teri's desserts and other items of interest...

Saturday, July 25, 2026

How to easily apply Cupcake Toppers

Make your toppers. Allow the tops to dry. Flip onto napkin. Frost cupcake, Press onto topper. Voila!

Got Squash?

If you like an acorn squash, check out Kabocha squash! Plain, it tastes like acorn covered in butter &
brown sugar. It's bigger than acorn, but still fit in my Instant Pot.
Acorn Instant Pot - 15HI
cut in half, scoop out seeds, add a bit of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon
place in pot cut side up - may need to wedge the 2nd half in
Kabocha Instant Pot - 25HI
cut, scoop out seeds - I cut it in 4ths and was able to fit all in a 6qt. IP
Add it to bowls, salads, sandwiches...yummy!
Eat the skin ;)

Smash Dumplings

Use any dumpling filling recipe. Spread on dumpling wrappers, homemade or store bought.
Cook facedown on Blackstone or stovetop, flip to cook & crisp the other side.
Served with spicy sauce, asian slaw, crispy rice...

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Ever been tempted to make your own English Muffins?

If so, go straight to the King Arthur Flour baked muffin recipe.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/baked-english-muffins-recipe

5 minutes to mix in a Kitchen Aid mixer.

Cover bowl and rest for 60 minute in your oven with the light on.

Portion into 12-13 equal pieces. I used a scale to do 55grams ea.

Press top and bottom in Semolina flour and place on cookie sheet.

Cover with a towel and place back in oven for a second rise 45-60 min.

Bake as directed. Recipe calls for 400-I’ll do 375 next time.

Mine were done with 10 minutes on first side, flip over, 5 more minutes.

I don't own muffin rings, so I just shaped them.

Hands on time 10-15max.

Only unusual ingredient is the semolina flour.

Saturday, March 7, 2026

The life of my IP and AF

2/28 made cajun chicken pasta using frozen pre prepped chicken peppers & onions
in IP pasta, water to cover, chicken stock concentrate for flavor 3HI QPR
frozen chunk over to the side (not directly over the heating element)

3/1 homemade pizza in the AF using the plainchicken.com st. louis style pizza crust
see 'Pizza 101' 9/19/12 Parbaked the crust ahead of time, also in the AF

3/2 cooked rice, removed from pot
sauteed celery onions hot sausage garlic and turned it into Red Beans and rice soup
Made Jiffy cornbread and cooked it in the AF in a 6" pan

3/3 Cooked Lentils to add to Taco Meat
1c. lentils 1 3/4 to 2 c. water, optional salt & pepper 8HI (10HI for softer lentils)
remove lentils and use the pot on Saute to cook/mix Taco meat
after it's done, add lentils back in and mix

I then used the empty pot (no I didn't wash it) and mixed my meatloaf right in there.

3/5 Mashed potatoes to go with Meatloaf (baked in the oven)
Quarter potatoes, add 1 c. water, optional salt 10HI
Removed water w/turkey baster so I didn't accidentally dump my potatoes into the sink.
Added butter, salt, pepper, milk and mashed right in pot.

3/6 Friday - sides for Fish Fry
put elbow macaroni in the bottom with water to cover (added a bit of chicken stock concentrate for flavor
put the trivet on top of the macaroni and put of bowl of frozen green beans on top
4HI QPR, remove green beans, remove trivet, added butter, cheese, milk (didn't remove any water, although most of it was absorbed by the pasta) to make a quick mac n cheese.
Put a small bowl among the pasta to hold the bowl of green beans on top. Pressed 'keep warm' to hold while I went and got Fish from church.
This pic is from last week where I did quinoa and edamame.

3/7 Made rice in the IP using 'pot in pot' cooking. This means the inner pot doens't get dirty.
I'll but putting the rice in the AF to make crispy rice with it.

3/8 crispy rice in the AF - soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, or sriracha for spice
cook til crispy, stir every 5 minutes

3/9 made a quick piece of garlic bread

3/11 new recipe experiment:
1c. water 1c. flour dash salt mix well & let sit a couple minutes
painted this into a hot dry pan (no spray) cooked in hot dry pan (no spray) no need to flip & cook the other side
fill with a small amount of taco meat and cheese
AF 370 15min or so - light, crisp and yummy!

Also put meat & cheese on tostadas and cooked them in the AF 370 8 min

3/12 made a few choc chip cookies in the AF on parchment 340 5 / flip 5 more

3/13 made a Farro (high fiber & protein) Porcini mushroom 'mix' in the IP 10HI NPR 1c mix 2.5c water

3/14 reheated leftover pizza in my Air Fryer

3/16 toaster strudels in the Air Fryer

3/18 tried to remove printed on labels from a metal can by boiling them in the IP-didn't work :(

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Is your Air Fryer/Instant Pot helping you??

These two kitchen appliances can do SO much!

AIR FRYER - *see 1/19/20 for recipes

*biscuits/rolls

burgers - on foil to contain mess
360 8 minutes/flip & cook for for 5-8 more minutes as needed

*chicken & broccoli - orange & general Tso sauce

cottage cheese wrap - cook on parchment/scrape off parchment & flip/finish cooking
use for a sandwich or pizza

croutons - toss in a bowl w/olive oil & spices
cook on foil to contain mess

donuts/use flaky biscuits
360 5min/flip & cook for 2-3 more minutes as needed
dip in glaze (powdered sugar/milk/vanilla) or cinnamon sugar

drumsticks (start in IP to shorten cook time) instead of wings-10HI

egg rolls - 360 8 minutes flip 7-8more minutes

fresh veggies - brussels sprouts are done in 15min

fried foods - anything frozen that is meant to be fried

grilled cheese - can use mayo or butter (use toothpicks to hold bread)

homemade pizza - see 'pizza 101' 9/19/12
https://www.plainchicken.com/st-louis-style-pizza/

hot dogs/brats/sausage

jalapeno poppers - wrap in bacon?

meatballs - buffalo chicken 1lb. ground chicken, 1/4ea. oats & bread crumbs, 1 egg, hot sauce as needed use cookie scoop to make balls, no need to roll, use foil
360 8 min/flip & cook 8 min more as needed

potato skins -cook potatoes in IP 15HI
let cool, cut in half, scoop out centers (make mashed potatoes)
spray top and bottoms with olive oil spray-cook both sides for 8 minutes
save for later or fill w/cheddar and bacon and cook

puff pastry

reheat pizza - an air fryer is SO perfect for this

revive stale bread/chips

roast vegis

*salmon/fresh fish/shrimp/tuna steak

scones - cook from fresh or frozen

Single scone - can easily double or triple & freeze extras
1/3c flour
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt (skip if using salted butter
1Tbsp sugar
1Tbsp cold butter
2 1/2Tbsp milk
2Tbsp mix-ins of choice (blueberries/bacon&cheddar/cinnamon chips)
add whatever spice you like
Form into whatever shape you like
If you like a soft center, make one big one
If you prefer crispy edges, cut into 2 smaller scones
Air Fryer - 340 8 min./ flip over / 3 more min.

small batch baking

sweet potato fries - cut a bit larger as they shrink
toss in brown sugar & cinnamon

toast nuts - couple minutes at a time, toss frequently

AIR FRYER DESSERTS

*cheesecake

*ONE cookie - or keep premade portioned dough in the freezer for 'emergencies'!

*shortbread

*lava cake

puff pastry anything

INSTANT POT - *see 1/19/20 for recipes

acorn squash - slice in half, remove seeds (wash & roast them in your AF) put 1/2 on trivet,
wedge the 2nd half in - put 1Tbsp ea. butter & brown sugar in each half 7HI NPR

applesauce-use an insert bowl if too small of an amount

artichokes - 14HI for average size QPR drizzle w/melted butter and parmesan

baked potatoes - 15HI then spray w/oil, add spices and cook in AF to crisp up could turn into
hasselback potatoes, use foil to contain mess

batch cooking - chicken, rice, whatever will help you through the week

*beef broccoli - make rice first & set aside / can also prep ahead and cook from frozen

bone broth - boil a whole chicken from Sam's or CostCo

*bread pudding - use the French Toast Casserole recipe put in AF to crisp up top

brew tea

*cajun chicken pasta - great to prep ahead make extra chicken & vegis and freeze
the sauce froze well also!

chicken wings - 12HI frozen 10HI defrosted (pat dry & add spice)

corn on the cob - 2HI leave it til you're ready for it

defrost frozen meat/other - 10HI QPR

double boiler

dried beans - don't fill to Max to leave room for expansion

dulce de leche - cover can of condensed milk with water to MAX fill

*egg casserole

garlic - wrap in foil and add to something else for 5HI

hard boiled eggs - 6HI experiment to get the 'doneness' you prefer

*hawaiian chicken

*homemade bread - see recipe air fry to toast the top

lentils - 1:3 8HI 15NPR QPR

make cottage cheese - 1 gallon milk makes 2 cups?!

make yogurt - much higher yield!

*meatloaf - (sounds weird) the recipe fits perfectly in a 6" square cake pan

pasta - don't use quick cooking pasta (angel hair, egg noodles)
3HI QPR ****note-the manual says DO NOT QPR w/pasta so here's an alternative:
0HI 3NPR slowly QPR (a bit at a time)
apparently if you do use the 1st method, adding a dot of butter or oil helps alleviate the starch 'flareup'
pot in pot cooking

prep ahead cooking - cook from fresh (defrosted) or from frozen

proof/raise dough - get a 2 hour rise in 30 minutes (no water) grease pot, turn off 'keep warm',
press 'yogurt" setting, (goes for 30 minutes)

*ribs - time depends on style of rib see recipe for baby back ribs center cut ribs are less expensive

rice - white 1:1 4HI NPR/brown 1:1 15HI NPR (don't use minute rice)
make extra ahead of time so you can have fried rice later in the week

rice pudding

ripen a banana - 1c. water, skin on 5HI QPR, let cool

*risotto - see shrimp risotto recipe

*roast - recipe includes how to add potatoes & carrots

simmer pot

*soups - see chicken noodle & minestrone recipes also red beans & rice soup

*spaghetti sauce

spaghetti squash - cut in half across (not longways)/remove seeds 1c water, trivet,
8HI for al dente (10HI for softer) QPR