Baked Brie

Tis the season for cheeses and sweets!

Ingredients: 1 package crescent rolls, triangle of brie, maple syrup, walnuts

Directions: Unwrap the crescent rolls and lie flat on greased pan. Place brie triangle in the middle (I always cut the triangle in half and place them together to make a square). Drizzle desired amount of maple syrup on top of cheese. Sprinkle some walnuts on top. Wrap dough around cheese and press edges together so there are no cracks for the syrup to ooze out of. Bake according to crescent roll directions (usually at 350 for 12 minutes). Serve with sliced baguettes and watch it disappear!

Other Variations: Feel free to change up the syrup for fruit preserves (raspberry and apricot are good ones) and change up the walnuts for almonds, pine nuts, macadamia or your favorite.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Looking for something to do with those brown bananas? This is an excellent breakfast that will hold you over all day. 
Ways to make this recipe healthier: 1. Use whole wheat flour instead of bleached. 2. Add 1 tbsp. crushed flax seeds. 3. Use 1/2 the suggested amount of chocolate chips.

Ingredients: 1/4 c. vegetable oil, 1 1/2 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp orange zest, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 lg eggs, 1 c. mashed bananas, 1/2 c. chocolate chips, 1/2 c. walnuts.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour loaf pan. In large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, zest, and salt. Mix in oil, eggs, and bananas. *Variation: Mix in 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter.* Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour in pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean about 70-80 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes then cool on rack.

Top your slice with cream cheese, butter, or peanut butter!

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

My favorite cookie recipe!!
Ingredients: 3/4 c. flour, 1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 c. packed brown sugar, 1/4 c. butter softened, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 lg egg, 1/3 c. almond toffee bits (found in the baking section with choc chips).
Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Mix sugar and butter in a separate bowl and beat together until well blended. Add vanilla and egg to sugar/butter mixture and beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in toffee bits. Drop tablespoons of cookie mixture onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes. Note: These are good chewy so cook a minute or 2 less for chewier cookies.

3 Amazing Prosciutto Appetizers

The best way to cook is being able to use the same ingredients for more than 1 recipe, and with sweet and salty as the consistent theme you can make a party platter with subtle variety that people will die for! My appetizer secrets, like my other recipes, are extremely easy to make but with creative gourmet combinations that will make a party in everyone's mouth.

Prosciutto Wrapped Nectarines
Ingredients: 2 nectarines, 8 slices of prosciutto, maple syrup
Directions: Cut each nectarine into 8 wedges and cut the 8 slices of prosciutto in half lengthwise. Wrap each nectarine wedge with a piece of prosciutto. Grill over med heat turning often, until prosciutto begins to crisp (about 4-6 minutes). Drum roll for the secret ingredient...Brush with 2 tbsp of maple syrup during the last minute of grilling.

Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Dates
Ingredients: 3/4 c. goat cheese, 1 tbsp minced shallots, 1 tbsp chopped thyme, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 24 whole pitted dates, 6 thin slices prosciutto.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl stirring with a fork. Slice date lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, the other side. Open dates and place 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese mixture into each date. Cut 1 prosciutto slice in half lengthwise and then crosswise to make 4 pieces. Wrap each date in prosciutto slice, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Serve immediately. Note: If I'm bringing this appetizer to someone's house, I do all the prep at home so I just need to bake it there.

Prosciutto Wrapped Apples and Cheese
This is one of my old recipes so I don't have exact quantities. I usually make as many as I can using 1 package of prosciutto.
Ingredients: granny smith apples, sharp cheddar cheese, prosciutto, maple syrup
Directions: Slice apples into wedges. Slice cheese into small rectangular chunks as wide as apple wedges. Stack the cheese on the apple wedge and squirt a dallop of maple syrup on top. (This is where it gets messy but it's all worth it!) Wrap apple/cheese/syrup amazingness in prosciutto and broil until crispy outside and gooey inside.

You get the idea! Fruit, cheese, maple syrup, prosciutto= UH-Mazing! Get creative with the combos: 
Prosciutto Wrapped Pears and Blue Cheese
Prosciutto Wrapped Apples, Cheese, and Walnuts
Prosciutto Wrapped Asaparagus (with/without a cheese of choice)