Thursday, February 3, 2011

Princess Cherry Cream Cheese Crescent Braid - With a Special Cherry Hint!



When I found this recipe several years ago and saw the words "cherry cream cheese"  in the same title, I was a gonner.

Then upon reading further, saw it had Crescent Rolls as the braid, and that's all she wrote.

 I fell Hook-line-and-sinker. 

Oh and pretty....my gosh this little Princess is so pretty!




1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury Crescent Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1/3 c. cream cheese (from an 8 ounce tub) room temperature
1/3 heaping cup cherry preserves

GLAZE:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 teaspoons milk
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Heat oven to 375.

Unroll Crescent dough onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.

Pinch together all the little perforations until you create one rectangle.

Pinch Pinch Pinch.

See my little pinch marks:


Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.  Make it easier to spread that way.

Scoop out 1/3 cup and with the back of your spoon, spread down the middle of your rectangle, leaving about 2 inches on each side free of cream cheese. I like to swirl my cream cheese, don't ask me why, cause no one sees it.


Now scoop out 1/3 heaping cup of the cherry preserves and spread over the cream cheese.


HINT: Cherry Preserves are wonderful.  So many uses besides just on toast. 
For a special dessert in a pinch, I like to take a scoop of Cherry Preserves and place in a bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds.  Then pour the warm cherry goo over vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or even pour over pancakes or waffles.  Love this stuff!  Plus I think it's not as sickening sweet as the canned cherry pie filling.

Ok, now that your cherries and cream cheese have been spread out, make slices, an inch apart on the sides of the rectangle, cutting just to the edge of the filling.


Take the little strips and start folding over the filling, like you are braiding.  Criss cross, criss cross, folding the strips at an angle, slightly overlapping the ends, making a little bundle of cherry cream cheese, fit for a princess.


Oh my stars, look at the cherry cream cheese just waiting to be all melted together.


Pop this little princess in the preheated oven for about 18 to 22 minutes.  Keep watching after about 18 minutes. Depending on your oven, this time could vary.  That's what the oven light is for, so keep checking.

Should look something like this when finished. 

Ain't she so purty?


Now I know what you're thinking.  But don't do it.

We aren't finished yet.

Let the little cherry princess rest a few minutes on the cookie sheet.  She needs to cool off a bit - so while she's cooling off, let's make the glaze.

In a bowl, combine your powered sugar, almond extract and milk.  Mix together really well, using the back of your spoon to mash up all the little lumps.  Add more milk if it appears to be too thick.

After about 15 minutes of the princess cooling off, gently slide her off, onto your pretty little serving plate.

Now is time to drizzle that glaze, all over the top.


Oh what a Princess she is.



What are you waiting for?

Dig in!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

I Love You Chuck! Never Fail Roast Beef Sandwiches


I love Chuck.

He's always so tender.

Forgiving.

He never disappoints.

He never fails me.

He's so versatile

Oh, and he's oh-so juicy.

My husband knows all about Chuck so don't worry.

I'm talking about my lover, Chuck Roast.

To me, Chuck Roast is the best all-round cut of beef.

So many uses.  My gosh this dude is so versatile.

Today I made Roast Beef sandwiches, or Beef Dip Sandwiches.

Call it what you like, top it with what you like, Chuck will never fail you.


3 to 4 pound Boneless Chuck Roast
3/4 stick butter
1/2 large yellow onion, cut into chunks (you can use the whole onion if desired)
32 ounce container Beef Broth
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Kosher Salt

Sandwich Stuff:
(This of course will be to your liking)
Deli Buns, toasted (see below)
I like Horseradish or A-1
Hubby likes regular ole Yellow Mustard
Some like the juice of the broth to dip with
Sliced Provolone or Monterrey Jack cheese (to your liking of course)
Pickle Spear

Click Here For A PRINTABLE RECIPE!

I kind of think the simpler the better, cause Chuck is so tender and juicy, you really don't too much to cover up all his goodness.

Ok, back to Chuck. Get yourself a nice cut of Chuck Roast, with a medium amount of fat.  Not too lean, and not to fatty.
Most grocery stores will have them already cut into 3 to 4 pound roasts, which is perfect for about 6 very hearty sandwiches.

Just in case you have never seen Chuck before, this is what the label should say.  He's very popular and so well liked, so you should not have a hard time finding him.


Get out your big pot.  I have one of those Le Creuset "type" cast iron pots.  It's basically a "mock" version of Le Creuset.  Those darn things are expensive with a capital E, so I just bought one that's a pretend version.  Works perfectly, but without the designer name on the lid.

Turn your heat up to medium high and throw in your butter and your chopped up onion.  Feel free to use the whole onion.  I just use half because if my hubby's home at this step in the recipe, he walks in and says "It sure smells alliaceous in here!"  He thinks he's such a smarty pants using big words. So I cut it back to just 1/2 an onion cause I'm nice that way, but a whole one is wonderful

No need to make the onion pretty, and be sure to leave it in somewhat bigger chunks.

Get the butter all melty and swirl around your onions in the melted butter and cook on medium high for about 3 minutes.



Now gently lay Chuck right on top of the melted butter and onion mixture. 


Pour in the entire box of Beef Broth.


Now pour in the Worcestershire sauce, and pop the lid on your pot, and turn down your stove to the number #2.


Now just walk away...... and, as they say in Brooklyn and New Jersey.......Forget about it.

This will take about 4 to 5 hours.  So go ahead and putter around the house, answer your emails, do some laundry.

But I'm warning you, if you leave the house to run some errands.  Be prepared!

When you walk back in your house, now is the time you will fall totally, utterly and completely in love with Chuck.

Your house will smell like..... like.....well, like.......LOVE.

And if your boyfriend or husband is home, watch out, cause your man will want to marry you or re-marry you, all because of the smell of Chuck.

After about 4 to 5  hours on the number 2 low setting on your stove, you can feel free to lift the lid and check on chuck, he should pretty much be done.

When you take your tongs and try to pull him out, he will just start to fall apart.  If it seems a bit "together" still, then let him cook another 30 minutes.  I have found that 4 1/2 hours is perfect, but then again, it depends on the size roast you bought and how well your pot keeps its heat.

Once Chuck is ready, grab a nice casserole dish and slowly take chuck out and place in the dish.  You will probably have to keep going back to pull out hunks, cause Chuck is so tender, he's liable to fall into pieces.

He's going to look something like this:



Oh Chuck, I love you.  Look at how handsome you are.

Let Chuck sit in the casserole dish and rest for a bit, he's liable to be pretty hot.  After about 3 to 5 minutes, take two forks and gently pull the roast apart.


This is the time you might want to discard any of the fatty pieces.  Totally up to you though.

Once all the roast has been pulled apart with your fork, take some Kosher salt and gently sprinkle, then toss, and then sprinkle and toss.  Just brings out the flavor and makes Chuck even more appealing.

Once it's all pulled apart, and the salt has been added.  Take your ladle and pour some of the juice from the pan on top.  Get some of those onion pieces too that are floating around.


I like to get about three good ladles full and pour it all over Chuck. 

You can save the rest of the juice to heat up and serve on the side for dipping if you wish.

Now is the time where my mind starts to wander.

Chuck, you are so diverse.  Just think of all the things I could do with you right now.

I could just serve you as is, with a big pile of Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Or I could cover you in BBQ sauce and pile you high on a bun and serve you with BBQ beans

I could put you into a warm tortilla and have beef tacos.

But today, I'm going to put you on a toasted deli roll.

Turn your oven up to 350.

Now butter the tops of your buns.


Place your buns on a cookie sheet (how ever many sandwiches you are making) and place in the oven for about 4 minutes.  You just want them to start to get toasty.

Once you see the corners of the buns starting to toast, turn on your broiler.

Watch them really careful, cause toasting can happen pretty quickly.

They should be nice and toasty like this when ready to come out.  Turn your oven off at this point.


Now is the time you can get creative.

I just put a bit of horseradish on my bread, and then sprinkled a bit of provolone on top, and popped it back in the oven for just enough time to get the cheese all melty.


However you serve Chuck, it will be love at first bite.

Why Chuck, I bet you say that to all the girls.