Pi Day Cupcakes!

HAPPY PI DAY!

In honor of pi day (celebrating 3/14), I made cupcakes that look like little pies!

If you go here you can learn a little more about pi. The Mr. helped quite a bit, too, since we ended up making FOUR DOZEN!!

I basically just tried to mimic this and this and think we ended up doing a pretty good job, after the learning curve!  My biggest tip: Cut off the rounded muffin top so that the 'pie' parts can lay flat- that way the M&Ms won't fall off.  We decided that red = apple pie, orange = pumpkin pie, yellow = lemon meringue, green = key lime pie, blue = blueberry, and brown = French silk pie. Boy- they were tasty!!!

Hope everyone's doing well - take care!

Moroccon Crispy Chickpeas

I just found this fantastic recipe for Moroccan Crispy Chickpeas here and haven't tried it yet. I figured if I posted on the blog then I'll remember to try making it some other time! If anybody tries this before I do, let me know how it turns out. I'm on a spice buying mission, so we'll have to see where I end up buying them from. When I make these, I'd probably use two cans of beans since the video made it seem like there would be plenty of extra spice.

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. California chile powder

2 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. sweet paprika

1 t. ground coriander

1/4 t. ground allspice

1/4 t. ground ginger

pinch of ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Rinse chickpeas well, then lay on a paper towel and pat dry. Transfer to cookie sheet.
3. Toss with olive oil until  chickpeas are lightly coated.
4. In a small bowl, combine California chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, coriander, allspice, ginger, and salt
5. Sprinkle spice mixture over chickpeas, then toss until evenly coated. Save any leftovers for your next batch!
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Baked Crabby Rangoon

By: nat
Published: April 29, 2011
This is essentially the recipe that the Mr. and I have settled on when we want crab rangoon without having to go to a restaurant. Also, instead of its customary fried cousin, our version is baked.  It's pretty fun to make, and you can vary the sizes and amount of filling in the wrapper, if you want (that'll change the nutrition and cost information).  They go double-duty and work as an appetizer and a snack. Enjoy!

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min

Ingredients:
Low-fat cream cheese: 8 oz
Imitation crab, stick or flake: 4 oz
Wonton wrappers: 1 Package
Optional: Cayenne, hot sauce
Note: You may use egg roll wrappers if you can't find wonton wrappers, since there's not a big difference- just cut them into a smaller square size so your baked crabby rangoons don't turn out enormous.  Wonton wrappers are 3 1/2" by 3 1/2".

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese and imitation crab in a food processor until mostly smooth. Add cayenne and/or hot sauce if desired, and blend further.
2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the center of a wonton wrapper.
3. Folding the wonton: Bring opposite corners together to make a triangle. Fold the two symmetrical corners towards the middle. Fold the top down. (It should look somewhat like an envelope.)
4. Place the wontons on a baking sheet, folded side down.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350* F or until under side is lightly golden. Flip them over and bake for another 5 minutes or until the under-side is lightly golden as well.
6. Let cool 2 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 40 crabby rangoons
Serving size: 2 crabby rangoons

Calories per serving: 75 calories

Fat per serving: 2g
Sodium per serving: 197mg
Protein per serving: 3g

For more detailed nutrition facts, click here

Cost Effectiveness
{2.50} Block of 8oz cream cheese
{3.00} 8 oz Imitation crab, used half -
{3.00} Egg roll wrappers- usually about the same price as wonton wrappers


$8.50 = Cost for the whole batch
$0.43 = Cost for each serving of two crabby rangoon