Christina S Surprise Spread Recipes

CHRISTINA TOSI'S CHRISTMAS TREATS

Steps:

• Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick vegetable-oil spray.
• In an extra-large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and heat, stirring constantly, until completely melted, about 2 minutes. (Add the peanut butter, if using, and stir to combine.) Remove from the heat, add the cereal and use a sturdy, long-handled wooden or metal spoon to stir until the cereal is well coated in the butter-marshmallow mixture. Add any optional mix-ins and stir to incorporate.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cut a piece of parchment or wax paper into a roughly 9- by 13-inch rectangle and spray with nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Place the greased parchment or wax paper on top of the treats and press the mixture into the pan until it's 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Let cool until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using a large, sharp knife cut the treats into approximately 2-inch squares. DO AHEAD: Treats can be made ahead and kept, in an airtight container at room temperature, for 2 to 3 days, or frozen up to 1 month.

SURPRISE SPREAD

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese, sour cream and mayo together.
• Spread the mixture over a foil pizza pan (no vents) to about 3/4 of the pan circumference (leaving room for the tortilla chips).
• Scatter the shrimp over top and cover with sauce.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cover to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

CHRISTINA'S SURPRISE SPREAD

Steps:

• Mix first three ingredients.
• Spread into a pie plate or onto a pizza pan.
• Spread the cocktail sauce on next.
• Top with green onions, shrimp, tomatoes, green peppers and cheese.
• Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers and chips -- Make lots it disappears fast!

CHRISTINA'S TV DINNERS

Steps:

• If using a disposable baking pan, fold up several layers of heavy-duty foil to create 2-inch wide strips. Fit the strips into the baking pan to form 1 large and 2 smaller compartments.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of the Lasagna Roll-Up sauce into the large compartment of each tray. Put 2 roll-ups and 3 meatballs over the sauce in each tray. Spoon remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Divide the frozen peas among 1 of the remaining compartments in each tray and top with a pat of butter. Put a piece of brownie dough in each of the remaining compartments. Cover the trays tightly with aluminum foil and freeze until ready to use, up to 3 months.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Let dinners stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Uncover the brownie compartment and bake dinners until heated through, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the marinara sauce and basil and let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Spread 2 tablespoons of spinach across 1 end of a lasagna noodle, about 1-inch from the edge. Sprinkle with a little garlic salt. Spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta over the spinach. Arrange about 1/8 of the provolone over the spinach and top with 1/8 of the prosciutto. Roll up the noodle around the filling. Repeat with remaining noodles and filling.
• If making Christina's TV Dinners, proceed according to that recipe. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread half of the sauce in a shallow baking dish and set the roll-ups on top. Spoon the remaining sauce over the roll-ups and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk egg and milk together. Tear bread into pieces, add to the egg mixture and let soak for a few minutes.
• Place beef in a medium mixing bowl. Add egg-bread mixture, salt, and pepper and mix well. Form the mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs.
• In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumb mixture to coat evenly.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

CHRISTINA'S GINGERBREAD DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, and molasses. Mix on low speed, just until smooth, trying not to incorporate too much air.
• Add the flour mixture all at once, and mix on low to medium-low speed. As this begins to mix, add the 1/4 cup of cooled coffee. Watch closely as the dough begins to come together. If it looks and feels dry and crumbly, begin to add the remaining coffee, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. The dough should be firm, but evenly moist.
• Alternatively, this dough can be mixed by hand. If you choose to do this, add the flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, instead of all at once, to the sugar and shortening mixture. Add the coffee, a little at a time, along with the flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into 2 flattened rectangles. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place into an air-tight container or zip-top plastic bag. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before rolling and cutting. The dough keeps for 4 days, refrigerated.
• If dough has been chilled for longer than 1 to 2 hours, allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or foil, or very lightly grease.
• Working with 1 piece of the chilled dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 3/8-inch thick (small, decorative pieces may be rolled thinner; pieces that will need to provide support may be rolled thicker). Transfer to prepared baking sheets, then cut to desired shapes using templates that have been lightly floured. Cut out desired shapes (use templates and lightly flour them before placing on the dough and cutting). If cutting windows, doors, etc., start by cutting them first, then cut the overall shape. This prevents distortion of the pieces. Keep similar sized pieces on each sheet for even baking. If you have the refrigerator space, a brief chilling at this point (15 minutes) will help the dough hold its shape in the oven, but this step is optional.
• Lightly brush or spray the surface with water and bake 15 minutes for medium to large pieces (7 to 10 minutes for smaller pieces). Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. With a sharp knife, carefully re-cut the hot gingerbread (using your templates) if any spreading occurred. Remove all scraps from the tray.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes more, even longer for very large or thick pieces, until dark brown, but not burned. You must bake gingerbread for houses much longer than you would bake cookies. It must be very dry throughout, and quite dark in color. The low oven temperature helps to keep the browning even, as opposed to dark around the edges. As oven temperatures will vary, check the pieces during the second baking frequently. If they are browning too quickly, lower the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Loosen the pieces from the tray with a thin spatula and continue to cool on the tray until firm. Remove the pieces from the tray and allow them to cool on a wire rack for several hours before assembling your house.

CHRISTINA'S SALAD

Steps:

• Place sugar, balsamic vinegar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, shallots, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika in a container with a tight-fitting lid; shake until mixed well. Add oil and shake to mix. Refrigerate for flavors to blend, 1 hour.
• Combine spinach, strawberries, pecans, and goat cheese in a bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat.

SHRIMP SURPRISE SPREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until well-blended. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Scatter the shrimp generously over the top of the mixture.
• In another bowl, stir together the cocktail sauce, green pepper, green onions, garlic, and tomato.
• Working in layers, spread a portion of the cocktail sauce mixture over the shrimp. Sprinkle with a portion of mozzarella cheese. Repeat process until all ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of mozzarella cheese on top. Serve with assorted crackers for dipping.