Jalapeño Popper Crescents

Super Bowl is coming February 3rd. It's time to start thinking about what yummy nibbles I can whip up quickly and pop into my mouth in between plays.

Okay, you caught me in a lie. I probably won't watch the Super Bowl. I'm just not a football fan. I know. I'm a bit of an outlier.

But that doesn't mean I can't help you figure out what to make. These little morsels could easily fit the bill. A buttery crescent roll slathered with creaminess from the cheeses, some heat from the jalapeño and a dash of sugar to balance it all out. Yes, I said sugar. Just a little though, and you won't be sorry.


There are tons of recipes for these out on the internet, but this is my version.

Jalapeño Popper Crescents

• 1 tube crescent rolls
• 1 - 4 ounce can of diced jalapeños
• 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature (I use "lite" but full fat works fine, too)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese, sharp or mild

Preheat your oven to 375˚F.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the cheddar cheese and stir to completely combine. To add the jalapeños, start with half of the can. Stir to combine and taste for heat. If you like more heat, add more jalapeños. Set aside.

Open the tube of crescent rolls and gently unroll the contents into  4 rectangles. Place two rectangles end to end and gently pinch the perforated seams together. It should look like this...


With a rubber or silicone spatula, spread half of the cheese mixture evenly over the crescent roll rectangle, like this...


Starting with the long side, begin to gently roll the rectangle into a fairly tight log...


...until it looks like this...


Cut the log into 16 equal pieces, beginning by cutting the log in half, then cutting the two halves in half and so on. Place the pieces, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray or a Silpat.


Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the first roll is baking, make the second roll. (Note: My baking sheets are industrial size, so they hold the pieces for more than one roll.)

When each batch is done, remove them immediately from the baking sheet and serve.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting & Bacon Streusel

Chocolate. Cream cheese. Bacon. Oh my!

I'm on a quest and I'm bacon obsessed.

Two weeks ago I bought three 3-pound packages of bacon on sale, less than $8 a package for what would normally cost almost $12. Nine pounds of delicious thick-sliced, hickory smoked bacon. Once I got them home, I divided each package into three 1-pound packages, vacuumed sealed them (love my Foodsaver!) and tossed them in the freezer.

Okay, Terri, I thought. Now what are you going to do with all of that bacon, besides making bacon and eggs?

Soups? Stews? Cupcakes? Yes, cupcakes. I saw the recipe over at Endless Simmer, pulled one of the those 1-pound packages of bacon out of the freezer and off I went......with just a few little changes.

I didn't have Dutch process cocoa powder for the cupcakes, just a box of Hershey's Cocoa Powder. It would have to do. And I didn't have any sour cream on hand, so I used Greek yogurt instead. It worked fine.

When it came to making the frosting, I was just as ill-prepared. I only had a package of low-fat cream cheese, so that's what I used. And I know when a recipe calls for "maple syrup," it means real maple syrup, not the cheapy stuff, but all I had was the cheapy stuff.  In hindsight, I wish I would have used a touch of maple extract for a more pronounced maple flavor.

I liked the streusel, but I think next time I make these I'm going to decrease the almonds to 1/4 cup and increase the bacon by 2 slices. I just loves me some bacon.

I tried sprinkling the streusel on top of the frosted cupcake, but it didn't adhere as well as I liked. So, instead, I poured the streusel on to a plate and dipped the frosted cupcake into the streusel. Way better. A good amount of streusel stuck to the frosting, which is what I was looking for.

Although I'd make the same substitutions to the recipe, these were yummy.  The cupcakes were tender with a nice chocolatey flavor and the spicy bacon streusel was the perfect contrast to the creamy sweet frosting.


Chocolate Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting & Bacon Streusel
Adapted from Endless Simmer

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 cup sour cream (I substituted Greek yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and baking soda together and set aside.

In another small bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the salt to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until combined. Add in the 2 whole eggs and beat until well combined. Finally, add in the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Set the mixer aside and use a rubber spatula to begin gently folding in the sour cream mixture and flour mixture, alternating each mixture a third at a time, with each addition folding until just combined. Put paper cupcake liners in your cupcake pans and fill them two-thirds full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25  minutes.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

For the Frosting:

• 1 - 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup (I would also add 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract or flavoring)

Using an electric mixer on medium low speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gently mix in the powdered sugar. Start on low or you're going to have powdered sugar all over yourself and slowly increase the speed and beat until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla and maple syrup (and maple flavoring, if you are using it) and mix until combined.

For the Bacon Streusel

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cups slivered almonds
• 8 pieces of thick-sliced bacon (cooked, cooled and broken into pieces)

Put all the streusel ingredients into a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse in 2-second bursts three to five times until mixture resembles a very coarse crumble.

Top Five Most Popular Desserts of 2011

When I do my year in review, I don't usually single out a specific category of food because my stat counter doesn't count categories, only general activity and page views relating to specific posts.

But, because many of you have asked specifically for desserts.... well, who am I to question what you like to read about....or is the photos?

No matter. What's that line from the movie? "As you wish..."

So, I gathered all my stats, did the math and came up with the top five desserts that received the most hits during 2011.

Number 5: Chocolate Raspberry Panini - Originally posted February 15, 2009

I made a simple pound cake from a box mix and sliced it. Then I covered one slice of the pound cake with squares of a Hershey bar and topped it with a few raspberries. I used a George Forman grill to brown both sides at the same time, but you could just as easily use a frying pan and brown both sides as you would a grilled cheese sandwich.
The pound cake is like a sweet toast. The chocolate gets all melty and oozey and the fruit is softened and luscious.

All I can say about this is.....Yum!

Number 4: Orange Mascarpone Tart - Originally posted December 26, 2010



We've made many dishes from Bon Appetit magazine and this is one of them.

I love the combination of the creaminess of the mascarpone cheese and the sweet freshness of the orange.

Although the original recipe called for the tart to be sprinkled with chopped pistachios, we didn't think they added much to the flavor of the tart, so the second time Tom made it he merely sprinkled it with shaved chocolate. Better.

Number 3: Sugar Donut Mini-Muffins - Originally posted February 26, 2010



One word: addicting.

You know those two-bite brownies you buy in a bag at the grocery store? Don't buy them. Make these.

Tender little mini-cupcakes with the texture of a moist cake donut, brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon and sugar or even rolled in powdered sugar. Betcha can't eat just one.

Number 2: Oreo Cream Cheese Cupcakes - Originally posted January 30, 2010



What is it about Oreos that elicit such love?

I don't know a faithful blog reader who doesn't collect a cache of recipes containing Oreos.

And every food blogger I know tries to create some new dessert using Oreos. I'm certainly not any different.

I've added crushed Oreos to brownies. I made these Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie 'n' Oreo 'n' Fudge Brownie Bars



And I've even made this Oreo Cookie Cake, the recipe for which I've never posted. But that's another post.



And Number 1 ~ You guessed it: Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie - Originally posted April 27, 2011



Can you say 'sugar induced coma'?

It's still a favorite in many readers' households.

So what's in store for 2012? I'm good at keeping secrets so you'll just have to stay tuned.

Candied Jalapenos and My Thanksgiving Menu

In my last post I said I would post the recipe for the candied jalapenos that I used in the Vietnamese Slaw and on the Pork Banh Mi Sandwich. We love these at our house. We use them for everything, from salsa to topping sandwiches. I took a jar to my son's house and they were a hit there as well. I've known folks who just chop up a few, mix them with cream cheese and serve it on crackers.

The recipe is the lazy person's method and has only three ingredients: a jar of pickled jalapenos, sugar and a touch of alum (which is optional). No picking jalapenos from the garden. No slicing. That's all done for you.

I buy the pickled jalapenos in the 64-oz. jar, so that's the amount I will use for the recipe. If you decided to use a smaller jar, just reduce the amount of sugar and alum by the same ratio.

You should keep the Candied Jalapenos in the refrigerator. Fair warning: they won't last long!

Candied Jalapenos

• 1 - 64-oz. jar pickled jalapenos
• 2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon alum

Drain the liquid from the jar of peppers into a non-reactive pan. Add the sugar to the pan with the liquid and bring the mixture to a full boil. The sugar she be completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in alum. Allow the liquid to cool for 30 minutes.

Pour the cooled liquid back into the jar with the peppers. Do not allow to overflow. If there is any liquid remaining in the pan, discard it. Screw the lid back on the jar and refrigerate for a few days. Keep refrigerated.

That's it. I told you it was the lazy person's method.

Now, I'm already planning for Thanksgiving dinner. I think Tom's sister and brother-in-law will be coming, depending on their travel schedule, but whether we have company or not, we will have the traditional roast turkey, stuffing and gravy.

It's the rest of the meal I'd like to change up some.

Let's start with appetizers. First of all, I will make mini-sized Asian Turkey Meatballs. And a few days I saw a recipe for Baked Brie Bites @ Plain Chicken and I think I'd like to give those a whirl sometime before Thanksgiving, but they sound yummy without all of fuss of an En Croute.

The main course will, of course, be roast turkey, but I will put it in an apple cider brine the day before. The bird will be stuffed with a traditional bread stuffing, but Tom likes to add some fruit as well, like chopped apples and dates, along with the onions and celery. When we put the bird in the oven, I put the giblets and neck in a pot of water with some onion, carrot and celery and, when we are ready to serve, I make a gravy with the rich turkey broth.

I feel like switching up the side dishes this year. We usually make the traditional mashed potatoes, but I made Parisian Potatoes last month and I think I'll make them instead of mashed potatoes this year.


Not wanting to stray too far away from the traditional, green beans will still be on the menu, but not in the form of a casserole. A few years ago at a family reunion, my niece's husband made the tastiest green beans I've ever eaten. The dish consisted of simply fresh green beans, crisped bacon and butter, all of which were cooked together until the green beans were tender. Amazing.

A couple of years ago, I visited Marie @ Proud Italian Cook and copied her recipe for Parmesan Roasted Onions. They are rich, savory, creamy and delicious. And even if I'm the only one who eats them, they will be served Thanksgiving Day.

It's hard to decide what to do with a sweet potato. I'm not fond of the overly sweet candied sweet potato, nor do I care for the grated sweet potato casserole I've made the last 3 or 4 years. I'm thinking of roasting sweet potato rounds or wedges this year.

Of course, I will have my version of Cranberry Fool, a cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries, a little sugar, dried cherries, raisins with a touch of vanilla.

For dessert, I am making a Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake posted at The Pastry Affair

I don't think anyone will leave hungry.

What are you serving for Thanksgiving dinner?



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So Where Did I Leave Off ??

I had to go back and look at my last post to refresh my memory. I've been pretty distracted so I haven't posted for almost a week and I didn't even finish my 4th of July recap. Shame on me. Well, I'm going to do it now.

Sunday, July 4th was quiet. Since moving into the city limits, we are prohibited from setting off fireworks like we did in the country, so we didn't have any, nor did we have company. And we didn't go anywhere to watch fireworks because there was the threat of a storm, so we stayed home. And we ate.

We had decided ahead of time to make July 4th our hors d'œuvre dinner night: Smoked Salmon Crostini with Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread, Brie & Fig Crostini with Truffle Honey Drizzle and Chicken Liver & Sage Crostini. However, when we finally came to our senses, we realized that it would be far too much to eat and postponed the Chicken Liver & Sage Crostini for the following night.

We began early in the day, smoking whole salmon fillet. This isn't my recipe. It's my son, Chris'. He made it when we visited last Christmas and it was gone in a flash!

Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon
Adapted from a recipe by Chris Powers
PRINT RECIPE: Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon

1 untreated cedar plank (please be certain it is untreated)
1 salmon fillet (whole side) approximately 2 lbs.
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
1/4 cup or more brown sugar

Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Lay the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the fillet with the lemon pepper. Starting with 1/4 cup, sprinkle the brown sugar generously over the salmon. If you need more to cover it completely, use more. Pat the brown sugar down onto the fillet. Wrap the seasoned fillet in the plastic wrap, then wrap that in foil. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

While the salmon is marinating, immerse the cedar plank in water. Use a can or jar to hold the plank down. Allow the plank to soak in the water for as long as you marinate the salmon.

Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and allow to come to nearly room temperature. Remove the cedar plank from the water and remove excess water with a towel. While salmon is warming up, start your coals in your smoker and bring the temperature up to about 200 to 225 degrees. If you are using a barbecue grill without a smoker, bring it up to the same temperature, but you will not place the salmon on the direct heat. Instead you will use the shelf that sits above the main grill.

When the smoker has reached the correct temperature, brush the top side of the cedar plank with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. Remove the salmon fillet from the foil and plastic wrap, then place the salmon on the plank. It's ready to smoke!



Keep the temperature between 200 to 225 degrees and allow the salmon to cook slowly for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. If using a smoker, add wood chips to the coals periodically.

After 3 hours, your salmon should be moist and flaky.



Remove the salmon from the grill and transfer from the plank to a serving platter. Discard the plank. Do not reuse.

Serve on crackers or crostini with Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread.



For the Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread, I started with my daughter-in-law, Kelly's recipe, but added a few more ingredients.



Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table
PRINT RECIPE: Onion & Herb Cream Cheese Spread

1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese (I use low-fat)
1/2 cup sour cream (also low-fat)
1/2 of a medium red onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, minced

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and completely combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.