Amy's Delicious Mess https://amysdeliciousmess.com/ Delicious recipes using simple ingredients Mon, 04 Jan 2021 06:25:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cropped-ADM-Logo-Yellow-Batter-32x32.png Amy's Delicious Mess https://amysdeliciousmess.com/ 32 32 Top 10 Recipes of 2020 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/top-10-recipes-of-2020/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/top-10-recipes-of-2020/#respond Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=3163 2020 has come to an end and it’s time to move into the new year. There have been so many good recipes this year but I wanted to share with you the top 10 recipes of 2020. Before getting into it, I just want to thank all of you for your support with my blog. […]

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2020 has come to an end and it’s time to move into the new year. There have been so many good recipes this year but I wanted to share with you the top 10 recipes of 2020.

Before getting into it, I just want to thank all of you for your support with my blog. 2020 has been a year of growth and I’m excited to see what 2021 has in store!

10. Mixed Berry Lemon Pie Bars

These bars are very versatile and work with any berry and citrus combination of your choice. Perfect for when you want a hand held dessert for a picnic or party.

Mixed berry lemon pie bars stacked on parchment paper, with whole strawberries and more mixed berry lemon pie bars in the back ground, vintage pink depression glass ice cream dish with whipped cream, small white vase with gray cracks

9. Oreo Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Chocolate cupcakes that are filled with Oreo pieces and topped with a tart cream cheese frosting. Perfect for any cupcake craving or celebration.

Oreo Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream with liner peeled back, extra cupcakes in the background

8. Baked Ham and Cheese Empanadas

These are a grown up version of a childhood favorite. A crispy and flaky pastry that’s filled with salty ham and cheddar. They are prefect as an appetizer or snack.

Baked ham and cheese empanadas on small white round plate with one empanada cut in half to show the inside. additional empanadas in the background on a round white plate. on white kitchen towel with blue and gray stripes.

7. Purple Sweet Potato Muffins

A vegan muffin that is all natural in color. Purple sweet potatoes lend these the prettiest color to these moist and delicious muffins.

Purple sweet potato muffins on white plate

6. Gooey Browned Butter S’mores Bars

These are some ooey, gooey, and decadent bars. S’more that are in bar form making them perfect for a picnic or party.

Stack of s'more bars on parchment paper next to a chocolate bar with nuts and a slab of s'mores bars in the background

5. Purple Sweet Potato Biscuits

Purple sweet potatoes add a vibrant color to these biscuits. They are flaky, slightly sweet, and pair perfectly with some butter and jam.

Stack of purple sweet potato biscuits on white sheet tray with whole strawberries

4. No Churn Coffee Oreo Ice Cream

If you love coffee, then you will love this ice cream. No special equipment needed to make this frozen treat which means anyone can make it at home!

Hand holding waffle cone with ice cream topped with Oreo chunks. Loaf pan with extra ice cream and ice cream scoop, plus waffle cones in the background

3. The EASIEST English Muffin Bread

A great starter bread for when you don’t have much experience with yeast. So simple to put together and no kneading is required. This makes the best toast for breakfast or to use for sandwiches.

English muffin loaves on silver metal cooling rack, one loaf sliced, small ramekin of butter, small jar of jam with small silver spoon on top, silver butter knife, white kitchen towel, small round black plate with slice of English muffin bread with butter and jam, half eaten

2. Ube Crinkle Cookies

A different take on classic crinkle cookies. Purple sweet potatoes and a touch of ube extract produce the vibrant color of these beautiful cookies. A fun addition to any cookie tray.

Hand holding a cookie broken in half, additional cookies in the background on a silver cooling rack

1. Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

My most popular cookies that are requested each year. I’ve been making these for year and they will always make an appearance during the holidays.

Let me know if your favorites made it onto this list or what you think should have been on here!

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Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach https://amysdeliciousmess.com/caramelized-onion-and-feta-rugelach/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/caramelized-onion-and-feta-rugelach/#respond Mon, 21 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=3126 We have been overdosing on sweets around here. With all of the holiday baking and my birthday mixed in, we have had more than our fair share of desserts and cookies. On a whim I came up with these Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach. I decided after all the cookies I’ve been making, I needed […]

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We have been overdosing on sweets around here. With all of the holiday baking and my birthday mixed in, we have had more than our fair share of desserts and cookies. On a whim I came up with these Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach.

I decided after all the cookies I’ve been making, I needed to mix things up and try something different. I have never heard of savory rugelach, but since my rugelach dough is not sweetened, it can really go either sweet or savory.

Baked rugelach on metal USA pan small sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

We love caramelized onions and try to incorporate it into different dishes. One dish that we make all the time is my Mushroom Crust Quiche with Ham and tend to add a layer of caramelized onions. We also use it on top of burgers, add it to dip, or breakfast burritos. Caramelized onions add sweetness and a rich flavor to any dish.

You guys, not to toot my own horn but these are delicious. They are crispy, flaky, slightly sweet from the caramelized onions, and the perfect appetizer. Finish these off with some flaky salt before popping in the oven and you are rewarded with delicious savory appetizer.

Ingredients labeled and process shots for assembling rugelach.
1. Ingredients for rugelach
2. Roll out the dough and spread caramelized onion evenly over the dough
3. Sprinkle with feta and black pepper then cut into triangles
4. Start rolling from the outside in

As I’ve mentioned before, we have an air fryer that we love. These Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach are really good reheated in the air fryer. They get warm and crispy again, making these perfect to make ahead and reheat before you want to serve them.

Tips for homemade rugelach

Make the dough and caramelized onions the day before you want to bake, you want both to be chilled before using. The dough needs to be well chilled, otherwise it is quite sticky and would be impossible to work with.

Once you are ready to roll the dough, make sure you have enough flour on your surface so it won’t stick. I like to pick up the dough and rotate it as I’m rolling to ensure it’s not sticking.

Process shots for rolling and brushing rugelach with milk on baking sheet.
5. Roll up rugelach completely
6. Place rugelach on parchment lined pan with point side down
7. Brush rugelach with milk
8. Sprinkle with flaky salt

Don’t worry if your dough is not a perfect circle, mine never are and they still turn out great. It makes them look homemade and rustic! My rugelach are also always different sizes, but I don’t mind.

I prefer to use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into triangles. A sharp knife would work perfectly fine as well, it’s just fun using the pizza cutter on these.

Hand holding baked rugelach with additional rugelach in the background on parchment paper.

Rugelach dough can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to three months. Any leftover baked rugelach can be frozen up to one month. I like to freeze my dough ahead of time during the holidays so I can just roll and bake cookies when needed.

Make sure to finely chop the caramelized onions. It will make it easier when spreading them over the dough. As you can see in my pictures, I have some spots that look like there’s no onion. That’s ok though, as you roll them up there will be onion evenly distributed.

Hand holding rugelach with bite taken out.  Additional rugelach in the background on parchment paper.

If you really wanted to, you could blend the onions into a paste to spread out. I like the rustic look and the pieces of onions. Do what feels right to you, there’s really no wrong way to do these as they will still taste great!

I highly recommend the addition of flaky salt on top. I’ve tried this recipe with and without the salt, and the salt version was better.

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Baked rugelach arranged on top of and next to each other on parchment paper with crumbles of feta for decoration.
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Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach

Caramelized Onion and Feta Rugelach are crispy, flaky, slightly sweet from the caramelized onions, and the perfect appetizer. A great savory alternative to traditional rugelach.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword caramelized onions, Cheese, cream cheese, pastry
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 33 minutes
Chilling time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 33 minutes
Servings 32 rugelach

Ingredients

Dough

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour (1/8 cup is equivalent to 2 tablespoons)

Caramelized onions

  • 1 1/2-2 large onions, diced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • pinch kosher salt
  • water, for deglazing the pan if needed

Filling

  • 1 cup caramelized onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon milk (I used alternative milk), to brush on top
  • flaky salt for topping, optional

Instructions

Make the caramelized onions

  • Heat up vegetable oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the diced onions and stir with a wooden spoon °until translucent. 
  • Season with a pinch of salt and reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep stirring for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown in color. 
  • If the bottom of the pan starts getting too brown, add a splash of water and scrape the brown bits off.  The onions will absorb the water.  You do not want your onions to have too much moisture, so be sure to cook off any excess liquid.
  • Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate until needed.

Make the dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until well blended together.
  • Add in 1/2 of the flour and mix until incorporated, then add in the remaining flour and mix until fully incorporated. Scraping down the sides as needed. The dough will be soft and sticky, but don’t add any additional flour.
  • Divide the dough in 1/2 and place each piece of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Fold over half of the plastic wrap and press down into a 1-inch thick circle. Then wrap up with the remaining plastic wrap.
  • Continue until you have all of the dough wrapped. Place in the fridge to chill overnight.

Making the rugelach

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Lightly coat your dough circle with flour and on a lightly floured surface (I like to use parchment paper), roll out one disk of dough to a 11-inch circle. Use more flour as necessary as you don’t want the dough to stick to your surface.
  • Spread 1/2 cup of finely chopped caramelized onion over the surface of the dough and sprinkle on about 1/8 cup of crumbled feta. Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) of black pepper.
  • Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge starting from the outer edge in towards the middle.
  • Once rolled, place on the prepared sheet pan with the point side down. Continue rolling the remaining rugelach until you have enough to fill your pan. Once the pan is filled, brush on milk and sprinkle with flaky salt (if using).
  • Bake for 30-33 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the tray 1/2 through baking. Transfer to a wire cooling rack once they come out of the oven to cool. These are best served warm or at room temperature.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. These will keep up to 4 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.

Notes

  1. I like to make the dough and caramelized onions to day before.  This makes the assembly process easier as everything is chilled and ready to go.
  2. You can easily double this recipe or just the dough.  This is the exact same dough recipe as my Raspberry Walnut Rugelach.  You could make 1/2 savory and 1/2 sweet for an appetizer and dessert!
  3. The dough freezes really well, you can make extra keep dough on hand for when you want an easier rugelach.
  4. You can freeze the baked rugelach in a plastic freezer bag for up to a month.  When you are ready to serve you can simple refresh them in the oven or air fryer at 350F until they are warm and crispy.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.
 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

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Baked rugelach arranged on top and next to each other on parchment paper.

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Brownie Cookies with Walnuts https://amysdeliciousmess.com/brownie-cookies-with-walnuts/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/brownie-cookies-with-walnuts/#respond Mon, 14 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=3099 Do you love brownies? How about cookies? Well these Brownie Cookies with Walnuts are the result of turning brownies into cookies! I have tested these out no more than 9 times and this is the best version. They are soft, chocolaty, nutty, and taste just like a brownie. These have been a huge hit and […]

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Do you love brownies? How about cookies? Well these Brownie Cookies with Walnuts are the result of turning brownies into cookies! I have tested these out no more than 9 times and this is the best version. They are soft, chocolaty, nutty, and taste just like a brownie.

These have been a huge hit and I will be putting these on my list to make every year. While the cookies may look unassuming, don’t dismiss them. I promise you, if you like brownies then you will love these cookies.

Three brownie cookies stacked on each other with chocolate chips and additional cookies on parchment paper.  Next to light gray linen napkin.

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The flavor seriously reminds me of fudge brownies. It must be the combination of the oil and butter in the cookie dough and makes the magic happen. These are seriously addictive and it’s hard to stop at just one. As a chocolate lover, these will satisfy any chocolate craving.

The best part of these Brownie Cookies with Walnuts? They only require one bowl and no mixer is needed. Sometimes you want to just be able to whip up a batch of cookies and not have to clean every bowl and mixer. These cookies come together in no time!

Ingredients labeled and process shots for brownie cookie dough.
1. Ingredients for cookies
2. Add cocoa powder, sugar, butter, and vegetable oil to a bowl
3. Mix until combined
4. Add egg and vanilla extract and stir to combine

How to make the best brownie cookies

When you are measuring your flour, always use the scoop method. This is where you use a spoon or scoop to scoop flour into your measuring cup and then level it off. You want to avoid scooping your measuring cup directly into your flour as you will tend to get more flour per cup.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it can affect your end product. More flour could result in these cookies being dryer and crumblier. No one wants to have a dry brownie cookie!

Process shots for mixing brownie cookie dough together and scooping onto a cookie sheet.
5. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder
6. Mix until combined and then add the chocolate chips and walnuts
7. Mix until combined and evenly distributed
8. Scoop onto a prepared baking sheet

I added a little bit of espresso powder to the cookie dough, coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate. You don’t taste any coffee flavor, but you can leave it out if you don’t want to use it. I love using these single serve packs so I don’t have to open a whole jar of espresso powder since I rarely use it.

I highly suggest using good cocoa powder. Since these are simple cookies and cocoa is the dominant flavor, you want to use the best you can find. I have linked my preferred brand, but you can certainly use what you prefer.

Baked cookies arranged on top of each other randomly on parchment paper next to light gray linen napkin.

Walnuts, are one of those nuts that people either love or hate. I happen to love all nuts and feel that they add great texture to these cookies. I don’t bother toasting them before throwing them into the cookie batter. If you want to add more nuttiness then you can toast them.

Alternatively, if you don’t like nuts or just want to leave them out you can. I’ve made this both with and without nuts and they are good either way. If you leave out the walnuts, you can add additional chocolate chips.

Semi sweet chocolate chips are usually my go to and I keep large quantities of them around. Semi sweet chocolate chips work well with these cookies because they add some sweetness but aren’t overwhelming.

Hand holding brownie cookie with bite taken out of it.  Additional cookies in the background on parchment paper.

If you prefer. you can certainly use any kind of chocolate you’d like. These would also be great with mint chips for a mint chocolate brownie cookie. The base recipe is great so you can easily swap out some mix-ins to customize to your tastes!

When scooping out cookie dough, I always recommend using a cookie scoop. They are great and ensure that your cookies are all uniform in size. You can also use them for scooping muffins, meatballs or even ice cream.

More desserts with chocolate to try

Mini No Bake S’mores Tarts

Gooey Browned Butter S’mores Bars

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie

Medium round white plate with brownie cookies stacked in a mound. Light gray linen napkin, chocolate chips, and walnut pieces in the background.
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Brownie Cookies with Walnuts

Brownie Cookies with Walnuts are exactly what they sound like. Brownies that are in cookie form for when you want something a little different. They are packed with chocolate chips and walnuts, perfect for that chocolate craving.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate, christmas cookies, cookies, nuts, one bowl recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 24 cookies, approximately

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, butter and vegetable oil.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix until incorporated.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and mix until almost completely incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until combined and there are no more streaks of flour. Do not over mix your dough.
  • Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out cookie dough balls about 1-2 tablespoon in size. Place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. If you want flatter cookies, you can press them down.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle still looks slightly soft. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on they baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week on the counter.

Notes

  1. If you don’t like nuts, you can always add more chocolate chips.
  2. These cookies do not spread because of the amount of nuts and chocolate chips, if you prefer you can decrease the amount of the mix-ins and they will spread a little more.  If you don’t want to decrease the mix-ins, you can decrease the flour to 1 cup.  I’ve done it this way as well and liked both versions.
  3. You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months.  Normally I like to eat cookies frozen, but with these you want to thaw before enjoying.  They are a little too thick to enjoy right out of the freezer.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.
 
 
Recipe adapted from Cafe Delites

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

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Stack of three cookies with bite missing out of top cookie.  Stacked on top of other cookies arranged on parchment paper.  Light gray linen napkin, chocolate chips, and walnut pieces in the background.

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Raspberry Walnut Rugelach https://amysdeliciousmess.com/raspberry-walnut-rugelach/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/raspberry-walnut-rugelach/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=3063 Rugelach is one of those cookies that I don’t see very often but whenever I do, I have to try it. It’s one of my absolute favorite cookies. I know I say that about a lot of cookies, but to be fair I have a sweet tooth and cookies and coffee are my weakness! Raspberry […]

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Rugelach is one of those cookies that I don’t see very often but whenever I do, I have to try it. It’s one of my absolute favorite cookies. I know I say that about a lot of cookies, but to be fair I have a sweet tooth and cookies and coffee are my weakness! Raspberry Walnut Rugelach are my weakness.

I’m usually good after one or two cookies, but with these I could easily polish off a whole plate. These are small cookies so it’s not hard for anyone to do! They are crisp, buttery, flaky, and filled with sweet jam and crunchy nuts.

Small round light blue plate with stack of baked cookies arranged on each other. Pink and white stripped kitchen towel, glittery green and gold wire trees, and walnuts in the background for decoration.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Rugelach originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. Traditionally were made into crescent shapes but I’ve seen ones that are rolled into a log. I prefer the crescent shape because the edges get crispy while the inside is still soft.

How to make rugelach

Rugelach may look hard to make but really they are just made out of a few components. The cream cheese and butter dough is unsweetened and slightly tangy. Somehow with a few simple ingredients you end up with a flaky and crispy dough.

Small round light blue plate with stack of baked cookies arranged on each other with hand holding one rugelach. Pink and white stripped kitchen towel and cinnamon sticks in the background for decoration.

Once the dough is chilled, roll it out and add the filling. Raspberry jam and walnuts is my favorite, but you can switch up the jam or nuts if you like. I used raspberry freezer jam, which I made using my freezer jam recipe.

I always use walnuts, but I imagine pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds would also be delicious. Don’t like nuts? Feel free to leave them out and add dried fruit or chocolate instead.

Ingredients labeled and process shots for making the dough.
1. Dough ingredients
2. Cream butter and cream cheese then add the flour
3. Once the flour is incorporated divide dough into 4 pieces
4. Place dough on plastic wrap and flatten

Roll the pieces up and then place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar on top for a little extra sweetness. It’s as simple as that!

Tips for homemade rugelach

Make the dough the day before you want to bake your cookies, it needs to be well chilled before rolling. Otherwise the dough is quite sticky and would be impossible to work with.

Ingredients labeled and process shots for wrapping the dough and rolling it out.
5. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and chill
6. Filling ingredients
7. Lightly coat chilled dough with flour and roll out on a lightly floured surface
8. Place jam on dough

Once you are ready to roll the dough, make sure you have enough flour on your surface so it won’t stick. I like to pick up the dough and rotate it as I’m rolling to ensure it’s not sticking.

Don’t worry if your dough is not a perfect circle, mine never are and they still turn out great. It makes them look homemade and rustic!

These are simple cookies so you want to make sure you are using the best ingredients. I recommend a good quality jam as the filling is the most prominent flavor.

Process shorts for filling the dough , cutting and starting to roll the cookies.
9. Spread jam out evenly
10. Sprinkle with nuts and cinnamon sugar
11. Cut into 16 wedges
12. Start rolling from the outside

You want your nuts to be chopped fairly fine, so they will be evenly distributed in the filling. Since these are fairly small cookies, it leads to a better ratio in the cookies as well.

You can easily adjust the sweetness of these cookies based on how much cinnamon sugar you add to the filling. I prefer mine to be a little less sweet, so I tend to use less cinnamon sugar. You can store cinnamon sugar in an empty spice jar with a shaker to easily sprinkle the sugar over the dough.

Process shots for rolling the cookies and raw and baked cookies on a tray.
13. Continue rolling towards the middle
14. Rolled cookie
15. Place point side down on a prepared baking sheet
16. Baked cookies

To spread out the jam, I like to use an offset spatula (not necessary but very handy). I also prefer to use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into triangles. A sharp knife would work perfectly fine as well, it’s just fun finding another use for a pizza cutter.

The rugelach dough can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months or baked cookies can be frozen up to one month. I like to freeze my dough ahead of time during the holidays so I can just roll and bake cookies when needed.

Have you tried Raspberry Walnut Rugelach? What’s your favorite type of rugelach?

Baked rugelach arranged on parchment paper with one bite taken out of rugelach on top.

More holiday recipes to try

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Bake rugelach on light blue round plate with prink and white stripped kitchen towel in the background.
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Raspberry Walnut Rugelach

These Raspberry Walnut Rugelach are crispy, buttery, flaky, and lightly sweetened. Cream cheese really makes this dough unique and memorable.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Jewish
Keyword freezer jam, nuts, pastry
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling time 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours 25 minutes
Servings 32 2 cookies each

Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts, or nut of your choice
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup raspberry jam, or jam of your choice

Instructions

Make the dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until well blended together.
  • Add in 1/2 of the flour and mix until incorporated, then add in the remaining flour and mix until fully incorporated. Scraping down the sides as needed. The dough will be soft and sticky, but don't add any additional flour.
  • Divide the dough into 4 pieces (I just like to roughly divide it in the dough with a rubber spatula) and place each piece of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Fold over half of the plastic wrap and press down into a 1-inch thick circle. Then wrap up with the remaining plastic wrap.
  • Continue until you have all of the dough wrapped. Place in the fridge to chill overnight.

Making the rugelach

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
  • Lightly coat your dough circle with flour and on a lightly floured surface (I like to use parchment paper), roll out one disk of dough to a 11-inch circle. Use more flour as necessary as you don't want the dough to stick to your surface.
  • Spread 1/4 cup of raspberry jam over the surface of the dough and sprinkle on about 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts.
  • Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll up each wedge starting from the outer edge in towards the middle.
  • Once rolled, place on the prepared sheet pan with the point side down. Continue rolling the remaining rugelach until you have enough to fill your pan. Once the pan is filled, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar over the rolled rugelach. (I like to keep extra cinnamon sugar in an empty spice jar with a shaker top)
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Rotate the tray 1/2 through baking. Transfer to a wire cooling rack once they come out of the oven to cool completely.

Notes

  1. I’ve used both regular cream cheese and light cream cheese for the dough, I’ve never noticed a difference so you can use what you prefer.
  2. My favorite combination for these have always been raspberry jam and walnuts, however you can customize this to whatever jam and nut combination you like.
  3. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 month or freeze any extra baked cookies.
  4. These cookies are not overly sweet, but that depends on how sweet your jam is.  If you want your cookies a little sweeter, you can increase the cinnamon sugar in the filling to 1/2 cup.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only. 
 
 
Recipe adapted from Kraft

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Small round light blue plate with stack of baked cookies arranged on each other with hand holding one rugelach. Pink and white stripped kitchen towel and cinnamon sticks in the background for decoration.

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Simple Cranberry Orange Scones https://amysdeliciousmess.com/simple-cranberry-orange-scones/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/simple-cranberry-orange-scones/#respond Mon, 07 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=3031 Scones are one of those things that I never really think about making.  Maybe it’s because they seem like they are hard to make from scratch?  After making these Simple Cranberry Orange Scones I know that is far from the truth. Truthfully, we generally just buy scones or buy scone mixes. There’s a local company […]

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Scones are one of those things that I never really think about making.  Maybe it’s because they seem like they are hard to make from scratch?  After making these Simple Cranberry Orange Scones I know that is far from the truth.

Truthfully, we generally just buy scones or buy scone mixes. There’s a local company in Seattle that has the best scones. They can be found at the state fair or you can buy their mixes in local grocery stores. They are so good that I never needed to make my own, but I decided to try my hand at them.

Three scones stacked on light blue dessert plates with additional scones in the background on a white cake stand.  Light gray linen napkin the the background for decoration.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

These scones are simple to put together and once you get scone making down, the possibilities can be endless.  There are so many flavor combinations that you can come up with for scones, but my first thought was cranberry orange. 

I have been on a cranberry orange kick and the flavors remind me of the holiday season.  I’ve made cookies, a bundt cake and a pie, so why not add scones to that list! These would be perfect for a holiday or weekend brunch.

Ingredients labeled and process shots for mixing the scone dough.
1. Ingredients for the scones
2. Scone mix-ins
3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest then cut in the butter
4. Add the buttermilk, orange juice, and egg

These simple cranberry orange scones are adapted from a recipe I found on Allrecipes. I made some adjustments based our preferences and comparing it to other scones recipes I found. I definitely learned some things and after a few rounds of testing I was finally happy with the results!

How to ensure success with scones

First of all, you want to make sure that your ingredients are cold.  The butter should be cubed and chilled. The buttermilk, orange juice, and egg should also be cold. 

Process shots for mixing and shaping of the scones.
5. Fold in the dried and fresh cranberries
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface
7. Shape into a 1-inch thick circle and cut
8. Place on a baking sheet and once chilled, brush with milk

Having cold ingredients means that there should be less chilling time needed for the scones before baking. Why do you need to chill scone dough? Chilling the dough is important because you don’t want your scones to spread too much while baking. 

Scones on white cake stand with fresh cranberries in the middle of the circle of the scones.

There’s no guarantee that they won’t spread, but this should help ensure they don’t spread as much. You also want to make sure that you don’t over mix the dough. You want the scones to be soft and tender.

I really like the addition of the orange juice to these scones, I think they amp up the orange flavor. I highly recommend using the orange juice, but you can also just use additional buttermilk instead.

What’s your favorite type of scone?

Three scones stacked on light blue dessert plates with piece missing out of the top scone.  Additional scones in the background on a white cake stand. Light gray linen napkin the the background for decoration.

More brunch recipes

Mushroom Crust Quiche with Ham

Homemade Turkey Sage Breakfast Sausage

The BEST Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Simple Banana Oatmeal Waffles

Pumpkin Waffles

Cheater “Cinnamon Rolls

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Baked scones on silver metal cooling rack with fresh cranberries as decoration. Light gray linen napkin next to scones for decoration.
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Simple Cranberry Orange Scones

These Simple Cranberry Orange Scones are bright and tart. Fresh orange juice plus dried and fresh cranberries really make these scones stand out. They would be the perfect addition to any brunch.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword citrus, Cranberry, holiday baking, one bowl recipe, Orange, simple
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 scones

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp orange zest, from a small orange
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and cold
  • 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 small orange
  • 1/4 cup cold buttermilk, or milk of your choice (see notes)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp milk, to brush on the scones

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
  • Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have pea sized crumbs.
  • Add the buttermilk, orange juice, and egg to the flour mixture and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
  • Add in the dried and fresh cranberries, mix until evenly distributed and there are no large streaks of flour. Do not over mix as the scones can become tough.
  • On a lightly floured surface, turn out your dough and lightly flour the top of the dough as well. Shape into a circle with your hand and then roll with a rolling pin to about 1-inch in thickness.
  • With a sharp knife cut into 8-10 wedges, depending on how big you'd like your scones to be. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure to space 2 to 3-inches apart.
  • Chill the scones for at least 15 minutes prior to baking, you want them to be as cold as possible so they don't spread too much.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F and brush the chilled scones with milk right before baking. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
  • The scones are best served fresh, but you can store any leftover scones in an airtight container on the counter for 2 to 3 days.

Notes

  1. To make your own buttermilk, add 3/4 tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill up to the 1/4 cup line with milk.  I used 1% milk and it worked just fine, I have not tried this with a milk alternative but I would imagine that it would work as well.
  2. We prefer to reheat any leftover scones in the air fryer to get them crispy again but you can also enjoy them as is.
  3. You can freeze any leftover scones as well, simple wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.  The scones can last up to 3 months in the freezer.  
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only. 
 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Scones on white cake stand with fresh cranberries in the middle of the circle of the scones.

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Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies https://amysdeliciousmess.com/jam-filled-thumbprint-cookies/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/jam-filled-thumbprint-cookies/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=3000 If you couldn’t tell already, I’m a sucker for jam and jam in cookies. I don’t know what it is, but something about the combination is a winner in my book! It should come as no surprise that these Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies are one of my favorites. This recipe was from an old co-worker. […]

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If you couldn’t tell already, I’m a sucker for jam and jam in cookies. I don’t know what it is, but something about the combination is a winner in my book! It should come as no surprise that these Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies are one of my favorites.

This recipe was from an old co-worker. Once I tried them I had to have the recipe. It was ages ago and so I’m not sure where she got the recipe from. The name of the original recipe was Polish Tea Cakes, but from what I can tell, they are very similar to thumbprint cookies.

Baked and filled cookies arranged on parchment paper with front cookie missing a bite.  Jars of jam in the background.

Honestly, I’ve held onto this recipe for years before finally making them. I don’t know why I waited so long but I know that it won’t be that long until I make them again.

I love how pretty these look and they would make a great addition to a holiday tray of cookies. The jam adds a pop of color and they are not a cookie you see every day.

How to customize these thumbprint cookies

The cookies are reminiscent of a shortbread cookie and slightly crumbly. The cookie base is not super sweet, so keep that in mind when you pick out a jam. If you like your cookies a little sweeter, you can add 1/4 cup more granulated sugar to the dough. I always tend to add less sugar than a recipe calls for, but that’s just personal preference.

Ingredients for cookies labeled and process shots showing how to roll and fill cookies.
1. Ingredients for cookie base
2. Roll the chilled dough into a ball and roll in egg whites and walnuts
3. Make an indentation in the coated dough ball
4. Bake the cookies and fill with jam of choice while still warm

I’ve been on a freezer jam kick and really like the freshness of the fruit in a freezer jam. My freezer jam tends to be less sweet than commercial jam. I used mainly freezer jam to fill my cookies, but you can use any jam or jelly of your choice.

Strawberry and raspberry are classics in our house, but you could also use blueberry, blackberry, or peach. I store any cookie filled with freezer jam in the fridge, but if I’m using commercial jam it can be stored on the counter.

Baked and filled cookies with and without nuts arranged on parchment paper.

Walnut is my preferred nut for these, but you can use any nut of your choice. Pecans would also work really well with these cookies. Don’t like nuts? Feel free to omit them, they will still be delicious! I’ve done both versions with no issues.

Have you made jam filled thumbprint cookies before? What kind of filling do you like to use?

More cookie recipes for the holidays

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Chewy Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

Ube Crinkle Cookies

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Baked and filled thumbprint cookies on silver wire cooling rack next to jar of raspberry lemon freezer jam.
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Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies

These Jam Filled Thumbprint Cookies have a crumbly shortbread like base. Filled with sweet jam and the nuttiness and crunch from the walnuts make these irresistible.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword christmas cookies, freezer jam, holiday baking
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 35 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts, or nuts of your choice
  • 3/4 cup jam of your choice

Instructions

  • Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes. Once light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract and egg yolks and beat until incorporated.
  • Add 1/2 of the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Add in the other 1/2 of the flour and salt, mix until incorporated and there are no more streaks of flour.
  • Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll the dough into small balls (I use a tablespoon to make sure the cookies are uniform), dip into egg whites and roll in the finely chopped walnuts.
  • Place on a baking sheet and make an indentation with your thumb or a teaspoon. Make sure the cookies are spaced about 1-inch apart.
  • Bake for 5 minutes, then remove the sheet pan and press down again with the teaspoon. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Fill the indentations with 1 tsp of jam while the cookies are still warm. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container up to 5 days in the fridge or on the counter, this depends on the type of jam you use. (See notes.)

Notes

  1. These cookies are not very sweet, so keep that in mind when you choose your jam.  If you want a sweeter cookie, you can add 1/4 cup more granulated sugar to the dough.
  2. I used freezer jam in some of my cookies so I stored them in the fridge.  If you use commercial jam, you can store them on the counter.
  3. You can use any type of nuts that you like, if you don’t like nuts then you can omit them. I’ve done them both ways,
  4. These are larger thumbprint cookies, you can always make them 1/2 tablespoon in size if you want smaller cookies filled with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
  5. Don’t worry if the jam seems too wet on the cookie, once it cools it should firm up.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only. 
 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Thumbprint cookies baked and filled with strawberry, raspberry, or black forest cherry jam. Arranged on parchment with bites taken out of 3 coolies with silver cocktail spoon with additional jam next to the cookies.

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Jam Filled Sandwich Cookies https://amysdeliciousmess.com/jam-filled-sandwich-cookies/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/jam-filled-sandwich-cookies/#respond Tue, 01 Dec 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=2980 The holiday season always means cookies in our house. I love baking batches of various cookies to gift to friends and family. There are of course staple recipes that I make every year but I like to throw in something new now and again. These jam filled sandwich cookies are new and so fun. I […]

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The holiday season always means cookies in our house. I love baking batches of various cookies to gift to friends and family. There are of course staple recipes that I make every year but I like to throw in something new now and again. These jam filled sandwich cookies are new and so fun.

I was debating if I even wanted to share these as it’s not really a recipe but more of a how-to. The best thing about this is that you can customize it to what you have on hand and what you like.

As long as you have a cookie dough you can roll out, this should work. I just used some sugar cookie dough that I had stashed in my freezer. Did you know that you can freeze disks of cookie dough, and depending on what kind it can be up to 3 months?

Christmas tree and gingerbread men sugar cookie sandwiches topped with red and green sanding sugar and filled with jam. Arranged on silver cooling rack.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

This is perfect for holiday baking as you can make the dough ahead of time and then pull it out the night before you want to use it. I’ve done all day cookie making sessions with girlfriends and they are so much fun. But sometimes I like to prep some elements ahead of time if I’m baking by myself.

I wanted these cookies to be festive with a holiday theme. I’ve done royal icing decorated cookies in the past but I wanted something a little simpler this time.

How to make jam filled sandwich cookies

Once you have your cookie dough of choice made and chilled, these cookies come together pretty easily. This would be a great cookie to make with kids as they could use sprinkles and sanding sugar to really jazz up their cookies.

All you have to do is roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness, cut out your desired shapes and decorate with sprinkles. After some testing, I found it was easier to place sprinkles on a plate and gently press the cookie into the sprinkles. If you try to sprinkle the cookies with sprinkles, it does not stick as well.

Christmas tree and gingerbread men sugar cookie sandwiches topped with sanding sugar and filled with jam. Arranged on silver cooling rack.

I also found that it was better to cut out the smaller cookie from the middle of the larger cookie once it was already covered in sanding sugar or nonpareils. If you are using larger sprinkles, I would cut the smaller cookie out and then cover with sprinkles.

Remember to keep the bottom cookie whole, so you will want an even number of top and bottom cookies. I baked the smaller cookies and made sandwiches with them as well. They are a nice little one bite treat.

Bake the cookies and once they are cooled you can fill with jam. I like to add the jam to the middle of the bottom cookie and then spread with a spoon until you almost reach the sides. Don’t add too much jam as it will leak out the sides. After you fill a couple you can gauge how much jam your cookies need.

Christmas tree and gingerbread men sugar cookie sandwiches topped with sanding sugar and filled with jam.  Arranged on silver cooling rack.

Equipment

Rolling pin – I love this one for when I need dough to be an even thickness

Gingerbread men cookie cutters – I used the smallest and medium red cutters.

Large tree cookie cutter and small tree cookie cutter

Sprinkles/sanding sugar

Christmas tree and gingerbread men sugar cookie sandwiches topped with sanding sugar and filled with jam. Arranged on silver cooling rack.

More cookie recipes for the holidays

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Halloween Sugar Cookies – Use holiday sprinkles instead of Halloween sprinkles!

Chewy Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie

Ube Crinkle Cookies

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Decorated with sanding sugar and filled Christmas tree and gingerbread men sandwich cookies on silver cooking rack next to light gray linen napkin.
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Jam Filled Sandwich Cookies

These jam filled sandwich cookies are cut into holiday shapes and decorated with sprinkles and sanding sugar. A fun way to dress up simple sugar cookies for the holidays!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cookies, freezer jam, holiday baking
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 20 -24 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 batch sugar cookie dough, see notes
  • 3/4 cup jam, see notes
  • sprinkles, nonpareils, or sanding sugar, see notes

Instructions

  • In a lightly floured surface, roll out your sugar cookie dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using desired cookie cutters, cut out shapes.
  • Place some sprinkles or sanding sugar on a plate, preferably with a lip if you are using nonpareils so they don't roll off the plate. Gently press the cookie cut outs into your topping of choice. You may need to sprinkle some additional on top or move the cookie around a little if you don't get even coverage.
  • I only did this with the top cookie, the bottom cookie does not need sprinkles since you wouldn't see it anyways. If you like more sprinkles, feel free to do both!
  • After covering in sprinkles, use a smaller cutter to cut out the center of the larger cookie. Only do this to half of the cookies, you want full cookies for the bottom of the sandwich.
  • Bake according to the recipe and let the cookies cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
  • Fill the cookies with a jam of your choice. Don't over fill the cookies as the jam will leak out the sides. I placed about 2 tsp of jam in the middle of the bottom cookie and used a spoon to spread it out to almost the edge of the cookie. Place the cookie with the cut out on top and gently press down.
  • Store in an airtight container. The cookies should keep fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge, but you can freeze up to a month.

Notes

  1. My current favorite sugar cookie recipe is from Jenny’s Cookies, but you can use your favorite recipe.
  2. Any cookie cutters will work.  You don’t have to make cookies with cut outs but it adds a nice touch when you can see what kind of filling is in the cookie.
  3. I used raspberry lemon and blueberry lemon freezer jam.  Both were made using my strawberry lemon freezer jam recipe. I also used a jarred apricot jam as well.  Feel free to use any jam you like.
  4. I have tons of holiday sprinkles on hand and like to stock up after the holidays.  I used sanding sugar and nonpareils, but you could also use jimmies or sprinkles as long as they don’t have pieces that are too big.

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Christmas tree and gingerbread men sugar cookie sandwiches topped with red and green sanding sugar and filled with jam. Arranged on silver cooling rack.

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Simple Curry Chicken Salad https://amysdeliciousmess.com/simple-curry-chicken-salad/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/simple-curry-chicken-salad/#respond Wed, 25 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=2955 Do you ever find yourself with leftover roasted chicken or turkey and don’t know what you should do with it? Want an easy meal that doesn’t require a lot of effort but is filling and delicious? This Simple Curry Chicken Salad has been my go to for years and is a staple in our house. […]

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Do you ever find yourself with leftover roasted chicken or turkey and don’t know what you should do with it? Want an easy meal that doesn’t require a lot of effort but is filling and delicious? This Simple Curry Chicken Salad has been my go to for years and is a staple in our house.

When I first made it for Tim, I wasn’t sure he would like it. I was pleasantly surprised that he really liked it. This is really the only kind of chicken salad that I make, and once you try it you may never make another kind again!

Hand holding cracker with chicken salad.  Additional chicken salad in the background in a small bowl on a medium plate with additional crackers and celery sticks next to pink kitchen towel with white accents.

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The crunch from the celery and cashews add some nice texture, and the dried cranberries add a hit of sweetness. Not a fan of curry? You could always leave it out and just season with salt and pepper but I highly recommend at least trying it out once.

What kind of meat can you use?

Often times we will pick up a rotisserie chicken and any leftover chicken will be made into this salad. It takes no time at all to whip this chicken salad together when you already have the cooked meat.

You could also use any leftover roasted chicken, in the past I’ve used roasted chicken breast. If you aren’t a fan of white meat, you could also use dark meat. That’s the great thing about this recipe, you can really adjust it to your preferences and use what you like.

Medium white round plate with plain crackers and celery sticks with small bowl of chicken salad in the middle. Extra cranberries and cashews on top of the chicken salad with a small silver cocktail spoon.

If I’m in a time crunch and don’t want to have to roast chicken, I will boil it. This is not my preferred method but sometimes you just want some chicken salad!

Dark or white roasted turkey also work well in this salad. I would not recommend using meat that has been brined as sometimes it can make this too salty. However if that is the route you choose to go, I would suggest seasoning after mixing up the salad to ensure it’s not over seasoned.

Generally when I make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, I will season it less than when I am using boiled chicken. You can always add more salt but you can’t take it away.

Process shots of ingredients labeled and mixing up the chicken salad.
1. Ingredients for the chicken salad
2. Add the mayo, curry powder, salt, and pepper to a bowl (see notes in the recipe)
3. Mix until combined
4. Add the chicken, celery, cashews, and dried cranberries

Serving suggestions

Depending on what you are feeling like, this Curry Chicken Salad is great as a sandwich or wrap. I like to toast my English Muffin Bread and add some chicken salad and some lettuce or spinach. Japanese Milk bread would also work great for a sandwich.

If you are the type that prefers a more snacky type lunch, you can serve this with some crackers and veggies. I prefer to use plain crackers that don’t have much flavor so the chicken salad can shine.

Chicken salad wrapped in a flour tortilla with spinach on a medium white plate with raspberries on the side. Bowl of additional chicken salad in the background.

Want something a little lighter? Serve this as a lettuce wrap or on top of a bed of lettuce.

Sometimes I will sprinkle extra chopped cashews on top of the chicken salad if it has been in the fridge for a day or two. The cashews in the salad will get soggy if it sits too long and I like the extra crunch.

What’s in your go to chicken salad?

Looking for a different savory option? Try one of these

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza

Turkey Veggie Meatloaf Patties

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Keto Korean BBQ Short Ribs

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Medium white round plate with plain crackers and celery sticks with small bowl of chicken salad in the middle. Extra cranberries and cashews on top of the chicken salad with a small silver cocktail spoon. Additional whole cashews and dried cranberries in the background with small round white plates and pink kitchen towel with white accents.
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Curry Chicken Salad

This Curry Chicken Salad is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. Cashews and celery add a nice crunch while the dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness. Perfect for a sandwich or served with some crackers for a lighter lunch.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken, Cranberry, Curry, easy, quick, simple
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups (8oz) diced chicken, or turkey
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1/8 cup roasted cashews, or nut of your choice, chopped
  • 1/8 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper (or you can add the salt and pepper at the end to taste). See notes
  • Add the chopped chicken, celery, cashews, and dried cranberries. Mix until everything is evenly coated with the mayonnaise mixture.
  • Serve on as a sandwich or with some crackers and veggies.

Notes

  1. Often times I will use leftover rotisserie chicken to make this chicken salad.  I will wait to season the chicken salad until after mixing everything together since rotisserie chicken is already seasoned.
  2. We use light mayonnaise, but you can use what you have on hand.
  3. Cashews work really well in this chicken salad, but you can use any nut of your choice.
  4. Dried cranberries add a nice sweetness to the chicken salad.  If you prefer you could use a different type of dried fruit.
  5. The curry flavor develops more the longer the salad sits, but be aware that the cashews will not be as crunchy the next day.  You can always add the cashews right before serving.
  6. This salad is best consumed within 2-3 days.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.
 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Medium white round plate with plain crackers and celery sticks with small bowl of chicken salad in the middle. Extra cranberries and cashews on top of the chicken salad with a small silver cocktail spoon. Additional whole cashews and dried cranberries in the background with small round white plates and pink kitchen towel.

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Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust https://amysdeliciousmess.com/pumpkin-pie-bars-with-shortbread-crust/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/pumpkin-pie-bars-with-shortbread-crust/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=2920 Looking for a last minute dessert for the holidays? These Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust are just what you need. Simple ingredients that come together to make something that is truly delicious. I’ll admit that I’m not normally a big fan of pumpkin pie. I can usually take it or leave it unless it’s […]

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Looking for a last minute dessert for the holidays? These Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust are just what you need. Simple ingredients that come together to make something that is truly delicious.

Pie bars stacked on small round white plate. Additional pie bars on large round white plate and white pumpkin with orange stripes in the background.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

I’ll admit that I’m not normally a big fan of pumpkin pie. I can usually take it or leave it unless it’s homemade and really good. Does that make me a pumpkin pie snob? How do you feel about pumpkin pie?

My stance has now changed on pumpkin pie, well at least when it comes to these pumpkin pie bars. The pumpkin pie filling is lightly sweetened and full of spices. The shortbread crust is crisp, buttery, and pairs perfectly with the creamy pie filling. You can serve plain like I did or with some fresh whipped cream. Either would be delicious!

Ingredients labeled and process shots for  making the shortbread crust.
1. Crust ingredients
2. Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt
3. Add the melted butter
4. Mix everything until combined

If you can believe it, I’ve never made a pumpkin pie. I’ve made pumpkin bread, pumpkin granola, pumpkin banana bread, and pumpkin cookies but for some reason pie has not been on my list. These will be in my regular holiday rotation now, once you try them you will feel the same way.

How to make pumpkin pie bars

These Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust are fairly easy to put together. No fancy ingredients needed and everything can be mixed by hand. A lot of pumpkin pie recipes call for evaporated milk, but this just uses regular milk.

Crust in pan and ingredients labeled and process shots for making the pie filling.
5. Press the crust into a parchment lined pan
6. Par-bake the crust
7. Pumpkin pie filling ingredients
8. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt

When I first decided to attempt these, I knew I wanted to use the crust recipe from my Cranberry Cheesecake Pie. With a few tweaks, it’s the perfect base for these bars.

This shortbread crust is a simplified version of the original crust. Simply mix the dry ingredients together and then add melted butter. Press into a lined pan and par-bake.

Process shots for making the pie filling and pouring into the crust.
9. Add the eggs and mix until combined
10. Add the milk and mix until combined
11. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined
12. Pour the filling into the par-baked crust.

The filling is adapted from One Mama’s Daily Drama and is just as simple as the crust. You are essentially just mixing everything together and pour in to the par-baked crust. Make sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

Small round white plate with silver cocktail fork with one bite of pie bar on the fork left. Additional silver cocktail forks and small round white plates with pieces of pie bars in the background. Cream cloth napkin next to plates.

I have only made this with canned pumpkin, you may be able to use homemade pumpkin puree but you may need to adjust the amount of liquid. I’ve also made this with 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 maple syrup, which was just as delicious. You could try with all maple syrup but I would suggest cutting back on the milk slightly.

This is a fairly thin pie filling, but it will bake up beautifully. You just have to trust it! These pie bars are best enjoyed once they have been chilled. I recommend chilling for at least 2 hours or overnight before cutting into bars.

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Baked and cut pie bars on parchment paper next to cream cloth napkin and white pumpkin with orange stripes.
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Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

These Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust are an easier version of everyone's favorite holiday dessert. These are easy to whip up and will become a new holiday favorite.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bars, holiday baking, pie, pumpkin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cooling and chilling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

Shortbread crust

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin pie filling

  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 15 oz pure pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup 1% milk, or milk of your choice

Instructions

Make the crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×9-inch non-stick baking pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper will make it easier to remove the bars later.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Add the melted butter and mix until combined and there are no longer any streaks of flour.
  • Pour into the prepared pan and press the dough out evenly.
  • Bake for 10 minutes and then allow to cool slightly.

Make the pumpkin pie filling

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  • Add the eggs and and whisk until combined. Then add the milk and whisk until incorporated.
  • Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until smooth and completely incorporated. Tap your bowl on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
  • Pour the pumpkin mixture into the par-baked crust.
  • Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F and then lower to temperature of 350°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. The pie bars should be set on the outside but still have some jiggle in the center.
  • Allow the pie bars to cool for an hour and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I prefer to make these the day before and allow the pie bars to chill over night.
  • The bars should be sliced once they have had a chance to chill.

Notes

  1. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own. 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.
  2. I’ve only tested this recipe with 1% milk but any type of milk or milk alternative  should work.
  3. Pure pumpkin puree should be used, not pumpkin pie filling.
  4. The pumpkin pie batter may seem a little thin, but it will bake up fine.
  5. Pumpkin pie bars can last for 3-4 days in the fridge, or up to 2 months in the freezer.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.
 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Pie bars stacked on parchment paper with additional bars in the background.  White pumpkin with orange stripes also in the background.

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Cranberry Cheesecake Pie https://amysdeliciousmess.com/cranberry-cheesecake-pie/ https://amysdeliciousmess.com/cranberry-cheesecake-pie/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://amysdeliciousmess.com/?p=2851 This Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is something that I’ve been making for many years during the holidays. The tart homemade cranberry sauce pairs so well with the lightly sweetened cheesecake. The shortbread like crust is simple and requires no rolling. It’s one of my favorite holiday pies to make. It may seem complicated to make, but […]

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This Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is something that I’ve been making for many years during the holidays. The tart homemade cranberry sauce pairs so well with the lightly sweetened cheesecake. The shortbread like crust is simple and requires no rolling.

Whole baked cranberry pie on parchment paper next to pink kitchen towel with white accents and whole fresh cranberries. Small round white plates with silver cocktail forks and gold tea strainer filled with powdered sugar on the other side of the tart.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

It’s one of my favorite holiday pies to make. It may seem complicated to make, but it’s well worth the effort. Often I will make a few to bring to various Thanksgivings and it’s always a hit.

Ingredients labeled and process shots for cranberry sauce and crust.
1. Ingredients for the cranberry sauce
2. Cooked cranberry sauce
3. Ingredients for the crust and topping
4. Mix the dry ingredients together then add the cold butter

What are the different components of the recipe?

The original recipe for Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is from Bake or Break and I’ve adapted it to our tastes. The crust is more of a shortbread like crust than a traditional pie crust. What’s great about this crust is that you just pat it into the pan, so no rolling is required!

Process shots for making the crust and cheesecake ingredients labeled.
5. Butter blended into the flour
6. Reserve 1/2 for the topping and pour the remaining crust mixture into a pie or tart pan
7. Press the curst into the pan and bake for 10 minutes
8. Ingredients for the cheesecake layer

The cranberry sauce is tart and amazing, it’s great as a cranberry sauce recipe to serve for Thanksgiving! If you’ve never made your own cranberry sauce, then you should definitely give it a try.

Process shots for making cheesecake layer, pouring into the crust, and dolloping cranberry sauce.
9. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest to a bowl. Mix until light and fluffy
10. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until mixture is smooth
11. Pour the cheesecake layer into the slightly cooled crust
12. Dollop cranberry sauce on top of the cheesecake layer

It’s simple to make and I like knowing what’s going into my sauce. You can control the amount of sugar depending on your tastes. We like it a little more tart so I used a little less sugar.

Process shots for swirling the cranberry sauce and sprinkling pie with reserved crust topping.
13. Dollop until you have used all of the cranberry sauce
14. Use a chopstick to swirl the cranberry sauce
15. Only swirl slightly, you want to still have a distinction between the cranberry sauce and cheesecake
16. Top with reserved crumb topping and bake

I’m still loving all things cranberry orange, so of course I had to add orange zest and juice to the cranberry sauce. If you are a cranberry orange lover like me, don’t miss out on my Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake and Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.

Slice of baked cheesecake pie on small round white plate with bite on silver cocktail fork.  A second plate in the background with slice of pie and silver cocktail fork. Remaining tart on parchment paper in the background.

The cheesecake filling is light and slightly sweet, with a hint of orange. I really wanted to add more orange flavor so I threw some orange zest into the cheesecake mixture. If you prefer more of a classic cheesecake flavor, you could definitely leave it out.

Is there a dish or dessert that you always make during the holidays?

More dessert recipes to try

Easy Blueberry Galette

Mixed Berry Lemon Pie Bars

Gooey Browned Butter S’mores Bars

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

Made this recipe? Be sure to comment below and rate the recipe. I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

Bake pie partially sliced on parchment paper next to pink and white kitchen towel and fresh cranberries. Gold tea strainer with powdered sugar and silver cocktail spoons resting on parchment paper to the right of the pie. Small round white plate with slice of pie and silver cocktail for next to the bottom of the pie.
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Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

This Cranberry Cheesecake Pie is perfect for the holidays. Lightly sweetened cheesecake is swirled with a tart homemade cranberry sauce in a shortbread like crust.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cheesecake, citrus, Cranberry, cream cheese, holiday baking, Orange
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

Cranberry sauce

  • 8 oz (2 cups) fresh cranberries
  • 4 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp orange zest, from 1/2 a small orange
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice, juice from 1/2 small orange
  • 1/2 cup water

Crust and crumb topping

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Cheesecake filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened (see notes)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp orange zest, from 1/2 a small orange
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the cranberry sauce

  • In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and water. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the cranberries are soft and have thickened slightly. This should take about 10 minutes. Sometimes I will smash the cranberries with the back of a spoon to help them break down.
  • Set the pot aside to cool, the sauce will thicken as it starts to cool.

Make the crust

  • You can start making this while the cranberry sauce is cooking.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the butter and using a pasty blender or fork, mix until crumbly and hold together when you squeeze it in your hand. You can also do this with your hands, which is my preferred method.
  • Reserve 1/2 cup of the crust mixture for the topping. Pour the remaining mixture into a 9-inch pie or tart pan with a removeable bottom. (You can grease your tart pan if you are worried about it sticking.) Press the crust evenly into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • If you use a pan with a removeable bottom, I recommend baking on a baking sheet to catch any leaks.

Make the cheesecake filling

  • While the crust is baking you can make the filling.
  • In a large bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest. Stirring by hand or using an electric or hand held mixer, mix until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until everything is combined and your mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the cheesecake filling into the slightly cooled crust and spread out evenly.
  • Drop spoonful's of the cranberry sauce over the cheesecake filling. Use a skewer or chop stick to slightly swirl the cranberry sauce with the cheesecake filling.
  • Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over the cheesecake.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set and the edges are golden brown. The cheesecake should still have a slight jiggle.
  • Cool on a wire cooling rack before placing in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge, up to 5 days.

Notes

  1. This can be made with both regular and low fat cream cheese, I’ve used both and have never noticed a difference.
  2. I prefer to bake this the night before and serve the next day,
  3. If you prefer, you can use lemon instead of orange.
 
The nutrition facts below are based on the recipe above.  This is only an estimation and intended for informational purposes only.
 

If you make any of my recipes, be sure to tag me on Instagram @amysdeliciousmess and use #amysdeliciousmess.  I’d love to see all of your pictures!

Don’t forget to sign up for my emails to get all of the latest and greatest recipes!

Small round white plate with slice of cranberry cheesecake pie dusted with powdered sugar with small silver cocktail fork. Remaining pie and slices on parchment paper in the background next to pink kitchen towel with white accent stripes and fresh cranberries.

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