Fake It Til You Make It: Chocolate Crescent "Croissants"

As a gal who loves my trips to Paris, I can safely tell you these are NOTHING like the real deal French croissant. 

But, this easy peasy Chocolate Crescent Croissant recipe will thrill your kiddos when they want a breakfast that is beyond a bowl of Cheerios or a Pop-Tart and when you just want to enjoy your cup of coffee without measuring, whisking and/or making a big breakfast production.

A tube of crescent rolls is a great thing to have on hand. They can turn into so many lovely things.

This recipe is so easy. Definitely enjoy them warm from the oven.

Chocolate Crescent Croissants

(Makes 8)

1 8 count Pillsburry Original Crescent Rolls (8 count)
1/3 cup  semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided (About 2 tsp. per crescent roll triangle)

For the icing:
3/4 cup mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 6.5 by 6 inch plastic sandwich bag with a zipper seal

Optional: Powdered sugar to serve.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.

Open package of crescent roll dough and unroll it. Separate the dough into 8 triangles by following the perforations.

Sprinkle mini chocolate chips (about 2 tsp per triangle) evenly over the dough triangles. Starting with the wider side of the triangle. Roll the triangles into crescents. Line up prepared crescents evenly onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove tray to a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, place 3/4 cup mini or regular chips into a microwave safe bowl. Melt at 30 second intervals. Stir. Repeat until fully melted (about a minute and a half).

Swiftly, spoon the melted chocolate into a plastic sandwich bag. Seal the bag. Using a kitchen shear, cut a corner off the bottom of the bag so that you can pipe the melted chocolate on top of each baked crescent in the swirly design of your choice. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm!

Strawberry Shortcake Scones

Jersey strawberries are here, and they are so amazing. The perfect way to enjoy them is with this fabulous Strawberry Shortcake Scone recipe.

Now if making scones seem like a difficult baking transaction for you, please allow me to offer a few tips:

1. Keep your ingredients cold - particularly the half and half and butter. You should dice the butter first and put it right back in the fridge while prepping the other ingredients.

2. Prep all ingredients before mixing so that you are ready to go. You need to move swiftly with making scones.

3. Once you add the half and half, mix the ingredients lightly with your hands. Literally with your hands! It makes a mess but it's how you get the perfect consistency.

4. Do not over mix. This isn't like cookie dough or cake batter, during which we beat the ingredients mercilessly. Scone mixing is light and fluffy and finished when the few ingredients just come together.

5. Have your surface lightly floured and your knife ready to go so that you can cut the scones as soon as the dough is mixed.

These scones are heavenly.  I hope you love them!

Strawberry Shortcake Scones
By Lisa Kerhin
blogghetti.com
Makes 12

For strawberry scones:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. very cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup diced strawberries
3/4 cup half and half

For glaze:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; whisk lightly.

3. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender, two knives or your hands until mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.

4. Add in the strawberries and coat lightly with the flour mixture

5. Add half and half to mixture; fold together gently until the mixture just begins to come together to form a soft dough. Try to not over knead the dough.

6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 6 squares, then cut the squares diagonally to form 12 triangles.

7. Place scones on prepared baking sheet and bake 16-18 minutes or until scones are cooked through and golden brown.

8. To keep your counter clean, place a sheet of parchment down under a cooling rack. Remove scones from pan to cooling rack. Cool about 15 minutes before glazing.

9. To make glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and half and half until smooth. If your glaze is too thick, add a little more cream. If it's too thin, increase the powdered sugar by 1/4 cup or less until the desired consistency is achieved. You want the glaze to be thick yet  pourable.

10. When scones are cooled, drizzle the glaze over them. Glaze will firm up when scones are completely cooled.

11. Recipe adapted from Alaska from Scratch.

Wow Factor Linguine with Crabs

Hope you are all surviving the quarantine.

I picked up a can of lump crab meat recently. With meat shortages hitting my grocery store, I've been expanding my menus to try different proteins when whipping up din. It's like the chicken section of the store has totally reached the apocalypse.

We often have a fab crab meat marinara on Christmas Eve, and my son does eat it so I thought I would try this amazing Linguine with Crab by Rachael Ray. It features a white sauce and lots of herbs. Pancetta is a main ingredient. Like a well-prepared Italian cook, the Jersey Girl ALWAYS has sliced pancetta on hand in the freezer.

This dish was a hit with my husband and son. The texture of the linguine holds up perfectly with the crab. I will definitely be making this again. It can definitely work for an elevated din with guests - if we are every allowed to have people over again. Ha. It's nice and light so I can see me dining on this al fresca under the moonlight. Dreamy.

I did sub out the fresh peppers for just a 1/4 tsp. of dried red pepper flakes. I thought that would be more child friendly. My son can handle some spice, but I didn't want to overdo it. In case you are having trouble finding chives, the green tops of scallions can be used in their place.

Linguine with Crab
4 Servings
From "Everyone is Italian on Sunday" by Rachael Ray

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, finely diced
4 large shallots, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 red Holland or Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. linguine
1 pound lump, king or snow crabmeat
Grated zest of juice of 1 organic lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

In a deep large skillet, heat the oil (2 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. When it ripples, add the pancetta and render 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, chiles, thyme, salt and pepper and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until it has reduced by half. Swirl in the butter, then reduce the heat to low to keep warm while the pasta cooks.

Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to just shy of al dente. Before draining, ladle out about a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce along with the crabmeat, lemon zest and lemon juice. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes for the pasta to finish cooking and to allow the flavors to be absorbed. Toss in the parsley and chives and adjust the seasonings.

Please note: The Jersey Girl used white wine instead of vermouth and 1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes instead of fresh hot peppers.