Baguettes

***Perfect for adding garlic butter and cheese***

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 TBSP honey
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt

In mixing bowl, add water, honey, and yeast. Let proof for five minutes. Combine flour and salt and add to activated yeast in 1/4 cup increments, (if using a KitchenAid, keep set on "stir" setting) until dough has formed and the sides of the bowl are relatively clean. Let the mixer "knead" the dough on the stir setting for five minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl
, cover, and let rise for one hour. Punch dough down and separate into two portions. Roll into a baguette the length of your baking sheet. If you twist the dough, it tends to not shrink. Cover both loaves and let rise 30 minutes in a warm area. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Brush with melted butter and bake for additional 5 minutes or until the tops are browned.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

For the cookies:

1 box red velvet cake mix
2 TBSP flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
Splash of vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients to form a dough. It will be oily. From into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for two hours.

For the filling:

4oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Spoon out small portions (about a tsp) into balls onto wax or parchment paper and freeze for two hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper. Take dough (about 1/8 cup and flatten in hand. Place frozen filling in center and wrap dough around it. Bake for 11 minutes or until cookie starts to crack. Keep on sheet for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Drizzle melted white chocolate on top to decorate.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 TBSP sugar
2 cups whipped topping
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 pkg (3oz) strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 pkg (16oz) frozen strawberries

Instructions:

Combine pretzels, melted butter and 3 TBSP sugar and press into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool.

For filling: Mix with beater the whipped topping, cream cheese, and remaining sugar until smooth. Spread over pretzel crust and chill.

To make strawberry topping add the gelatin to the boiling water until dissolved, mix in strawberries. Chill until partially set and the spoon carefully over filling. Chill for at least four hours until serving.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

***in honor of SuperBowl Sunday, here's my latest recipe attempt! I love the concept of buffalo wings, but I'm a picky chicken eater and hate all the work to eat wings or drumsticks for the amount of meat you get, so when I saw this is the Food Network magazine, I was psyched to try it!***

Mix together:

2 cups cooked, warm shredded chicken
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce (I like it a little hotter so I'd add more next time...you be the judge)

Serve on buns with celery sticks and blue cheese crumbles!