Ryan's Peppermint Patty Whoopie Pies

Guest Blogger: Ryan Buckley 

This is another recipe from Giada's show on the Food Network. I really like whoopie pies and the chocolate flavor and the subtle peppermint flavor. The use of peppermint patties in the cookie filling seems very unique. My cousin Tim is not a fan of peppermint but he even liked these. Not everybody likes candy canes so we only did a few with the crushed candy canes. I would really want to make these again.

Ryan's Peppermint Patty Whoopie Pies

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 
  
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 10 chocolate-coated peppermint candies, such as York Peppermint Patties, chopped
• 5 candy canes, crushed, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and 1 stick of the butter over medium heat in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside. To the bowl with the melted chocolate, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the yogurt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture being careful to avoid over-mixing. 

Scoop 1-tablespoon mounds of the batter on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between each cookie. Bake the cookies for about 9 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. Slide the cookies on the parchment onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

 Meanwhile make the filling. In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the remaining 2 sticks butter and the confectioners' sugar; mix until light and fluffy, starting on low speed to avoid splatter and work up to medium speed, 3 minutes. Add the peppermint extract, salt and peppermint candies. Beat on medium speed until the candies are broken apart and evenly distributed, 2 minutes. Spread the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. Roll the edges in the crushed candy canes if using and serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Ryan's Pizza Grilled Cheese

Guest Blogger: Ryan Buckley 

I really like grilled cheese and pizza so it is the perfect combo in one. I was watching the Giada De Laurentiis show on the Food Network and I thought that I needed to try out this recipe. This recipe is really easy to make. Using the method of two pans, you can make a whole bunch of pressed sandwiches at once. The people who tried it included my mom, sister, grandma, cousin Tim, and aunt, and they all loved it. Even picky eaters me and MDS love it.

Ryan's Pizza Grilled Cheese

• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus for decorating 
  
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup diced pepperoni, plus 12 large slices and 4 slices for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 12 slices rustic white bread
• 3/4 cup jarred marinara sauce, plus more for dipping

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the diced pepperoni and the basil until well combined. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Working buttered side down, spread each slice with 1 tablespoon of the marinara. Divide the cheese mixture among 6 slices of the bread, and sandwich with the remaining slices. For each sandwich, sprinkle the top piece of bread with 1 tablespoon of the remaining Parmesan. Flip, and sprinkle the other side with an additional tablespoon of Parmesan. To make all of these sandwiches at once, heat 2 baking pans in the oven for 10 minutes. Spray the bottom of one of the pans with cooking spray, and place the buttered and Parmesan-ed sandwiches in the pan. Spray the underside of the second pan, and place it on top of the sandwiches. Bake until golden brown and crispy, and the cheese is melted, 10 minutes. Serve with marinara for dipping if desired. Enjoy!

Aunt Paula's Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Every New Year's Day, MDS and I enjoy a special breakfast. Just about every other day of the year, we have oatmeal for breakfast, but on the first day of the year, we make something unique. This year, we enjoyed this delicious breakfast casserole. When we visit Michigan, we usually stay with Aunt Paula and Uncle Zach. Breakfast at the Holmes's house is always a special treat. Aunt Paula often makes a delicious breakfast casserole or other tasty main dish that is served up with all sorts of side dishes. Uncle Zach is efficient in keeping the coffee cups filled. We enjoy lingering around the breakfast table before we hit the road to return to Chicago.

Aunt Paula gave us this recipe a few years ago after MDS and I picked several pounds of blueberries during a summer visit to Michigan. Previously, I had posted about this delicious blueberry coffee cake. This breakfast casserole is another winning recipe. Because it is the middle of winter, I used frozen blueberries, and I don't think it made any difference that the blueberries were frozen. The recipe calls for the crust of the bread to be removed, but I left it on. The casserole made a delicious start to 2016.

Aunt Paula's Blueberry French Toast Casserole 

• 6 slices day old bread
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Cut the bread into one inch cubes. Place half the bread in a greased 8x8x2 baking dish. Cut cream cheese into one inch cubes and place over the bread. Top with blueberries and the remaining bread. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, and syrup. Mix well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 covered for 25 minutes. Then, remove the cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes more until golden brown and the center is set. When the casserole is almost done, prepare the sauce.

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup blueberries

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and corn starch. Add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for three minutes while stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer for eight minutes or until blueberries burst. Pour the sauce over servings of the casserole. Enjoy!