Java Cinnamon Apple French Toast Casserole

When I visit friends, I love to cook for them. I like to combine ingredients that I know they like into something I hope they love. I recently flew down to Tampa, FL to visit my dear friend, Andria. Before she woke up and after I took her sweet pooch on a morning walk, I tried to surprise her with French toast. Unfortunately, she woke up before they were done. Thankfully so though because she was out of eggs and I had no car to sneak away for a few minutes to grab some.

After discovering the surprise, Andria drove to the store to buy a dozen eggs while I finished prepping everything else for this dish. I even added the secret iced coffee to the liquid mix for this to add a hint of the espresso refresher.

Now my dad always tells me I make everything too complicated and fancy. While I do love me some good ole fashioned classic French toast, I wanted to make this special (and sneak some nutrients in there with the apple) for my friend. She had been through a rough week, and I wanted this treat to brighten her day!

Ingredients:

1. 6 thick slices of bread, preferably good quality sourdough
2. 2 eggs
3. 1 apple, diced
4. 1 c milk
5. 1/2 c iced coffee
6. 2 T butter, melted
7. 1 T cinnamon, additional for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. Spray an 8×11″ baking dish with nonstick spray
3. Skin and dice apple
4. Lay bread evenly across the bottom of baking dish (tearing the bread to make the layers even if needed)
5. Spread half of the diced apples across the first layer
6. Repeat another layer of bread
7. Spread the remaining half of the apples across the top layer
8. Mix together the eggs, milk, coffee, butter, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl
9. Pour mixture over the layers of bread and apples
10. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, until most of the liquid is cooked out of the bottom
11. Remove from oven, let cool, and cut into pieces
12. Enjoy with a cup of coffee!

   

Breakfast Quinoa Bake

Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Bake Topped off with Banana and Maple Syrup

This is a great make-ahead or impromptu breakfast whose recipe can be doubled or tripled to make breakfast a true family feast. Since I do not live with my family, I made a two-serving portion of this. This is a recipe that will not fail by being multiplied or divided, so don’t fret about that.

What I love about this breakfast is that you’re getting protein from quinoa and eggs to keep you full throughout the morning, nutrients from the fruit that are vital to our health, and the sweetness from the true maple syrup that makes children beg for more. You could even serve it as a healthy dessert!

Ingredients: Makes two servings

1. 1 1/2 c uncooked quinoa
2. 2 apples, diced
3. 2 eggs, beat
4. 1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
5. 1 banana, sliced
6. 1/4 c maple syrup
7. 1/3 c sliced almonds or crushed pecans
8. 2 t cinnamon

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease 9×9 baking dish or opt to use a dutch oven
3. Peel and dice apple
4. Combine quinoa, spices, beat eggs, and milk in baking dish
5. Mix in diced apple pieces evenly
6. Spread nuts on top evenly
7. Drizzle half of the maple syrup over mixture, saving the other half for later
8. Bake for approximately one hour or until the bake starts to form 
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes
10. Cut slices and place in bowl or plate
11. Slice banana into even coin-shaped pieces
12. Add banana slices to top
13. Drizzle rest of maple syrup over the quinoa bake
14. Enoy!

Paleo Pancakes Stuffed with Berry Compote and Greek Yogurt

LOVE LOVE LOVE these paleo (might I add healthy) pancakes! No flour. No added sugar. Just banana, egg, and protein powder to keep you fuller longer. The berry compote is just frozen berries mixed in a skillet. So easy! And so yummy! Use this recipe to surprise your hubby with breakfast in bed, and you’ll be praised all day!

Ingredients: Makes one serving

1. 1 whole peeled banana
2. 1 egg
3. 1/2 scoop protein powder (optional)
4. 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
5. 1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt 
6. 1 t cinnamon
7. 1 t vanilla extract
8. Olive oil for cooking pan

Instructions: 

1. Add banana, egg, protein powder, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer and turn on medium speed until all of the lumps from the banana are mashed
2. Add olive oil to skillet
3. Pour batter into pan
4. Cook until one side looks brown, then flip
5. In another pan, heat the frozen berries with a little water as needed until mushy
6. Lay cooked pancake on plate
7. Scoop yogurt onto pancake, add berries, and fold in half
8. Sprinkle more cinnamon on top if desired
9. Enjoy!



Buckeyes

Buckeyes (Peanut Butter Balls Dipped in Chocolate)

I made these beauties for a good friend of mine for his birthday! I asked him what he wanted me to bake him, and he blurted out “buckeyes” almost instantaneously. They are beyond easy to make, so I had no complaints. Just some fun, especially giving me yet another excuse to try out my new Kitchenaid stand mixer that my dear brother bought me for Christmas. I know. I’m spoiled! 🙂 

Ingredients: 

1. 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 
2. 1/2 stick of butter, softened
3. 1 t vanilla extract
4. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5. 1 cup baking chocolate, more may be needed depending on size of balls
6. 1 t coconut oil

Instructions: 

1. Add peanut butter, stick of butter, and vanilla to a Kitchenaid mixer
2. Beat on medium speed
3. Slowly add powdered sugar until mixture is consistent
4. Roll mixture into small spheres and place on wax paper
5. Place in freezer and let sit for at least 30 minutes
6. Heat chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds
7. Dip peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate using toothpicks 
8. Place balls back onto greased wax paper
9. Freeze for another 30 minutes
10. Seal in air-tight container in freezer
11. Enjoy! (They won’t last long!!) 

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Black Bean Chocolate Cake/ Playing with Fondant

Black Bean Chocolate Cake

Happy Birthday, pretty Jenn!

 

 

 

 

 

As you may be able to tell from the caption above, it was my coworker’s 29th birthday last week. We have gotten so close working together this summer, and she is such a great mentor. I’ve learned far beyond what I ever could have expected working in the dental clinic with her and the rest of the dental professional. I feel that this is a great step for me as I await matriculation into dental school.

 

Anyway, since Jennifer has been so wonderful, I wanted to make her birthday really special, especially since she actually came to work on it. She noted, “You know you’re a true adult when you don’t take off for your birthday anymore!” Sadly, that’s true. I mean even I am scheduled to work on my birthday. It’s a Wednesday this year though, so I don’t know if I’d really want to take that day off anyway.

 

Back to the topic at hand: the cake and Jennifer’s birthday. So Jenn is super fit. She was a gymnast for almost her entire life and likes to eat well and stay in good shape. You would never believe that she’s actually 29. Because she really cracked down on her eating habits in July, she asked me to find a healthy cake recipe but let me in on a little secret that her favorite is chocolate.

 

We searched online for healthy chocolate cakes. I had seen black bean based desserts before but was always too weary to try them until now. The black beans take place of the flour and instead of using sweetened chocolate bars with tons of other additives, I used pure cocoa powder to give it that chocolatey taste.

 

    

 

Now Jenn is a dental hygienist and since I just learned how to make my own homemade fondant, I really wanted to design her a dental-themed cake. This is our little patient here. The food coloring from the lips and tongue leaked a bit on those pearly whites, so I just like to say our patient is in the middle of receiving scaling and root planning. For all you non-dental folks out there, that just means he’s getting a deep subgingival cleaning, which if he has tartar built up can be quite bloody.

 

I guess that’s not really something you’d want to hear prior to eating, but that stuff has absolutely no effect on my appetite anymore. I could see some terribly dirty teeth at 11:30 and be more than happy to eat my lunch at noon. I guess that’s the life of a healthcare provider.

 

Well, enough about me already. I’m sure you just came for the recipe. Here it is!

Ingredients:

1. 15 oz. can of black beans, drained
2. 4 eggs
3. 1 T vanilla extract
4. 2/3 c granulated sugar
5. 1 tsp baking powder
6. 1 tsp baking soda
7. 1/2 tsp salt
8. 1 T water
9. 6 T unsweetened 100% pure cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Drain and rinse beans, shake off extra water
3. Place beans in a mixer and puree (Make sure beans are as broken down as possible, or else you will be able to feel the texture when you eat it, especially the skin of the beans)
4. Transfer bean to a large bowl
5. Add remaining ingredients
6. Use hand mixer to mix ingredients completely
7. Spray 9″ circular baking pan
8. Pour mixture into pan
9. Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, or until completely solid (This cake does not rise too high, so it may actually be cooked thoroughly before you think)

 

 

Now, since this was a “healthy” recipe with low sugar and all that good stuff, I have to admit that it was definitely not the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had, nor does it even come close. However, in its category of being a healthy and gluten free chocolate cake, my coworker admitted that it’s pretty high caliber. So if you want to be healthy, yet still indulge a bit, this is a great cake to try.

 

 

Jenn and I out to lunch with our favorite dentist and boss, Dr. Mendoza!

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Peach Cheesecake Ice Cream

I have actually never had peach ice cream. I’m not sure if it’s because I lived in the North for the majority of my life  and peach ice cream is more of a Southern delicacy or what, but this summer, I was determined to try some. Some of my own.

This was the perfect summer for it too. Kyle and I had received scholarships from the business school this year, and every year, Kenan-Flagler organizes a dinner recognizing the scholars and donors. Of course we both attended. My donor did not show up this year or last, but this time, Kyle’s did. Her name is Mrs. Moss, and she is the sweetest woman you could ever meet! After the dinner and ceremony, Kyle introduced me to her. We got to talking, and after a while, we both promised to go and visit her. And visit her we did.

Each time, I like to cook her something for dinner and dessert, especially Southern food because she says the chefs at her assisted living home don’t know how to do Southern right. Well, I’m not Southern myself, but I like to think I have adopted the title… at least in the cooking and baking department.

We visited Mrs. Moss a few times in April and May, but then Kyle left Chapel Hill for the summer after graduation. I had told Mrs. Moss that I’d come to hang out with her one time without him and we’d have a girls’ night. I asked her what her favorite type of ice cream was, and like a good ole’ Southern belle, she replied with peach. I told her once peach season arrived, I would attempt to make it for her. From then on, I was determined to make the best peach ice cream for this wonderful woman.

So peach season rolled around, and last week was the first time I could make the ice cream, and so I called her up and we set up a date. I was so nervous about the ice cream. I had only ever made ice cream once before in my life. I research what seems like a billion different recipes, until I decided to combine a few and create a peach cheesecake ice cream.

This recipe has a few different parts to it, and the ice cream base is a great starter for any type of ice cream flavor you wish to make. The peach sauce with the graham crackers is a superior choice though, especially for these hot and humid summer North Carolina days.

Me and sweet Mrs. Moss

Ingredients for Peach Sauce:

1. 1 1/2 T light brown sugar
2. 2 peeled and diced fresh peaches
3. 2 quarter-sized slices fresh ginger
4. Dash of cinnamon
5. 1T amaretto

Instructions for Peach Sauce:

1. Peel and dice peaches
2. Slice fresh ginger
3. Add peaches and ginger along with the amaretto, sugar, and cinnamon to a medium-sized frying pan
4. Turn stove on medium-high
5. Cook and stir ingredients until all of the liquid evaporates
6. Remove ginger slices
7. Add the remaining ingredients to the ice cream base (recipe below)

The amaretto really sweetens the peaches and almost caramelizes them until they are soft

Ingredients for Ice Cream Base:

1. 4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
2. 1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt
3. 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
4. 1/3 c granulated sugar
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions for Ice Cream Base:

1. Set out cream cheese and allow it to soften
2. Add all ingredients, including cream cheese, to a large bowl
3. Using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients together
4. Cover and refrigerate until cooled

The graham crackers are needed to achieve the full throttle cheesecake flavor

Flip the ingredients into the ice cream base, but don’t over-mix

 

Instructions for Adding Flavor:

1. Add peaches and crushed up graham crackers (1 and a half crackers) to ice cream base
2. Use a rubber spatula to flip ingredients into base to mix
3. Do not over-stir
4. Pour mixture into freezer-safe and air-tight container
5. Freeze ice cream
6. Mix a few times every hour until you can mix no more (until ice cream has solidified)
7. Share with family and friends! Enjoy!

After mixing all of the ingredients together, I poured it into a freezer air-tight container. I just used an old Greek yogurt container and put the lid on top

I really don’t have any past experiences to compare this to, but this was some really great ice cream. I left the remainders with Mrs. Moss for her to enjoy later, but since I loved it so much and really want Kyle to taste it, I made some more the night after. It’s tucked away in my freezer, so I don’t eat it all before he returns to school. But then again, even if I did eat it all, it’s not that difficult to make some more…

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Breakfast Banana Split

Banana Split for Breakfast? Healthy too?!

 

Another meal prepared the weekend Kyle visited. This one is short and sweet and great for those hot mornings when you get those cravings for fresh fruit. Just fruit (add any kind your little heart desires!), granola, yogurt, and peanut butter. Great source of protein that’ll keep you full for a while.

 

 

Ingredients:

1. Full banana, sliced in half along the length of the banana (my bowls weren’t long enough, so I had to cut in half the other way too)
2. 1/4 c strawberries, cut
3. 1/4 c mango, cut
4. 1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt
5. 1/4 c Kashi cinnamon crumble cereal/granola
6. 1 T peanut butter

Instructions:

1. Cut bananas
2. Spread peanut butter on bananas, place in bowl
3. Add yogurt between banana slices
4. Top with granola and fruit

 

 

Banana-Based Granola Bars

Banana Nut Granola Bars

I know. Another granola bar recipe. But to be honest, I think this one is even better than my other one. It’s even healthier too! The reason I ended up making these is because my roommate had a couple of very ripe bananas that she didn’t want to throw away. She knows I like to bake and offered them up for my next kitchen adventure. 

So I searched for the perfect baked good that I could make with these bananas. One of them was granola bars, and I was obviously intrigued. I had made banana bread millions of times before, but I was feeling a bit more healthy that day and wanted to make something that wouldn’t make me feel so guilty after eating it. Behold, a granola bar. 

These bars actually have little added sugar. The sweetness comes from the bananas and dried fruit,  but other than that, there’s only about 1 1/2 tablespoons of additional brown sugar in all 12 bars! It’s crazy how tasty they are, even without all that sugar. 

To make these bars, I basically added everything that I thought would taste good together. I guess that’s typically what you do in cooking and baking anyway, right? But I didn’t follow a recipe at all. I added what I wanted, then measured it later for y’all to know how much of what I put into baking these. And that’s why I love to cook and bake. It’s always an experiment, and I feel like a mad scientist! 

Toasted coconut and brown sugar atop healthy granola bars

Ingredients: 

1. 2 very ripe bananas
2. 2 cups of steel cut oats
3. 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
4. 1 1/2 cups chopped mixed nuts (I used cashews, peanuts, pecans, and almonds)
5. 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (I used dried cranberries)
6. 2 tbs peanut butter
7. 2 tbs coconut oil
8. 1 1/2 tbs light brown sugar
9. 1/4 cup skim milk
10. 1 tbs 100% pure cocoa powder

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash ripe bananas in a medium-sized bowl
3. Add peanut butter and coconut oil to bananas and mix together
4. Chop nuts and dried fruit; mix together
5. Add nut/fruit mixture to the bowl with the banana mixture
6. Stir together until consistent throughout
7. Add oats and about 1/8 cup of the shredded coconut to the bowl
8. Mix well (The consistency should be thick and sticky at this point)
9. Line an 8″x11″ baking dish with parchment paper and spray with Pam
10. Press granola mixture into baking dish on top of the parchment paper and flatten 
11. Add milk and cocoa powder to pan; cook on stove top on medium heat
12. Stir contents in pan, but let mixture boil down to a thick liquid consistency
13. Pour mixture on top of granola bars and spread evenly to cover entire pan
14. Sprinkle brown sugar and leftover coconut on bars
15. Bake bars in oven for 25 minutes
16. Let cool, then cut into 12 equal bars
17. Wrap individually and place in air tight container
18. Can either leave at room temperature or refrigerate

Assorted chopped nuts and dried cranberries I like to keep them to a reasonable size to add crutch to the granola bar

Granola bar mixture pressed flat into baking dish using a fork or spatula

Chocolate mixture

Spread chocolate on top using a baking spatula

Argentinian Cooking

Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce/ Asparagus, Broccoli, Tomato Quinoa Salad/ Rogel

This past weekend, I visited my boyfriend, Kyle, in Charlotte. He’s currently traveling in the Galapagos Islands hiking, kayaking, sightseeing, and doing all kinds of other wonderful things. If you can’t tell, I’m super jealous. And to top it all off, he’s staying in five star hotels! Typical.

Anyway, back to the main story: I visited him and stayed at his parents’ house. So to thank them (and because I love cooking), I decided to cook a meal for his entire family, including his parents and two brothers. I thought grilled chicken was a solid choice, but y’all know I can’t just stop with some plain grilled chicken. I wanted to throw a little curve ball.

On a recent date of ours, Kyle and I ate at a steakhouse in Durham, NC called Metro8 Steakhouse. It was an Argentinian steakhouse whose specialty meal was chimichurri skirt steak. We both ordered the half portion of that, and gobbled our food right up because it was delicious. After that night, I have been dying to try my hand at making my own homemade chimichurri sauce. Then I thought, what better opportunity than now!

Because all good meals are complemented with comparable sides, I prepared asparagus, broccoli, tomato quinoa salad. I kind of just came up with the quinoa salad recipe on my own by adding in a some garlic, spices, and a few of my favorite veggies. It paired perfectly with the marinated chicken and chimichurri sauce. I was more than pleased with the results.

Then I was at a loss for what to make for dessert. Kyle’s younger brother is rather picky when it comes to food and I wanted to bake something that seemed to go with the rest of the meal, so I had a hard time. When I remembered that chimichurri sauce is Argentinian, I searched for Argentinian desserts. At first, I kept seeing dulche de leche crepes, which didn’t surprise me because that’s what I ordered for dessert at Metro8. But then I saw this dessert that looked like a stack of dulche de leche crepes with meringue on top. And apparently, that’s what they call Rogel.

According to many websites, it is the most popular dessert in Argentina. Having said that, I still could not find a recipe for this darn dessert, so I studied the picture and experimented with the recipe from there. I had made crepes for breakfast on Valentines Day, so I knew how to make those and they didn’t challenge me much. I even made a super healthy kind without flour (for all you GF people out there!).

The homemade dulche de leche, however, definitely caused me trouble to say the least. Since I did not plan to make this dessert, I had to use the dairy ingredients they had in the house at the time: almond milk, skim milk, and half and half.. First, I tried almond milk with half and half until I discovered that Kyle’s brother is allergic to nuts. Then I moved on to skim milk and half and half. That’s nowhere near the worst part. Keep reading, and you’ll find out why I say that. Tragic almost, but I was eventually triumphant and have never been more proud of a dessert than I was of that. And boy was it yummy!

Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce 

Ingredients for chicken marinade and chimichurri sauce

 Ingredients for chicken marinade: 

1. Six boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2. 1/2 cup olive oil
3. 1 large shallot, chopped
4. 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
5. 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
6. 3 tbs chopped fresh thyme
7. 3 tbs rosemary
8. 2 pealed garlic cloves

Instructions for chicken marinade: 

1. Combine ingredients #2-#8 in a food processor
2. Blend until all herbs are finely chopped
3. Rub mixture on chicken
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to overnight

Chopped herbs

Marinade in food processor

 Ingredients for chimichurri sauce: 

1. 1/4 cup olive oil
2. 3 tbs chopped fresh basil
3. 3 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
4. 3 tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley
5. 1 1/2 tbs lime juice
6. 1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
7. 1 1/2 tbs crushed red pepper
8. 3 minced garlic cloves
9. Pinch of salt
10. Pinch of cumin

Instructions for chimichurri sauce: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor
2. Blend until all herbs are finely chopped
3. Adjust seasoning to taste (flavors set in after being chilled for some time, so don’t over-season)
4. Cover and refrigerate for anywhere from 2-5 hours

Processed chimichurri sauce, looks similar to marinade

Chimichurri sauce

Instructions for grilled chicken:

1. Uncover chicken 
2. Dispose of excess marinade, but keep some on chicken to grill
3. Grill chicken until cooked through completely  
4. Add chimichurri sauce on top

Gotta admit, Kyle was the grill master of these tasty things

Asparagus, Broccoli, Tomato Quinoa Salad

 Ingredients for quinoa salad: 

1. Garlic herbed quinoa
2. One bunch of asparagus
3. One bag of steamable broccoli
4. Cherry tomatoes

Instructions for quinoa salad: 

1. Cook quinoa according to instructions on package
2. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and grill until cooked yet still crunchy
3. Chop cherry tomatoes in half
4. Steam broccoli
5. Mix all ingredients together

Plating the Meal

Plating instructions: 

1. Place quinoa salad in an ovular shape on plate, leaving space where the chicken will be placed
2. Add chicken breasts to open area, closing any gaps 
3. Drizzle chimichurri sauce on chicken
4. Serve! 

Grilled chicken with asparagus, broccoli, tomato quinoa salad

Rogel (Dulce de Leche Crepe Stack with Meringue)

This was literally the most stressful dessert I have ever made… I was baking for my boyfriend’s entire family and of course I messed up twice. First time, I tried using almond milk for the dulce de leche, until Kyle (re)informed me that his brother is allergic to all nuts. That batch was poured down the drain. The next batch. Well let’s just say that one went overboard. I mean, it literally boiled over onto the glass top stove. What a great impression that made. Second batch: gone. Don’t worry though because Kyle got it all on camera. Thank goodness the third time was the charm, and I finally succeeded at making homemade dulce de leche. [Cue the applause]

 Ingredients for rogel: 

1. 1 cup skim milk
2. 1/4 cup half and half
3. 3/4 cups brown sugar
4. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
5. 2 bananas
6. 2 whole eggs
7. 1 egg white
8. Drop of lemon juice
9. 2 tbs granulated sugar (for meringue) 
10. Cinnamon

Instructions for dulce de leche for rogel: 

1. Combine milk, half and half, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to deep sauce pan
2. Cook on medium heat, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon 
3. Keep stirring until mixture thickens (could take over a half an hour)

My reaction to Kyle telling me his brother is allergic to nuts

Second batch, looking good so far… when I was actually keeping an eye on it

Second batch overflowing. The following pictures say it all.

You can actually watch the steam rise if you scroll through fast enough

Do you think he could help? Nah, just hands me paper towels and continues to snap photos

Third (AND FINAL) batch of dulche de leche. Never again.

Just a tad bit overwhelmed at this point

YAY!! It worked. It’s actually caramelizing.

Instructions for crepes for rogel: 

1. Mix bananas, whole eggs, and a dash of cinnamon with hand mixer until smooth in a medium/large bowl (crepe)
2. Spray another pan
3. Turn burner on low to medium heat
4. Add crepe mixture to pan in one small circle
5. Tilt crepe pan in a circular motion to spread crepe mixture
6. Let crepe cook through almost all the way, use a baking spatula to flip crepe
7. Let cook for another minute (give or take)
8. Remove from pan and let cool on a plate
9. Repeat until 5 or more crepes are made 

1:1 ratio of bananas to eggs for easy, healthy crepes

I usually mash bananas and eggs with fork before using mixer

Place batter in small circle in pan. Then rotate pan and allow gravity to spread batter. See pictures below

 

Bubbles in fluffy crepes, ready to flip

Carefully flip crepes with baking spatula

Allow crepes to cool on plate

Instructions for meringue for rogel: 

1. Separate egg, discard of yolk
2. Beat egg with hand mixer on high
3. Add sugar slowly while still mixing
4. Drop in lemon juice 
5. Allow egg whites to stiffen to firm peaks 

Instructions for putting the whole rogel together: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
2. Place one crepe on oven-safe dish
3. Add dulche de leche to just cover the crepe, can spread using baking spatula, be careful not to rip the delicate crepes
4. Layer another crepe on top
5. Continue layer dulche de leche, crepe, etc. until all the crepes are used
6. Place one final layer of dulche de leche on top of crepe stack
7. Dash some cinnamon on top
8. Carefully place beaten egg whites on top, creating peaks with a fork
9. Cover top layer with meringue peaks
10. Bake rogel in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until meringue peaks turn a slight brown color
11. Remove from oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, and transfer to clean plate for serving

Crepe stack with cinnamon on top

Completed rogel

Since I know you’re dying to hear, the dinner went great. And his family really seemed to enjoy it. Too bad his dog, Bucko, couldn’t join! Until next time, Happy Cooking!!

Bucko Buckmaster Flex, what a model

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Chocolate Club Sandwiches

This is probably one of the easiest dessert recipes I have ever made, and it’s probably a great one to try with kids… if you don’t care about making a mess with the peanut butter and chocolate that is. 

These chocolate club sandwiches are a great dessert for summer get-togethers or chilly nights by the fire. They are the epitome sweet and salty snack that we all crave every once in a while. You could make a large batch one day and keep them frozen in an air-sealed container for months, but I’m sure they won’t survive that long if your house is anything like mine.

Milk chocolate covered graham crackers with pretzel sticks and peanut butter spread

Ingredients: 

1. Graham crackers
2. Peanut butter spread
3. Pretzel sticks
4. Chocolate (I used milk chocolate, but you can use whatever kind you prefer)

Directions: 

1. Break graham crackers into quarters
2. Spread peanut butter on one side of cracker
3. Line up pretzel sticks along side of cracker with peanut butter and press in
4. Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, stir every 30 seconds until completely melted
5. Dip crackers into chocolate until covered
6. Spray a freezer-safe pan
7. Lay chocolate-covered cracker sandwiches on pan
8. Freeze 
9. Enjoy

Peanut butter filling between graham cracker and pretzel sticks

Drizzling chocolate on club sandwich

Smothering in melted chocolate

Milk chocolate covering

Post chocolate dipping

Finished Product:

Chocolate club sandwich pyramid

Ready to eat

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