Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches | NEW RECIPE

These Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches are prepared with an unbaked egg-free chocolate chip cookie dough. Use your favorite ice cream or make it homemade!Best of all, it's braces friendly & taste buds approved!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Cup butter
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 3 T milk
• 2 t McCormick® Extra Rich Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 Cups ice cream, softened

DIRECTIONS:

1. Microwave butter and sugars in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. 
2. Stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in milk, vanilla and salt. Add flour; stir until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate 15 minutes. 
3. Line 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, with ends of paper extending over sides of pan. Press 1/2 of the dough into pan until smooth and even. Place a second layer parchment paper on top on the dough and repeat with remaining dough. Freeze for 30 minutes up to 1 hour.
4. Remove from freezer. Carefully remove the top layer of cookie dough by lifting the top layer of parchment paper.
5. Gently spread the softened ice cream over the bottom layer of cookie dough still in the pan. Peel the parchment paper from the second layer of cookie dough and place it smooth side up on top of the ice cream. Cover with foil or plastic wrap. 
6. Freeze 2 hours or until firm. Cut into 16 bars. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Store in freezer.

Braces Friendly Breakfast Recipe

Enjoy this cake with any sort of fruit that inspires you! Roasted apricots, fresh plums, or smashed blackberries would be great if you're not a strawberry fan!

Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

For the Roasted Strawberries:

• 8-ounces medium strawberries, hulled
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

For the Buttermilk Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon aluminimum-free baking powder (I use Rumford Baking Powder)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• Roasted strawberries
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping

To Make the Strawberries:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. The strawberries get juicy, so a rimmed baking sheet is important. Set aside.
3. Cut each strawberry in half and place in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. Whisk together until completely incorporated. Drizzle the mixture over the strawberries and toss until each strawberry is coated. Arrange strawberries in a single layer across prepared baking sheet.
4. Roast strawberries for 40 minutes. The juices will thicken, but remove the strawberries from the oven before the juices begin to burn. Remove the berries and juice from the pan while still warm. Place in a small bowl, stir in balsamic vinegar, and set aside.

To Make the Cake:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 11-inch cast iron skillet. You can also use an 11-inch round tart or quiche pan, or a 9×13-inch pan… although the cake will be more thin and you’ll need to keep a close eye on it in the oven.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Whisk in the vanilla or almond extract.
4. Add the buttermilk mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and no lumps remain. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Top batter with half of the roasted strawberries and juice. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before slicing to serve. Serve with the remaining roasted strawberries.
6. Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

If Tom Can Do It, So Can You

Braces aren’t just for kids anymore. Tooth alignment can be changed at any age if your gums and bone structure are healthy. At Wentz Orthodontics we offer a variety of treatments that are designed for different age groups; including adults.

Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Improving the health of your teeth and gums is equally important. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay, abnormal wear of the tooth enamel and surfaces, headaches, and jaw joint (TMJ/TMD) pain.

The new techniques and appliances we use greatly reduce discomfort levels, decrease the frequency of visits, shorten treatment time and may allow you to choose from several options. Your options may include metal braces, translucent braces or transparent aligners that can be worn at night to improve mild cases of misaligned teeth.

A large percentage of our patients are adults, and they agree that it’s never too late to improve their smile. Contact Wentz Orthodontics to learn more or get started now. 

Tater Tot Skewers for Super Bowl Sunday

INGREDIENTS 

• Bag of Tater Tots
• 8 slices of cooked bacon chopped
• 1 cup of cheese grated
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
• Skewers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook your tater tots according to directions until golden brown in color - Set oven for 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.
2. Once you pull them out of the oven, let cool for approximately 2-5 minutes until you can skewer them onto the skewers. We suggest 6-7 per skewer.
3. Once on the skewers and on the pan, sprinkle ranch dressing over each of the tater tots.
4. Sprinkle the bacon and then the cheese.
5. Put into the oven for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and golden in color.
6. Remove from oven and serve.