Italian Fontina Cheese Ice Cream

So here's the story with this ice cream.....

Italian Fontina cheese - when eaten straight off the knife - tastes foul. And when I say foul, I mean it has a strong flavor that's sharp and sorta moldy. So, when I made the custard portion of the ice cream, which tasted wonderful, and THEN took my first bite of the Fontina - Yick! Yuck! - it took some serious trust on my part to add this unpleasant element to my already delicious custard base.

Luckily, my friends at the cheese counter at Whole Foods had forewarned me that the cheese had a bold and "distinct" flavor. I took comfort in the fact that they were not surprised that I was using it in ice cream....but rather intrigued, which led me to believe that somehow the unsavory flavor of this cheese was going to be miraculously transformed into delicious flavor at some point during the preparation process, which means there was going to be a little bit of kitchen magic happening.....

I whisked in the cheese until it was smooth and then took my first bite.......not too bad. After it had chilled in the fridge overnight I tasted it again....not bad at all......kinda yummy. And then I ran it through the Cuisanart and turned it into the delectable Italian Fontina Cheese Ice Cream you see above. I don't when the "Abracadabra" moment took place exactly, but I do know the Magic happened!

Delicious!

Of course, it was a BIG hit at the Cheese Tasting Party as everyone raved about the marvelous texture and exquisite flavor. I, myself remained dumbfounded that the stinky quality of the cheese - that I could actually taste in the ice cream - is what gave this culinary delight it's perfect flavor......Magic!

It was only after we had thoroughly enjoyed our ice cream, that I let Carrie serve up the Fontina cheese to be taste-tested. And just as I suspected, everyone hated it! They couldn't bring themselves to believe that the unpleasantness of the Fontina could be hidden in the ice cream, let alone be responsible for the splendid flavor, but eventually they came to believe.............. in Kitchen Magic!


Fontina Cheese Ice Cream

3 Cups Whole Milk
3 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
4 Ounces Fontina Val D'Aosta cheese....
rind discarded and cheese coarsely grated
One Teaspoon Vanilla

Special equipment:
Instant-read Thermometer;
Ice Cream Maker

Bring milk just to a boil in a 1-1/2 to 2 quart heavy saucepan. Whisk together eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add hot milk in a slow stream, whisking. Pour custard back into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, then add cheeses and vanilla, whisking until cheeses are completely melted and incorporated. Cover surface of custard with a round of wax paper and chill until very cold, about 4 hours or overnight.

Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

Let soften at room temperature 20 minutes before serving, if necessary.

**The original recipe gave me the option of using either Danish Fontina or Spanish Mahon. I chose Fontina because we had already showcased the Mahon at our first cheese tasting party, and I wanted to explore new cheeses. Our Whole Foods did not carry Danish Fontina, but it did carry Italian, which is what I used.

As I was leaving Whole Foods after picking out my cheese, this shiny bag caught my eye and it seemed like the perfect topping for the ice cream. Turns out, I was right. It was a huge hit as an ice cream topper. Of course, it's fabulous for simple snacking too.

MORE Cheese and Wine!!!

It's been nearly a year since our last Cheese Tasting and we collectively agreed that that was too long, so in an attempt to rectify this snafu, we promptly scheduled another one, at which time Carrie eagerly offered to host.

Carrie did NOT disappoint as she chose interesting, diverse, and delectable cheeses. But before the actual tasting festivities began, she spoiled us with a stunning appetizer designed, we believe, to initiate the drooling process.......mission accomplished.

Normally, when we enjoy a new entree' at one of our parties we tease you with a delicious photograph, like the one above, and then we make you wait a few days for the actual recipe, but today this appetizer is so easy and truly divine that we are going to share it with you right now!

You're Welcome!


Pecorino Heaven

Pecorino Heaven is what I have named this little number because that's precisely what it is. In order to get to heaven you need to score yourself some Pecorino Tuscano cheese from Tuscany, Italy. (We recommend you travel there - for obvious reasons - to buy this cheese, but if that is not possible, Whole Foods does carry it.) You are going to slice it into nice thick slices and place it in a baking dish. You will place it in a 450 degree oven for 6 minutes - just to soften it up a touch - and then remove from oven.

You will then proceed to lovingly drop walnuts over the now relaxed Pecorino and follow that up with a healthy drizzling of honey. You will serve immediately and wait for applause...don't worry...it will come!

Once we were all happy and prepped for fun, Carrie started bringing out the cheeses one by one for our tasting enjoyment and expert reviews. The first cheese up was Quadrella di Bufala - also an Italian cheese - made from Buffalo milk with a rich and slightly sweet and tangy flavor. This cheese made us think of Brie, due to it's deliciously creamy paste-like texture.

Carrie had set the table with pears, grapes, crackers, nuts, and dried cranberries and we chose the cranberries as the perfect partner for the Quadrello di Bufala. Anne, a wonderful and new friend to our party placed this cheese in her top three favorites of the day. Sadly, as much as we enjoyed this sister-of-brie cheese it did not rank as high for the rest of us, mostly because the other cheeses were just that good!

Cheese number two was Neal's Yard Isle of Mull Cheddar from Scotland. This cheese was interesting because at first, second, and third bite none of us would have guessed this cheese a cheddar - we would have guessed a Parmesan. I think we all enjoyed it and were happy to have met this Scottish gem, but again it didn't knock our socks off like some of the others.

Which brings us to Cheese number three, Bavaria Blu. As it's name suggests, it is a Blue cheese from Upper Bavaria. This cheese was very good. It was super creamy with the perfect blue cheese flavor. We decided that it tasted best when paired with nuts and crackers. This cheese scored a medal due to it's surprise factor....we were pleasantly surprised by how creamy and good a Blue cheese could be!

How do you feel about 'smoked' cheese........because we're moving on from Blue cheese to Smoked cheese with a Carr Valley Cheddar Applewood? The smoked quality set this cheese apart from it's cheddar brothers in a big and bold way. I thought this cheddar, hand-rubbed in paprika, tasted fabulous with crackers, but Carrie registered her vote for the walnuts. Jen just liked it... period.....which is why she awarded it a silver medal. We all agreed that Jen's medal winner would be a perfect addition to any salad.....

Next up: Kerrygold Stout Cheddar. Kerrygold, the Irish cheese crafters that produce Blarney and Dubliner are known for mixing cheese with stout and/or whiskey.....sounds like something the Irish would do, doesn't it? This cheese, once in contact with one's tongue, can be felt up and down the spine....in a good way. This cheese was savory and spreadable and earned top honors among some of the tasters due to it's impressive and unique flavor.

And then the Sartori Bellavitano Raspberry was brought to the table and life was forever changed for each and every one of us, except Anne. I think the Bavaria Blu changed the course of Anne's life, but for the rest of us, this Bellavitano cheese was magic - it was love at first bite!

This premium cheese had a unique Parmesan flavor and a creamy Cheddar texture that was made electric by being soaked in New Glarus Raspberry Tart Ale, which brought out the fruity notes of the cheese. It was as if we had walked through the pearly gates of heaven once more. For many of the taste-testers, Mr. Sartori ran away with the gold. Teri personally crowned the Sartori Bellavitano with the medal because she was so impressed with the uniqueness and delight of this contender - it surprised her and made her smile - she likes that! :)

Patty, who had just attended a party with lots of cheeses, brought a Triple Cream Brie as a bonus cheese for us to try. This brie was super-duper creamy and almost tasted like butter. It wasn't so impressive when partnered with the fruits and nuts, but it was magic when spread on a cracker, so I imagine if spread on a hearty English muffin, it just might taste like bliss on bread.

Remember the Pecorino Heaven from the beginning? Well, none of us girls were ready to end this party, so we asked, "What about the Pecorino Tuscano? Is there any of that cheese left? We really should taste that without the adornment of walnuts and honey!"

Carrie had indeed saved some of the Pecorino for tasting which rallied an applause from the table, "More Cheese!" Of course, it was sublime and made everyone happy, but I'll be honest, as good as it was, I really loved it when softened.

Oh, did I mention the wine?

Carrie had three lovely bottles on the counter primed for consumption, but then the force, we affectionately refer to as Teri, came roaring in with not only Easter treats for all of us, she also brought wine. Not just any wine, but wine in a box! Teri knows her wine and she assured us that this wine would surprise us. This little box housed the equivalent of four bottles of wine for the low, low price of $15.00 conveniently found at World Market. Every time one of us would get up to pour our first glass and take our first sip, we could not help but exclaim, "That is good wine!"

There was one more cheese...one more surprise, but that will have to wait for another day. But as always, we present you with a photo of the deliciousness. Carrie had asked me to whip up some ice cream using a Danish Fontina Cheese, and I happily agreed to take on the task.

As always, it's not just your basic vanilla ice cream....there's a twist - a pungent and yummy twist - that we will share with you soon....stay tuned!

Carrie did a phenomenal job with this tasting and we had so much fun - as always! We were very happy to have Carrie's friend and fellow food lover, Anne join our party and hope she had fun as well. Our next party is CHOCOLATE and it's coming up soon - can't wait!

After chocolate, the Food Tastings we are gearing up for are:
1. Pestos
2. Exotic and Unique Fruits
3. Onions
4. (?)

Now go get yourself some cheese and wine and indulge as you wait for the chocolate!

Banana Split Cheesecake

Happy Birthday Jen!

In honor of Jen's big birthday I wanted to make something exceedingly delicious and completely brand new. With the weather being so spectacular it had me dreaming about summer. And what's more summer than a good old-fashioned Banana Split?

I served this at Easter brunch and adults and kids alike were begging for more. As crazy as it sounds..it tastes just as wonderfully perfect and refreshing as the real banana split. I don't know which would be more fattening, but who cares.....it's her birthday....and birthday calories are null and void!

Of course, the calories will add up for those of you at home, but I'm here to tell you it's worth every single additional pound on the scale!


Banana Split Cheesecake

Crust:
One Cup Chocolate Cookie/Wafer Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Sugar
One Tablespoon Butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) blocks Cream Cheese, softened
8 Ounces Sour Cream
1-1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Mashed Ripe Bananas
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs

Toppings:
1/3 Cup Canned Crushed Pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 Cup Strawberries or Cherries
1/3 Cup Chocolate Syrup
1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans, toasted
16 Maraschino Cherries, drained

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan.

To prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1-1/2 cups sugar, banana, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition.

Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325° for one hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool cheesecake to room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. Top each serving with pineapple, strawberries or cherries, chocolate syrup, pecans, and one cherry.

Note: It's your banana split, so top it off with the toppings of your choice. I like lots of pineapple, sour cherries, and a dab of melted dark chocolate........ :0)

Golden Roasted Caulifower with Pecorino Romano

My kids are normally pretty good about eating vegetables. Seriously...peas are their favorite! No one ever believes me, but it's true. Peas get requested every single day around here, which is why I've been on the hunt to find some new ways to prepare veggies that don't get a lot of requests. One of those veggies is cauliflower.

Now, Sheri and I have no issues with cauliflower. We've mashed it into "fake" mashed potatoes, like the South Beach dieters do, we've made soup with it, we've thrown it into our Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas and our Oven Roasted Veggies. Cauliflower is just gooooood, man! But the kids? Yeah, they don't like it so much. So when I was perusing Once Upon A Chef and saw this recipe (along with the assurance that her kids gobbled it right up), I was game!

Let me just tell you that this could not be easier. Wash up your cauliflower, dry it off, cut it into florets, sprinkle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, roast it, and sprinkle it with Pecorino Romano. It's just that easy. And super tasty, too!! Give it a shot...we promise you won't be disappointed!

Golden Roasted Cauliflower with Pecorino Romano
by Once Upon a Chef

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

Set rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat evenly.

Roast cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, stirring a few times to promote even browning, until tender and golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; you want the florets to develop deep golden spots. If it looks like they're getting too dark, turn oven down to 425.)

Sprinkle with grated cheese, then taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with parsley.

Little Orange Muffins

We like muffins. A lot. There...I said it.

In our house, muffins are a staple. On Saturday or Sunday mornings, I generally feel that a "bigger-than-usual" breakfast is in order, and that is typically when I have the most time to do something a little creative. It's a great time to try out a new pancake recipe, breakfast casserole, quiche, breakfast burritos, or anything else you might think of trying. My kids have really begun to enjoy weekend mornings, and it's not because of the cartoons!

I found this recipe in the box for my new Pampered Chef mini-muffin pan, and thought it sounded tasty...not to mention, EASY!!! So we gave it a whirl, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! They came together in no time flat, and the fact that they were mini muffins just added to their allure. My daughter kept exclaiming at how "cute" they were! Well they WERE cute, but they're pretty yummy too...so try 'em soon!

Little Orange Muffins

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. orange zest

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well.

In another bowl, mix butter and sugar until well blended. Add the egg and whisk until smooth. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Add the flour mixture gradually, and stir until ingredients are moistened, but be careful not to over mix.

Using spoon, fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake 12-13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes and remove. Cool slightly.

If you want a light topping for the muffins, you can dip the tops in melted butter and then dip in sugar. They're great with or without, so try them both ways!!

Minty Mushroom Ice Cream

The more you expose yourself to new and exciting foods, the more you realize how many seemingly incompatible foods actually compliment one another beautifully. A few examples of this might be cayenne pepper in chocolate, pumpkin puree in lasagna, fresh basil in a lemon cake or mayonnaise in a chocolate cake. At first, you might be hesitant to give these odd couplings a taste, but if you open your mind and give them a chance, you just might discover a brand new flavor sensation.

With that said, we need you to check any reservations you have about mixing mushrooms and ice cream together at the door and open your mind to the possibility. Ironically enough, we did make a joke while making the Italian Stuffed Portabellas about how ice cream and Portabellas should never share space in the same sentence, but we were just setting the stage for this unique and Oh-So fascinating recipe.

We will be using mushrooms, however, we will not be using Portabellas – their flavor is too distinct and we are looking for the more subdued fungi flavor. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how the mushrooms play off the bitter chocolate and how well they infuse with the peppermint and vodka. The best way to describe the unique flavor of this gourmet ice cream is Indescribable!


Minty Mushroom Ice Cream

2 Cups Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
3 Cups Sugar
1/2 Pound of White Button Mushrooms – no exceptions
4 Ounces Bittersweet Dark Chocolate, shaved or finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Vodka (Optional, but recommended)
One Teaspoon Peppermint Extract

*****
1/2 Cup White Button Mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Vodka

We know the list of ingredients seem a bit disjointed, but trust us, each one plays an important role in creating the flavor of this gourmet delight. Hang in there with us!

Pour the whipping cream into a chilled bowl and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Add ricotta cheese and continue to mix. Add sugar and do the same. Set aside.

Run mushrooms through a food processor until "shredded." In another bowl, mix those mushrooms, chocolate, peppermint extract, and vodka together –tossing to coat.

Slowly fold mushroom mixture into creamed mixture. Pour into ice cream maker and follow instructions – usually twenty minutes. We highly recommend not eating the ice cream straight from the maker, but rather, pouring into a freezer container and freezing overnight.

While ice cream is setting in the freezer, place 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms in a bowl and pour 1/4 cup vodka over them. Let soak overnight.

When you remove the ice cream from the freezer, scoop into dessert bowls and garnish with shaved chocolate and vodka soaked mushrooms. Enjoy!





April Fooooooools!



NEVER EVER let anyone convince you to put mushrooms of ANY kind and ice cream together in the same bowl– it’s a sin! And as we’ve said before, they shouldn’t even share space in the same sentence! And vodka soaked mushrooms?!?! Really???


We Hope You Get To Make A Fool Out Of Someone Today!
But Beeeeeee NICE!

Baked Rice with Butternut Squash

I drove my caboose out to Jen and Barry's house last weekend and Jen and I made a stellar dinner together with the help of a glass or two of wine. We happily cooked up some fabulous new recipes..this being one of them. I had cooked the squash earlier in the day, so when I showed up at the house I was able to whip up this very tasty rice dish in no time at all, while Jen was working her magic on a savory cauliflower number and a peppery and buttery marinade for the steaks Barry would later grill to perfection.

When the cooking and grilling was complete and wine glasses were refreshed, we all took our seats at the table. Ahh...everything smelled sooo good!

Now, Mr. Noah loves his steak but he took one look at my new rice dish and was adamant that he didn't like it before he even tasted it, so we sold it to him as cheesy rice. Was it a lie? Well, there was some cheese in there - only 1/4 cup, but we used that 1/4 cup to convince him to try it. And guess what? He liked it...he really liked it!

We think you'll like it too!

Baked Rice with Butternut Squash
found at cookinglight.com

One Butternut Squash (about 1-1/2 pounds)
2-1/2 Cups Less-Sodium Chicken Broth
One Cup Water
One Tablespoon Chopped Fresh or One Teaspoon Dried Rubbed Sage
One Teaspoon Olive Oil
One Cup Diced Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
One Cup Uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh or 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Touch of Oil
1/4 Cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan Cheese

Okay...you have two options:

Place squash in crockpot and add one cup water. Turn on high and let it roast for 3 hours. Remove from crockpot and peel off the skin. Remove seeds. Set squash aside.

OR

Place squash on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until tender; cool. Peel squash; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring broth, water, and sage to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 6 minutes. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, broth mixture, wine, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place rice mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish lightly coated with oil and cover. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Stir mixture gently. Sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Add liquid if too dry. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.

Best when served immediately.

Salmon Patties

Growing up in a Catholic family, we dutifully observed the no-meat-rule on Fridays during Lent. We ate a great deal of fish and mac and cheese - much to my delight - as these were my all-time faves. But we also ate our fair share of salmon patties. Whenever I peered into the kitchen and noticed them on that night's menu, I can't say I was too excited - nothing glamorous about salmon patties. Yet, by the time they got to the table and then my plate and then my mouth, I was always amazed by how good they were.

I've realized that as an adult, I don't eat much salmon from a can anymore. Instead, I enjoy the succulent taste of fresh salmon. But then last week, my sister Amy, who has five spunky and magnificent children sent me this tasty little number along with rave reviews from all the kids...even the temporarily picky four-year old, Zach. So, I decided to try them myself and was impressed with their sinfully savory flavor. I forgot how good they could be!

So, if you're observing the Lenten tradition, these just might be the perfect Friday night dinner for you and your family.


Baked Salmon Patties

14.5 Ounce Can Salmon
Milk (see directions)
One Cup Bread Crumbs, divided
1/4 Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Onion, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Red Pepper, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, finely chopped
1/3 Cup Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Hot Chili Sauce (or as desired)
One Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Chives
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed

Press the liquid from the canned salmon into a measuring cup. Add enough milk to measure 3/4 cup. Flake the salmon into a large bowl, removing any large bones. Whisk bread crumbs and Parmesan Cheese together in separate bowl. Set both bowls aside for now.

Gently saute' onion, pepper, and celery in butter until softened, but not browned. Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the milk mixture while continuing to stir and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the salmon, lemon juice, hot sauce, chives, dill, and 1/2 the bread crumbs. Refrigerate until firm. (You may do this a day in advance up to this point)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're using a stone dish, you're ready to go. Otherwise, line a shallow baking sheet with foil and lightly oil.

Divide chilled salmon into 8 portions forming patties. Place remaining bread crumbs in a shallow plate. Coat both sides of the salmon patties with crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes or until considered done.

Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges if desired.

Now..........wait for Easter!

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese

If you thought Mac & Cheese was made by Kraft and came in a box, we hope by now you've realized that Mac and Cheese is SOOOO much more. In fact, after a little research into how to create the BEST mac and cheese we found that the secret is to combine Cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan cheese.

But which Cheddar...which Swiss? There are so many to choose from! When it comes Parmesan, Reggiano is the clear winner. But to help us decide on the Swiss and Cheddar we took a trip to the cheese counter at Whole Foods and shared with the nice "cheese" gentlemen our dream of creating a Gold Medal Mac and Cheese. They were MORE than happy to let us sample the cheeses, which allowed us to choose with our taste buds how sharp we wanted our Cheddar to be and how deep of a flavor our Swiss would possess.

Below are the cheeses that were chosen to create our self-awarded Gold medal Mac & Cheese. Use what we did or taste-test for your own cheese...it's as much fun as eating the end product!


Three Cheese Mac and Cheese

4 Cups Dried Penne Pasta
4 Tablespoons Butter
¼ Cup Flour
2-½ Cups Whole Milk
2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard
8 Ounces Cheddar Murray Bridge Australian Cheese, grated
4 Ounces Swiss Emmenthaler Cheese, grated
4 Ounces Parmesano-Reggiano Cheese, grated
½ Teaspoon Salt or more
½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook pasta until very firm. Pasta should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper.

Pour in drained, cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

(We used the Parmesan on top with an additional sprinkling of bread crumbs...just for fun!)

One bite of this and you'll be saying, "Kraft who?!?!"

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Okay, so the truth is.....we've been mesmerized by the sunshine, distracted by the beautiful blue skies, and totally slacking on our job of getting fabulous new recipes to you. Actually, we did just make a fabulous meal together which gave us four new recipes to pass along to you, but we don't have them ready for you just yet, so we're re-sharing one of our favorite cookies in case you missed it the first time. These should keep you very happy for awhile....

What do they say - there is an exception to every rule?

This recipe is one of our exceptions to the rule of never using boxed mixes. BUT, in our defense once you taste these cookies and then your spouse tastes them, and then your children taste them, and your parents taste them, you will all be so in love with them, you will understand why this has become an exception to the rule.

AND, these cookies are the easiest cookies you will ever make that look like they came straight from the bakery. We assure you, that when we figure out a way to make them without the box, we will share that recipe with you too. Until then....

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

One Box of Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Oil
2 Eggs

Filling
4 Ounces Cream Cheese
One Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, oil, and egg until completely blended. Then roll the batter into little balls and place on a cookie sheet or stone one inch apart. We hate to be picky about the size of each little ball, but each one must be the exact same size, so when it comes time to finding them the perfect partner to make a sandwich with, we don't have complete chaos. Of course, if you like your sandwiches a little wild and crazy, then roll each ball into whatever size you choose!

As these bake for 10-12 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar to make the creamy filling.

As you pull the cookies from the oven, you will notice them flattening a bit and by the time you remove them from the stone they should be completely flat - perfect sandwich material!

Once the cookies are cooled, we begin the sandwich mating process. We start by choosing a cookie from the crowd. Then we search through the sea of remaining cookies for their perfect other half. Once we are happy with our match, we make the union official by bonding them with a little cream filling. For those of you with busy lives and more important things to do, you might just grab a random cookie, then another random cookie, and smoosh them together with some filling. That's cool too!

Now for our favorite part - the wiggle room factor!

If you like peanut butter with your chocolate, just add a little bit of peanut butter to the cream cheese filling and you have a wonderful chocolate peanut butter taste.

If you like the flavor of orange with Chocolate, or the ever-popular cherry flavor, drop a few drops of Orange Oil or Almond Extract in with the filling and create another wonderful flavor.

OR, you could separate the filling into three small bowls and make three different flavored cookies from one single batch! Like Magic - three cookies at once!

Also, choose your size when it comes to the cookie. You can make them as big as monster cookies or as cute and petite as the ones pictured above. However, if you're bringing them to a party, we highly recommend the smaller version, because they will disappear faster than cheese on a mousetrap!