Ja cię kocham…

Okay, okay, I know I have been MIA for a while.  I’m sorry.  My life has been filled with other stuff, and I have not have much time to cook, bake, and post.  Please forgive me.  But I will have you know that I planted my first EVER veggie garden filled with bell peppers, cherry and beefsteak tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and habanero peppers.

Above is a shot of my veggie plants before I planted them.

Here is my strawberry plant.  Since this photo, my strawberries have gotten bigger and brighter!  I’ll have to post more updated photos in a later posting.

And here is my puppy, Noodles.  She has gotten bigger and cuter!  Gotta love her sweet face…

Anyway, back to chewy, gooey cookies.  I know that a lot of you have your secret recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but please trust me that these are worth baking.  Jay and I hosted a Memorial Day BBQ at our house, and everyone asked where I got these cookies.  They were shocked to discover that I made them… in 20 minutes.   )

They are super simple and super awesome!  My sister made a quick run to the store down the street, and they were almost done by the time she got back.  I found this recipe by Googling “best chocolate chip cookies recipe”, and Google did not fail me.  This recipe was reviewed by THOUSANDS of people, which all had raving comments about them.  (Not that I read them all, but they were rated “outstanding”.) What’s not to like about an ENORMOUS, soft, sweet chocolate chip cookie?!  They pair perfectly with a nice, cold glass of milk.  (One of Jay’s favorite things in the whole wide world…)

The Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Source: Allrecipes.com

Yields: 12-18 cookies  (recipe said 18, but I ended up with 12 cookies somehow!)

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or M&Ms)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.  Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.

Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips/M&Ms by hand using a wooden spoon.

Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Cookies should be about 3 inches apart – at least.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

This recipe is a crowd pleaser.  I promise!

I know, I know – these sound utterly strange and unappealing.  But, I literally received 3 recipes for these guys in two days.  They sound weird enough for me, and the comments from those having already made them were shockingly incredible so I say, why not?  Of course, I couldn’t help but think about WHY anyone would want to put black beans in brownies but apparently the bean addition creates an even moister brownie that one can ever imagine.  And the fiber doesn’t hurt either.  Oh, and I get to put coffee in them.  Sweeeet.

Soooo I got a little over zealous with this recipe and poured WAY too much coffee in the batter.  After mixing everything together, I was left with black bean and coffee soup.  Ew.  Needless to say, I had to add a ton more flour to the batter creating brownies that were mildly sweet and were of a strange yet surprisingly appealing consistency.  And I just realized now as I’m typing this that I forgot to add the butter.  Man, what was wrong with me!?!  Ha.  But it’s okay!  It was like a big, chocolate sponge bread.  My errors quickly turned my dessert into a lovely breakfast bread.  Works for me!

These brownies would be perfect for my mom because she loves chocolate but doesn’t have a big sweet tooth.

As weird as they sound, black bean brownies are quite delicious.

PS – The recipe below is the original one that I was supposed to follow ;o)

Black Bean Brownies

Source: Mildly adapted from WeightWatchers.com

Yields: 24 brownies (3 WW points per brownie)

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1/2 cup black beans (canned are fine.  just make sure to drain and rinse them!)
1/4 cup black coffee, strong
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups of sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. espresso powder (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9- X 13-inch pan with cooking spray; line with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray.

In a blender or mini food processor, process beans with coffee until smooth; set aside.

In a double boiler over very low heat, melt butter and chocolate.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add melted chocolate to eggs; incorporate well. Add black bean mixture, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add flour; combine thoroughly on low speed.  Add espresso powder and mix gently.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in center of brownies comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, remove brownies from pan by pulling up on foil and placing brownies on cooling rack to cool more.

Cut into 24 pieces and serve.

I saw this recipe and just HAD to try it.  Melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar all enveloping warm dough that just falls a part on your plate – count me in!  These muffins are incredibly delicious and quite a yummy treat for breakfast.  If you plan on making these, please be sure that you are not in a rush and have time to love your dough and give it the attention it needs to turn into these beauties.   It’s a little time consuming because it involves fresh dough that needs to rise, be flattened, and rise again.  The actual hands-on part isn’t so much work.  You just need to have the time to allow the dough to rise.

You can even make extra dough and set some aside for a lovely pizza crust.  )

I did alter the recipe a little.  Half of the flour that I used was whole wheat (that’s the maximum amount allowed for this recipe to turn out), I used natural cane sugar instead of brown sugar, and turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) instead of white, granulated sugar.   I try my best to steer clear of processed and bleached foods.

The muffins literally melt in your mouth as you eat them.  I recommend eating them warm with a nice cup of tea.  It’s a great start to your day.

Monkey Bread Muffins

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Yields roughly 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
2  tablespoon olive oil

For the mixture that keeps it all together:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar or natural cane sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar or turbinado sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
handful of golden raisins (optional)
more flour, granulated sugar and cinnamon for dusting

Directions:

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can.  Make sure to include all of the floury bits into the ball.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl where you had mixed it.

Place the dough back into the oiled bowl and toss it in the oil so it’s completely covered.

Cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.  Joy mentions that you may place the dough in the fridge overnight.

Place the dough on a floured surface and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Joy’s advice for the overnight dough: If you’ve left your dough in the fridge overnight like I did, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, place the covered bowl of dough near the oven, or on a stovetop burner that doesn’t get too hot, bringing the dough to room temperature faster.  After it’s been out of the fridge for about 30 minutes, dump it onto a floured counter, press the air out and knead the dough into a smooth, happy ball.  Return to the down to warm up a bit more, and rise just a bit more, about 30 minutes more.  Your dough should be doubled in size from the previous night.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a muffin pan and dust it with flour.  Set aside.

On a well floured work surface, dump out the dough.  Press out with your hands until your dough is about 3/4-inch thick.

Cut into tiny chunks – about 3/4 of an inch and sprinkle with a bit of flour, a handful of granulated or turbinado sugar and a generous dusting of ground cinnamon.  Toss on the counter top.

In a separate bowl, combine brown or cane sugar, granulated or turbinado sugar, butter, flour, cornstarch, raisins (if you feel inclined to do so) and cinnamon until well combined.

Fill the muffin tin to the halfway point with dough chunks, softly packing them in.  Top with about a tablespoon of the sugar mixture, then top with more dough chunks, packing lightly.  Finish with more sugar mixture.  That’s four layers for each muffin.

Place a large cookie sheet under your muffin tin to avoid any dripping onto the bottom of your oven.  Don’t want a smoky mess!

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, keeping an eye on them after 12 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Run a sharp knife around the edges of each muffin then gently scoop out of the muffin tin.

This recipe is just too much fun!  I HAD to share it with you.  It’s so easy, and my students LOVED it.  This recipe is a mix of healthy and sweet with lots of bright colors, which make kids very happy.  I have to admit, it makes me happy, too!  I love bright colors, especially in food.  And after a few bucks, you can feed a herd of happy faces!

You can pick whatever you want to throw in your kids’ trail mix.  I got this idea from a Hannah Montana Cookbook that one of my students bought at the Scholastic Book Fair.  Ha!  Gotta love Miley Cyrus )

We have students with peanut and tree-nut allergies, and I managed to find the generic cereals in the large plastic bags that were nut-free.  Awesome!

Feel free to get creative with your mix.  Pick your favorite cereals, and have a go with it.  I recommend putting Rice or Corn Chex cereal in it for some neutral, not so sugary flavor.  Dried fruit and nuts are awesome in this.  You could even melt white chocolate and drizzle it on top and mix with a large wooden spoon.  (Got that idea from my friend Nicole, and it’s delicious!)

I came home from work after making this for 20+ children with so many leftovers that I made an enormous batch of this stuff for Jay and I, and I STILL have leftover cereal for later.

Kids’ Trail Mix

Serves an entire class and probably their families, too ;o)

Ingredients: (generic brands are great!)

2 cups Corn and/or Rice Chex cereal
1 cup Cheerios
1.5 cup Cocoa Puffs
1.5 cup Fruit Loops
1 cup mini marshmallows
1.5 cups organic banana chips

(Feel free to add M&Ms or melted chocolate… I couldn’t because of all the peanut allergies…)

Directions:

Mix all the cereal in a large bowl.  Add marshmallows and banana chips last.  Give it a quick stir.

You’re probably wondering what on earth I am thinking to put carrots in a cookie.  Quite frankly, I don’t blame you.  It sounds strange.  But if it’s strange, I’m making it.  So long as it doesn’t entail exotic meats... That kind of uniqueness ain’t for me.

Carrots are wonderful because they can be used in savory dishes as well as sweet, baked goods.  If you don’t believe me, check out my Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Spread.  You’ll see what I’m talking about )

These cookies are sweetened with pure maple syrup – no sugar.   Others who have made this cookie say that it’s not sweet enough and add turbinado sugar on top (Sugar in the Raw), but I don’t think it’s necessary.  They are perfectly sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, but subtle enough for everyone to enjoy – including my parents who do not do sugary sweets in any shape or form.

The original recipe found on the 101 Cookbooks foodblog calls for walnuts.

You guessed it.  I omitted them.  I just can’t do it.  )

On a random side note, I would like to share with you an awesome kitchen gadget that I have and LOVE.  It’s a grater, but it’s designed for messy people like me so there is minimal clean up.

See?  It all goes in the container, not the counter and floor!

They come in all different grate sizes.  I used the smallest for the carrots so they wouldn’t be chunky and crunchy in my cookies.

I really enjoy these cookies because they are perfect for those days when you want to bake but you don’t have eggs, butter or milk.  I had one little egg left in the carton.  That’s not enough for most baking recipes.  I had a swig of milk left, which MUST be saved for Jay.  He does not function without his milk in the morning (so cute…).   And I had a ton of butter, but I didn’t feel like using it.  This recipe calls for coconut oil instead, which is quickly becoming a favorite baking staple in my house.  It adds no extra sweetness but leaves a coconutty after taste in your mouth – and it makes your kitchen smell wonderful while it’s baking.  It’s a little expensive, but well worth the investment.

So all you carrot cookie skeptics need to at least try these.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised!  They taste like macaroons!

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

Source: 101 Cookbooks

Yields: 30 small cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose works, too)
1 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted…)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup unrefined (fragrant) coconut oil, warmed until just melted
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats.

I used steel cut oats.  It’s texture is a little different than your typical oatmeal.

Add the nuts and carrots. In a separate smaller bowl use a whisk to combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and ginger. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Drop onto prepared baking sheets, one level tablespoonful at a time, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake in the top 1/3 of the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden on top and bottom.

Besides a grilled veggie sandwich, my all-time favorite lunch is a peanut butter and banana sandwich.  And if anyone happens to throw in some marshmallow fluff and/or chocolate, I won’t tell.  YUM.  I used to eat two of them every day during college (can we say freshman 15???).

I had a whole bunch of very, VERY ripe bananas sitting on my counter this morning, and I had a thought.  I would LOVE to make banana bread… better yet, I would LOVE to make peanut butter banana bread!  Even though this idea was original for me, I knew that there would be a recipe online for it.  And I was right )  AND it was a healthier version to boot.  Fantastic.

Even thought this is a more “healthy” version of the bread, you can’t even tell.  It’s sweet, it’s peanut buttery, and it’s incredible.  Basically it’s a woman’s dream all wrapped up in one baked good.  My friend Nicole tried it today at work and absolutely loved it.  She’s a queen baker so that means a lot!!!  )

Peanut Butter Banana Bread (with Chocolate Chips)

Source: Peanut Butter Boy

Yields 1 to 2 loaves

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose flour also works well but try to use unbleached)
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used natural cane sugar)
1T baking powder
3/4t salt
1/4t cinnamon
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt
1t vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg)
3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks (I used chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans (or muffin tins).

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, vanilla and egg.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Split evenly between the two pans  and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Since the batter can easily fit  into one pan – If you want to make only one loaf, bake for 20- 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

My dear friend Nikki and her boyfriend are coming up from Florida to see us today.  Nikki is the girl that I can count on to keep me in line as far as healthy eating goes.

In honor of Nikki and her love for healthy eating, I baked these cookies with her in mind.  Not an ounce of butter was used in this.  I substituted it with coconut oil giving the cookies a rich, coconut undertone.

Natural cane sugar was also used rather than the typical processed and bleached granulated sugar.  And finally, the recipe called for whole wheat pastry flour allowing for a smoother consistency in the dough.  It is also not bleached and enriched like typical all-purpose flour.

I have to say that even though the banana chips gave the cookies a slight crunch, I enjoyed it.  It subtly heightened the coconut flavor.  I did, however, omit the walnuts.  As always, not a fan of walnuts in my baked goods.

It’s probably not a surprise that these healthy treats came from 101 Cookbooks.  If you ever want a healthy version of a favorite meal or treat, this blog will provide you with alternatives.

Double Chips Cookies: Banana and Chocolate

Yields 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose is fine but try to use unbleached, if you can!)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
1 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup banana chips, loosely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next.

Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much). By hand, stir in the banana chips and chocolate chips – mix just until everything is evenly distributed.

Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 – 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom.  Do not over bake. I pulled the cookies out of the oven when I thought that they were underdone, and they ended up being perfect!

I would have never thought to put bananas and espresso together in a muffin, a cake, or in anything.  I was quite intrigued by the thought of these two flavors blended and baked together with cane sugar and vanilla.   Sounds pretty tempting, mostly because of the espresso.

And that’s because I am a huge java junkie.  I eagerly await my Gevalia Coffee shipment each month and get so excited when it arrives on my door step.   I do not splurge often, but I encourage all to splurge a little on one of your favorite things – and mine happens to be café au lait or a vanilla cappuccino with soy milk, or an awesome cookbook.

Heidi Swanson has quickly become my absolute favorite cook to follow.  Her blog 101 Cookbooks is amazing and so is her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking.  I have made several of her recipes and have been blown away by them all.  Her selection of ingredients are natural and wholesome, yet incredibly flavorful.  Just because you eat healthy does not mean you have to deprive yourself of flavor.  I am learning this now thanks to Heidi Swanson.

These amazingly delicious muffins come from her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking.  The only changes that I made were the omitted the walnuts (I’m not a big fan of a crunch in my soft muffins, breads, and cakes) and the use of one cup of whole wheat flour and one cup of unbleached all-purpose flour because I didn’t have the white whole-wheat flour that the recipe called for.

Espresso Banana Muffins

Source: Super Natural Cooking, p. 38

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 1/4 cups chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
1 Tbs. fine espresso powder
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and position the racks low in the oven, and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup of the walnuts, and espresso powder in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

In a separate large bowl, or a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, yogurt, and mashed bananas, then very carefully mix in the dry ingredients. Be sure not to overmix or the muffins will become tough.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, top with remaining walnuts, and bake until golden – about 25 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes then place on wire rack to finish cooling.

Okay, I have mentioned in the past that when I make something particularly delicious my husband gives me a huge smile and a high five after his first bite.  Well, today I was ready to give myself a high five.

I tell you why…

…I typically get home from work around 7pm and even though it’s late, I want to have a nice meal with the hubby.  My problem is that I am usually SOOOOO hungry that I gnosh my way through my cabinets before dinner is ready.  To alleviate this problem I need to make something quick and easy.

On my way to work I stopped and picked up a pineapple.  Basically because it was on sale for $1.99.  So after work, I poured myself a glass of red wine (or two) and decided that I wanted to grill my pineapple.  I took a moment to reflect on my Maple Ginger Salmon and how deliciously caramelized it turned out because of the maple syrup that was put on top.  Well why can’t I do that with pineapple!?  I didn’t have any maple syrup or honey left (gasp!) but I definitely have some agave nectar on hand, which is a similar consistency to honey so I was happy.  Time for some grilled fruit!!

Agave nectar resembles honey in its consistency but is more water soluble.  It is actually derived from the tequila plant and is a natural sweetener that many use for their baking, hot beverages, and so on as a substitute for processed sugar.  I recently bought it from Trader Joe’s and will never look back.  (Thanks, Nikki!)

If you happen to find Agave Nectar (otherwise known as Agave Syrup) in the organic section of your local grocery store or at your local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  It’s not super sweet in flavor but has a distinct presence in dishes and drinks.

If you can’t find Agave Nectar, honey works just as well in this recipe.  )

My grilled pineapple took all of 10 minutes and was so unbelievably juicy and sweet that I wish I had bought TWO!

Grilled Pineapple with Agave Nectar and Coconut Flakes

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pineapple, trimmed, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
4 Tbs. agave nectar or honey
1 tsp. lime or lemon juice
freshly cracked pepper
Coconut flakes, to garnish

Directions:

Add oil to indoor grill pan and place on high heat.

Mix nectar or honey, lemon/lime juice, and pepper in a small bowl.  Brush on both sides of sliced pineapple.

Grill for 3-5 minutes or until grill marks appear.  Flip pineapple and repeat.  Make sure not to overcook otherwise pineapple will fall apart.

Garnish with coconut flakes.

I have 3 guilty-pleasure foods that I have loved since I was brought into this beautiful, food-filled world…

1. Fettuccine Alfredo
2. Big Macs
3. Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts by Kellogg’s

It does not matter what food I am introduced to, I will always love these 3 the most.  It has been this way forever.

Since I made my own strawberry jam, I needed to figure out ways to use it besides just spreading it on my bread.  Well hello Kellogg’s!  Let’s make strawberry, frosted pastry pockets!  I know that I seem to say this a lot, but this recipe mildly adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody was so simple that I didn’t even need a mixer!

Unfortunately, I get minus points for presentation, I apologize for that.  I made REALLY tiny pastries because I did not want the temptation in my house like the Lemon Sugar Cookies brought.  Being so small, I had trouble pressing the edges down without making the entire pastry an edge!

But hey, they sure do taste good.

I was initially put off by the glaze that I made.  It was WAY too sweet and I was afraid that it would ruin my little beauties.  Luckily the pie crust that I made was not sweet so it balanced the sweet jam and glaze.  Phew – that was a close one.

Strawberry Frosted Pastry Pockets

(yields 4 pastries)

Ingredients:

Pie crust (store bought or see recipe below)
Strawberry Jam (I made my own)
Glaze (see recipe below)
Sparkling Sugar or rainbow jimmies

To make Pie Crust:

1-1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
3 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour and salt in bowl.

Add butter and extract and blend with fork, pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture is fairly coarse.

Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing dough after each addition until dough forms a ball.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a square/rectangle. Cut out long strips about 2 inches wide, and 3 inches long. Repeat till you run out of dough.

To make Glaze:

1 cup powder sugar
milk to thin

Place powdered sugar in bowl. Pour milk slowly until it has a consistency of really thick syrup.

Directions to make the Pastries:

Take one pie crust rectangle, fill with a tsp of jam. Cover with another piece of pie crust.

Crimp all four edges. You may use a fork to do this.

Repeat until you run out of pie crust. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until slightly brown. Set aside to cool.

Once cooled, pour glaze on to pastry and decorate with sparkling sugar or jimmies.