Name Change and Appetizer Panic

Since I only have three semesters left of college, I came to the conclusion not only that the title Collegiate Cookery is a little more drab than I'd hoped, but it's also limiting- and here's why.

For one thing, I crave a computer geek humor outlet. This is very selfish of me. However, here I will be able to post little jokes, annoyances, etc. that my non-computer-geek friends simply don't get- and even some of the geeks aren't in the Geek Gossip Loop.

For another, in less than two years I'll be out of scholardom and in the so-called real world.

So a name change, and hopefully more postings on a more frequent basis, both on cooking and computing.

This "real world" had better watch out. I'm coming. Bwahaha.

* * * * *

So last week I had to make appetizers for the entrepreneurial club's holiday party. At six, three hours before I thought it began, I was on my way out to get groceries, and found out that it began at seven. So I raided my finals-stricken, nearly-empty* refrigerator, and came up with these. They need tweaking, especially if they're to be eaten cold, but they were popular amongst the other college students. Alas, I was late enough to have no time for a picture. Your imagination, dear reader, will have to suffice.

Cream Cheese Tartlets
recipe by Christima

Ingredients:

1 bar cream cheese
3 TB sour cream
3-4 TB milk
1/4 tsp dried or regular mustard
1 tsp garlic
1/2 cup chopped herbs (I used mostly parsley, a little bit of basil, and chives- dill would go well)
4-5 chopped scallions
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 oz chevre, herb or plain
~3 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds (approximate)
pie crust (I used ~1.5 Pillsbury pre-made crusts to finish the filling)

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven according to directions on pie crust box- or, if making your own pie crust, to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Cream together all ingredients except pie crust.

3) Roll out pie crust until about 1/8" thick, or even thinner- it has to be handleable (which is indeed a word- I checked). Using a 2-3 inch round cutter or a round glass, cut circles of dough out of the pie crust. Roll dough out again as needed.

4) Place dough circles in ungreased muffin tins, creating bowls out of each circle.

5) Using two spoons, dollop the mixture into the dough bowls. Top with round(s) of mozzarella.

6) Bake in oven for ~10 minutes- watch carefully after the ninth minute or so to make sure that the mozzarella doesn't overflow. As soon as it's about to, open the oven and pull out the tin.

Notes:

-These MUST be served hot if you're forced to use low-moisture mozzarella, or else it becomes a less-than-appetizing skin on top of the cream cheese.
-This could also be made with other flavourings, such as smoked salmon, loads of dill, or made sweet, in which case I'd use a sweet pie crust- or graham cracker crust? Hm.
-I'd also like to try this with different kinds of cheese, both in and on top.


*I may be a little dairy-obsessed. That's why I had all these things and only these things left. My friend C. at college claims that at my rate of milk consumption alone, I am going to die. I think I'm just going to gain superpowers- namely, freakishly strong bones. Someday.


Also, for those of you who celebrate,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Anyone else, if I neglect your holiday, it's simply because I don't know when it is. No offense intended. I should probably buy a calendar next year, no?

Come to think, I'm not sure why *I* celebrate Christmas. Oh, wait, it involves cooking. And eating. And giving gifts. And getting gifts. Nevermind, answered my own question.