Recipes: Little Chef Favorites

Inside the Ingredients

Sometimes we all need to take a break from the seriousness of cooking and remember why we enjoy it in the first place. For these recipes, we’re welcoming in little chefs to inspire us for some creative eats.

We’ve come up with a “kidcuterie” board that takes tic-tac-toe to a new level. And for those looking for breakfast for dinner, we turned the tables and brought pizza to breakfast with a vanilla scented dough and a sweet cherry filling. To make these recipes sing, we’re highlightingLeelanau Cheese’s Raclette in homemade cheesy crackers, Red Truck Orchards Cherry Vinegar for quick pickles, and Cherry Republic’s Mamma Mary’s Top Secret Cherries for a breakfast pizza you won’t forget.

Winner Takes All Charcuterie

Who says playing with food isn’t fun, especially when there are prizes involved?

Cheese Crackers Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups finely grated Leelanau Cheese Raclette (1/2 lb. wedge)
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon water

Charcuterie Ingredients
Fruit: apples, mango, pineapple, strawberries
Vegetables: carrots, peppers

Quick Pickles Ingredients
1 cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Red Truck Orchards Cherry Vinegar
Water, enough to fill container

To make the crackers: Beat the butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the cheese, flour, salt, mustard powder, and paprika. Mix until well combined and holds together when squeezed. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of water and mix until a dough comes together. Divide dough in half.

Place one half on a large piece of parchment. Lightly dust with flour and pat into a rectangle. Roll until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut into small, 1-inch cookie cutter shapes, or cut into squares or triangles. Carefully transfer cut shapes to a parchment lined baking sheet. They can be very close together, just not touching (they will not spread when they bake). Freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat the process with remaining dough. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and bottoms.

To make the pickles: Fill a pint container with as many sliced cucumbers that will fit in the container—you may not use them all. Add the sugar, salt, and vinegar. Add enough water to submerge the cucumbers in liquid. Cover and give a few shakes to combine. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

To assemble the charcuterie board: Arrange the carrot sticks in the center of your serving platter into a tic-tac-toe board. Cut fruit and vegetables into small sticks, circles, or squares so they can be used as playing pieces. Artfully arrange around the carrot sticks with the crackers and pickles.

Pizza for Breakfast

We switched things up and turned savory dinner into sweet breakfast.

Dough Ingredients
3/4 cup milk, warmed to 105-110 degrees
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (one 7-gram packet)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 large egg

Topping Ingredients
1 cup Cherry Republic Mamma Mary’s Top Secret Cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

To make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter, yeast, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Give a brief stir to combine, then add the flour. Mix until a shaggy dough comes together, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about five minutes. Try to be minimal with the amount of flour you add, use just enough to keep it from sticking but not too much that it will dry out the dough.

Place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring out the dough and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, butter, salt, and cinnamon until crumbly. Mix in the sliced almonds, set aside. This can also be made and refrigerated a day ahead.

To assemble: Cut off a quarter of the dough and set the remainder aside. Cut the quarter piece into four equal pieces. Roll into long ropes, measuring around 30-36 inches long. Set the ropes aside. Roll out the larger piece of dough on a piece of parchment paper to a 12-14 inch circle. Lightly dock the center of the dough with a fork, being careful to not poke through the dough completely. Beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Brush the edge of the pizza crust with beaten egg.

Take two ropes and twist together, then place onto the crust to cover one half. Repeat with the remaining ropes, then place onto the other half of the crust and weave the two ends together. Lightly press the twists down to stay in place. Brush the top of the ropes with beaten egg.

Spread the Top Secret Cherries over the center, all the way until they touch the edge of the rope. Sprinkle crumble over the cherries. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack. Mix together the powdered sugar with a 1 tablespoon of the milk until you have a thick glaze (add a little more milk if needed to achieve consistency). Put into a piping bag and drizzle over pizza. Best served the morning it is made!

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