Peppermint Cupcakes

I asked for Vegan Cupcakes take over the World for Christmas this year to feed into my cupcake fetish and help me with baking lactose-free. I've tried one recipe from the cookbook before (Margarita cupcakes) and they were quite tasty. My What's Cooking Secret Santa sent me the cookbook and I was so excited! Although my mom was bummed because she got me the book too!
I brought the cookbook with me to Illinois for Christmas because my 13 year old sister and I always bake together when I'm home. And because my 24 year old sister and I got my mom a KitchenAid Mixer for Christmas (yes, we did get it on KAM Day back in the summer!)

These cupcakes are multi-purpose. I wanted to participate in the Cupcake Hero for December and make a treat that my family could enjoy and prove to them that eating dairy free baked goods is just as fun as full-dairy baked goods. Since the theme for the Cupcake Hero is mint this month, that meant I could try the chocolate mint cupcakes or make peppermint cupcakes from the vanilla recipe. The family voted and decided on peppermint.

I simply followed the vanilla cupcake recipe except added 2 tsp of peppermint to the batter. Then I made a cream cheese frosting, added 2 tsp of peppermint, and some crushed candy canes. It's not overly creative (check out the other Cupcake Hero entries to see what I mean!) but they sure tasty wintery.

These cupcakes turned out delicious. Everyone loved them and they had the perfect amount of peppermint in them. I also liked the texture of having the crushed candy canes in the frosting. My cupcakes did sink down while they were cooling. I think it's because 1 - someone opened the oven while they were cooking and 2 - my mom's oven temperature must be low. Everything all week took longer than expected to bake. But other than that, these guys were great. And very festive.
Peppermint Vegan Cupcakes (based on Vanilla cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World) - makes 12
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (increase to 1/2 tsp if using oil instead of margarine)
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened, or 1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond, caramel or more vanilla extract
(I used 2 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp peppermint)

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk the soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside a few minutes to get good and curdled.

If using margarine: Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix.

In a separate large bowl, use a handheld mixer on medium speed to cream the margarine and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy, but don't beat past 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and other extract, then alternate beating in the soy milk mixture and the dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.

If using oil: Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla, and other extract in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until no large lumps remain.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes until done. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Vegan Peppermint cream cheese frosting
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined. Use a handheld mixer to whip while adding the confectioners' sugar in 1/2 cup batches. Mix until smooth and creamy, then mix in the vanilla and peppermint extract. Stir in crushed candy canes. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Daring Bakers take on the Yule Log

While the tradition of the Yule Log is most closely associated with Christmas, the practice of burning a Yule Log dates back to celebrations of the Winter Solstice in Scandinavia.

The burning of the Yule Log became part of the celebrations of Midwinter. The Yule Log came to represent life, prosperity, warmth, protection and light during the dark winter.

Over the centuries, this tradition was carried on in some form by virtually ever European culture. At some point in the 18th or 19th century, the French transformed the tradition into an edible version with the Buche de Noel.

In High School I actually made a couple Buche de Noels for French class. They were nothing like this one. I never made meringue mushrooms or "real" buttercream. Those would definitely be a challenge for me!

I set out to make my Yule Log the afternoon of a holiday party we were going to attend. I decided to make the genoise chocolate and to fill it with raspberry preserves and buttercream. I wasn't crazy about the coffee flavored buttercream frosting, but everyone else really liked the combination of flavors.

Overall, the Yule log was not overly difficult to make or assembly, but again, I wasn't crazy about the exterior frosting, so if I made it again, I'd definitely make a chocolate frosting.

Yule Log(from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri and The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert)

Hosts: Daring Baker Founders Ivonne (Cream Puffs in Venice) and Lisa (La Mia Cucina)

Recipe Quantity: Serves 12

Cake should be stored in a cool, dry place. Leftovers should be refrigerated

Recipes:
Plain Genoise:
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour
¼ cup cornstarchone
(1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).

4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.

5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.

6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.

9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.

10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Coffee Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.

Meringue Mushrooms:
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1.Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.

2.Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.

3.Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.

Assembling the Yule Log:

1.Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.

2.Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.

3.Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.

4.Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you’re using).

5.Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.

6.Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.

7.Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.

8.Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.

9.Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.

10.Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.

11.Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Biscotti

I'm starting to get addicted to blogging events. The latest event that I wanted to partake in was a recipe exchange. Basically everyone sent a recipe to our wonderful organizer, Katie of Good Things Catered, and she sent back someone else's recipe. Then we all bake them and post about them. This time, they all had to be a dessert.

Hubby and I were talking about how neither of us really like Biscotti. I don't drink coffee ever and he just doesn't like them. Wouldn't you know the recipe I got is for Biscotti. I wanted to go ahead and make it to try something new. I usually send my baked goods to work with Hubby anyways and I'm sure his coworkers would like the Biscotti with their morning coffee.

Overall, I thought these turned out great. I was eating quite a bit of the dough in it's various stages of cooked-ness. I drizzled chocolate on them. Hubby said they went over great at work. He set them near the coffee pot in the morning.

I had quite a few that crumbled when I cut them. I was in a hurry and I'm sure when that if I make biscotti again, I'll just have to be more careful. I also didn't know when my butter was fully browned. I've never browned butter before, so I read some of the reviews and followed the directions. I never got a strong nutty smell from the butter though...

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Biscotti (from FoodNetwork.com)10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 1/4 cups chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chunks (about 6 ounces)

Position racks evenly in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally. Continue to cook until the butter browns and gets a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar while beating. Then slowly add the butter and vanilla until evenly mixed, about 30 seconds more. Add the peanut butter and mix until combined.

While mixing slowly, add the dry ingredients to the wet, in 2 additions, mixing just until absorbed. Fold in the peanuts and chocolate pieces.

Divide the dough evenly into thirds, and put each portion in the center of a baking sheet. Shape the dough with slightly wet hands into logs about 2-inches wide and 15 inches long. Bake until set and brown around the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes. (For even baking take care to rotate the pans-- top to bottom and front to back--about half way though.) Cool logs on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board. Cut logs crosswise, with a long serrated knife at about a 45 degree angle, into 1/2-inch thick cookies. Place cookies cut side down on the baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 8 minutes. Flip the cookies over and bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes more. Cool biscotti on the baking sheets. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Spinach Tomato Chicken Pasta

I needed a meal that could be thrown together quickly, so I headed over to Google Reader to look at posted I had starred previously. I had all the ingredients to make this recipe so I gave it a shot.

I really liked how it turned out. It was very light and reminded me of summer. Hubby wasn't crazy about it (probably because I left the cheese out)... But I really enjoyed eating it for lunches the next couple of days.

Spinach Tomato Chicken Pasta (from sweet-savory-southern)2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/3 of a 16 oz box of fettuccine (most any pasta would work) - I used angel hair
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, washed
1 small tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese - I left this out
salt and pepper

Begin boiling the water for the pasta. Add pasta to salted water and boil for about 8 min or until al dente. Drain the pasta and place in a bowl with spinach. (The heat from the pasta will wilt the spinach down a little.)

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium/high heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to the pan. Cook for about 10 min or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the butter.

When the butter is melted, add the chopped garlic. Saute for 2-3 min to cook the garlic. Pour garlic butter over the pasta and spinach and toss in the chicken and chopped tomato. Toss to combine all the ingredients. Add additional salt and pepper as needed. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

*a squirt of lemon juice right before serving would be good on this, too

Brie Bites

Hubby and I were going to a wine and cheese party. I wanted to bring an appetizer that fit the theme. I just kind of threw these together and they were quite tasty!

Brie Bites (by ME!)
60 pre-made phyllo cups (4 packages)
15 oz Brie wheel - or spreadable Brie - see note below
topping choices:
Brown sugar
Dried cranberries
Toasted almonds
Fruit preserves

Cut the white casing off the Brie. I like to freeze the Brie for about 20 minutes to make this task easier. Cut Brie into 60 pieces (about 1-inch squares). NOTE: I made these more recently (11/29/08) and used the spreadable Brie that you can find right next to the regular Brie. It has no rind, so you can just scoop it into the cups. This was SO MUCH easier than cutting off the rind. It also melted a lot better and had a better texture because of it. I highly recommend doing it this way.

Put one piece of Brie into each phyllo cup. Bake for about 7 minutes at 350.

Top with either 1 tsp of fruit preserves or 1/2 tsp brown sugar and a couple almonds and a couple dried cranberries. Cook again for a few minutes to melt the preserves/sugar.

Scallop Mango salad

Hubby and I want to start eating more salads as entrees. I saw this in a recent copy of Cooking Light and thought we'd give it a try. Neither of us had ever cooked with sea scallops before, but they are really easy to cook.

This was a great salad but needed a little something more. Perhaps if we had mango chutney that would have provided what was missing (we used a sliced mango instead). Also, this salad will not keep well, so next time we'll make 1/2 the recipe for just the 2 of us.

Caribbean Grilled Scallop Salad (from Cooking Light) - Serves 412 large sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tsp fish rub, divided
cooking spray
5 (1/2 inch) slices fresh pineapple
4 cups gourmet salad greens or mixed salad greens
4 cups torn Boston lettuce (about 2 small heads)
1/3 cup diced peeled avocado
2 Tbsp mango chutney - we didn't have any chutney, so we just diced a mango
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp olive oil

Prepare grill to high heat.

Pat scallops dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp fish rub evenly over scallops. Coat scallops with cooking spray. Place scallops on grill rack; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove scallops. Add pineapple to grill rack; grill 2 minutes on each side. Remove pineapple from grill; chop pineapple.

Combine salad greens, lettuce, pineapple, and avocado in a large bowl.

Chop large pieces of chutney. Combine chutney, lime juice, olive oil, and remaining 1/2 tsp fish rub in a small bowl. Add dressing to salad, and toss well. Place 1 1/2 cups salad into each of 4 bowls. Arrange 3 scallops over each salad.

Squash Bisque

I bought some peeled/cubed butternut squash and didn't know what to do with it. I've never made soup before and was feeling kind of daring. The recipe seemed simple enough, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Squash Bisque (from Erika, original recipe from Allrecipes.com)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3/4 cup diced carrots
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup heavy cream

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic in the butter and oil under tender.

Mix the carrots and squash into the pot. Pour in vegetable stock, and season with salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup mixture until smooth. Return to the pot, and stir in the heavy cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve warm with a dash of nutmeg.



This soup was amazing with the Tender Potato Bread.

Easy M&M Treats

These little guys remind me of Christmas growing up. We always made them. They're the perfect combination of salty and sweet and are the perfect bite-size.

These treats would also be great for any other occasion. Pink or blue M&Ms for a baby shower, orange and black for Halloween, red and blue for Forth of July. I highly recommend making this a two-man job. It will make things go a lot smoother.

Easy M&M Treats (by ME!)
1 1-lb bag of mini-pretzels
2 big bag of M&Ms
2 packages of Almond Bark

Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper. Lie pretzels (flat side down) on the waxed paper. They can be very close to each other.

Melt almond bark in the microwave according to the directions on the package. Using a spoon, scoop some of the melted almond bark into the holes of the pretzels. Before it starts to set, put 3 M&Ms into the melted almond bark. This is where it helps to have an extra set of hands. Usually I pour the melted almond bark while Hubby puts the M&Ms in.

When the sheet is full, put it in the freezer or outside to let the almond bark set.

Soft Pretzels - 1 WW pt each!

This is the final recipe I made for our Beirut finals. Along with the pizza roll and Frito candy, I made these pretzels. I made one batch half salted and half unsalted. I made a second batch, half the garlic Parmesan and half the sun dried tomato variation.

I also made some beer/cheese/mustard dip to serve with the pretzels. Everyone loved these. My favorites were the sun dried tomato ones. They were very tasty and very pretty.

Once you get the motion of how to make these little guys, they're pretty easy to do. It would definitely be a fun project to do with kids or a friend.
Soft Pretzels (Recipe from Amber) - makes 24
1/8 cup hot water
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/3 warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
4+ cups flour
Coarse kosher salt
Baking soda
Butter or shortening (to generously grease cookie sheets)

In a large bowl mix together hot water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the warm water and brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.

Slowly add 4 cups of flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour counter. Dip your hands into extra flour. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth. (Push it down and away from you with the palms of your hands, turning the dough as you work)

Grease cookie sheets generously with butter or shortening. Sprinkle greased cookie sheet(s) with kosher salt. Preheat oven to 475. (It is very important that you grease the cookie sheets very well)

Using liquid measuring cup fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water, add 1 tbsp baking soda.

Divide the dough into equal sized pieces.

Using the following 4 steps shape each dough ball into a pretzel shape...
1). Roll the dough into a rope 14" long and as thick as your thumb. Bend the dough into a U shape. (if you have trouble rolling the dough into a rope slightly wet your hands and try again).

2). Cross one end of the rope over the other one. The ropes should cross about three inches from the tips.

3). Twist the crossed ends, making a full turn. Fold the ends back, towards the middle of the U.

4). Open the ends slightly to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough firmly.

Bring water into saucepan to a gentle boil (not to many bubbles) Use pancake turner to lower each pretzel into the saucepan. Count slowly to 30. Then lift the pretzel onto the greased and salted cookie sheet (shaking off excess water back into the saucepan). Repeat until all the pretzels are done.
Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the pretzels and put them in preheated oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the pretzels are golden.
Variation Recipes
Garlic Parmesan Pretzels Add 4-6 cloves pressed garlic and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese into the liquid ingredients before adding the flour.
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Pretzels Add 4-6 chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tsp basil and 2 tsp parm cheese to the liquid ingredients before adding in the flour

Recipe notes
* You can make the dough up to 24 hours in advance, just cover the bowl and store in refrigerator.

* These also freeze very well. Just pop them into the microwave for a few seconds to reheat.

* This recipe will yield 20-24 shaped pretzels depending on the size you make them.

*You can also make pretzel sticks with this recipe. Instead of rolling dough into pretzel shapes just roll into 2-3" long ropes a little thicker than your thumb.
Nutritional Information (please double check with your ingredients and serving sizes - I use this recipe calculator)

1 salt-free pretzel: 80.4 Calories, 0.3 g Fat, 0.0 mg Cholesterol, 1.2 mg Sodium, 25.4 mg Potassium, 15.7 g Carbs, 1.5 g Dietary Fiber, 1.7 g Sugar, 2.6 g Protein WW POINTS = 1

Frito Candy

As I previously mentioned, I went a little overboard with food for our Beirut finals. In addition to the pizza roll that I made, I also made this Frito Candy.

When you say Frito Candy, people look at you kind of funny, like what the heck is Frito Candy. But, if you have a piece in your hand to give them to try, they will love you. I have always enjoyed mixing sweet and salty together so I knew it would be a hit. I opened the candy container and this stuff was gone within 5 minutes.

Sweet Salty Frito Candy (from Cookie Madness)
2 cups pretzels
1 cup Fritos
8 mini peanut butter cups
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips - I used dark chocolate chips
Optional: Chopped peanuts for the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper or no-stick foil.

Crush pretzels. You can use a food processor to chop, or just throw them in a ziploc bag and crush with your hands or a meat tenderizer. Add Fritos to processor/bag and break them up with pretzels. Dump into pan. Unwrap peanut butter cups and throw them in the mix (I broke them in half first).

Place butter in a non-stick saucepan and melt over medium heat. When butter is melted, stir in brown sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Pour over Frito mixture and bake for 8 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over hot candy. Return to oven for 1 minute to soften chips. Spread softened chocolate chips over bars. Add chopped nuts if you would like to.

Cool at room temperature until you feel the pan is cool enough to be transferred to your refrigerator, then transfer to refrigerator to set the chocolate. When chocolate is set, lift from pan and break the candy up as you would almond toffee. You can eat it cold or let it come back down to room temp.

Pizza Roll

Hubby and I had a party to go to. It was actually the finals for our Beirut league. Yes, we play in a Beirut league. I always called it Beer Pong, but here they call it Beirut. Anyways, the finals were coming up and we knew it was going to be a long night of drinking, so I wanted to make some food that would help soak up the alcohol.

The pizza roll was a huge hit. I baked it the day before and cut and refrigerated it overnight. Then I popped it into the oven to reheat it. I served it with ranch dressing and marinara sauce.

I followed the recipe from Allrecipes.com except for a few minor changes. I made 2 loafs (since there were 20 teams of 2 people each) and they were gone in an instant.

Pizza Roll (from Allrecipes.com)
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough - I used refrigerated French Loaf
1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
I added some Italian seasoning on top prior to baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Roll pizza crust dough into an approximately 10x14 inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Layer with Genoa salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to within 1/2 inch from edges of the dough. Roll jelly roll style. Seal the edge with a fork.

Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until golden brown (I covered with foil the last 5 minutes so it wouldn't brown too much on the top). Slice into 1 inch pieces to serve.