**PUFF PASTRY CHERRY BLOSSOMS**

Puff pastry sheets
Pie filling of your choice
egg wash (one beaten egg)
Sugar
Glaze

Cut your sheet of puff pastry into squares.

Take one of your squares and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center.
Don't use more than that, or you will have a mess.

Grab the corners & pinch together.(see attached pic)

Lay your cherry blossoms on a parchment lined baking sheet.
If you don't have parchment paper, grease your pan lightly.

Brush with egg wash.

Sprinkle sugar over the pastry.

Bake at 375 degrees until very golden (15 to 20 minutes)
Don't worry if a bit of your filling runs out-you can take a knife and push it right back in

GLAZE:
Prepare the glaze while the blossoms are baking . . .
Make the glaze the consistency you like.
1 cup powdered/confectionery sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp milk or OJ

Once the blossoms have finished baking, glaze them while still warm.

You could also make Blueberry Blossoms.

**CHOC OATMEAL COOKIES**

1/2 cup butter
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3- 3 1/2 cup Quick cooking oats
2 tsp vanilla essence

Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute.
Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax/foil paper.
Let cool until set.

**GOOEY NUTELLA BANANA BREAD**

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 heaping cup Nutella
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & salt.

3. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, milk and vanilla. Beat until blended.

4. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).

5. Spoon Nutella into a small dish and soften in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well. Spoon Nutella batter alternately with plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.

5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, it will seem a tiny bit undercooked but that’s what makes it good. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

**GRILLED EGGPLANT PARMESAN**

1 large eggplant,sliced half inch thick
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegr
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup pasta sauce
1/2 cup grated Permesan cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat the grill on medium high. Mix oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper on a bowl. Brush the eggplant slices with mixture before grilling each side for 5 minutes- every side. Place the grilled eggplant slices on a plate and spoon pre-heated pasta sauce and parmesan cheese on top. Serve warm.

**BAKED HAM & CHEESE ROLLS**

24 white dinner rolls
24 pieces honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce

1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

**FRESH STRAWBERRY YOGHURT CAKE**

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tbsp lemon juice, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. plain or vanilla, greek yogurt
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
1 cup powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 325*. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2tbsp of lemon juice and the powdered sugar.

Drizzle over the top of the cake.

**VANILLA CHEESECAKE**

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 Ginger Graham Cracker Crust (prebaked)
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute.

Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add 1 cup of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and mix until well combined.

Pour the batter into the crust and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the remaining sugar and vanilla.

Pour the mixture over the cheesecake, spreading it to the edge. Bake 5 minutes.

Cool and refrigerate overnight before serving.

**ORANGE POUND CAKE**

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated orange zest (from 6 oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Orange Syrup:

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sugar


For the Orange Glaze:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the orange zest.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another small bowl, combine orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

While the loaf is cooling, make the orange syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the orange juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat.


Remove loaves to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves. Brush the tops and sides of the loaves with the orange syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cakes cool completely.


To make the orange glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 4 tablespoons of the orange juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of orange juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the orange glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides.

Let the orange glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

**HONEY BEER BREAD**

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 can beer
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted


Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (Microwave the honey for 5 to 10 seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in)

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. Use a pastry brush to spread it around.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.