Cherry Coffee Cake

INGREDIENTS
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained
1 (8 oz) crescent dinner rolls
½ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. In small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in almond extract, almonds and cherries; set aside.
3. On a greased cookie sheet, unroll dough and press into 13x7-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture lengthwise down center 1/3 of rectangle. On each long side of dough rectangle, make cuts 1 inch apart to edge of filling. Fold opposite strips of dough over filling and cross in center to form a braided appearance; seal ends.
5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
6. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth; drizzle over coffee cake. If desired, garnish with additional sliced almonds and cherries. Cover and refrigerate any remaining coffee cake.

And I am back in the game...

The circuit board in my old camera was fried, so they gave me a brand new replacement camera. YAY!!!

Gnocchi with Bacon and Peas in a Cream Sauce

All I could think about the other day was how I was so sick of the ideal that you need to eat 'light and healthy' during the summer. Not that I don't eat light and healthy most of the time, and not to say that I don't enjoy taking advantage of the plethora of fresh fruits and veggies that are available during the summer, but all I know is this dish (which is SOOO not light and healthy) hit the spot the other day. Hope it helps satisfy a craving for someone else out there...

Gnocchi with Bacon and Peas in a Cream Sauce

Ingredients
1 package pre-made gnocchi
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion
2 large cloves garlic
3 strips of bacon or pancetta
¼ cup chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup of frozen peas
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prep some of the ingredients: Peel and dice the onions into medium sized pieces. Mince the garlic and cut the bacon into 1" to 1-½" strips. Thaw the peas anyway you like and grate the Parmesan.


2. Heat up a large pot of salted water for cooking the gnocchi. Don't add the gnocchi quite yet, but get the water boiling so it is ready to go.


3. Heat your saute pan over medium-high heat to get it hot. Add the oil and butter to the pan; when the butter is melted and hot, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for another minute.


4. Add the bacon (or pancetta) and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the bacon doesn’t have that white fatty look any more. You don’t want the bacon crisp, just cooked through. Pancetta will take slightly less time to cook than bacon.


5. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, stirring up any of the bacon bits that may be sticking to the pan. Add the cream and then the peas. Simmer for 3 – 4 minutes and you will notice the sauce start to thicken.


6. Right after you add the cream, add the gnocchi to the boiling water. They will only take a few minutes to cook and will float to the top of the water when they are ready. Drain and set aside.


7. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the drained gnocchi and stir gently to coat the gnocchi with sauce.


8. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.