Maple and cinnamon shortbread ice cream sandwiches

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville Ice Cream, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Some desserts are specifically targeted toward seasonal consumption whereas others hit the spot all year round. Ice cream definitely falls into the latter category. You don’t have to be hot and sun-kissed to enjoy the cool, creamy dessert. It’s just as tasty even when there’s frost on the ground. 

In fact, I look forward to new flavors of ice cream released each season. I especially love ice cream with fall elements like cinnamon, brown sugar, and caramel. That’s why I was especially excited for Hudsonville’s newest limited edition flavor, Cinnamon Sugar Cookie.

The base is brown sugar ice cream, which is enhanced by a thick caramel ribbon. Big chunks of cinnamon sugar shortbread cookies are dispersed throughout the ice cream, and if you’re familiar with Hudsonville products, you know they definitely don’t skimp on the mix-ins.

The cookie chunks in the ice cream inspired me to make ice cream sandwiches with shortbread cookies. I made both maple and cinnamon shortbread cookies because I thought it would be fun to mix and match the flavors.

I focused on several elements when developing the perfect ice cream sandwich recipe.

First, the cookies needed to be chewy, not crunchy. Some shortbread cookie recipes yield really crispy cookies, which is great if you’re serving them with tea. But crispy cookies don’t work well for ice cream sandwiches because they’re hard to bite through. Also, crispy cookies become rock hard in the freezer. It was very important to me that the cookies remained soft even after they were frozen. 

After running multiple tests, I discovered the best way to do that is to cook them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until they’re just barely done. Baked any lower and they will spread too much, resulting in thin and crisp cookies. Baked any higher and they will cook too quickly, turning too brown before they finish cooking. Important note: Pull them out of the oven as soon as you see the slightest tint of golden brown.

It’s also very important to chill the dough. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much because the butter remains solid for a longer period of time, and cold butter takes longer to melt than butter at room temperature.

Another important element in making these ice cream sandwiches was figuring out how to evenly spread the ice cream between the two cookies. This is easy to do when working with round cookies, but it’s a little harder when working with cookies that are different shapes, like the maple leaf cookies I used in this recipe. If you put a scoop in the center and press down in hopes the ice cream will spread on its own, the cookies will crumble. Fortunately, I discovered an easy trick for an even spread. I turned one cookie bottom side up, placed the cookie cutter on its underside, added a scoop of ice cream in the center of the cookie cutter, and spread it with a knife.

I finished the ice cream sandwiches by making a really simple icing to draw in veins on the maple leaves. It isn’t necessary, but it sure looks cute!

No matter if you choose to make the maple shortbread cookie recipe, the cinnamon shortbread cookie recipe, or a combination of the two, I think you’ll find the flavor pairing with Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream to be absolute perfection!

Use this Scoop Locator tool to find Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream near you (it will be at Fresh Thyme in Indy-area stores!), and click here for a "hello" coupon to save when you buy two cartons.

Maple shortbread ice cream sandwiches

Yield: Makes about 8 ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients

For the ice cream sandwiches

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (150 grams)
• 2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pint Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream

For the icing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water or milk

Directions

For the ice cream sandwiches

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Add maple extract and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Slowly add flour and salt and mix until just combined.
4. Flatten dough between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 72 hours.
5. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove plastic wrap from top of dough and use cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes.
7. Re-roll remaining dough and continue process with cookie cutter until all dough is used. 
8. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until bottoms just barely turn golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and cool.

For the icing

1. Mix together all ingredients until no clumps remain. It should be very thick. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
2. Transfer icing to squeeze bottle or pour into pastry bag with small tip.
3. Draw the veins on the maple leaf cookies.

For assembly

1. Assemble ice cream sandwiches by turning one cookie bottom side up and placing cookie cutter on its underside.
2. Add one scoop of ice cream to center of cookie cutter and spread. 
3. Remove cookie cutter and top with second cookie, top side up.
4. Press cookies firmly together and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
5. Store ice cream sandwiches in freezer.

Cinnamon shortbread ice cream sandwiches

Yield: Makes about 8 ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients

For the ice cream sandwiches

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (150 grams)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pint Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Cinnamon Sugar Cookie ice cream

For the icing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water or milk

Directions

For the ice cream sandwiches

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Slowly add flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until just combined.
4. Flatten dough between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 72 hours.
5. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove plastic wrap from top of dough and use cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes.
7. Re-roll remaining dough and continue process with cookie cutter until all dough is used. 
8. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until bottoms just barely turn golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and cool.

For the icing

1. Mix together all ingredients until no clumps remain. It should be very thick. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
2. Transfer icing to squeeze bottle or pour into pastry bag with small tip.
3. Draw the veins on the maple leaf cookies.

For assembly

1. Assemble ice cream sandwiches by turning one cookie bottom side up and placing cookie cutter on its underside.
2. Add one scoop of ice cream to center of cookie cutter and spread. 
3. Remove cookie cutter and top with second cookie, top side up.
4. Press cookies firmly together and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
5. Store ice cream sandwiches in freezer.

Sage Brown Butter Skillet Dinner

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

We all know life is busy. Our obligations haven’t stopped just because more people are staying home. And some people are busier than ever as parents juggle school at home and work under one roof. That’s why it’s good to have a couple one-skillet recipes in your repertoire for weeknight dinners.

As I was writing this recipe, I realized there’s a lot of flexibility in it. You can substitute pretty much every ingredient with what you have on hand—except for the sage brown butter. That’s the “it factor” in this recipe. And all you need for that is fresh sage (not dried) and good quality butter. I only use Challenge butter because it’s made from real cream from cows not treated with growth hormones.

But other than those two ingredients, feel free to substitute away!

Any cruciferous vegetable will work. You could use broccoli or cauliflower instead of Brussels sprouts. Personally, I love the caramelized sear Brussels sprouts get in the pan, but I understand they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. As for the gnocchi, I am the biggest fan of Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi, so that’s what I use. I always keep it stocked in my freezer. And it’s gluten free if that’s something you’re concerned about. But use any gnocchi you like, or don’t add it at all. But if I have the option to add gnocchi in a dish, you better believe I’m adding it. Last is the chicken sausage—it’s something I started buying on a regular basis a few years ago, and I actually prefer the taste to pork sausage. I buy it at Fresh Thyme or Trader Joe’s. It’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s quite a bit healthier than pork sausage. But if you prefer pork, please go that route. Or serve this recipe without meat for a “meatless Monday” option.

Sage Brown Butter Skillet Dinner

Ingredients

• 12 ounces chicken sausage, sliced in 1/2-inch coins
• 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 shallot, diced
• 12 ounces gnocchi (can use cauliflower gnocchi)
• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) Challenge butter
• 1/4 cup sage leaves, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Shaved parmesan cheese for topping, if desired

Directions

1. Add chicken sausage to large skillet and cook over medium-high heat undisturbed until one side is brown, or about 3 minutes. Stir and cook 2 more minutes and move to a large bowl.
2. Add Brussels sprouts and shallot to skillet and cook undisturbed until one side of Brussels sprouts is browned, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook 2 more minutes and add to bowl with sausage.
3. Add gnocchi to skillet and cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Stir and cook another 3 minutes. Move to bowl.
4. Wipe skillet clean if necessary.
5. Add the butter to the skillet. Once it has completely melted, add the sage leaves. Stir periodically for about 3 minutes, or until the butter turns a light brown color.
6. Remove the skillet from the head and pour the sage brown butter over the bowl with the chicken sausage, Brussels sprouts, and gnocchi. Mix to coat everything in the sage brown butter and return to the skillet to reheat.
7. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top before serving. 

Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Maple-orange glazed rainbow carrots

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I understand that rainbow-colored carrots are nearly identical in flavor and texture to a standard orange carrot, but there’s something about the beautiful hues of purple, red, and yellow that really elevate a meal.

I’ve always eaten a lot of carrots. I went through a stage when I ate an entire bag a day. And my preferred method of eating them was by roasting them. The heat brings out the natural sugars.

I created a recipe utilizing this beautiful produce, but I elevated the carrots’ sweetness even more by mixing them with orange juice and maple syrup before roasting them.

You may be wondering why there’s butter in the glaze. Here’s the deal: Cooking is all about building layers and layers of flavor. The butter gives the carrots extra flavor and provides a richness to the dish that simply cannot be acquired with oil. If you make this recipe with and without butter, I promise you’ll taste the difference.

I’ve never been concerned about adding butter to recipes because I always use Challenge butter.

I used Challenge butter in this recipe because I know they use hormone-free milk from local dairies, resulting in all-natural and high-quality products. Challenge only uses fresh, hormone-free milk, and they don’t add any unnatural additives.

Maple-orange glazed carrots

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Challenge butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound rainbow (or regular) carrots, washed
• Optional garnish: coarse salt, chopped parsely, orange zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a medium-sized bowl, make the glaze by mixing together orange juice, maple syrup, butter, ginger, salt, and pepper
3. Mix the carrots in the glaze and place them in baking pan; do not discard the glaze leftover in the bowl
4. Cook the carrots for 15 minutes
5. Remove the baking pan from the ocen and stir the carrots. Pour the leftover glaze over the carrots, and cook another 10 minutes
6. Garnish with coarse salt, parsely, and orange zest, if desired

Apple Sundaes with Pie Crust Bowls

 

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

This time is year is so nostalgic. My mind is flooded with memories of heading back to school, cheering at football games, and picking apples. The sight of leaves changing colors and the feeling of a cool autumn breeze transport me back to my childhood.

One of my favorite annual activities was attending the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Fort Wayne, which is where I grew up. I’m not sure if the rest of the country knows much about John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, but he is a major cultural icon in Fort Wayne. We started learning about the man who planted apple trees throughout Indiana when I was in kindergarten, and every year we visited his gravesite, which is located at Johnny Appleseed Park, of course.

I’ve attended a lot of fall festivals, and none compare to the Johnny Appleseed Festival. There are games, crafts, and a wide variety of apple treats. My favorite food item was always the apple dumpling with a big scoop of ice cream on top. The dumpling is tasty on its own, but a scoop of cool, creamy ice cream makes it even better.

Unfortunately, as with most everything this year, the Johnny Appleseed Festival is canceled for 2020. I was pretty bummed when I heard the news, but I wanted to make the best of the situation. So even though I can’t get my apple fix at the festival this year, I created an apple recipe using my favorite Hudsonville Ice Cream to cheer me up.

The recipe consists of an edible bowl made entirely of pie crust, rich and creamy Hudsonville Ice Cream, and cinnamon apple topping. 

Normally, I pair apple desserts with Hudsonville’s French Vanilla ice cream, but there were two other flavors that caught my eye at my local Fresh Thyme: Seaside Caramel ice cream and Belgian Cookie Butter ice cream.

I knew the Seaside Caramel ice cream, which is a vanilla-based ice cream with a caramel swirl and caramel sea salt truffle pieces, would go well with this apple dessert. Apples and caramel are a match made in heaven!

The Belgian Cookie Butter ice cream also seemed like another great option. It’s blended with Speculoos cookie pieces, which have a deep caramel flavor and notes of ginger and cinnamon.

The first step in preparing the apple sundae is making the edible ice cream bowls. I used this 4-inch fluted circle cookie cutter to cut circles out of pie crust. I then used the backside of a cupcake pan and molded the pie circles around the inverted cupcake cavities to form the bowls. After baking in the oven, they’ll pop right off.

I recommend making your apple topping while the bowls are baking. I know a lot of people like to cook with Granny Smith apples, and that’s great, but I actually prefer the taste of Honeycrisp apples. I like to use minimal ingredients in my topping to allow the apple flavor to really shine. The topping actually comes together quickly—peeling, slicing, and dicing the apples is the most time-consuming part.

Assembling the sundaes is as easy as pie (bad joke)! Fill a pie crust bowl with two scoops of Hudsonville Ice Cream, and add a big spoonful of apple topping. Whipped cream is also always welcome.

The combination of the rich and creamy ice cream with the warm, cinnamon apple topping is the perfect marriage of cold and hot.

Even if your fall activities look a little different this year, you'll surely create sweet moments and memories serving up these apple sundaes with Hudsonville Ice Cream. Use this Scoop Locator tool to find which Hudsonville flavors are available at your local grocery stores, and click here for for a coupon to get $2 off any flavor. 

Apple Sundaes with Pie Crust Bowls

Yield: Makes 8 sundaes
Ingredients

For the pie crust bowls

• Nonstick spray
• 1 9-inch pie crust

For the apple topping

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 cups apples, finely diced (about 500 grams)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• Hudsonville Seaside Caramel ice cream or Belgian Cookie Butter ice cream
• Whipped cream, if desired

Directions

For the pie crust bowls

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Cut circles in pie crust with round cookie cutter
3. Spray bottom of cupcake pan with nonstick spray
4. Mold pie crust circles around inverted cupcake pan cavities
5. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until pie crust turns golden brown
6. Remove cupcake pan from oven and allow bowls to cool for several minutes before gently removing from pan

For the apple topping

1. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat
2. Add apples to skillet and sauté for 5 minutes
3. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to skillet and stir until sugar dissolves
4. Add corn starch to small bowl and slowly stir in 1 Tablespoon warm water until it’s combined with no lumps
5. Pour corn starch slurry into skillet and stir for about 2 minutes until mixture thickens
6. Pour heavy cream into skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes
7. Remove skillet from heat
8. Scoop Hudsonville Ice Cream into pie crust bowls and spoon apples onto ice cream
9. Top with whipped cream, if desired

Single serving snacks for safer entertaining

Happy race week! 

If you’re not from Indiana, you may not realize this, but the Indianapolis 500 race is a HUGE deal. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to the little town of Speedway to be part of the festivities and watch the race.

But the race experience this year will be very different. No fans are allowed due to the global pandemic. 

Normally, the race is blacked out for central Indiana residents, but because of the current circumstances, the blackout was lifted, which means for just the fourth time in Indy 500 history, locals can watch the race live.

It’s very exciting for a lot of fans, and many are planning watch parties. However, I want to circle back and remind everyone that the reason you can watch the race is because of the global pandemic.

That being said, it isn’t practical to carry on with entertaining in the same way we always have. Sharing popular party foods like chips and dip will also result in sharing germs. It’s even risky for everyone to use the same serving spoon. So I created several recipes which focus on individual-sized portions and will allow guests to enjoy their snacks in a safer way.

Before I share the recipes, I want to make it clear that the best ways to avoid getting the coronavirus are to keep a safe distance from everyone, wear a mask, and wash your hands. I also feel the need to say the safest watch party is outside with a small group.

Buffalo chicken wonton bites

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup buffalo or hot sauce
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• Wonton wrappers
• Green onions to garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Combine cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, Greek yogurt, buffalo sauce and blue cheese in saucepan over medium heat
2. Stir ingredients until cheese is melted, or about 7 to 10 minutes
3. Remove saucepan from heat and fold in chicken
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
5. Spray muffin tin (mini or regular) with nonstick spray
6. Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin tin cavity, pressing down gently 
7. Bake in oven for about 8 minutes, or until wonton wrappers start to brown
8. Remove from oven and spoon buffalo chicken dip into each wonton cup
9. Return to oven and bake another 5 to 8 minutes, or until wontons are golden brown
10. Top with sliced green onions and additional blue cheese if desired

Baked Asian Pork Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground pork
• Hoisin sauce
• 1 head butter lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Line baking sheet that has raised edges with aluminum foil and set aside
3. Combine egg, almond flour, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, pepper, and salt in bowl
4. Add ground pork to bowl and use hands to mix ingredients together until just combined
5. Use hands to form 1-inch meatballs and place them onto baking sheet
6. Bake for 10 minutes; switch oven to broil and broil meatballs until browned, or about 3 minutes
7. Remove meatballs from oven and drizzle hoisin sauce on top
8. Separate lettuce leaves from head of butter lettuce and place 1 meatball into each lettuce leaf before serving

Hummus phyllo cups

Ingredients

• 1 box mini phyllo shells (found in freezer section at grocery store)
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1/4 cup cucumber, finely diced 
• 1/4 cup tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, mined

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Place phyllo shells onto baking sheet and bake 5 minutes
3. Remove from oven and let cool several minutes
4. Fill shells with 1 teaspoon hummus
5. Divide cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, and parsley evenly between the shells

Peanut butter and jelly grilled cheese with bacon

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I wanted to create a few state fair-themed recipes in honor of the Indiana State Fair that was supposed to start on Friday but unfortunately isn’t happening this year.

One of my favorite things to do at the state fair is visit the Indiana Dairy Association’s Dairy Bar. They serve a variety of grilled cheeses, milkshakes, and ice cream. It’s always delicious!

Each year the Dairy Bar features a unique specialty grilled cheese. So in honor of the Dairy Bar, I created my own unique grilled cheese sandwich: Peanut Butter and Jelly Grilled Cheese with Bacon!

Before I explain my grilled cheese creation, I want to preface it by saying I don’t add ingredients to a recipe without first having a clear vision for their purpose in the dish.

That being said, I’m going to tell you why this sandwich works so well and what role each of the key ingredients plays.

Here is the list of key ingredients: peanut butter, raspberry jelly, cream cheese, white cheddar cheese, and bacon.

I’m going to start by explaining the role peanut butter plays because its role in the grilled cheese sandwich probably raises the most eyebrows. First, let me bring up the fact that nuts are commonly found on cheese plates. That being said, pairing a nut spread with cheese isn’t that much different. Peanut butter adds a level of decadence and savory sweetness that is nonexistent on grilled cheese sandwiches without it. I recommend using a “natural” or no-sugar added peanut butter. My favorite peanut butter is the peanut butter from Trader Joe’s that is made with just peanuts.

Raspberry jelly also plays into the sweet and savory flavor combination. Really, you could use any flavor of jelly, but I like raspberry because it has a strong flavor that doesn’t get dominated by the other ingredients.

Now I want to talk about the cheese combination: cream cheese and white cheddar cheese. There are two types of cheese you want when making grilled cheese: creamy and stringy. Cream cheese is smooth and rich; white cheddar cheese has really good “cheese pull,” it’s sharp, and it packs a punch. Also, the sharpness of the cheddar complements the sweet raspberry jelly. I used Challenge cream cheese for this recipe because I know they use hormone-free milk from local dairies, resulting in all-natural and high-quality products. 

And last but not least—bacon! It adds a salty crunch and plays into the combination of textures and flavors.

Peanut butter and jelly grilled cheese with bacon

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Challenge butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 2 Tablespoons natural, creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons seedless raspberry jelly
• 2 slices bacon, cooked
• 2 slices white cheddar cheese
• 2 ounces Challenge cream cheese, softened to room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat skillet over medium heat. 
2. Butter one side of one slice of bread with 1 Tablespoon butter. Place bread butter side down in skillet.
3. Spread peanut butter on bread while it’s in skillet. 
4. Spread jelly on top of peanut butter.
5. Top with bacon and cheese slice.
6. Take second piece of bread and spread cream cheese on it. Place bread on top of cheese with cream cheese side down to close up sandwich.
7. Spread the other 1 Tablespoon butter on top of the bread.
8. Cook until the bread on the bottom is golden brown, or about 3 minutes, and then flip over.
9. Continue cooking until cheese is melted. 
10. Serve immediately.

Fried baklava wontons

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

My favorite thing about the state fair is probably the sheer novelty of the wacky snacks people actually want to try. For example, I probably wouldn’t order a beef sundae or a pork parfait at a restaurant, but if it’s served at the state fair, count me in! I truly love over-the-top fair foods!

So as I was reflecting on state fairs from years past, I started thinking about which of my favorite foods would benefit from a “state fair makeover.” I decided to go with baklava—fried, covered in honey syrup, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

To do this, I filled wonton wrappers with a mixture of cream cheese, walnuts, sugar, honey, and a little cinnamon.

I used rich and creamy Challenge cream cheese because it's the only company I know that uses hormone free milk from local dairies.

Obviously, none of this is authentic, but the filling really encompasses the flavors of baklava.

I fried the baklava wontons in canola oil, and after they finished cooking, I drizzled them with a traditional baklava syrup made of honey, water, sugar, and cinnamon. And of course, a little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top makes everything better.

If you have issues with the wontons puffing up like pillows when you fry them, stick them in the freezer first—it doesn’t have to be for long, maybe a few minutes—and that should solve the issue.

Fried baklava wontons

Ingredients for the wontons

• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 3 ounces walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 24 wonton wrappers
• About 4 cups canola oil for deep frying

Ingredients for the syrup

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon)

Directions for the wontons

1. Combine walnuts, softened cream cheese, sugar, honey, and cinnamon.
2. Lay out wonton wrapper and moisten edges with water. 
3. Place 1 teaspoon filling into center of wonton wrapper,
4. Bring two opposite corners of wonton wrapper up to meet over filling and pinch seams together in a triangular shape, making sure to squeeze out as much air as possible while doing so.
5. Preheat 1 inch of oil in frying pan over medium heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Drop wontons into hot oil, turning occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy. Make sure to not overcrowd pan.
7. Drain on paper towels.

Directions for syrup

1. Combine all syrup ingredients in saucepan and cook on medium heat.
2. Let syrup come to boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Drizzle syrup on top of wontons, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired, and serve.