Cannoli Dip

If you ask me I'd vote cannoli, tiramisu, and gelato are top ranking for best Italian desserts.  But each can be time consuming to make. So what to do in a hurry? Make a super simple and fast cannoli dip instead and pair it with a variety of sweet crackers.

Or if you want to go all out pair it with the homemade cannoli chips like I've done here. They are from my cannoli shell recipe but you don't need any special forms. Instead the dough is just cut into bite size triangles and deep fried for that perfectly crisp finish.

It's an exciting and unique variation on traditional cannoli and equally just as delicious. Light and fluffy cannoli dip paired with crisp and flakey cannoli chips are a dream come true! It's a party fav an loved by people of all ages.

Easy S'mores Pie Recipe

Are you ready for a new favorite pie? With this dessert, you get all the classic s'mores flavors blended into a three-layered incredibly decadent pie that's served perfectly chilled and refreshing!

Usually, we all think of s'mores as a summer dessert, but thanks to this pie you can have a s'mores dessert any day of the year when the craving strikes. I love taking it to Thanksgiving dinner, because you definitely need some chocolate to compliment the pumpkin pie. Plus, this is an easy pie to make ahead of time and doesn't require the oven!

It begins with a simple homemade graham cracker base (I include a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness of the pie), then it's layered with a silky smooth chocolate filling that melts in your mouth, and topped with a meringue (the kind that will remind you of fluffy marshmallows).

And last but not least—it's toasted to a stunning golden brown finish with a culinary torch!

The only difficult part of making this pie is waiting to dive in. There may just be a slice missing when you take it to the party, it's just too irresistible!

Easy Homemade Apple Galette

Some of you may be asking what is a galette anyway? A galette, which translates to "flat cake," can be various types of free form, flat or round French pastries. In English it is pronounced "gah-let."

This variation is what I would call an easier alternative to a classic pie. It is basically the humbler, more rustic version of apple pie yet it transcends expectations and is a treat for the eyes with it's thin slices, browned edges and pleasing circular pattern.

You'll appreciate that there's nothing too fancy and complicated, just an old fashioned, made-by-hand method to achieve the dreamiest fall dessert!

Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for the most enjoyable pairing and sublime flavor!

Just imagine it, a crisp and flaky, truly unbeatable crust finished with a crunchy coarse sugar. Then blanketed over are tender, lightly tart, warmly cinnamon spiced apples. And it's all crowned with rich, creamy, sweet vanilla ice cream.

Talk about tempting! If only it could pass for a decent breakfast I'd be eating it everyday.

Looking for more cannoli-inspired desserts? Try these flavors in my cannoli cupcakes, dip, cheater cones, ice cream, cream puffs, and bite-size treats!

These cannoli taste just like the best ones I've gotten at Italian bakeries! They have the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

The cannoli shells are perfectly tender and flaky, like a flaky melt-away-in-your-mouth kind of texture.

The ricotta cannoli filling is rich and deliciously sweetened, and those little flecks of mini dark chocolate chips swirled throughout just amp up that already immensely satisfying flavor.

But if you still want to boost flavor, you can add extra cinnamon, orange zest, maraschino cherries, or vanilla to the filling. And optionally finish by dipping ends in crunchy pistachios.

Don't be scared away by the number of steps in this recipe, the first time will likely go slow, but once you get the hang of it, these cannoli will become a breeze to prepare. And they may even become a new holiday or party tradition!

These delectable Italian delicacies are truly worth learning to make!

Watch the Cannoli Video!

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An Easy Breakfast Pastries Recipe

Let's be honest, what's the real reason we all love the holidays? I think many of us could say it's all about the food!

Holidays only come about 10 times a year so it's fun to have a day of splurging with delicious treats like so.

Though these may appear just fit for Valentines day this heart shaped, tender and flaky puff pastry breakfast is sure to put a smile on anyones face any day of the year! They are great for making in the summer when all the fresh fruit is in season too.

And since these begin with store-bought puff pastry they are easy to prepare. And who could resist that cream cheese strawberry combo?

The Perfect Homemade Churro Recipe

We've all had those stale fried churros at the carnivals and theme parks—the kind that come in a long uniform straight form, that were previously fried, frozen, then reheated, and they're sitting there for hours next to the hot pretzels. Every now and then, you'll come across one that's okay, but most of the time, no thanks.

That's because I've had real churros and nothing compares. Fresh homemade churros are the best out there!

Easy Homemade Churros - Perfect for Parties!

I've decided these need to be a new tradition for family parties. I made these easy homemade churros earlier this week for the blog, then a few days later made them again for a family party, and you would not believe how quickly they disappeared! Definitely faster than I could fry them.

And everyone was begging for me to make a second batch! That included my brother, who couldn't care less about dessert, and lots of picky eating kids. Everyone wanted more.

They can seem a little intimidating if you've never made them before, but they really are a breeze to make. Simple ingredients, straightforward method, and I've shared the steps and tips below so you can make a perfect batch too!

(Note that pictured in the photo above is nearly two batches)

Watch the Churros Video!

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Hello, summer! Er, almost. To me it feels like it's summer outside so I'm just going to go with it and make all the good summery desserts - like these utterly decadent and purely irresistible Puff Pastry Fruit Tarts with Ricotta Cream Filling! These tarts are so many of my favorite things in one perfect little individual dessert! You get a perfectly flaky, perfectly golden, sky-high puff pastry (shhh, no one needs to know we just used store-bought. None of us have the hours and hours it takes to make it homemade) and they're filled with the most luscious ricotta filling (it consists of ricotta, cream cheese, heavy cream and sugar so duh, how could this not be amazing?), and it's finished with fresh, colorful berries. Simply put, they are so dreamy and you need to make them!

Puff Pastry Tarts

As I mentioned above, we just do not have the time to be making homemade puff pastry all the time. Especially when store-bought puff pastry dough is so delicious and easy! A little egg wash gives them that crisp, golden crunch with a gorgeous glaze. A little bit of lemon zest and lemon juice in your ricotta really brings out the rich flavor, but vanilla ice cream is another tasty option!

Fresh Fruit Tarts

I once ate delicious blueberry tarts at a tea party, and I've always remembered that fancy treat. For the 4th of July, strawberry and blueberry puff pastry tarts would make a cute, patriotic dessert or breakfast option! I also love fresh summer blackberries, so I want to try those too.

I'm already planning out the next time I get to make and indulge in these tempting treats again! I'm thinking Memorial Day or July 4th and probably, most definitely breakfast tomorrow. It just seems right. I'll just add extra fruit to feel better about things—it's fiber and vitamin C, right?! Make them soon, everyone will love them!

Peanut Butter Fruit Dip Snack Time

It's that time of year again when kids are headed back to school, and many of you are looking for healthy school lunch snacks or after-school treats. This dip isn't just great for kids though, this is a delicious dip that both young and old will love.

This dip makes healthy eating seem awesome (because yes, it can be when done right). It's creamy and sweet yet at the same time, it is made with good-for-you ingredients. And if you're a yogurt eater, you will likely even have all the ingredients stocked in your kitchen now.

With yogurt and peanut butter, you're getting some filling protein—and you can try a more protein-rich option like Greek yogurt or mixing in vanilla protein powder.

Kid-Friendly Fruit Dip Recipe

You are going to love how incredibly easy it is to make! It only takes 3 simple ingredients and less than 2 minutes to prep. All you need is a bowl, a whisk (or fork even), and a little bit of muscle. The simple fruit dip ingredients and the easy preparation make this the perfect recipe to make with your kids. Even a toddler could help you stir together yogurt and peanut butter!

Ways to Enjoy Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

We love to pair this fruit dip with, well, fruit obviously! Apples, bananas, and strawberries are our favorite fruits to dip into this peanut butter spread, but choose your favorite fruits to try. This peanut butter dip is also delicious with graham crackers, pretzels, Biscoff, and other simple cookies. You may even want to spread it on toast for a yummy, healthy breakfast!

Enjoy!

Other Fruit Dips to Try:

• Chocolate Fruit Dip
• Two Ingredient Fruit Dip
• Lemon Cream Fruit Dip 
• Nutella Cheesecake Dip
• S'mores Dip

Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tart Recipe

Once you try these delicious homemade pop tarts you'll never look at store-bought pop tarts the same! I haven't really cared for the store bought ones since I was probably 10 years old, but my husband and kids still love them. I decided to show those up and make a homemade version just so my husband could see how blah the other ones are.

These things melt in your mouth! Yes, they are a bit of work just for a breakfast pastry but they are totally worth it once you get to sink your teeth into one. If you wanted to do semi-homemade, you could use a store-bought pie crust but I think that kind of defeats the purpose of making them homemade.

For the jam, I used Smuckers Low Sugar Strawberry preserves and I thought it was perfect because you could actually taste the strawberry and not just sugar or an artificial sweetener (not a sponsored statement, just liked the jam).

For the glaze, I decided to use half and half instead of just milk to give it a lightly creamy flavor. Then to finish these off sprinkles are a must, right? I used funfetti sprinkles and also just some red sugar sprinkles (not pictured) and they made them look just like the real thing.

I highly recommend that you try these homemade pop tarts at least once. But then once you do you'll be hooked and you'll never want to go back to the real thing, so you likely just make double batches and store them in the freezer :).

They are perfectly tender and flaky and that buttery flavor is far from whatever oil is used in the boxed kind. As a matter of fact, why not try them this weekend? Yes, I think you better.

Homemade Pop-Tarts Ingredients

For these flaky pop tarts, you'll need:

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Granulated sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Ice water
• Strawberry preserves
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Half and half

How to Make Homemade Pop-Tarts

• Make pop tart dough by pulsing the flour, salt, sugar, butter and ice water in a food processor.
• Once combined, halve the dough and shape into two disks. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
• Once chilled, roll one ball of dough into a large rectangle. Then slice into smaller rectangles.
• Place half of the dough rectangles onto a baking tray, then spoon strawberry preserves in the middle.
• Top with another piece of dough and seal with fingers.
• Freeze first batch of raw pop tarts for 2 hours, and repeat this process with the remaining ball of dough in the fridge.
• After the strawberry pop tarts have chilled in the freezer, bake until golden brown.
• Once the pop tarts are cool, top with vanilla icing and sprinkles.

Can I Use Another Flavor of Jam in These Pop-Tarts?

Yes, you can use any flavor of jam or preserves you'd like. The vanilla icing and pop tart dough pairs well with any fruit flavor!

Can I Make the Dough Without a Food Processor?

Yes, the pop tart dough is essentially a pie dough recipe. If you don't have a food processor, I recommend using a pastry cutter or the back of a fork the combine the butter and flour mixture.

Can I Freeze These Pop-Tarts?

You can freeze these pop tarts but note that the texture may not be quite as crisp tender as the jam may seep into the pastry a bit.

Tips for the Best Pop-Tarts

• You need to seal the edges of the homemade pop tarts well, otherwise the filling will leak out. I used my fingers to seal the pop tarts, but you may need to use the back of a fork to properly seal the edges.
• These pop tarts will keep for a few days, but they're best fresh since the dough becomes soggy over time.
• Some of the strawberry filling may leak out while baking. Just scrape it off before serving!

More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love:

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
• Bakery-Style Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Homemade Toaster Strudels 
• Pumpkin Pop-Tarts
• Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

It took several attempts to get a homemade version that is like a Krispy Kreme. As the saying goes, third times the charm. I tried three different types of flour, bread flour first then blend of cake and all purpose flour and I ended up settling on just all purpose.

It's hard to get the exact same texture as theirs because according to the ingredients they have listed online they use emulsifiers, gluten, thickener, firming agents and other additives, which I'm guessing is what gives their doughnuts such a delicate texture.

For us home cooks, are we ever going to try and track down all that stuff? With that said these doughnuts are very close, just not identical. Also, my version isn't as pretty :).

The dough is somewhat delicate to work with after the second rise so they didn't keep their shape perfectly well once I lifted them to transfer to the oil. If only I had one of those conveyer belts like they have at Krispy Kreme.

My family and I did a side by side comparison with my version and theirs and both flavor and texture were so close.

If you like a thick coating of glaze, you can make more glaze and double dip them. This recipe could easily be doubled for feeding a crowd.

When you eat one of these warm, that perfectly golden, glaze covered edge and fluffy interior just melt away in your mouth.