bake, bake, bake, senora

ah, snow days. i hate the white stuff, but don't mind the opportunity to bake stuff all day at alllll. i'm still working on cooking, but baking is totally my thing. could it be because of my insane sweet tooth? perhaps. but i thought i'd share with you some great recipes that i snagged from pillsbury - one for a quiche that i made the other day, and another that i'm about to whip up (fingers crossed for yumminess). bon appetit!

tomato-bacon quiche:

INGREDIENTS

1

frozen deep dish pie crust

6

slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

4

medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

3

medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded, chopped

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1

cup half-and-half

2

tablespoons all-purpose flour

2

eggs

1/2

cup shredded Swiss cheese (2 oz)

1/2

cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place cookie sheet on oven rack. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove crust from freezer; let stand 1 minute. Prick crust with fork. Bake on cookie sheet 9 to 11 minutes or until very light golden brown.

2. Sprinkle bacon, green onions, tomatoes, salt and pepper in crust. In medium bowl, stir together half-and-half, flour and eggs. Stir in cheeses. Pour over tomato mixture.

3. Bake on cookie sheet 25 to 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

sweet cheese delights

INGREDIENTS

2

packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1

cup sugar

1

egg yolk

1

teaspoon vanilla

2

cans (8 oz each) crescent dinner rolls

1

cup chopped pecans

1/2

cup packed brown sugar

2

tablespoons butter, melted

2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended.

2. Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press seams and perforations to seal. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spread with cream cheese mixture.

3. In small bowl, mix pecans, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle half the pecan mixture over the cream cheese layer. On lightly floured surface, press or roll out remaining dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Place over filling. Sprinkle remaining pecan mixture over top.

4. Bake at 375°F 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on cooling rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.