whether it be in a cinnamon-y granola form sprinkled over greek yogurt. Steamed into a creamy oatmeal topped with my favorite berries. Or, whipped up in a deliciously sweet cookie. 

It just so happened, the cookie won.

Did I also mention that oatmeal cookies are my absolute favorite cookie? So, it's really no surprise they won. There is a part of me, while eating an oatmeal cookie, that doesn't feel half as guilty as I would when digging into a chocolate chip cookie. They just feel a bit healthier. 

Unless you add a heap of chocolate chips into the mix. .....Whoops. 

The blueberries will even out the bad. Right?

Cinnamon Oatmeal Blueberry Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon maple syrup

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup fresh blueberries 

1 cup chocolate chips (either are optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment.

In a large bowl, whip butter, brown sugar, egg and maple syrup. In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in the rolled oats. Split into two bowls for two separate batches. In one bowl fold in the chocolate chips and blueberries in the other. You can make one batch with both ingredients added to it, or neither. Your additions are completely up to you.

Scoop tablespoon size dough balls onto the silpat and bake for 10-12 minutes.

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Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispies

Cinnamon Roll Rice Krispies

Krispies:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

10.5 ounces marshmallows (1 bag)

1 teaspoon maple agave syrup

6 cups rice krispies cereal

Grease a 9x13 glass dish, and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pour marshmallows into the saucepan, stirring constantly until all of the marshmallows have melted. Remove from heat. Stir in maple-agave syrup. Slowly, fold in rice krispies cereal, until all of the cereal is completely coated in marshmallows. Spread rice krispie mix evenly with a spatula into the buttered dish. Allow krispies to cool before coating with glaze.

Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon maple agave syrup

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 teaspoons hot water

In a large bowl, mix butter, syrup and confectioners' sugar. Add 1 teaspoon hot water at a time until you reach desired consistency. (I used 4. You can use more/less if you'd like)

Pour glaze evenly over rice krispies. Allow to set before cutting apart.

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Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Blueberry Pockets

I know I said it was going to be quiet around here, but I just can't help it. I've missed baking, so I baked. And, boy, I did NOT think that this is what was going to come of it.

The flaky crust is one thing. The center? It's like a whole new ball game. Oozing with cinnamon brown sugar and warm blueberries, I don't think I could have asked for more in a breakfast danish. Really. I cursed at the deliciousness that was going on in my mouth after the first bite.The pocket made me do it. But, I usually curse after anything that I think tastes good. (I'm not proud.)

So, you'll probably just have to try them out yourselves. Just roll them out. Stuff them. Roll them back up. Sprinkle with goods. Pop them in the oven. And then, eat.

Perfect weekend breakfast? You tell me if a curse word sneaks out of your mouth after you take the first bite. I won't scold you.

Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Blueberry Pockets

2 refrigerated pre-made pie crusts (Just because I wanted to bake today, didn't mean I wasn't in lazy mode still.)

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

10 heaping tablespoons brown sugar

10 heaping tablespoons organic sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon

blueberries

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Roll out your pre-made pie crusts so they are a little thinner than they are when purchased. Try to roll out in more of a square shape, rather than circle. 

In a small bowl, beat your egg and water together; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, sugar, flour, and cinnamon; Set aside. 

Cut dough in half so you have 2 rectangular pieces. Rub or brush some of the egg wash onto the tops of the dough. Staring at the corner (leave space of a triangle from the corner), spoon filling onto the dough diagonally. Place several blueberries on top of the filling. From the corner, pull over the filling, until the corner reaches the opposite side of the dough. From the other corner, fold over again, until it reaches the opposite side of the dough. Cut about 1/4 inch away from the pocket, so you have a little flap you can fold up for to seal. Brush all over pocket with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar filling. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make other pockets (or smaller croissant-looking pockets), then bake for 15-20 minutes for the larger pockets and 10-15 for the smaller, or until golden brown. 

Keep your eye on them throughout the whole baking time.

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I've been away.

The blog has been a little quite over here for the past few weeks, and I apologize. This happens every once in awhile. I fade away for a bit. Sometimes I have explanations as to why. Sometimes I have NO idea why. And, sometimes for no reason at all, just that I felt like it. This time... well, I don't know. But, I have some things to say about it.

This time of year is always my favorite. The time spent is so special to me; So special and great that I allow myself to just get lost in it, gently set everything else, my blog, my work, my "grown up life", off to the side for a bit and bask in what is the 'now'. I love being able to do that. It's my refresher. It's how I recharge. 

Well, I am recharged. And, now that I am, I have some things I need to tend to.

Last year, I had some big plans, big ideas that I somewhat spoke of. Where are they, you ask? Well, unfortunately, I let my stubborn (very stubborn, actually) /stress-case/perfectionist self get the best of me and they were set aside for a short period of time. One of my biggest flaws, to me, is that I allow myself to not follow through on things that I want for myself. I will gladly set something for me aside to do something for someone else. Which I will still do. But, I will also, sadly, set something aside for myself if it is not coming together as fast or as great as I want it to. (Did I mention that I am also really impatient?) I hate that I do that. I used to say that same thing followed by "but, I can't help it". Yikes. 

With it being the new year and being "recharged" and all, I feel like it's the best time to work on some things, and get the ball rolling again. I've never been too prone on new year's resolutions. Sure, they are super fun to all share with each other while sitting around a fire, sipping beers, next to a flowing river out in the wild on New Year's Eve (did I mention we did this this year and it was amazing!), but I kind of like starting off a new year from right where I started in the last, same ol' person, maybe just tweaking my focus path a bit. This year I am starting off on the same foot, but tweaking my focus path a lot, beginning with ridding this flaw. 

With that... January may keep a little quiet so I can get back into gear on some of these things, but I have plans, old and new, so hang in there.  I will be back and hopefully with a bang!

I can't say thank you enough for all of your support, love, patience, and faith in me this past year. It's what keeps me and this blog going. 

Cheers to 2012!

photo by, Justin Ponce

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