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Easy Recipes for your BIG Game Day Party!

February 1, 2016 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GameDayGlory #CollectiveBias

In case you live under a rock and didn’t know, I have some news to share.

The BIG GAME is coming up!! I’m not just talking any old game day… this is the big one. It’s touted as SUPER!! *wink*wink*

I know, I have so many game day recipes I’ve shared already. I can’t help it, this season is like holiday season for our family. My boys are into all the logistics and know everyone’s scoring record and when they were drafted and who’s getting traded and who’s injured and who’s doing well this season. While I enjoy all of that too, I’m also here for the food. Duh!

Okay, I also love to entertain and feed other people too. It’s sort of what I do. While my boys do like to go to the games once in a while, sometimes it’s just so much more fun to kick back at home and relax on your comfy couch to watch it all at your own leisure. Bonus, if you have people over there’s plenty of folks to help clean up, and you might even get out of doing the dishes altogether if you’ve picked your friends correctly!

So today we shall discuss some super easy recipes to serve at your SUPER BIG Game Day Party!

We have drinks – aka Pepsi™ Ice Cream Floats.
We have snacks – aka Skittles® Sugar Cookie Sticks in Fruity Yogurt Parfaits.
We have chips & dip – aka Buffalo Chicken Dip served with TOSTITOS® chips and salsa on the side.
AND we even have dessert – aka Mini SNICKERS® Pies.

I even added some bowls for popcorn and a gorgeous fruit platter for the pickiest of snackers. There’s something for everyone!

I made the decor simple. Dark green (wipe-able and reusable) tablecloth. Simple ceramic white plates, trays and serving dishes. Cute paper plates in different sizes that go with a game day theme. I chose large black and white striped paper party plates, and smaller green and white paper party plates with some large gray napkins. Most of the foods are finger foods, so we didn’t have too much of a need for utensils aside from the parfaits. I added a cute cup full of spoons next to those. I also added fun paper straws and green and white or black and white patterns for a fun way to mix it up, in addition to two glass sizes for the fun Pepsi™ Ice Cream floats. I chose larger football shaped glasses, and smaller glass tumblers with gold dots on them that matches the gold confetti and the gold and white tassel garland hung behind the food station.

Now, for the food. Oh, the glorious food. I made a buffalo chicken dip for New Year’s Eve and while it was good it didn’t quite taste how I anticipated that it would. So I kept playing around with the recipe until I got something I absolutely love. This dip is so easy, and ohhhh so good. You can easily double (or triple) the recipe for a larger crowd.

I served the dip with TOSTITOS® chips, and I also kept some TOSTITOS® salsa on the side as well as one of their cheesy dips. I also made some fun little fruity yogurt parfaits that I served with vanilla and strawberry banana yogurt, strawberries and raspberries, and topped them off with some fun little cookie sticks that have ends dipped in white candy melts, then sprinkled with crushed Skittles®. Just for fun I used the rest of my Skittles® XL bag to fill up a tall vase that I could keep on the table, just in case anyone felt like grabbing a handful here and there.

Fun floats with vanilla bean ice cream, Pepsi™, whipped cream and a cherry are the way I choose to wash down all of this yummy food. I really can’t think of a better way! Last, but not least, we have mini SNICKERS® pies! This is the perfect occasion for miniature decadence. I used refrigerated pie crusts and cut them in a cute shape with a cookie cutter. Sprinkled the crust with some cinnamon sugar and baked it, then created a peanut butter mousse sprinkled with chopped SNICKERS® Minis and nuts. Filled the mini pies with the mousse, then topped with some more chopped up SNICKERS® Minis and drizzled with caramel and chocolate. YUM. I couldn’t stop at just pies, I had to serve some SNICKERS® Minis too, so I chose a unique display vase and kept them near the pies.

The thing with making a good food corner is having everything you might need to serve all in one place. There’s snacks, desserts, drinks and finger foods here, but there’s always room for some more. I have recipes for so many flavors of wings, you could always start there!

For an even more elaborate food table that is sure to have all you might need to party, you can also create your own snack stadium! Check out some of the amazing ones below for some inspiration, being sure to VOTE for your favorite for a chance to win the prizes listed below. You’ll also be eligible to WIN by uploading a photo your own special snack stadium to Instagram and using the hashtag #GameDayGlorySweepstakes! Best of luck to you!

Game Day Glory Sweepstakes

Mini SNICKERS® Pie Ingredients:

2 refrigerated pie crusts
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4.5 oz peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons nut topping (usually packaged for sundaes)
7 SNICKERS® Minis, divided
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out each pie crust and using a flower shaped cookie cutter, cut the crust into a dozen mini shells. This will use up most of your two shells.

Spray your muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, then carefully center each mini shell in the pan. Carefully prick the bottom of each shell with a fork, then brush with beaten egg white. Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar and pop them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.

The shells should be golden and crispy, remove them from the pan and place on a cooling rack while you prepare the peanut butter mousse.

Add the softened cream cheese to a mixer and beat on a medium/low speed. Slowly add the sugar, then the peanut butter. Add extract, then the whipping cream. Beat for a few minutes till mixture seems to thicken a bit, then fold in the nuts and chopped SNICKERS®.

Carefully spoon the mousse into the shells, place on a platter and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before preparing to serve.

Once chilled, the filling should be more firm. Sprinkle with chopped up SNICKERS® then drizzle with caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip:

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1.5 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (either bottled or homemade)
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing (either bottled or homemade)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
1 celery, chopped
2 tablespoons drained diced pimentos
fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Begin by preheating the oven to 350. In a square casserole dish, spread the softened cream cheese along the bottom. Add the shredded chicken and wing sauce to a separate bowl, mix until well combined. Carefully spread the chicken coated with sauce over the cream cheese.

Top the chicken with the blue cheese dressing, spreading out to the corners.

Then combine the cheeses with the celery and pimentos. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the dip, then sprinkle a bit more wing sauce over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Allow to cool, then add a bit of parsley for garnish.

Serve with TOSTITOS® chips and Enjoy!

Skittles® Sugar Cookie Sticks in Fruity Yogurt Parfaits

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white candy melts, melted
1/4 cup Skittles®, crushed
1 container vanilla yogurt
1 container strawberry banana yogurt
Strawberries
Raspberries

Directions:

Begin by preheating your oven to 350. Break up cookie dough into tiny pieces over a large mixing bowl. Add the flour. Mix the flour in with the dough well, then knead into a ball. Roll it out into a rectangle near the size of a standard cookie sheet. Cut dough into sticks and do not separate. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, just until edges turn golden. Cut back through the already cut edges and separate. Place sticks on a cooling rack.

While cookie sticks are cooling melt the white candy melts and assemble the mini parfaits. I used small clear plastic cups and filled them with about 3 tablespoons of yogurt, topped with sliced strawberries and raspberries, then topped with another 2-3 tablespoons of the other flavor of yogurt. Once cookies have cooled, dip the ends into the white melts, then sprinkle with crushed Skittles®.

Allow to dry on parchment paper, about 30 minutes.

Once dry and cooled, pop them in the tops of the fruity parfaits and serve with some spoons nearby. Enjoy!

Pepsi™ Ice Cream Floats

vanilla bean ice cream
Pepsi™
whipped cream
maraschino cherries

Directions:

For the shorter glasses use 1-2 scoops of ice cream then fill up the rest of the glass with Pepsi™. Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

For the larger glass use 3-4 scoops of ice cream, fill right on up with the Pepsi™, add whipped cream and finish it off with a cherry and a cute straw.

Easy Recipes for your BIG Game Day Party!

Want to host a game day party and don't know where to start? I've got you covered with plenty of food ideas!

Ingredients

Ingredients for SNICKERS® Mini Pies:

2 refrigerated pie crusts
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4.5 oz peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons nut topping (usually packaged for sundaes)
7 SNICKERS® Minis, divided
chocolate syrup
caramel syrup

Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Dip:

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1.5 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (either bottled or homemade)
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing (either bottled or homemade)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
1 celery, chopped
2 tablespoons drained diced pimentos
fresh parsley, chopped

Ingredients for Skittles® Sugar Cookie Sticks in Fruity Yogurt Parfaits:

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white candy melts, melted
1/4 cup Skittles®
1 container vanilla yogurt
1 container strawberry banana yogurt
Strawberries
Raspberries

Ingredients for Pepsi™ Ice Cream Floats:

vanilla bean ice cream
Pepsi™
whipped cream
maraschino cherries

Instructions

Directions for the SNICKERS® Mini Pies:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out each pie crust and using a flower shaped cookie cutter, cut the crust into a dozen mini shells. This will use up most of your two shells.
Spray your muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, then carefully center each mini shell in the pan. Carefully prick the bottom of each shell with a fork, then brush with beaten egg white. Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar and pop them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.
The shells should be golden and crispy, remove them from the pan and place on a cooling rack while you prepare the peanut butter mousse.
Add the softened cream cheese to a mixer and beat on a medium/low speed. Slowly add the sugar, then the peanut butter. Add extract, then the whipping cream. Beat for a few minutes till mixture seems to thicken a bit, then fold in the nuts and chopped SNICKERS®.
Carefully spoon the mousse into the shells, place on a platter and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before preparing to serve.
Once chilled, the filling should be more firm. Sprinkle with chopped up SNICKERS® then drizzle with caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Enjoy!

Directions for Buffalo Chicken Dip:

Begin by preheating the oven to 350. In a square casserole dish, spread the softened cream cheese along the bottom.
Add the shredded chicken and wing sauce to a separate bowl, mix until well combined.
Carefully spread the chicken coated with sauce over the cream cheese.
Top the chicken with the blue cheese dressing, spreading out to the corners.
Then combine the cheeses with the celery and pimentos. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the dip, then sprinkle a bit more wing sauce over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
Allow to cool, then add a bit of parsley for garnish.
Serve with TOSTITOS® chips and Enjoy!

Directions for Skittles® Sugar Cookie Sticks in Fruity Yogurt Parfaits:

Begin by preheating your oven to 350. Break up cookie dough into tiny pieces over a large mixing bowl.
Add the flour. Mix the flour in with the dough well, then knead into a ball. Roll it out into a rectangle near the size of a standard cookie sheet.
Cut dough into sticks and do not separate. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, just until edges turn golden. Cut back through the already cut edges and separate.
Place sticks on a cooling rack.
While cookie sticks are cooling melt the white candy melts and assemble the mini parfaits. I used small clear plastic cups and filled them with about 3 tablespoons of yogurt, topped with sliced strawberries and raspberries, then topped with another 2-3 tablespoons of the other flavor of yogurt.
Once cookies have cooled, dip the ends into the white melts, then sprinkle with crushed Skittles®.
Allow to dry on parchment paper, about 30 minutes.
Once dry and cooled, pop them in the tops of the fruity parfaits and serve with some spoons nearby. Enjoy!

Directions for Pepsi™ Ice Cream Floats:

For the shorter glasses use 1-2 scoops of ice cream then fill up the rest of the glass with Pepsi™. Top with whipped cream and a cherry.
For the larger glass use 3-4 scoops of ice cream, fill right on up with the Pepsi™, add whipped cream and finish it off with a cherry and a cute straw.

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/02/easy-recipes-for-your-big-game-day-party/

Do you host a game day party?

Check out all the Game Day Glory for more snack stadiums and recipe ideas then head on over to Walmart for all your Game Day shopping and supplies! Look for end caps with official game day products.

Mini Pear Apple Pie

October 6, 2015 by MamaHarris 107 Comments

Well the first day of fall has come and gone so I’m ready to announce the official start of baking season. That’s right: it’s all about cookies, cakes, and we must not forget the pies! I must say, I love a good pie, with a nice flaky crust; and I thought I’d celebrate the kick off to the fall season with some decidedly seasonal fruits that just scream AUTUMN to me. That’s right, pears and apples. I just love these two flavors together, when the pears are just slightly sweeter than the apple, yet not quite as crisp. With a bit of a milder flavor, then combined with the crisp tartness of a beautiful green granny smith apple. It’s a flavor combo I will never tire of, and I decided to switch things up a bit by making a few tweaks to this recipe by making it low calorie. I get a lot of emails asking for healthier desserts; low calorie, reduced sugar but still full of richness and flavor.

I know I had a tough task in front of me with this one, because pies are technically flour, butter, sugar, maybe some fruit or cream and possibly even some shortening. That’s not exactly a low calorie type of indulgence, but I did some homework and found Born Sweet® Zing™ Baking Blend – a combination of stevia leaf extract and cane sugar made with only real ingredients – nothing artificial – that bakes and browns just like sugar, with only 5 calories per serving. Sounds great, right? It’s an easy supplement; just replace the sugar ingredient for half as much of this sweetener. So if a recipe calls for two tablespoons of sugar, you just need one tablespoon of Zing™ Baking Blend. Depending on the ingredients or type of dessert you are baking, sometimes you may need to make minor adjustments to compensate for the difference, but you can find some great baking tips on the ZingStevia.com website!

I love that it comes in this 20 oz. Easy-Pour canister, which makes it so simple to measure out the amount I need and then snap the lid closed for easy storage and no fuss. What’s even better is that one 20 oz. container sweetens just like 2.5 lbs. of sugar! There’s only 5 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. I knew I was up for a task with pies, but I just couldn’t contain my excitement for the season. I love baking season, I love challenges, I love making people smile. With the low calorie mini pear apple pies I could accomplish all of this. Yay!

Most apple pies call for a mixture of brown and white sugar. I just used the Zing™ Baking Blend along with typical spices and it came out amazing. I loved the flavor and texture of the filling, and it didn’t even have the low calorie taste that some desserts have when you start replacing ingredients. To help keep this a low calorie dessert, I decided to make mini pear apple pie in small ramekins, using a crust only on the top in a rustic lattice pattern. Instead of butter or shortening (or a combination of the two) I discovered a way to make the crust using coconut oil. Since we just need a few strips to cover each ramekin it helped cut down calories and fat, but the texture of the crust is so flaky and tasty you would never know. They end up only being 111 calories per serving, so you even have a little wiggle room to add a small dollop of homemade whipped cream or vanilla frozen yogurt on top!

Since they are mini pies, the baking time is cut down significantly as well. Your kitchen, however, will smell amazing and these little treats will satisfy any sweet craving for sure!

Filling Ingredients for Mini Pear Apple Pie:

1 red pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1.5 tablespoon Zing™ Baking Blend
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Ingredients for Crust:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
dash of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid, not melted)
3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

Begin by adding diced pears and apples to a medium bowl. Add Zing™ Baking Blend, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg to the bowl.

Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

In a separate mixing bowl add flour and salt together. Spoon in the coconut oil, and combine with a pastry blender. Carefully add water one tablespoon at a time, continuing to use the pastry blender until dough becomes just wet enough to come together. Form into a ball, then place on a floured surface.

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about the size of a 5-6 inch round. Cut into strips using a pastry cutter.

Place four ramekins on a small cookie sheet, and lightly spray the insides of the ramekins with non stick baking spray. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture into each ramekin.

Carefully place the pie crust strips on top of the fruit mixture, forming a weave pattern. Lightly sprinkle with Zing Baking Blend and place in lowest position in oven. Bake at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 22 minutes, until golden.

Allow to cool, then serve while still warm.

Serve with some whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream. Both are optional as this pie is pretty tasty on its own!

All you need is a dollop.

Enjoy!

Mini Pear Apple Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 mini pear apple pie

Calories per serving: 111

Fat per serving: 3.2 grams

Mini Pear Apple Pie

Mini pear apple pie made with Zing Baking Blend for a low calorie treat!

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients for Mini Pear Apple Pie:

1 red pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1.5 tablespoon ZING baking blend
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Ingredients for Crust:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
dash of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid, not melted)
3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Begin by adding diced pears and apples to a medium bowl. Add Zing baking blend, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg to the bowl.
Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
In a separate mixing bowl add flour and salt together. Spoon in the coconut oil, and combine with a pastry blender. Carefully add water one tablespoon at a time, continuing to use the pastry blender until dough becomes just wet enough to come together. Form into a ball, then place on a floured surface.
With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about the size of a 5-6 inch round. Cut into strips using a pastry cutter.
Place four ramekins on a small cookie sheet, and lightly spray the insides of the ramekins with non stick baking spray. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture into each ramekin.
Carefully place the pie crust strips on top of the fruit mixture, forming a weave pattern. Lightly sprinkle with Zing Baking Blend and place in lowest position in oven. Bake at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 22 minutes, until golden.
Allow to cool, then serve while still warm.
Serve with some whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream. Both are optional as this pie is pretty tasty on its own!
All you need is a dallop.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/10/mini-pear-apple-pie/

Do you have a favorite low calorie dessert?

Dish with me in the comments and you will be entered to win a $100 Walmart gift card!

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Strawberry Bourbon Jam filled Mini Hand Pies

May 31, 2015 by MamaHarris 2 Comments

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Driscoll’s and Four Roses Bourbon. As always, all opinions are mine alone.

It’s now summertime in the Harris household!

I know that across the country this time may arrive in different times, but today I’m preparing myself for the upcoming months of hanging out with the kids. This past year brought a lot of changes, including a kindergartner and a preschooler, whereas in years past those two were home with me while the older kids were at school. Since everyone will be home, I’m looking forward to some fun memories being made.

Speaking of fun, we’ve been practicing for summer these last few weeks by grilling outside every chance we get and inviting friends over for some fun. Which makes sense, because May is National Barbecue Month! I feel like May is a month for everything, I mean it’s my birthday month as well as Mr. Harris’, plus it’s the month Mother’s Day is celebrated and Memorial Day is honored. In addition it’s National Strawberry Month and National Barbecue Month??!! Talk about a perfect month for entertaining! It’s sort of the time of year where we begin to enjoy the sunshine a bit more before the super hot summer weather sets in, but (usually) we say goodbye to the rain of Spring during May as well.

Basically, it’s the best month of the year, right?

I think of May as the beginning of grilling season. It’s that month where we gravitate to the backyard, the pool parties and the local parks. There’s just so much fun to be had, and such nice weather to enjoy with good food and good friends, am I right?

My husband loves to grill, and I usually take care of the sides. We typically like to enjoy a potato salad, pasta salad, or even a colorful taco salad. I’ll have snacks handy too, but I often get stumped on desserts. What type of sweets does one bring to a barbecue? Sometimes this can get tricky, because usually food is served outside and can be sitting out for a few hours during this time, so something like cake, ice cream or pudding might not be the best option. Even something as simple as cookies might need a second thought if they contain chocolate chips that might melt. This was my dilemma during Memorial Day weekend when we had family and friends over throughout the weekend and did most of our eating and entertaining outdoors. But I came up with a delicious solution!

I received this beautiful bottle of bourbon from Four Roses Bourbon and thought it would pair so well with some Driscoll’s strawberries in a jam. So why not make adorable little mini hand pies with some premade pie crust for a super easy dessert that’s perfect for outdoor entertaining?

The pies are delicious, and can be served cold or warm. The bourbon has a sweet and rich flavor that matched so well with the sweet strawberries and the tart lemon I added. With a bit of vanilla added to the mixture, this jam smells so heavenly and tastes amazing. I may have found a new hobby making my own jam, and will be looking into some canning jars, because seriously.. this stuff is amazing.
I folded the jam into premade pie crusts cut super tiny with a round cookie cutter, then folded them in half and sealed them. Just a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a quick bake and these babies were ready to be served. Such a light, delicious and sweet treat that’s perfect to welcome summer!

Strawberry Bourbon Jam Ingredients:

16 ounce package of Driscoll’s Strawberries, washed and hulled, then cut into quarters
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons Four Roses Bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice of one small lemon
zest from one small lemon

Mini Hand Pie Ingredients:

one package refrigerated pie crust (using both pie rounds)
strawberry bourbon jam
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar

Directions:

Begin by adding all of the ingredients for the jam into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir the ingredients together until they’re well incorporated, then let it all come to a boil while stirring occasionally. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down just a bit and leave it at a low boil. Continue to stir occasionally until the amount of liquid reduces and the strawberries begin to liquify. Once the mixture has thickened substantially and has a jelly or jam feel to it, remove from heat. This entire process will take about 30 minutes or so. Let cool and either store in an airtight container until ready to use, or let it cool completely before you begin to assemble the mini hand pies.

Lay out each pie crust on a floured surface, and cut out small circles with a round cookie cutter. This will make 9-10 rounds per pie crust, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, then open up your jam and get ready to assemble these adorable little hand pies. (I stored mine overnight in a little leftover Gelato jar!)

Spoon about 1/2 a teaspoon in each little round, maybe more if your cookie cutter was a bit larger than mine. (I ended up scooping just a bit of this back after I took this photo because it was too much!)

Once filled with the jam, take one half of the circle and pinch it together with the other half. Seal with a tiny bit of water and pinch together with a fork on the ends on each side. Lightly brush both sides with melted butter, then sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar. Place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until golden.

The pie shell should be flaky and golden, and a few of the mini pies may have jam leaking out, which is perfectly fine!

Once the pies are cool, you can package them up or put them out to serve. They are great warm or cold, just like a real pie!

The jam is so amazingly good, we had a little leftover and made some biscuits that we slathered it onto! If you’re not feeling like pie, at least try the jam! It’s sweet, tart with such a delicious smell. The Four Roses Bourbon was such a compliment to the strawberry flavor and the vanilla really brought out the sweet notes in the whiskey. The addition of lemon juice and lemon zest complimented the ripe berries so well!

And they were just so cute, I had to swat little hands away just to get these photos!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Bourbon Jam filled Mini Hand Pies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 42 minutes

Total Time: 57 minutes

Yield: makes 18-20 mini hand pies

Serving Size: 1-2 mini hand pies

Strawberry Bourbon Jam filled Mini Hand Pies

Welcome barbecue season with the cute mini hand pies filled with strawberry bourbon jam. They're the perfect treat for outdoor entertaining.

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Strawberry Bourbon Jam:

16 ounce package of Driscoll's Strawberries, washed and hulled, then cut into quarters
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons Four Roses Bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice of one small lemon
zest from one small lemon

Ingredients for the Mini Hand Pie:

one package refrigerated pie crust (using both pie rounds)
strawberry bourbon jam
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar

Instructions

Begin by adding all of the ingredients for the jam into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Stir the ingredients together until they're well incorporated, then let it all come to a boil while stirring occasionally.
Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down just a bit and leave it at a low boil.
Continue to stir occasionally until the amount of liquid reduces and the strawberries begin to liquify.
Once the mixture has thickened substantially and has a jelly or jam feel to it, remove from heat.
This entire process will take about 30 minutes or so.
Let cool and either store in an airtight container until ready to use, or let it cool completely before you begin to assemble the mini hand pies.
Lay out each pie crust on a floured surface, and cut out small circles with a round cookie cutter.
This will make 9-10 rounds per pie crust, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, then open up your jam and get ready to assemble these adorable little hand pies.
Spoon about 1/2 a teaspoon in each little round, maybe more if your cookie cutter was a bit larger than mine.
Once filled with the jam, take one half of the circle and pinch it together with the other half.
Seal with a tiny bit of water and pinch together with a fork on the ends on each side.
Lightly brush both sides with melted butter, then sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar.
Place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until golden.
The pie shell should be flaky and golden, and a few of the mini pies may have jam leaking out, which is perfectly fine!
Once the pies are cool, you can package them up or put them out to serve. They are great warm or cold, just like a real pie!
Enjoy!

Notes

*prep and cook time does not count cooling time and/or thawing time

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2015/05/strawberry-bourbon-jam-filled-mini-hand-pies/

What are some of your favorite desserts for summertime entertaining?

Summertime Fruit Mascarpone Tart

September 9, 2013 by MamaHarris 3 Comments

A special thank you to Vermont Creamery for supplying these products for this Mascarpone Tart. As always, all thoughts are my own.

A few weeks ago I made this delicious summery tart. It was similar in taste and texture to a light and airy cheesecake with fresh fruit topping, but without the heavy cream cheese texture. In other words it was delicious!

Do you remember a while back I shared with you the delicious goodies I received from Vermont Creamery? There were so many amazing items in that package that I’ve been creating with, but one item in particular was intriguing to me. It was the Mascarpone, which is an Italian style cream cheese. It sounded decadent and delicious so I just had to create a dessert with it. I used items I had one hand and created this tart using a variety of summer fruits. I remember seeing a beautiful tart somewhere made of green kiwi and ripe blueberries. I thought the contrasting colors were just beautiful, and I decided to add in some strawberries as well. As rich as this recipe sounds, it was surprisingly light and subtle. It’s a perfect treat to enjoy as summer comes to a close, and the Mascarpone adds just the right touch of light creaminess. Perfection.

Vermont Creamery Mascarpone
and Lightly Salted European Cultured Butter

Tart Crust Ingredients:

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
8 tablespoons cold European Cultured Butter – lightly salted

Filling Ingredients:

8 ounces Mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons hot water
1 kiwi, sliced
4 large strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup blueberries

Directions:

First whisk the egg yolks, cream and vanilla together. Set aside.

Using a food processor, briefly process the flour, sugar and salt.

Scatter the butter and process until it’s well mixed, it should look like a coarse meal.

Now add the egg mixture slowly while processing, just until the mixture all comes together in a ball.

Turn onto a plastic wrap and press into a six inch disk. Wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove dough and roll out between two lightly floured pieces of parchment paper.

Once rolled smoothly, it should be large enough to fit into tart pan, removing excess pieces for the ends.

Be sure to press into the ridges of the tart pan, adding extra pieces to fill in ridges if necessary.

Prick bottom and sides with a fork.

Add pie weights or dried beans to uncooked crust, on top of parchment paper, and bake 30 minutes.

Remove weights, bake additional 8 minutes or until crust is golden.

Once crust is done and cooling, combine mascarpone, whipping cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.

Mix on medium speed until mixture begins to thicken just a bit. Add filling to tart crust and spread to edges.

Mix preserves and water to create a thin gel, and brush onto top of filling.

Top with fruit, you can do an elaborate design or scatter randomly.

Brush the top of the fruit with it with the preserves gel mixture.

Refrigerate about an hour to set before serving.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie made with Pillsbury Pie Crusts

March 19, 2013 by MamaHarris 33 Comments

As a child I grew up eating those cute little frozen pot pies. I learned at a young age how to poke holes in the top and heat them up. To be honest, it’s still a comforting meal to me, and sometimes I’ll find them on special at the grocery store for $.75 each and buy a few.

I like to recreate some of my favorite boxed or frozen meals that I enjoyed growing up, and make them homemade without all that nasty sodium and preservatives. A few months ago (before our move) I posted a status update on my facebook that I was making a chicken pot pie using Pillsbury Pie Crusts. I asked if anyone would like the recipe and some interest was shown so I had planned to share it with you during our move. Unfortunately over the course of that move I misplaced my folder that I write all my recipes down in that I’m making and testing. Thankfully I found it, (in my son’s dresser drawer – what’s that about!!??) so now I can share this delicious recipe (adapted from this one) with you! Maybe it will bring about fond and comforting memories for you as well!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, sliced
10 baby carrots, sliced
2 medium yukon potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1-3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (such as Old Bay)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen peas
2-1/2 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 box refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury), brought to room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Begin by sauteing your onion with the butter in a medium saucepan.

Add the garlic and celery, heat until just softened.

In a separate pot, bring water to boiling. Add carrot slices, then potatoes. Heat until just tender.

Stir in flour and whisk quickly until well blended.

Slowly add chicken broth, whisking immediately.
Add seasonings and continue to mix.

Add milk, and whisk often keeping pot over medium heat until thick.

Once sauce has fairly thickened, add carrots and potatoes, frozen peas, then the shredded chicken.
Mix to combine.

Roll the first refrigerated pie crust into a pie dish, cutting any excess crust off the edge.
Fill the crust with the warm pot pie mixture.

Cover with the second pie crust. Center the crust over the bottom one, then flute the edges.

Cut a few slits in the center of the crust so steam can escape while it cooks, and bake for about 50 minutes. During the last 15-20 minutes, cover the edges of the crust with foil or pie crust savers.

Once done, the crust will be a beautiful golden color and the crust will have puffed up a bit and have a wonderful flaky texture. I typically allow the pie to cool for quite a few hours, or even refrigerate overnight. That way the filling has a chance to set and won’t make a mess when you cut into it!

Here’s an example of a nice clean cut slice of chicken pot pie.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts are my own.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pop Tarts

January 5, 2013 by MamaHarris 14 Comments

My 3 year old D-Man is obsessed with Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. When I say obsessed, I am absolutely not kidding. He has to have one a day. No, I have to limit him to just one a day. Some days I’m able to sidetrack him, and then 4:00 PM comes around, and he asks, “Wait, did I have a peanut butter and jelly today?” We try to trick him and tell him yes, but he says, “No, I didn’t have one. I don’t feel it in my belly.” Haha. When I said that he runs this house, some of you may have thought I was kidding, but I wasn’t.

It’s even to the point where we are absolutely sick and tired of making him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich Every. Single. Day. We’ve talked about getting those Smucker’s Uncrustables just so we don’t have to make him these things. But for some reason whenever I’m at the grocery store, I forget to look for them. Oh, but I never forget to buy the jelly (really it’s jam or preserves) or the bread. Or the peanut butter. I still haven’t figured out exactly which part he’s most obsessed with, but my guess is peanut butter since he sneaks the jar and a spoon into a corner a few times a day.

You probably think I don’t feed him, but I do. He eats very well, and he loves all my crazy recipes. He’ll eat the spicy stuff, the sweet stuff, even the sour stuff. His other favorite is my Peanut Butter Cookies. Once I made him some Peanut Butter cupcakes with cream cheese jam frosting. It tasted just like a sandwich and he couldn’t eat them up fast enough. Maybe I’ll post that recipe for you guys sometime.

Anyway, today I was trying to figure out what to share with you guys. I mean, it’s not like I have a shortage of posts, I have plenty to share, but I wanted something different. I was trying to figure out something quick and fun. I had bought some of those premade refrigerated pie crusts in a box. You unroll them and you can use them for 1-2 pies. I bought them a few months ago and threw them in the freezer, and for New Year’s Eve I was considering using them for quiche or a pot pie or something, so I defrosted them and forgot about them. So this morning, there they were sitting in my fridge, and D-Man was asking for a sandwich again. That’s when it hit me! PB&J Pop Tarts! At first I considered combining the two flavors in the pastry, but then I decided to just keep the jelly (jam) inside the pastry and come up with a peanut butter icing and sprinkles. They were good! And surprisingly light, the icing was really good as well, it’d be good with a chocolate filling too so it’d resemble a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup. Yum.

D-Man was a happy camper, although he is now asking for a sandwich.
Can you guess what kind?
PRINT THIS RECIPE

Pop Tart Ingredients:

One package refrigerated pie crust
About 3 tablespoons Fruit Preserves or Jam

Icing Ingredients:

2-1/2 tablespoons water
1-1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Unroll the pie crust on a smooth surface, then cut into little rectangles.
Out of 2 pie crusts I was able to make a total of 8 pop tarts, but the sizes varied greatly!

Drop about a teaspoon of fruit filling in the middle of one rectangle.

Place the other rectangular piece on top and press the sides together.
Make sure to seal them, as some of mine weren’t sealed all the way and some jam escaped during baking.
Use a fork to pinch the sides together once they’re sealed.

Once they’re all assembled place them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Can you guess which ones leaked? Haha!
Place in the oven and set your timer for about 12 minutes.

While the pastries are baking, prepare your icing.
Add all the ingredients to a bowl, and stir together until smooth.

There’s D-Man, he said he was making a recipe.
He used the scrap pieces of pie crust and was having fun while I mixed the icing.
He’s so fun!

Icing is ready.
This would be great on chocolate cake or cupcakes, you’d have to thicken it up though, so use way less liquid than this recipe called for.
Yum.

Do you know I don’t have any wire racks? I remove my cookies or pastries from their cookie sheet and place on another cookie sheet to cool. I think we know what I’m buying next!
Anyway, let the pastries cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a serving platter, wire racks, a cool cookie sheet. Then start icing, you want to add the icing while the pastries are still semi-warm.
As they cool the icing will harden.

Add your sprinkles while the icing is still wet so they stick!

Enjoy!

D-Man approved!! Score!

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts are my own.