Pull Apart Kuchen Food

CHICKEN PARM PULL-APART SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Meanwhile, flatten the chicken tenders using the base of your hand; season with salt and pepper. Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Dip the chicken in the flour, then in the egg, shaking off the excess, then in the breadcrumbs to coat. Heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning, until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.
• Trim the ends off the bread loaf. Cut the bread on an angle into 12 slices, leaving the bottom of the loaf intact. (You can position chopsticks along the long sides of the bread to keep from cutting all the way through.) Transfer to the baking sheet.
• Combine the butter, grated garlic, 2 tablespoons parsley and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread between the bread slices and on the ends of the loaf.
• Fill every other bread slice with tomato sauce, starting with the first slice. Stuff each sauce-filled slice with a chicken tender and a mozzarella slice; spoon more tomato sauce around the chicken. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the loaf.
• Bake until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted, 15 to 18 minutes. Pull apart or slice into individual sandwiches. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve with the remaining tomato sauce.

RASPBERRY-FIG PULL-APART COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a food processor until smooth. Add the flour and butter and pulse until the dough just comes together in a solid mass (chunks of butter should be visible), about 6 to 8 long pulses. Shape the dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch-thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Wipe out the food processor.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the figs, raspberry jam and juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the figs are plump and the juice is syrupy, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree in the food processor until smooth and set aside to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously spray the back side of a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
• Put the chilled dough between 2 pieces of parchment. Roll out the dough into an 11-by-13-inch rectangle and 1/8-inch-thick (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the top piece of the parchment, to free it from the dough, then place it back on top. Turn the dough over and remove the top piece of parchment. Spread the fig mixture evenly over the dough.
• Roll the dough into a log using the parchment as a guide (the dough is very soft and the parchment will make it easier to roll). Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet, brush with the egg wash and coat with the sanding sugar. Cut 20 slits across the log, about 1/2-inch apart. Each slit should go about three-quarters of the way through the log so that it is still completely intact. Bend about a quarter of the log by turning some of the newly cut "tabs" out so that the pinwheels of filling are facing up. Continue turning the "tabs" out and bending the log until you have a ring. Butt the ends up against each other.
• Spray the outside of a 3 1/2-inch round ramekin with cooking spray and place in the center of the ring. Chill the shaped rugelach dough for 30 minutes. Bake until cooked through and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove the ramekin and let the ring cool for 5 minutes then slide a flat spatula underneath to free the ring from the baking sheet. Gently slide the ring onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before serving.

PULL-APART BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Split the whole pack of attached dinner rolls in half horizontally. Place the top and bottom halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Broil until toasted, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter with the hot sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking, until smooth. Toss the chicken with all but 1 tablespoon of the spicy butter in a medium bowl.
• Spread the chicken mixture evenly on the bottom bread piece; dot evenly with the cheeses and sprinkle with the celery. Cover with the top bread piece, then brush the roll tops with the reserved 1 tablespoon spicy butter and sprinkle with the celery seeds. Bake until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.

PULL-APART CUPCAKE SNOWMAN

Steps:

• Arrange 14 cupcakes in a tight circle on a platter or cake board for the body and 7 cupcakes in a smaller tight circle for the head. Add 2 cupcakes for the scarf.
• Using a small serrated knife, cut 7 chocolate wafer cookies in half; spread frosting on the back and arrange around the edge of the cupcake circles as shown to round out the shape.
• Cut 6 more cookies into quarters. Spread frosting on the back, then use to fill in the gaps between the cupcakes.
• Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe dots of varying size all over the cupcakes and cookies to cover completely. Add chocolate candies for eyes and buttons and trim a circus peanut for the nose. Roll out the fondant until 1/4 inch thick; trim into 2 strips for the scarf and fringe the ends. Place on the snowman.

SPECIAL OCCASION PULL-APART CAKE

Steps:

• On a 13-by-11-inch cake board or serving platter, arrange the cupcakes into milestone birthday numbers (or the initials of the person you're celebrating!). Plan to have about two dozen cupcakes on hand to work with and 6 to 8 cups frosting. (The cupcakes that are not used for the pull-apart cake can be frosted and served on the side.) Place approximately 1/4 cup frosting on top of each cupcake using two spoons. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting into an even layer across the cupcakes. Transfer 2 cups of the frosting to a disposable pastry bag or resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe stars of buttercream onto the surface of the frosted cake. Decorate with candy pieces and fresh edible flowers.

PULL-APART CUBAN SLIDERS

Steps:

• Mix the butter and oregano together in a small bowl until combined.
• Split the attached dinner rolls in half horizontally with a serrated knife, keeping the rolls in each half attached. Set the top half aside. Transfer the bottom half, cut-side down, to a cutting board; spread half of the oregano butter over the top and transfer to a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, butter-side down (cut-side up).
• Stack the sliced cheese and cut into four equal stacks. Arrange the cheese slices evenly over the roll bottoms in the skillet (the cheese can overlap).
• Stack the sliced ham and cut into four equal stacks. Arrange the ham slices evenly over the cheese (the ham can also overlap). Scatter the shredded pork evenly over the top.
• Heat another 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Stir the pickles and mustard together in a small bowl and spread on the cut-side of the reserved top half of the rolls, then place it, cut-side down, on the shredded pork to close the sandwich. Spread the remaining oregano butter over the roll tops.
• Set the skillet with the sandwich over medium-low heat. Carefully place the hot cast-iron skillet directly on top of the sandwich to press and toast the roll tops. Cook until the cheese is melted and the rolls are toasted, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the avocado, cilantro, orange juice and lime juice in a medium bowl. Mash and combine with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
• Carefully remove the top skillet and use 2 large spatulas to transfer the sandwich to a serving platter. Serve whole with avocado dip and plantain chips, letting guests pull apart their own sliders.

APPLE KUCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
• To make the crust: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or food processor fitted with a steel blade and mix to combine. Add the vanilla and butter, a little at a time, and mix until it resembles cornmeal. Press into the prepared baking pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until slightly golden but not brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• To make the filling: Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle and beat until creamy. Add the egg, mix to combine, an pour over the cooled crust.
• Place the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine.
• Place the apples on top of the filling in two or three columns. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and transfer to the oven. Bake until firm and a rich brown, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 to 24 pieces.

APPLE KUCHEN

Steps:

• Arrange apples in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside 1 tablespoon. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar over apples. , In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and remaining sugar; beat in the milk and butter until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls over apples; sprinkle with reserved cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat; add butter and vanilla. Serve with warm kuchen.