D'oh! The Non-Baker’s Dozen

Does it get any easier than this? From one can of refrigerated dough, 13 simple, crowd-pleasing treats. As Homer Simpson says, D'oh!

By Bev Bennett
CTW Features

Wouldn’t you like to be on a roll during the holidays?

Instead of slaving over laborious recipes, you’d whip up scrumptious morsels using a handful of ingredients.

You can perform this amazing feat of effortless entertaining with a snap of the wrist if you use tubes of bread and other packaged refrigerated dough as the base for your appetizers and snacks.

If you’ve shunned the simple joy of whacking open a tube of this convenience food or if you’ve always felt compelled to follow the directions printed on the outside of the can, get over it. Readymade dough is convenient and forgiving, the starting point for an endless parade of bite-sized holiday treats.

“Any of the little fancy appetizers you want to make over the holidays, such as little turnovers, is very time consuming,” says Melanie Barnard, a cookbook author in New Canaan, Conn.

Start with a tube of dough and you can skip the hard part, says Barnard, author of “Ready, Set, Dough! Incredibly Easy and Delicious Ways to Use Store-Bought Doughs” (Broadway Books, 2004).

“You can add the embellishments, such as chopped pecans, pesto, cheese – using the best quality you can find,” she says.

Don’t be bound by traditional shapes, either, says Julie Hinderks, the senior test-kitchen expert at General Mills in Minneapolis. Hinderks has used the pizza crust dough to make dipping sticks, paninis and open-faced melt sandwiches. “I also like using the refrigerated breadstick dough for pretzels and dip,” she says.

Here’s a baker’s dozen recipes that will inspire you and delight your guests.

Nutty cheese sticks

Open 1 (11-ounce) tube refrigerated breadstick dough (12 breadsticks) and separate into individual breadsticks. Mix 1 cup shredded firm cheese such as Asiago, Romano, Parmesan or aged Gouda, and 1/4 cup salted, chopped pistachios together. Spread on a sheet of waxed paper. Grasp each breadstick and twist ends in opposite directions at the same time. Press one side of the twisted breadstick at a time in the cheese-nut mixture. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake according to the directions on the tube. Cool on wire rack. Makes 12 servings.

Spicy Southwestern cheese sticks

Open 1 (11-ounce) tube refrigerated breadstick dough (12 breadsticks) and separate into individual breadsticks. Mix together 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese, 1/2 cup shredded chili Jack cheese and 1/4 cup salted pumpkin seeds. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon medium chili powder. Spread on a sheet of waxed paper. Grasp each breadstick and twist ends in opposite directions at the same time. Press one side of the twisted breadstick at a time in the cheese mixture. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake according to the directions on the tube. Cool on wire rack. Makes 12 servings.

Parmesan crackers

Unfold unbaked piecrusts from 1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated folded piecrust. Place on an ungreased shiny metal baking sheet. Spread 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese total over the piecrusts. Sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon coarse-grind pepper. Using a sharp knife, cut each piecrust into quarters along the fold lines. Cut each quarter into 3 wedges. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from baking sheet. Cool on wire rack. Makes 24 crackers.

Adapted from “Ready, Set, Dough!”

Parmesan crackers with tapenade

Make Parmesan crackers following the instructions above. Cool and top each cracker with 1 teaspoon prepared tapenade or 1 teaspoon minced green olive. Makes 24 servings.

Spicy Parmesan crackers

Make Parmesan crackers as above, but substitute 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes for the pepper. Serve crackers with small bowls of chili or oyster stew.

Sweet crackers

Unfold unbaked piecrusts from 1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated folded piecrust. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts in a cup. Sprinkle evenly over piecrusts. Using a sharp knife, cut each piecrust into quarters along the fold lines. Cut each quarter into 3 wedges. Bake in preheated 450 F oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from baking sheet. Cool on wire rack. Makes 24 crackers.

Adapted from Ready, Set, Dough!

Christmas pizzas

Unroll 1 (10-ounce) tube refrigerated pizza dough onto a baking sheet that’s lightly oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal. Spread 1/3 cup basil pesto down one-third of the long side of the dough, spreading to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Spread 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato pesto down one-third of the other side of the dough, spreading to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Spread 1/3 cup herbed cheese spread down the center third of the dough. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and well browned on the bottom. Cut into 16 pieces. Serves 16.

Adapted from “Ready, Set, Dough!”

Onion focaccia

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Add 1 large red onion, thinly sliced and 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion is tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly. Unroll 1 (10-ounce) tube of refrigerated pizza dough onto a baking sheet that’s lightly oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal. Press into the dough in random spots to make indentations. Spread the onion and any remaining oil on the dough. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and well browned on the bottom. Serves 12.

Bacon and onion focaccia

Cut 8 strips of bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until almost crisp but not browned. Remove from heat and set aside. Add 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme to skillet. Cook in bacon drippings over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onion is tender and lightly browned. Season with 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) and salt and pepper to taste. Return bacon bits to skillet. Set aside to cool slightly. Unroll 1 (10-ounce) tube refrigerated pizza dough onto a baking sheet that’s lightly oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal. Press into dough in random spots to make indentations. Spread the onion and bacon mixture on the dough. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and well browned on the bottom. Serves 12.

Crusty bread boat with crab and artichoke spread

Bake 1 (11-ounce) tube refrigerated crusty French loaf according to package directions. Cool for 30 minutes. Cut 1 inch from top of one cooled loaf. Remove inside of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch thick wall. Meanwhile, combine 1 (3-ounce) package softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese, 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped and 11/2 cups pasteurized lump crabmeat in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat mixture at medium setting for 3 to 4 minutes, or until hot, stirring twice. Spread crab mixture into hollowed-out bread. Place on large tray. If desired, cut removed bread into 1-inch cubes and serve with spread, or accompany with thin jicama slices or Belgian endive leaves. Makes 6 servings.

Adapted from “Pillsbury C’mon Over!” (Wiley Publishing, 2007)

Sugared apple-pie spice doughnuts

On a deep plate stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons apple pie spice blend (or substitute cinnamon if desired). In a deep, wide 3-quart saucepan or deep fryer heat at least 3 inches canola oil to 360 F. Separate biscuits from 1 (12-ounce) tube biscuit dough. Use a 1-inch canape cutter to cut out the centers of the biscuits to form doughnuts and holes. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden on one side. With slotted spoon, turn over and fry second side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil with slotted spoon. Drain on single layer of paper towels for 1 minute. Add the doughnuts to the spiced sugar and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining dough. Doughnut holes will take about 11/2 to 2 minutes or fry. Serve doughnuts while still warm. Makes 10 servings.

Adapted from Ready, Set, Dough!

Bacon cheesy triangles

Combine 1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces from a jar with 2 tablespoons minced scallion, green parts only. Set aside. Unroll 1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls. Separate into 4 rectangles. Press each piece into a 5-1/2-by-5-inch rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. Cut each rectangle into four 2 1/2-inch squares. Top each dough square with a rounded teaspoon of the bacon mixture. Top bacon with 1 teaspoon shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend. Fold dough in half, corner to corner to form a triangle. Press edges to seal. Place triangles 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops of triangles with beaten egg. Sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan cheese, using about 2 teaspoons total. Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove triangles from baking sheet to wire rack. Makes 16 servings.

Golden shrimp shells

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 cups cooked salad shrimp (thawed and drained if frozen), 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce and 1 minced garlic clove. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Remove dough from 1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls. Do not unroll dough. With a sharp knife, slice down dough to make 12 slices. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Press half of each dough slice to flatten. Place about 1 teaspoon shrimp mixture on flattened half of each slice. Fold remaining half of dough slice over shrimp to cover. Do not press to seal. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove triangles from baking sheet to wire rack. If desired, serve with cocktail sauce. Makes 12 servings.

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