Nicole Flips for Food

Cheese Danish

16 danishes

Ingredients for Pastry Dough

1 cup warm milk
2 teaspoon active dried yeast
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoon sour cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling

1 1/3 cup of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Optional: 1/2 cup jam of choice, strawberry, peach and apricot are our favorite

Ingredients for Streusel Topping

1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
3 tablespoon of melted butter

Ingredients for Egg Wash

2 egg yolks
1 tablespoons water

Directions

Make the Pastry Dough: In a bowl of a stand mixer mix the 1 cup of warm milk, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 4 egg yolks, 2 tablespoon of sour cream, 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoon of dried active yeast, and 3 cups flour together on the 3rd speed of a mixer for about ten minutes.

Add butter & knead: Add 3/4 stick of softened butter to the dough mixture in quarters and knead for about 8 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the wall, and feels tacky to touch. If you stretch the dough, you should be able to form a thin film without it tearing.

Let rise: Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl (I used olive oil), then cover the outside of the dough with some oil as well (I used a brush to evenly spread it). This will keep it from cracking and drying as it rises. Cover the bowl with a hand towel. It is best to set the dough in a warm place (between 80°F-90°F). I turn the oven to 250°F for 3 minutes, then turn it off and set my bowl with dough inside the oven with the oven light on. Top of the refrigerator or any other warm, draft-free place will work as well. The dough should double in size in about 30 minutes. During that time, make the cream cheese filling, streusel topping and egg wash.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling: Whip together 1 1/3 cup of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Cover and set aside.

Make the streusel topping: Combine 1/3 cup of flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, and 3 tablespoon of melted butter with a fork or hands until crumbly. Refrigerate until later.

Make the egg wash: Whisk together with a fork 2 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and set aside.

Divide & shape the pastry dough. Once the dough is doubled (about 30 minutes), punch it down. Next, divide the pastry dough into 15-16 equal pieces. The most accurate way to do that is to weigh the dough, then divide the total by 16. (I shaped the dough into a long rectangle and then eye-balled it to make 16 pieces).

Shape each piece of dough into a ball by tucking the ends underneath itself until you get a smooth surface on top. Set the rolled danish buns on two 12″x18″ foil or parchment-lined baking sheets, evenly spacing each piece of dough with 8 buns on each baking sheet.

Let rest for 10 minutes, then dip the bottom of a glass or a cup into flour and press with it in the middle of each bun to form an indentation.

Fill with cream cheese filling: Use a medium ice cream scoop to fill each indentation with 1 scoop of cheesecake filling. Otherwise, just spoon the cream cheese filling with a regular spoon. If you would like to add some jam to the middle as well, use a teaspoon to spoon 1 teaspoon of jam or preserves in the middle of the cheesecake mixture.

Let rise until doubled: Put the baking pan with the filled danishes back into the oven (with the heat off, oven light on). The danishes should double in size in about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Brush with egg wash & top with streusel: Once the dough has doubled, brush the outside of the danishes with the egg wash, then sprinkle generously with streusel pressing gently to adhere it if needed.

Bake: In a preheated to 350°F degrees oven for about 20 minutes, or until the outside is golden in color. Then, remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly before enjoying.

Recipe originally found on Let the Baking Begin.

These pastries tasted like they came straight from a bakery! I definitely will be making them for our next family brunch!

Check the yeast: If you’re unsure if your yeast is fresh and active, combine the yeast with 2-3 tablespoons of the milk from the overall amount and 1 teaspoon of sugar from the overall amount. Stir to dissolve the sugar and yeast. Allow to proof for about 10-15 minutes. The mixture should rise and look frothy. If it does not, discard the yeast and do not start until you have good, active yeast.

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Garlic Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

16 meatballs

Ingredients for Meatballs

2 pounds ground turkey 93/7% lean
1 small onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves
1 extra large egg
2 ounces of white bread
2 tablespoons milk, for soaking bread
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt

Ingredients for Garlic Parmesan Sauce

1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used 1% milk to make the recipe healthier)
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 cup dry Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
salt
fresh cracked black pepper
Garnish
- parmesan cheese, shaved
- fresh parsley, minced

Directions

These meatballs are made on stove top and in the oven. Use an non-stick pan on the stove and 2 glass Pyrex dishes for the oven.

Soak bread in milk. Gently squeeze out the milk from the bread, place wet bread in the mixing bowl and break it up into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients for the meatballs and mix everything well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll meatballs. It should make about 22-25 meatballs, depending on the size.

Roll the meatballs and place them on a cutting board of parchment paper (or in the glass Pyrex dishes) while the pan is preheating to medium-high heat.

Add oil to the pan and place meatballs in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on one side. Continuous move the meatballs so all sides are cooked/ browned. (The meatballs should NOT be cooked all the way through). Place the meatballs into the two Pyrex dishes, spaced out.

Whisk sauce ingredients together and pour it all over the meatballs.

Transfer the Pyrex dish into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Take out the meatballs and garnish with a some shaved Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Recipe originally found on Will Cook for Smiles.

Serve with pasta and vegetables.

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Super-Chunk White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

24-30 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, spoon and leveled
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 heaping cup white chocolate chips
1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts

Directions

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and mix everything together with a rubber spatula until completely combined.

Fold in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. (You can use a mixer for this step if needed).

Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 4 days. If chilling for longer than 2 hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1-1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look soft.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Freeze extras.

Recipe originally found on Sally’s Baking Addiction.

White Macadamia Nut cookies are my absolute favorite. I love when the cookies are soft and full of macadamia nuts.

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To Die for Blueberry Muffins

8-9 muffins

Ingredients for Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk, or more as needed
1 cup fresh blueberries

Ingredients for Topping

1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder.

Place canola oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and add enough milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Mix the canola oil combination with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups right to the top.

To make crumb topping, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Use the fork to break up the butter into smaller pieces.

Cover the filled muffin cups with crumb topping mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Because the crumb topping is so delicate, carefully use a knife or two to take the muffins out of the pan.

Recipe originally found on All Recipes.

While these muffins may not be the healthiest, they are definitely packed with flavor. There’s freshness from the blueberries and the sugary-cinnamon crumb topping is the perfect added touch.

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Homemade Creamy Goat Cheese Mushroom Gnocchi

3 servings

Ingredients for Gnocchi

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, scrambled
1 1/4 cup flour, plus more if necessary

Ingredients for Creamy Goat Cheese Mushroom Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon heavy cream (I used 1.5 tablespoons milk and 1.5 tablespoons vegetable broth to make the recipe healthier)
1 tablespoon thyme
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
24 ounces gnocchi
1/4 cup mint, chopped
4 oz Goat Cheese
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions for the Gnocchi

Place potatoes in a large pot. Fill with water and 1 tablespoon salt, make sure the potatoes are covered by two to three inches.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a medium-high heat, cook until potatoes are soft and can be pierced with a fork.

Peel potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half. (Be careful not to burn yourself, as the potatoes will be hot!)

Run the potatoes through a ricer. (I used my KitchenAid Grater attachment, since I don’t have a ricer. I fed the potatoes through the grater twice. You can also use a standard box grater).

Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and cool for 1 hour. (Since we are working with eggs, the potatoes need to be cooled, so the eggs don’t cook when mixing the ingredients).

Once the potatoes are cool, flour a cutting board or granite counter, so the potatoes don’t stick. (I forgot to flour the surface, and the potatoes definitely stuck!) Pile potatoes in a mound on a cutting board/ counter. Make a well in the potatoes. Pour eggs over potatoes.

Sprinkle with 1 cup of flour. Using your hands, slowly incorporate all the ingredients.

Once all the ingredients are incorporated, gently knead dough until smooth. DO NOT OVERKNEAD.

Divide the dough into four quarters. Using your hands, roll each quarter into a rope, about 1/2 inch thick. Use flour as needed.

Using a sharp knife, cut into gnocchi, they should be about ½ inch apart. The gnocchi should form a rectangular shape when cut.

To cook the gnocchi: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season liberally with salt. Add gnocchi in and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Serve with Creamy Goat Cheese Mushroom sauce.

Directions for Creamy Goat Cheese Mushroom Sauce

Cook gnocchi. While the gnocchi is cooking, prepare sauce.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add shallots, thyme and garlic; cook for 2 minutes or until shallots are transparent. Stir occasionally. Add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream (or 1.5 tablespoons of milk and 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable broth for a healthier version) to skillet; cook for about 1 minute. Stir.

Add gnocchi; gently toss. Stir in goat cheese, garnish with mint. Salt, and pepper.

Recipes originally found on Cooking for Keeps and Cooking Maniac.

Add goat cheese to any dish, and the meal instantly gets elevated! I always get excited when gnocchi is on the menu at a restaurant. I’m not sure what took me so long, but I’ve never made homemade gnocchi until I made this meal.

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Homemade Bagels

8 bagels

Ingredients

2 teaspoons / 6 g active dry yeast
4 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups warm water (you may need ± ¼ cup more)
3 ½ cups / 500 g bread flour (will need extra for kneading)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Optional Toppings: Everything seasoning, cinnamon sugar, coarse salt, minced fresh garlic, minced fresh onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or a mix of your favorite flavors.

Directions

Warm up 4 cups of water on the stove. Using a ladle, carefully scoop up water from the pot and measure 1/2 cup in a measuring cup. Pour the 1/2 cup of warm water into a bowl. Pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes. Then stir the yeast and sugar mixture, until it all dissolves in the water.

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.

Again, using the ladle, carefully scoop up water from the pot and measure 1/4 cup in a measuring cup. Pour the 1/4 cup of warm water into the well. Mix. Gradually, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water, as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add anywhere from a couple tablespoons to about 1/4 cup of additional water. You want a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.

On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.

Lightly brush a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and move it all around so the dough is covered in oil. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.

Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces (I used a scale to be extra precise, but it’s not necessary). Shape each piece into a ball. Now, take each dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop (or whatever work surface you’re using) moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.

Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (or non-stick mat). Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

After shaping the dough rounds and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling (I boiled 4 at a time). Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top (a couple seconds). Let them sit there for 1 minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel (results will give you a more New York Style bagel with this option).

If you want to add toppings to your bagels, do so as you take them out of the water. However, you will need to use an egg wash to get the toppings to stick before putting the bagels into the oven.

Once all the bagels have boiled (and have been topped with your choice of toppings), transfer them to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet (or a baking sheet with a non-stick mat).

Bake for 20 – 22 minutes, or until golden brown (start with 20 minutes).

Cool on a wire rack. Serve with your favorite cream cheese, jam, butter or make an egg sandwich!

Recipe originally found on Sophisticated Gourmet.

Being Jewish, I grew up eating bagels with cream cheese and lox. When my family from New York/ New Jersey visits, we always ask them to bring New York bagels with them, as we know New York bagels are the best. However, since I can’t always get my hands on those bagels, these are a good substitute.

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Raspberry Puff Turnovers

12-16 turnovers

Ingredients for Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup sour cream

Ingredients for Filling

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen, or use mixed berries
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg

Directions

To make the crust, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.

Cut the cold butter into slices, and work it into the flour mixture (using a wooden spoon) until it is unevenly crumbly, with larger bits of butter remaining intact.

Stir in the sour cream. The dough will be lumpy, but cohesive.

Move the dough onto a well-floured surface, and bring it together, with a few quick kneads.

Pat the dough into a rough square, then roll it into a 8″ x 10″ rectangle.

Dust both sides of the dough with flour. Starting with one of the shorter (8″) ends, fold it into thirds like a business letter, flip it over (so the open flap is on the bottom), and turn it 90 degrees.

Roll the dough into an 8″ x 10″ rectangle again. Fold it in thirds, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) before using.

While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Mix the cornstarch with enough cold water to dissolve it.

In a bowl, add sugar to raspberries, tossing to combine. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon, as well as cornstarch water mixture.

Heat the mixture in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the berries soften and fall apart. The mixture will be thick and jam-like, even though it doesn’t really warm up much; this will take about 5 minutes. Cook until mixture thickens. (You can prepare the filling up to several days before; cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it). Filling should be at room temperature when assembling the turnovers.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To assemble the turnovers, roll the chilled dough into a 16″ square. Cut sixteen 4″ squares (or make bigger turnovers by cutting larger squares).

Place about 1-2 teaspoons of filling slightly off-center in each square. (Don’t put too much filling, or the dough will be difficult to close, and the filling will ooze out).

For a tighter seal, brush two adjoining edges of each square with 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water. Fold the pastries in half diagonally, to create triangular turnovers. Press the edges with a fork to seal. (It’s very important to not put too much jam filling inside, or else the jam will ooze out of the pastries. This will make it difficult to close completely and correctly. I used leftover dough to help seal pastries that had openings.)

Place the turnovers on a baking pan, preferably one lined with a non-stick mat. (Use a pan that has edges, so the butter doesn’t drip off while cooking).

For a pretty glittery top crust, brush turnovers with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sugar just before baking. Or sift confectioners’ sugar over baked turnovers just before serving.

Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes, or until they are a deep, golden brown. Some of the filling may ooze out.

Remove the turnovers from the oven, and cool on a rack. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Recipe originally found on King Arthur Flour.

Chris requested raspberry pastries for breakfast, and instead of buying some from our grocery store, I decided I wanted to make them from scratch. I’ve never made a turnover before, so this recipe was a little time consuming for me, at first. It’s very important to not put too much jam filling inside, or else the jam will ooze out of the pastries. This will make it difficult to close completely and correctly. I used leftover dough to help seal pastries that had openings. Also, there will be leftover jam. Bottle it up and use in the future on a bagel or English Muffin.

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Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

24-30 cookies

Ingredients

1 vanilla cake mix
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups Oreo cookie chunks
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the cake mix, butter, egg, vanilla and cream cheese. Mix until a soft dough forms. (I used my Kitchen Aid for this).

Stir in the cookie chunks and chocolate chips by hand using a spatula.

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to an hour. Roll the dough into 24-30 even balls.

Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Do not over bake! The cookies will seem under done, but will continue to cook as they cool.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Tap the tops of the cookies with a flat spatula to even them out.

Move the cookies to a wire rack or a piece of parchment paper on the counter to cool completely. Store in a sealed container once they are completely cooled.

Recipe originally found on Inside Brush Crew Life.

I first made these cookies when I was making cookie platters for my neighbors for the holidays. It was a new recipe, at the time, and these cookies were definitely everyone’s favorite! Be careful not to over bake them. Due to the color of the dough, it will seem like they are underdone at 10 minutes, but they aren’t! As they cool, they will start to harden.

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Shakshuka

2-3 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 handful spinach, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (14 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 eggs
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, diced
1/4 cup green onions, diced
Optional: sliced avocado, sliced jalapeno

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 10 inch cast iron skillet to medium high heat, add vegetable oil.

Next, add onion to the pan. Cook gently until soft about 3 minutes. then add garlic, poblano pepper, red pepper, and yellow pepper. Cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes.

Then add in the smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Then add the cans of diced tomatoes and quartered grape tomatoes. Mix. Add spinach. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Create six openings in the sauce to make space for the eggs.

One at a time, crack each egg into a bowl and pour each egg into open spots in the skillet. Don’t crack directly into pan or there’s a possibility of shell pieces to break into the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Immediately add the skillet to oven (uncovered) and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. The goal is to have the egg whites cooked, but the yokes to be runny when cut through. Remove from oven.Sprinkle with cilantro, quest fresco and green onion. Serve with sliced baguette bread.

Optional: garnish with sliced avocado, lime wedges, and sliced jalapeños.

I made this dish with inspiration from recipes originally found on The Almond Eater, Sims Home Kitchen, and JoyfulHealthyEats.

I was first introduced to this vegetarian Mediterranean meal when I was in Israel. It can be served for either breakfast or dinner. It’s surprisingly filling, so choose either 2 or 3 eggs per person depending on how hungry you are. Serve with toasted bread for an added layer of texture.

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Cornbread Muffins

12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk (I used 1% milk)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Optional: butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Stir well.

Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. This recipe will make 12 muffins.

Pour mixture into prepared pan muffin tins.

Bake about 10 minutes or until beginning to brown.

Allow to cool, and then cut. Serve with butter.

Recipe originally found on Eating on a Dime.

Growing up, my mom would often surprise my siblings and me with muffins from our local grocery store, Publix. When I woke up this morning, I had a strong desire to make some cornbread muffins for my husband as a special treat. These muffins were delicious and brought back some good memories.