Stromboli

I first made stromboli when we were in Kansas.  I don't really know what made me look into finding a recipe.  I found a really good recipe with excellent instructions.  I noticed, when I went online to find the original recipe I used, the website left out all the step-by-step pictures.  So, I'll try to provide enough pics so you get the visual (if you've never made stromboli).  I really love this rolled up pizza or sandwich....or whatever you want to call it.  

Pepperoni and a ton of cheese

Stromboli
adapted from FabulousFoods.com

Ingredients - 

• pizza dough (if you want to make your own click  FabulousFoods.com - there is a recipe there)
• pizza or sandwich fillings of your choice - (I used pepperoni & shredded Italian 5 cheese blend)
• pizza sauce if doing a pizza stromboli
• 1 egg, beaten 
• sesame seeds

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a large baking sheet.  
2. If using store bought dough, roll it out into a rectangle about 10" by 8".  If not, follow the directions regarding the dough on the website.
3. Add toppings/fillings of your choice.
4. Roll the dough up; jelly roll style. 
5. Pinch the edges of the seam and tuck the ends under.
6. Cut slits about 1/2 inch deep along the top about every 3 inches.  
7. Brush the top of the stromboli with beaten egg (avoiding the area in the slits).
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
9. Bake 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown.  
10. Cool slightly before cutting and serving.  

Serves - 6-8
Calories - per stromboli loaf - 2335
              - for 6 servings - 389

              - for 8 servings - 292

   *You can make this so many ways.  I've made ham & cheese stromboli, chicken bacon stromboli, steak & cheese stromboli, cheeseburger stromboli, and several different "pizza" stromboli.  I've used sliced lunch meat, diced ham, left over baked/rotisserie chicken, sliced cheese, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon.....on & on. 
   *A couple tips that were mentioned in the original recipe was "the more veggies you use the more liquid they'll release, so too many veggies can make a soggy stromboli, you can help alleviate this by blanching your veggies first" and "it's important not to layer the fillings too thickly; it makes it difficult to roll".  
   *This last time I made the stromboli I used a pre-made ready to bake dough I found a Safeway.  It was the Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough and it was really delicious.  I dough per stromboli.  I usually follow the pizza dough directions from the website but getting the ready to bake dough was a real time saver.  
   *Brushing the top of the stromboli is a must if you want it to have the pretty shiny, golden brown color.  I skipped that step once....while it still tasted great; it just wasn't nearly as pretty.
   *
   

Dough rolled out into a rectangle.
Using the word rectangle loosely. 

Added a teeny bit of pizza sauce
and a bunch (3/4 of a bag of pepperoni).

Added  a bag of shredded Italian blend cheese (2 c).
Then rolled it up and folded the ends under and
pinched the seam closed.  

Cut the slits, brushed it with the egg,
and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

So golden brown, shiny,
 and oozing warn melted cheese.

Rachel's Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

This "recipe", if I can really call it that, is something Rach and I thought of for this year's Father's Day treat. I thought of this because every time we go to the Melting Pot he asks for extra marshmallows for the chocolate fondue.  This is how we gave him chocolate marshmallows without the Melting Pot price.  

                                   
                
Rachel's Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
by Rachel

Ingredients - 

• 1 bag of regular sized marshmallows 
• 1 16 oz package of chocolate CandiQuik candy coating
• variety of sprinkles (optional)

Directions - 

1. Melt chocolate candy coating according to the package directions.
2. Take a marshmallow and dip in the chocolate & sprinkles.
3. Place on parchment or wax paper until chocolate hardens.

Calories per chocolate marshmallow - approx. 63 

In this recipe we just dipped half the marshmallow. This is one of those recipes that is super easy to make it your way.....you can totally dip the entire marshmallow.....you could use white chocolate....drizzle chocolate instead of dipping.  Just have fun with it....and if you're doing this with a young cook - plan on wiping up chocolate for days!  

Getting started.

Carefully placing
about every other marshmallow
on the parchment paper.

I think the chocolate fingerprints gives them
that extra pizazz. 

She love creating in the kitchen.