Berry Chantilly Napoleons

My last entry for Wick’s Pies Recipe Challenge is for the dessert round and I am completely in love. If you've ever had Berry Chantilly cake before, I think you will be blown away by my twist on that ridiculously delicious dessert. It is one of my absolute favorite things and on my birthday, during covid, I ordered a large one to be delivered to my house when I just didn't have it in me to bake my own labor intensive cake. My version today, is much more manageable. The cream filling and crusts can be made in advance easily, so all you need to do is assemble when you're ready to serve it. 

The pie crusts are already buttery, flaky and rich but I sprinkled them with coarse sugar sprinkles to give them a sweet crunch and gorgeous shimmer. Fresh mixed berries are layered in there with the most decadent fluffy and not too sweet mascarpone and almond cream filling. I'm telling you, it's heaven on a plate!

Berry Chantilly Napoleons

1 Wick’s unbaked pie shell

1 Tablespoon coarse sparkling sugar sprinkles

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

4 oz mascarpone cheese

1 cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon almond extract

2 cups mixed berries

Pre-heat oven to 400°.

Lay the unbaked pie shell onto a lightly floured surface and use a 3 ¼ inch round cookie cutter to make                     circles, re-rolling the scraps if needed, to use up all the dough. I was able to get 10. 

Place dough circles on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  

Brush each circle evenly with water and sprinkle a thin even layer of the sugar over each one. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth. Add the mascarpone and slowly mix until well blended. Replace the paddle attachment with the whisk slowly pour in the cream and almond extract. Whip mixture at medium-high speed until thickened and mousse like. Place in the fridge to chill until ready to use.

Pipe or spoon an even layer of cream over 5 of the pie crusts. Top with berries and another pie crust. Serve immediately.

The crusts and Chantilly cream can be made in advance and stored separately if desired. 

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Cali Style Everything Bagel Avocado Breakfast Stacks

I definitely prefer savory over sweet when it comes to breakfast dishes. My second entry for Wick’s Pies Recipe Challenge has all my favorite ingredients to start the day off right! You can never go wrong with Everything Bagel Seasoning, especially when it's baked into a buttery flaky pie crust that's then layered with smashed fresh avocado, baby tomatoes, basil and crispy black pepper bacon.

Cali Style Everything Bagel Avocado Breakfast Stacks

2 Wick’s unbaked pie shell

2 Tablespoons everything bagel seasoning 

2 large ripe avocados

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon garlic salt

15 assorted heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 slices thick cut black pepper bacon, cooked and chopped

¼ cup minced fresh basil 

Pre-heat oven to 400°.

Lay the unbaked pie shells onto a lightly floured surface and use a 3 ¼ inch round cookie cutter to make circles, re-rolling the scraps if needed, to use up all the dough. I was able to get 20. 

Place dough circles on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  

Brush each circle evenly with water and sprinkle a thin even layer of the everything bagel seasoning over each one. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl mash together the avocado, lemon juice and garlic salt.

Spoon some of the avocado mash onto 10 of the pie crust rounds. Top each with tomatoes, another pie crust round, and the remaining avocado mash. Sprinkle each evenly with bacon and basil and serve immediately.

You can follow Wick’s Pies here for more recipes and ideas:  Wick's, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter 

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Cool Ranch Fried Chicken Salad Hand Pies with Green Onion Buttermilk Dip

If that’s not the longest recipe name that I’ve ever created I don’t know what is, but sometimes you need all those words to convey just how good something is. I took creamy herbed chicken salad and stuffed it into a buttery, flaky fried pie crust. Once the crust is totally browned and bubbly it is dusted with ranch seasoning and served with a cracked black pepper, green onion and buttermilk dip. I’m telling you it’s heavenly and beyond delicious and I truly hope you try them!

This is my Main Dish entry for the Wick’s Pies Recipe Challenge 

Update: This recipe won "Best Entrée" and $500!

Cool Ranch Fried Chicken Salad Hand Pies with Green Onion Buttermilk Dip

3 Wick’s 9” Dough Circles

1 cup prepared chicken salad

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup buttermilk

¾ teaspoon freshly ground coarse black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic salt

6 cups vegetable oil for frying

1 Tablespoon ranch seasoning

4 cups finely shaved romaine lettuce

Allow pie crusts to come to room temperature and roll into 10-inch circles with a lightly floured rolling pin. Using a 5-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles, re-rolling crust scraps as necessary.

Place one heaping Tablespoon of chicken salad in the middle of each circle and brush the edges with water to moisten. Carefully pinch the edges of each filled circle closed, working carefully to avoid the dough ripping. Place the pies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and place in the freezer for 1 hour. 

While the pies are chilling, whisk together the mayonnaise, green onions, buttermilk, pepper, and garlic salt until well mixed.

Heat the oil in a large, deep sided skillet to 375° fitted with a candy thermometer. Fry the pies in batches, for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the pies to a cookie sheet lined with a cooling rack and sprinkle with the ranch seasoning while still hot.

Serve pies on a bed of lettuce with buttermilk dip.

You can follow Wick’s Pies here for more recipes and ideas:  Wick's, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter 

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Clam Bake Rice Cakes with Old Bay Aioli

This is my second entry for the Success Rice contest and I think this dish screams end of summer perfection! All the best parts of a clam bake mixed into a delicious rice cake and drizzled with Old Bay Aioli. It all starts with crispy bacon, tender Littleneck clams and then Jasmine rice that is cooked in the bacon and clam broth to really infuse it with that classic clam bake flavor. Sweet corn is added and a lemony Old Bay aioli rounds it out. 

 Clam Bake Rice Cakes with Old Bay Aioli

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

1 lemon – zest and juice

1 Tablespoon hot sauce

2 slices bacon

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cup chicken stock

2 pounds littleneck clams, well cleaned

1 bag Success Boil in Bag Jasmine Rice

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup corn 

1 green onion, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

2 Tablespoons butter

In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, Old Bay, the zest and juice of the lemon and the hot sauce.

Add the bacon and 2 Tablespoons of water to a large sauce pot over medium high heat and cook until the bacon is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. 

With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot and place on a paper towel to drain. 

Add the butter, stock and clams to the same pot. Raise the heat to high, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until all the clams open. Remove the clams from the broth and separate the meat from the shells.

Using the same pot the clams and bacon cooked in, add the rice bags and cook according to package directions.

Once cool enough to handle, finely chop the bacon and clams. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the eggs, corn, green onion and seasoning salt. Stir until evenly combined.

Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. 

Working in batches, melt half of the butter in the hot pan and scoop 5 small portions of the rice mixture around the pan (I use a small cookie cutter to portion the mixture and keep them evenly round). Cook for about 4 minutes per side and then repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve with dipping sauce, makes 10 cakes.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi Fried Rice with Crispy Prosciutto

How does a 9 ingredient, gluten free, ready in less than 30 minutes recipe sound for the day after a long weekend? This is my first entry for the “Success Rice Share Your Success” Recipe Contest and I think it’s an absolute weekday winner!

 Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi Fried Rice with Crispy Prosciutto

2 bags Success Boil in Bag Jasmine Rice

6 slices prosciutto

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 Tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

2 Tablespoons dry white wine

1 Tablespoon capers

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Heat oven to 400° and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Lay the prosciutto slices on the parchment paper in a single layer and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the fat has rendered.

Remove the prosciutto from the oven and lay on a cooling rack to crisp.

Pour the prepared rice onto the parchment with the prosciutto fat and stir until evenly coated. Spread the rice into an even layer.

In a small bowl toss the shrimp, lemon pepper seasoning and garlic powder together until evenly coated. Lay the shrimp on top of the rice. Sprinkle with the cubed butter, drizzle the wine and sprinkle the capers evenly over the pan. Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the shrimp have cooked through.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.