It’s still so cold outside where we live, and so we’ve been doing quite a bit of baking to warm the house up and have something special for dinner.

It is with that thought in mind that I was reading Dan’s email regarding the 10 most captured recipes of the month (January 2019). I was mostly interested in the baked goods, like #1—Unbelievable Rolls, #2—Apple Pie Bites, #7—Cinnabon’s Cinnamon Rolls, and #9—NO Knead Skillet Bread (pictured). I was drooling by the time I finished reading this list and fully intend to try all these recipes.

And then, talk about serendipitous. Along came another email, this one from King Arthur Flour®, all about how to bake better bread! They were mostly pitching products, but I skimmed through anyway. One item caught my eye: their Artisan Bread Topping.

This product runs $7.95 on their site. Inspired by a chewy, beautifully seeded loaf one of King Arthur’s bakers saw at a favorite bakery, it contains flax, toasted sesame, black caraway, midget sunflower, poppy, and anise seeds. King Arthur says you can use it on artisan breads, rolls, breadsticks, and bagels. You just brush the tops of your breads with egg wash before sprinkling on the topping.

I know the difference a nice seeded topping can make to a baked good, so I’m interested. But not interested enough to pay almost $8 for 1 cup of something. Especially when I’m sure you can make this at home.

After some Internet hunting, I discovered I was correct. On a lovely site, Tara Tsp. (www.tarateaspoon.com), I found just the recipe for homemade seeded bread topping. See what you think:

HOMEMADE SEEDED BREAD TOPPING

2 teaspoons fennel seeds crushed

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

2 teaspoons regular sesame seeds

2 teaspoons flaxseeds

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Mix all together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Add Recipe to Cook'n

NOTE: To Tara’s recipe I added anise seeds. And I tripled this recipe so that I’d have plenty for all the baking I plan to do until the weather warms.

And just a note on Tara, creator of this lovely site. She’s been sharing her original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a career as magazine Food Editor at Martha Stewart and then Entertaining Director at Ladies’ Home Journal. All in all, she’s shared recipes, cooking tips, and DIY ideas with more than 24 MILLION people. I mention this only because when we get a recipe from someone so seasoned, it’s worth paying attention to.

From a yummy topping for baked breads (like the NO Knead Skillet Bread, for instance), I turned to that awesome idea for crescent rolls and apples (Apple Pie Bites). I wondered if there were other things you could make using refrigerated crescent dough.

Of course, there is. Take a look at this list that I found on a terrific site, Dinner at the Zoo (www.dinneratthezoo.com), by Sara. Cute name for a food site, huh? And her content is simply wonderful.

• Veggie Pizza

• Barbecue Chicken Crescent Roll Ring

• Crescent Roll Churros

• Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls

• Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls

• Barbecue Chicken Pizza Pinwheels

• Lemon Cherry Cheese Danish Recipe

• S’Mores Crescent Rolls

• Cream Cheese and Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

• Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Crescent Rolls

• Pesto Roasted Pepper and Cheese Crescent Rolls

• Lemon Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish Rolls

• Italian Sub Crescent Roll Ring

• Chicken Avocado Crescent Ring

• Cheesy Sausage Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole

• 5 Ingredient Italian Chicken Crescent Roll Bake

• 7 Up Apple Cobbler

• Maple Caramel Bacon Crack

• Taco Pizza Recipe

• Baked “Deep Fried” Oreos

• Nutella Banana Stuffed Crescent Rolls

• Maple Crescent Sticky Buns

• Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries

• Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Braid

• Amazing Pepperoni Cheese Pizza Bombs

• Mushroom Spinach Ricotta Crescent Ring

• Mini Cheese and Onion Pastries

• Parmesan Rosemary Dinner Rolls

• Raspberry Cobbler Crumb Crispies

• Apple Pie Danish Twists

• 4 Ingredient Everything Crescent Rolls

• Strawberry Cheesecake Crescent Ring

• Spinach and Artichoke Dip Crescent Cups

I wish I had space to include all these recipes. But I’ll close with just one—Sara’s recipe for her spinach and artichoke dip crescent cups. And meanwhile, here’s hoping you can keep warm and enjoy some good baking!

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP CRESCENT CUPS (8 servings)

1 tube crescent roll sheet dough

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 box frozen spinach, thawed drained and excess liquid squeezed out

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.

3. Lay out the crescent roll sheet on a flat surface and cut into 8 equal squares.

4. Press a square of dough into each muffin cup.

5. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, artichokes, spinach, garlic, half the mozzarella cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Spoon the dip into each of the crescent roll cups.

7. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cups are golden brown.

8. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.