Baked Shrimp Scampi

So when I started this blog I figured for the most part it would be filled with sweets but recently I was watching Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten (my hero!) had a fantastic recipe for Baked Shrimp Scampi so I just had to try my hand at something baked and savory.


Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Large raw shrimp


• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil


• 2 Teaspoons salt


• 1 Teaspoon pepper


• 1 1/2 sticks of butter-Room Temp


• A dash of Garlic powder


• 1 Shallot Diced


• 3 Tbsp parsley


• 1 teaspoon lemon zest


• 2 Tbsp lemon juice


• 1 Egg yolk


• 2/3 cup panko or bread crumbs

Recipe:

1. Peel, de-vein, and butterfly the shrimp so they stick they're little tail in the air.


2. Place the shrimp, Olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss together and allow to sit while you prepare the topping.


3. Combine the butter, garlic (I use a dash but you can used how ever much you like if you're a big fan of garlic), shallot, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, yolk and mash it together. This is another instance where your best tool is a pair of clean hands.


4. Mix in the panko crumbs.


5. Arrange the shrimp in a glass or gratin dish so they're little tails are up in the air. Since you've butterfly'd them they'll be half the thickness they'll cook quickly.


6. Cover with the panko crumb mixture.


7. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.


8. Squeeze some lemon juice on top of scampi as soon as it comes out of the oven and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Man Business school is such the time suck, but I cannot believe that I'm already half way through my last semester and just that much closer to culinary school...hopefully.

Unfortunately, this meant not too much baking was happening but then I was directed towards a recipe. A recope that makes you gain 5 pounds just from looking at the images.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough+Cheesecake bars=Love...and fat

These bars accomplish what I hope every baked good to accomplish. The eye close. That magical reaction to something that taste so good you have to close your eyes to just take in everything. I am please to note that everyone that I presented these beauties to did the same thing. Everyone did the eye close and to me that's amazing, but enough about how much people enjoyed these let's get onto the pictures and recipe!

Ingredients:
Crust:

• 1 1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs


• 5 Tablespoons of melted butter

Cookie Dough:

• 5 Tablespoons of butter (room temp)


• 1/3 cup brown sugar


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract


• 3/4 Cup flour


• 1 Cup of chocolate chips

Cheesecake:

• 10 oz. creamcheese


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 1 Large egg


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degress


2. Butter a 9x9 pan and line it with parchment paper (the butter keep the parchment paper in place) & leave enough to extend over the side.


3. Combine the crumbs and butter until moistened


4. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.


5. Bake for 6 minutes and allow to cool while you're making the next two parts.

For the cookie dough

1. Mix butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth


2. Drop to slow and add flour


3. Stir in the chips
4. 
   
5. Set aside...and maybe take a nibble for yourself.

For the Cheesecake

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.


2. Add egg and vanilla, beat until blended


3. Pour into that lovely crust!


4. Drop some cookie dough over the filling


5. Bake for 30 min.


6. Cool for 1 hour

That hour takes forever but I promise if you stick out you will be well rewarded, and what amazing is that since the cookie dough doesn't have any egg in it, it still deliciously doughy.