Quick and Easy Entertaining

February 21, 2017Sheri SpalloneComment

Easy and elegant entertaining, anytime, anywhere. Our favorite quick and easy appetizer recipes and ideas! Check out our Pinterest Appetizer board.

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Tuna Pinwheel Recipe

February 16, 2017appetizers, snacks, lunchSheri SpalloneComment

My mom used to make these all the time when my sister and I were growing up. This recipe was from an old Betty Crocker cookbook (remember those?) She would bring these pinwheels to our neighborhood parties and they would be gobbled up in no time. It's funny how tuna salad, presented in these tasty buttery bites, could be so addiciting. Of course I took mom's recipe and tweaked it with a hint of Cherchies® Champagne Mustard and some with our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard.

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My mom used to make these all the time when my sister and I were growing up. This recipe was from an old Betty Crocker cookbook (remember those?) She would bring these pinwheels to our neighborhood parties, and they would disappear in no time. It's funny how tuna salad, presented in these tasty buttery bites, could be addictive. Of course, I took mom's recipe and tweaked it with a hint of Cherchies® Champagne Mustard and some with our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard.

The true test was trying them on our children, our favorite "taster-testers" (their word for themselves as they were growing up). They have come a long way over the years in trying new things, but tuna is definitely not their favorite. I made these delicious morsels just in time for their after-school snack. To my delight, they loved them; they were devoured in minutes, even the ones I brushed with our spicier Hot Banana Pepper Mustard!!

This recipe would make the perfect tasty appetizer or afternoon snack, but save some for yourself because they will disappear quickly.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this tasty recipe. Return for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Ingredients

1 can (6 1/2 oz.) white tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) sweet pickle relish, drained
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) dry mustard
1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (or for a spicier palate, try our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard
20 slices square sandwich bread, crusts removed
4 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) melted butter
Paprika

Preparation
Carefully remove the crusts from the bread with a knife. In a medium bowl, combine the tuna with the remaining 5 ingredients.

For easy clean-up, place a sheet of parchment paper over a baking sheet. Line the slices of bread on the baking sheet. Thinly brush each slice of bread with half of the melted butter, reserving the other half. Spread each slice with tuna salad. (This time, I spread a few slices with our Hot Banana Pepper Mustard to see how they would turn out).

Roll each slice like a jelly roll and place three toothpicks into the bread to secure. Slice each tuna roll into 3 pinwheels.

When ready to serve, brush the pinwheels with the remaining melted butter, sprinkle lightly with paprika, and broil the pinwheels until lightly toasted. Makes about 60 pinwheels.

Remove these delicious morsels from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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Homemade Pop Tarts Recipe

February 14, 2017breakfast, snacks, dessertsSheri SpalloneComment

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! Last year, I posted a recipe for Homemade Toaster Strudels. This morning, before the kiddos went to school, I surprised my favorite valentines with sweet, tasty, fruity, homemade Valentine Pop-Tarts. Sweets for my sweeties:) Needless to say, Mom prevailed a hero (a great way to start the day).

I used the same idea as the Toaster Strudels, except this time, I substituted refrigerated pie dough to emulate the Pop-Tarts sold in grocery stores (our kiddos love, but I am not a fan). Yes, I certainly could have made the pie dough from scratch, but considering school mornings are crazy enough, I opted for grocery store refrigerated pie dough.

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Since February is Cherry month (didn't know that did you?), I decided to go with our Cherry Butter for the filling (but any of our Butter Spreads or **Preserves (see below) could be used in this recipe). And, because it is Valentine's Day, I went the extra step and used large heart-shaped cookie cutters to seal the deal. These "Pop-Tarts" were delicious by themselves, and adding gooey icing and sprinkles made these semi-homemade "Pop-Tarts" irresistible! Hands down, these homemade Pop-Tarts are far better than the grocery store versions and are our children's new favorite. Try our homemade version today. You may never go back to store-bought Pop-Tarts again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thank you for visiting. Comment below if you have tried this recipe and if you have pictures to share.

Ingredients

2 rolls of room temperature refrigerated pie dough
Cherchies® Cherry Butter (or could substitute Cherchies® Strawberry Butter, or Cherchies® Apple Butter, or any of our **delicious preserves, mixed with 1 Tablespoon of corn starch).
1 egg, beaten
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon (or more depending on consistency) heavy cream
1 or two drops of food coloring (I actually used 1 Tablespoon of additional Cherry Butter in the icing in lieu of food coloring)
1 large heart-shaped cookie cutter- Approx. 4 1/2 inches in diameter (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour your prep surface. Roll out the dough over the counter or prep surface. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. If making simple Pop Tarts (not using cookie cutters, cut off rounded ends of pie dough, and cut pie dough into rectangles).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add about 1-2 Tablespoons (depending on size of cookie cutter) with Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread to the center of the dough, making sure to leave at least 1/2 inch around the perimeter of the dough for sealing.

Place another piece of dough gently over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal the tart. Seal well to keep the tasty fruit inside from seeping out.

Brush the egg over the entire tart, and bake in the oven until the tarts are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before icing the tarts.

While tarts are baking, mix the icing. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and food coloring (in my case, I used the Cherry Butter to color the icing). If icing is too thick, add a couple drops of heavy cream at a time to thin the icing. Icing should slightly ooze off the spoon. While tarts are still warm, scoop a large spoonful of icing and drizzle it over the pop tarts. If desired, add sprinkles and watch them disappear!

Enjoy!

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What To Do With Muffin Tins- 25 Amazing Hacks

February 9, 2017cooking tipsSheri Spallone22 Comments

What To Do With Muffing Tins- 25 Amazing Hacks

Do you know the muffin pan? Yes, the muffin pan! The one who lives on Bakery Lane? Sorry:) Who knew that aside from baking, the simple muffin pan could be helpful in so many ways, in the kitchen, around the house, in craft projects, etc.? Re-purposing everyday kitchen gadgets, such as muffin pans (aka muffin tins), is an excellent strategy for saving money, saving space, and getting organized; plus, it's just plain fun. Amen! Who's with me?

I had no idea when I started this blog post about the infinite uses of a muffin tin! I knew this was one of my favorite kitchen tools, but now I am 100% convinced it IS my favorite!!! I kept finding more and more uses as I researched. Crazy! Aside from foods (muffins, quiches, appetizers, baked desserts, etc.), muffin pans are so versatile, and you will be blown away when you read this! Are you ready?

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have used any of these hacks or if you have some to add. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

25 Amazing Muffin Tin Hacks

1. Doo dad (what exactly is a doo dad?) and desk organizer - www.homedit.com