Baklava Cookie Bars

So I absolutely LOVE Baklava! The crunchy, sweet, nutty, sticky little gems are addicting yet expensive when you buy them in grocery stores. I tried making them at home and failed miserably because it's really time consuming to make and fillo dough is incredibly finicky. I was about to throw in the towel until I came across these Baklava Cookie Bar recipe on Betty Crocker. It's seriously the best of both worlds because it's part cookie and part Baklava. The best part? The Baklava portion of the cookie tastes exactly like the real deal but with the fraction of the work!

Baklava Cookie Bars

(Source: Betty Crocker)

Cookie Base

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 egg

Filling

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 frozen mini fillo shells (I used all the mini fillo shells from a 1.9 oz package)

Glaze

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish

5 tablespoons honey

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir walnuts, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the salt with fork until mixture is well mixed and crumbly. Sprinkle nut mixture evenly over partially baked base. With hands, crumble frozen fillo shells evenly over nut mixture. Bake 18 to 20 minutes longer or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons butter, the brown sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon uncovered on High 1 minute or until bubbly. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle honey mixture evenly over fillo. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Before serving, drizzle 1/2 teaspoon honey over each bar. Store covered at room temperature.

Spicy Maple Chicken Drummies

Want an easy and quick dinner to make during the week? This drumstick recipe is absolutely amazing! So simple to make and so flavorful. The only change that I made was doubling the sauce so Dr. Sweetpea and I could drizzle some over our chicken before devouring the drumsticks.

Spicy Maple Chicken Drummies

(Source: Pillsbury)

1/2 cup real maple syrup or honey

1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce

4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne), if desired

2 pounds chicken drummettes (about 20) ---we used drumsticks

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix all ingredients except chicken. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, place chicken. Pour syrup mixture over chicken; turn chicken to coat. Bake uncovered 45 to 55 minutes, turning once and brushing with syrup mixture after 30 minutes, until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone (180°F). Serve chicken with syrup mixture.

Creamy Salty and Sweet Spirals

A couple years ago, I decided to make my mom's creamy spirals and take it to work for a potluck. I had all the ingredients on hand except the chopped red peppers, so I substituted dried cranberries for the red peppers and it made this spirals even better. I now exclusively use dried cranberries since they add a tangy/sweet flavor and balances out the saltyness from the ranch. 

Creamy Salty and Sweet Spirals

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 package of ranch dip mix

Chopped green onions

1 package of dried cranberries

Chopped black olives

Flour tortillas

Mix cream cheese and ranch dip mix. Spread a thin layer of mixture on tortillas. Sprinkle green onions, dried cranberries, and black olives over the cream cheese. Roll up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap overnight. Slices rolls into 1/2 inch pieces before serving. 

 

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Looking for a quick and simple way to use your red potatoes??? Garlic Roasted Potatoes are it! Plus, if you're a huuuge fan of garlic like us, than this is going to be a double hit since the garlic makes this side dish super flavorful. 

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

(Source: Ina Garden)

3 pounds small red or white potatoes

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.