Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts

9/5/15

Peaches (Or Strawberries) and Cream


I know, I know, it's almost like this doesn't need a recipe. Peaches and cream is pretty self explanatory, right? I never thought much of it, and had never even tried it or any other fruit and cream combination until this summer. The town we live in has a strawberry festival every year and one of the big draws is their strawberries and cream. People go nuts over the stuff, but I never bothered to go to any of the events that had it. Being a dutiful mom this summer, though, I decided to bring the girls to the carnival and thought we should see why there was a line waiting for the strawberries and cream stand (one of many) to open. It didn't take more than a bite for me to realize what should have been obvious: cream is delicious on everything and very especially on fruit.

For the rest of the summer, we've had strawberries and cream many times. It is such an easy dessert and makes good use of delicious summer strawberries. When the end of summer came and local peaches started to ripen I switched from strawberries to peaches. I've tweaked the amounts of sugar, cream and other ingredients to make a cream mixture that we like. It's sweet, it's thick, and it has just the right amount of flavor to accentuate the fruit but not overpower it. It's a delicious way to enjoy some of the last fruits of summer.


Peaches (Or Strawberries) and Cream


Heat Oven To 350 Published 09/05/2015
Peaches and Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream 
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6-8 peaches

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla extract until sugar has dissolved. (This tastes even better when it has a chance to sit in the fridge overnight.)
  2. Slice peaches into bite sized chunks and divide among 6-8 small bowls. Add a scant 1/4 cup of the cream mixture to each bowl and serve.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Cook time: None
Total time: 10 mins.
Recipe Source: HeatOvenTo350

11/25/14

Apple Pieke


Easy as a cake and as delicious as a pie, this apple pieke is one of my favorite apple desserts. I've tried many apple pie recipes through the years and though I have some I love, none of them can touch this recipe in terms of apple flavor, especially for the time invested. It is as easy as peeling apples, mixing a topping and letting it bake. Though not one of the most elegant looking desserts, it makes up for its humble looks with a mixture of sweet-tart apples with just the right amount of softness, a hint of cinnamon and a deliciously, buttery sweet topping. I don't think I have to tell you that this is also amazing topped with vanilla ice cream. If you want to add an easy, crowd pleasing apple dessert to your Thanksgiving table, this is the one.


Apple Pieke

Heat Oven To 350 Published 11/25/2014
Apple Pieke

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Granny Smith apples (about 6-8 apples) peeled and sliced (No substitutions on apple variety or the pieke will be too sweet)
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 9 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 glas baking dish with butter. Add the sliced apples, 1 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Stir to combine and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan. Slice 1 tablespoon of butter into small pieces and dot evenly over the top of the apple mixture.
  2. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, combine remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 8 tablespoons butter until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at at time, until mixture is smooth. Beat in the flour just until combined. (The batter will be stiff) Spoon batter evenly over apples and spread so that the apples are covered.
  3. Bake 50 minutes or until top is browned. Cool 15 -20 minutes before serving. Can also be chilled at room temperature or cold.
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 mins.
Cook time: 30 mins.
Total time: 50 mins.
Recipe Source: sarahmoulton.com

11/19/14

S'mores Cheesecake


Please forgive me for not sharing this recipe years ago. I wanted to, I really did, but the problem with a recipe this good is that I always make it to share, and therefore I never get a chance to photograph it before slicing it up. Or after, since there are rarely leftovers. This time, however, I managed to do both, and I'm so excited to finally share it with you. Hopefully you will forgive me for being so selfish with such a delicious recipe.

And delicious it is, friends. So, so delicious. Buttery graham crust. Milk chocolate cheesecake. A fluffy, toasted marshmallow creme on top. It is even more delicious than it sounds. The chocolate cheesecake alone is sheer perfection, and one I've made by itself before because it turns out so well. I have never gotten cracks in it, despite not baking it in a water bath and not even being that careful most of the time knowing that the top will be covered with a fluffy marshmallow layer. True to s'mores form, the cheesecake is a sweet, milk chocolate. Don't expect dark chocolate, although you could do that if you want. For me, the milk chocolate is required for true s'mores flavor. The marshmallow topping is also delicious in its own right, and is just thick, fluffy and sweet enough to stand in for marshmallows. A little roasting under the broiler gives it the delicious toasted flavor that makes a s'more a s'more. No campfire required.




S'mores Cheesecake

Heat Oven To 350 Published 11/19/2014
S'mores Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from ~9 whole crackers ground fine in a food processor)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 9 ounces milk chocolate bar (not chips) chopped
  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 12 large marshmallows, cut into quarters with wet kitchen scissors (mini marshmallows have too much cornstarch coating to work well as a sub here)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. For the crust: Make sure oven rack is in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press mixture on the bottom of a 9" diameter springform pan. Bake in preheated oven until crust is starting to brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Reduced oven temperature to 325 degrees.
  2. For the filling: In a double boiler or a microwave at 50% power, melt chocolate. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
  3. In a food processor, combine cream cheese, sugar and salt and process until smooth. With the processor running, add whipping cream and process just until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, with the motor running, stopping to scraped down sides after each addition.
  4. When the last egg has been added and the mixture is processed smooth, pour it into the springform pan over the cooled crust and bake until the cheesecake is slightly puffed and has barely set in the center (It will look shiny in the very middle and jiggle slightly when the pan is gently shaken.) about 55-65 minutes. Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan. Cool on the counter for an hour, then place in the fridge and chill, uncovered, 8 hours or overnight. The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead.
  5. For the topping: Whisk the sugar, egg whites, 3 tablespoons water, cream of tartar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large metal or glass bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (making sure the water doesn't actually touch the bowl) and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and is hot to touch. This can take anywhere from about 5 minutes to 15 depending on whether your bowl is metal or glass and how thick it is. The mixture will whiten as it starts to thicken but make sure it is hot to the touch before you move on to the next step.
  6. Remove bowl from heat (leave pan of water simmering on the stove) and stir in marshmallows. Let stand until the marshmallows are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Place bowl back over simmering water and, using a hand held electric mixer, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 4-8 minutes. (Again, this is variable. Go by visual clues over time.) Beat in vanilla.
  7. Spoon topping onto cheesecake, and spread with an offset spatula. Use spatula to make decorative peaks. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
  8. Preheat broiler. Place cheesecake 4+ inches from broiler elements and broil until topping is lightly browned in spots. You must watch this closely because it will not take long to go from lightly browned to burnt. Chill cake until cold.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 35 mins.
Cook time: 9 hrs. 20 mins. Includes 8 hours chilling time
Total time: 9 hrs. 55 mins.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Bon Appetit

11/4/14

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars


Happy Election Day! I love Election Day partly because I just love the feeling I get after I finish voting. It makes me feel so proud to live in this country and for the right we have to vote. The good feeling makes it worth the hassle of going to polling place and waiting in a line, even the three hour wait I had a couple years ago. And the possibly horrible experience waiting for me this year when I bring a toddler and a seven month old along. Still worth it! If you've voted, you probably know what I'm talking about. 

The good feeling from voting is usually reward enough, but in case you want to reward yourself further, here are some cranberry oatmeal bars you should make, like, today. Or as soon as possible. They are super easy, super tasty, and perfect for this time of year. They are sweet and tart and perfectly soft, yet chewy. This is one of only a handful of treats I've made that my husband has eaten repeated servings of. The whole pan disappeared much faster than is healthy for our family but the gluttony certainly tasted good. This is a perfect recipe for a fall potluck or sweet treat on a chilly fall night. 


Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

Heat Oven To 350 Published 10/28/2014
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats (not the instant or quick cooking kind)
  • 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 and spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir in remaining ingredients and stir until just combined. (Mixture will be thick)
  2. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool bars in the pan before cutting into squares and serving.
Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Cook time: 35 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from www.penzeys.com

5/8/14

Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

Mother's Day is this coming Sunday, and to celebrate I'm posting kid friendly recipes all week. I may be alone in this, but sometimes I have trouble figuring out different healthy(ish) options to serve my toddler, especially easy lunch recipes, and my idea of celebrating mothers is to have five new easy recipe options. Happy Mother's Day!


Frozen bananas are about the easiest frozen treat you can make, but they are so satisfying and so delicious. Somehow frozen bananas taste even better to me than regular bananas, though I can never figure out why. A lot of times in our house I'll just slice up a banana, wrap it in saran wrap, and freeze it for a snack. My daughter calls it "cold 'nana" (we are crazy original over here) and goes nuts for them. Of course the only way to improve on such a healthy snack would be to cover it in chocolate, right? And I probably don't have to tell you that as tasty as frozen bananas are, chocolate dipped ones are even more delicious. The great part is, they are easy and fast to make. I like to cut my bananas in slices and put them on skewers for easier dipping/serving versus leaving the banana whole. If you have older kids they could help dip and top with chopped nuts, coconut or any other topping you like. I love that the banana bites satisfy the need for something sweet or a frozen treat while being filling and relatively low fat.



Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

Heat Oven To 350 Published 05/08/2014
Chocolate Dipped Pineapple

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • Chopped nuts, coconut, or other toppings (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place chocolate chips and oil in a double boiler and heat over simmering water until chocolate is melted. (Or microwave on 50% power, stirring every few minutes
  2. Peel the bananas and cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Slide slices onto wooden skewers.
  3. Place melted chocolate in a low, shallow bowl and dip skewered bananas into the chocolate, using a spoon to help drizzle chocolate over the top half of each banana piece. Sprinkle with toppings, if using.)
  4. Lay skewers over a 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and place in the freezer. Freeze 1 1/2 hours, or until bananas are firm and chocolate is set. (Frozen bananas can be kept in the freezer up to 1 week, though depending on the temperature of your freezer they might need to sit on the counter for a few minutes before serving because the bananas can be too frozen to bite easily straight from the freezer.)
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook time: 1-2 hours (mostly freezing time)
Recipe Source: HeatOvenTo350

4/15/14

Jelly Egg Cookies


Can I say how excited I am to set up an Easter egg hunt for my toddler this year? She wasn't big enough to get the concept last year but this year I am excited to see her run around the yard looking for eggs. Also exciting? Having an excuse to buy Easter candy to fill those eggs, since my "I'm pregnant" excuse expired a few weeks ago. Easter really has some of the best candy, doesn't it?

Jelly eggs don't often stand out in the Easter candy crowd of chocolate mini eggs, creme eggs, chocolate bunnies and malted eggs, but they are classic and deservedly so. I'm one of those crazy people that picks out the black licorice ones to eat first, but all of the colors eventually get eaten if an open bag is near me. One thing I love about this cookie recipe is that it really highlights jelly eggs and their fruity flavor instead of seeming like candy thrown on a cookie as an afterthought. The cookies themselves are chock full of oatmeal and coconut and have a great chewy texture and slightly salty taste. Combine that with the sweet jelly eggs and you have a delicious cookie that is hard to stop from eating. And did I mention how cute they are? And how my daughter went nuts when she saw them because they were both cookie AND candy? Make some of your own and you will make your family's day.


Jelly Egg Cookies

Heat Oven To 350 Published 04/15/2014
Jelly Egg Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut (see Note)
  • ~ 100 assorted small jelly eggs

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine butter and sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Stir in oats and coconut.
  3. Roll dough into approximately 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls to make about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Place dough balls on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Press three jelly eggs into the indentation of each cookie and bake 11-12 minutes, or until starting to brown on the edges. Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.
Note: The coconut used here has to be unsweetened, which I usually buy in the health food section of my grocery store or on Amazon. I've seen it in several forms: long shreds, big flat flakes and tiny shreds. The tiny shreds seem to be the most common. In this recipe I like the big flat flakes because of the texture they add, but any of the shapes would work. If using the tiny shreds I would reduce the amount used to 1 1/4 cups, however. 

Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Cook time: 30 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from saramoulton.com

2/10/14

Chocolate Pizza


My husband and I have never been overly romantic people. I'd say it is one thing that makes us perfect for each other. My favorite Valentine's gift he has given me was a beautiful card with the inside lining missing and a little handwritten note that said, "This card said something cheesy so I tore it out. I love you. Devon." It still makes me laugh because I can only imagine my husband standing there in the card aisle, looking at each of the overly sentimental Valentine's Day cards and thinking, "What? Why can't they just say 'I love you'?" Apparently they can if you take matters into your own hands. 

Now that we have a kid (soon to be KIDS in less than 6 weeks, eek!) our Valentine's Days have become even less about us and more about our family. One tradition that we've seen among other friends and extended family is having heart shaped pizza on Valentine's Day. Have you known a family to do this? Sometimes the family will make the pizza themselves, other times they will order out to give everyone a break from cooking, and every gathers together and enjoys what is arguably one of the best guilty pleasure foods there is. I love how simple and easy it is. Our neighbors that do this set up a pizza bar and have everyone build their own pizza with whatever toppings they like.


If this is a family tradition of yours, or if you are looking for an easy, chocolaty dessert you can make/enjoy with your kids or special someone, these chocolate pizzas are the perfect, easy dessert for your Valentine's Day. In fact, they just might start to be a tradition every time you make pizza, they are that good and easy. After pre-baking a pizza crust, you top the warm crust with nutella and chocolate chips and bake just a little more to get the chocolate chips soft and gooey. Then you slice it up and eat it, hoping other people won't notice how quickly your piece is disappearing from your plate. As you might imagine, warm nutella soft pizza dough + melted chocolate = utterly delicious. It is easily customized - if you like peanut butter, add some of that under the nutella. Or use peanut butter chips. Maybe add some toasted nuts. All delicious. Whatever your Valentine's Day traditions, remember this one next time you are looking for an easy, family-pleasing dessert. 




Chocolate Pizza

Heat Oven To 350 Published 02/10/2014
Chocolate Pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pizza dough
  • 1/4 cup nutella
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Place oven rack on the lowest setting in the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a circle (Or heart shape. To make the heart shape, I like to roll mostly into a circle, then cut down one side to make the top of the heart and pull on the opposite side of the cut to make the point of the heart). Bake on a pizza stone or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes.
  3. Remove crust from oven and immediately spread half the nutella over each of the baked crusts. Sprinkle half of each type of chocolate chip over the nutella. Place the pizzas in the oven and bake just until the chocolate chips start to melt, about 1 minute. Remove from oven, cut into wedges and serve.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
Recipe Source: adapted from foodnetwork.com

12/19/13

Fruit Cake Bites


You guys, I'm not a fan of fruit cake. Let me just make than confession right now. I didn't grow up with it as a traditional holiday food in my family, and I just never developed a taste for it. These bites, though, are different. I promise. They're little morsels of sweet, fruity goodness. They're rich, chewy, and have just enough candied fruit flavor that it is there but not overpowering. The pecans and coconut help round out the flavors in these bites and give them a richness and depth. I love that they are cooked in a muffin tin, making them cute and portion controlled. If you love fruit cake, you'd love these bites, but even if you are on the fence or just plain don't like it (like me) these might win you over to buying some candied fruit every holiday season. 




Fruit Cake Bites

Heat Oven To 350 Published 12/19/2013
Fruit Cake Bites

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Nilla wafer crumbs
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup mixed candied fruit* 
  • 1/2 cup whole pecans
  • 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
*Not going to lie, some of the candied fruit you can buy is downright gross. Make sure you get some you like the flavor of. If your candied fruit is fairly wet, you may need to add more wafer crumbs to make the dough into something that is thick, but still easily scoop able. 

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
  2. Chop pecans into coarse pieces. Add to a large bowl with remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. Spoon dough into prepared muffin tins until about 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the bites cool in pan about 15 minutes, and then run a knife around the edge of each bite to help loosen them from the pan. Remove and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 12-15 cookies
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Recipe Source: Heat Oven To 350

12/16/13

Simple Raspberry Truffles



If you are a chocolate lover, or have one in your life, you need these truffles. Rich, dense, full of chocolate flavor and touched with hint a raspberry, they are going to be a favorite this holiday season. Or pretty much any time you can think up an excuse to make them. It shouldn't be hard to convince yourself to whip up a batch, too, because they are so easy to make. If you can heat things on the stove, and stir ingredients together you will be a pro at making these truffles. The hardest part may be waiting for 12 hours for the fudge-like mixture to set up in the fridge. Don't worry, though, you can still sneak a spoonful and no one will be the wiser. Make these for a gift, make these for yourself, make these for a potluck. Wherever you plan on serving them, you will make any chocolate lover's day.


Simple Raspberry Truffles

Heat Oven To 350 Published 12/16/2013
Raspberry Truffles

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 15 oz semi sweet chocolate (chips are fine)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
  • Toasted sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

  1. Bring the cream to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Reduce heat to low, add chocolate and stir until smooth.
  3. Stir in butter and raspberry preserves.
  4. Transfer chocolate mixture to a bowl and refrigerate at least 12 hours.
  5. When mixture has chilled, scoop out 1/2 tablespoon amounts (or size desired) and roll into balls. Roll in toasted coconut and serve, or refrigerate until serving.
Yield: 24 truffles
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 hours (cooling time)
Recipe Source: The New England Culinary Institute

12/4/13

No Bake Orange Snowball Cookies


Be careful what you wish for. I was hoping for a little snow when I put up our Christmas decorations this past weekend and was greeted with 4 inches when I opened the garage door to leave for work yesterday. I looked at Amelia, looked at the very impractical ballet flats I had chosen to wear that day (nope, I definitely didn't check the weather that morning before getting dressed) and went back inside for some boots for the both of us. Eight more inches of snow were added to our front porch before the end of the day, and I'm not even bothering to measure the additional snowfall from overnight. 

The bright spot in my day yesterday, though, was after a two hour messy commute home and nearly sliding into another car on the freeway, I came home to a mostly clear driveway courtesy of my husband's younger cousin who lives next door. Given that my husband had to work late last night, this pregnant mama was very much relieved to see that she would not have to bundle up her toddler and spend a couple hours clearing the driveway to end her day. For any of you out there wondering if there is some nice Christmas present you could give your neighbor this year, let me suggest sneaking a driveway shoveling in somehow. Trust me, your neighbor will love you. 

It just seemed fitting to share this snowball recipe today with all the snow that we got in our area the past few days. These cookies are about as easy as it comes, but they taste like a creamsicle and are fun and festive to boot. They'd be great for holiday gift giving or just to serve to family. They're also great for making with kids - that is if your kiddos love to watch you whirl stuff around in the food processor as much as my little girl does. If you have a food processor it will do most of the work for you - chopping up the coconut into small pieces, chopping in the nuts, and making crumbs out of the Nilla wafers. If you don't have a food processor you can still chop by hand and be done in no time. All the chopped ingredients are mixed together with some softened butter, orange juice concentrate and powdered sugar, then rolled into balls, topped with coconut and put in the fridge to set up. The cookies have a dense-yet-soft consistency with a great, strong orange flavor that only gets better with time. 

No Bake Orange Snowball Cookies

Heat Oven To 350 Published 12/04/2013
No Bake Orange Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 12 oz box vanilla wafers (a few brands are 12 oz per box. Some are 11 oz. If you only find an 11 oz box, add 1/3 cup more powdered sugar to the recipe)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 6 oz can orange juice concentrate (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans
  • 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, crush vanilla wafers to fine crumbs. (Or place in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.) Put the crumbs in a large bowl.
  2. Add coconut flakes to food processor and pulse until pieces are finely chopped. Add chopped coconut to a shallow bowl.
  3. Add pecans or walnuts to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add nuts to vanilla wafer crumbs in the large bowl and stir in powdered sugar, orange juice, vanilla extract and butter. Add more powdered sugar as needed to make the dough stiff enough to handle. (It will be slightly sticky.)
  4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in coconut. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm. (Overnight is best.)
Yield: 4 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: None
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from penzeys.com

11/11/13

Apple Cream Pie


This past weekend I fed my sister and brother-in-law a really mediocre apple pie. That is the only way to describe it. I had tried a new recipe I save months ago and it had all the makings of a spectacular pie - it was deep with apples, it had pecans, a cheddar layer, and a thick crumb topping that sounded amazing. And it just wasn't all that great. It became a joke throughout the night as we thought of ways to describe the pie: "It's really not bad!" "It's definitely okay!" but in the end, when you make an apple pie, you want it to be special. Great. Wonderful. And that pie was nothing of those thing.

This pie, however. This pie. Oh. My. Goodness. This pie I could eat for dessert every day until New Year's and still be craving it the next day. This pie is unlike any other apple pie I've eaten before, and better in so many ways. The taste reminds me of apple pie with melted ice cream on top. Except that the apples in the pie baked in that creamy sweetness. See why I'm so in love with it? I will not even pretend that it is healthy for you, but we're talking about pie here. Soft, tart apples in a layer of sweet vanilla cream and a buttery crust combine for heaven in each slice. I might sound a little obsessed, but I love apple pie in general and a fabulous apple pie is enough to make my week.

The second best thing about this pie, slightly behind its write-home-to-your-mom deliciousness, is that it is less work than most apple pies. I will be the first to admit that I'm slightly obsessed with a beautiful double crust apple pie. I agonize over getting the top and the seams to be perfect to the point where the stress of making one makes me not want to even start. This pie has no top crust, which eliminates all that stress and hassle. It wins no awards for looks, but it the chopped apples and cinnamon dusting on top give it a homey charm all its own. And trust me, once you take a bite you won't spend much time examining its looks as you are shoving it into your mouth.


Apple Cream Pie

Heat Oven To 350 Published 11/11/2013
Apple Cream Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 9 inch unbaked pie shell, chilled
  • 3-4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup half and half*
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream* 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ground cinnamon
*Note - if you can find light cream in your grocery store, you can use 1 cup of light cream instead of the half and half and heavy cream. 

Instructions

  1. Lower an oven rack to the lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Put apples in pie shell and pat down to form an even layer.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together sugar, salt and flour. Stir in the half and half, cream and vanilla. Pour cream mixture over apples. Cut butter into small pieces and dot over the top of the apple cream mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon lightly over the pie.
  3. Bake pie on the lowest oven rack for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes or until pie is set.
Yield: 1 9" pie
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from www.boston.com
 

9/16/13

Cracked Sugar Cookies


My friend Jenny, who gave me this recipe, calls these crack sugar cookies because they are dangerously addictive. One bite and you will know why. They are the perfect amount of sweet, salty and tangy that makes you reach for one after another after another. I honestly won't allow myself to make them unless I have an event to bring them to because if I'm left alone with these cookies for more than an hour you will find me on the couch with an empty cookie jar, covered with crumbs and mindlessly watching old episodes of Downton Abbey. They are that dangerous. And that good. 

What sets these cookies apart from regular sugar cookies is the cream of tartar in the dough. It gives them a "tang" that is wonderful and, with the baking soda, gives them the pretty cracked tops. The texture of the cookies is dense and buttery, but not crumbly like shortbread. I know there are vegetable shortening haters, but in cookies I find there is really no substitute for the softness/chewiness that it adds. You could use all butter if it is the lesser of the two evils for you but know that your cookies will likely be harder. Make sure you don't skip the step of rolling the cookies in sugar before baking. It helps make the outside crispy and the finished cookie look beautiful. That is, if you even see them before they all get inhaled by you/your family. 



Cracked Sugar Cookies

Heat Oven To 350 Published 09/16/2013
Cracked Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together shortening, butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla and beat until combined. The dough will be stiff.
  2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until cookies are just starting to brown.
  3. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet five minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Recipe Source: My dear friend and gifted baker, Jenny.

8/22/13

Chocolate Dipped Pineapple Slices


For Thursday thoughts today we're talking dipping fruit in chocolate. Delicious, right? In my days as the owner of a chocolate fountain (those were good days, cut short by lack of space in a move across the country) my favorite things to dip were the fruits. Raspberries, of course, and strawberries, but what really surprised me was how good pineapple was with chocolate. Pineapple and chocolate are good friends, I'm telling you. Not that they are without their issues, though. If you actually want to cover some fresh pineapple with a hard chocolate coating, the two tend to not get along. The moisture on the cut pineapple causes all kinds of fun seizing problems with the dipping chocolate, and that's before you realize your chocolate is sliding off the pineapple completely. 

Here's where you lean closer to your computer, because I'm going to tell you a little secret about how to dip fresh pineapple in chocolate. Because trust me, you want to. It is delicious, for one, and makes a great and simple dessert/appetizer for two. And did I mention it is delicious? Anyway, the best way I've found to do it is to pat the pineapple pieces dry, and then freeze them for a few hours in the freezer. This locks in all the fresh pineappley goodness and keeps it from messing with the melted chocolate goodness. 

Then you enlist the help of the cutest kitchen helper in the world dip the pineapple with you. Although you may want to warn your helper that ALL the pineapple pieces are frozen. She might get disappointed after the first four or five. 


I usually melt my chocolate (I use plain ol' chocolate chips) with a little bit of vegetable oil. This makes the chocolate a little less brittle when it hardens up again. You just drop each piece it, coat it completely, and set it aside to cool completely on some parchment paper. Within a few minutes you'll be surrounded by beautiful, heavenly scented pieces of chocolate covered pineapple. 


Jump around for joy and eat about five slices.



Chocolate Dipped Pineapple Slices

Heat Oven To 350 Published 08/22/2013
Chocolate Dipped Pineapple

Ingredients

  • 1 fresh pineapple
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons oil

Instructions

  1. Peel and core pineapple and cut into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick. Place in a single layer on a cooling rack and pat each side with paper towels. Place entire cooling rack, including pineapple, in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen solid.
  2. Place chocolate chips and oil in a double boiler and heat over simmering water until chocolate is melted.
  3. One by one, dip each piece of pineapple in melted chocolate until it is completely covered. Lay the chocolate covered pieces on parchment paper to solidify.
  4. Once chocolate has solidified, serve chocolate covered pineapple immediately or store in the fridge for up to a day.
Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook time: 2-3 hours (mostly freezing time)
Recipe Source: HeatOvenTo350

 
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