Category: Desserts

Desserts

Old Fashioned Cherry Pie

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Some of our kids are coming to dinner tonight so of course, Cameron already texted to see what we were having around 10 this morning. I texted back that we were having the beans & brisket that I posted a few days ago and cherry pie, which is one of his favorites. As the pie process began to get underway, it reminded me that several friends have ask about some of the pies that I make. Figuring that this might be just as good a time as any, here is a couple of secrets that will make your homemade pies extraordinary.

Even if you use the store bought Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, these simply little tricks will make the crusts taste better and seem a little more less “store bought”.

!. After you have placed your pie filling, whether it be cherry, peach, apple, sprinkle about 3 tables of sugar over the fruit. Then dab cubes of butter (not margarine) over the pie filling before covering with the top crust. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top crust to give it a sugary exterior.

2. If you are making apple or peach pies, substitute light brown sugar over the fruit filling and sprinkle some cinnamon, as per your liking, over the filling. Just sprinkle regular granulated sugar over the top crusts, just like you would cherry or blackberry, etc.

3. If you like a little more homemade flavor, use the boxed Betty Crocker Pie Crust mix. Sells for $2.09 and makes 2 crusts. All you do is add cold water and roll them out. So easy, but so much better than the refrigerated.   2015-04-28 11.19.02

Butter cubes placed over pie filling!

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Finished and ready to enjoy!

Much flakier and so much better tasting.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

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This afternoon I thought I would hunt for a new chocolate cake recipe and came across this new one that I had not seen. Since we love the Texas Sheet with the teaspoon of cinnamon in it, this one should be one that will satisfy our chocolate fix tomorrow. I saw it online in “my recipes” and cannot wait to bake it tomorrow. Let me know if you have tried it and what you thought about the flavor.

recipe Photo by: Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Leslie Siegel

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

We replicated the flavor profile of Mexican chocolate using semisweet chocolate and cinnamon. If you prefer to use Mexican chocolate, look for it with the hot drink mixes or on the Hispanic food aisle. This moist pound cake is equally delicious without the sauce.
  • Yield: Makes 16 servings
  • 1 (8-oz.) package semisweet chocolate baking squares, chopped*
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup chocolate syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Powdered sugar (optional)
  • Mexican Chocolate Sauce
  • Garnish: toasted sliced almonds

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Microwave chocolate baking squares in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute and 15 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring at 15-second intervals. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth.

2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (14-cup) tube pan.

3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and let cool completely (about 1 hour and 30 minutes). Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with Mexican Chocolate Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

*2 (4.4-oz.) packages Mexican chocolate, chopped, may be substituted. Omit ground cinnamon.

Note: We tested with Nestle Abuelita Marqueta Mexican chocolate.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate-Hazelnut Eclair Cake

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One of the reasons I look forward to getting the Paula Deen magazine every 2 months, is that I know there will be fantastic dessert recipes in them. The new May-June has so many great recipes in them, that by the time I try them all, I will be wearing a tent.

2 (3.3 oz) packages white chocolate instant pudding mix

3 cups whole milk

1 teas vanilla

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow crème

1 (14.4 oz) package graham crackers

1 cup grated bittersweet chocolate

1 (13 oz) jar chocolate-hazelnut spread *like Nutella

1 1/3 cups chocolate syrup

In a large bowl, bet pudding mix, milk and vanilla with a mixer on medium-low speed until thickened. In a medium bowl, beat whipped topping and marshmallow crème with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat whipped topping mixture into pudding mixture until well blended.

In the bottom of a 13×9″ freezer safe baking dish, arrange one-third of graham crackers in an even layer, breaking crackers as needed to entirely cover bottom of dish. Spread half of pudding mixture over crackers and sprinkle with half of the grated chocolate. Repeat the layers once and top with remaining graham crackers.

In a medium bowl, beat chocolate syrup and the hazelnut spread on medium until well combined; spread over graham crackers. Cover pan and freeze for at least 8 hours to 2 days before serving.

Store leftovers in freezer, as the chocolate topping will soften and become a sauce if just refrigerated. But it won’t alter the wonderful flavor if you place in fridge…

Thanks Paula Deen, this one will be made many many times this summer, I’m sure!

Cakes · Desserts

White Texas Sheet Cake

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Years ago, a friend and I were in charge of a bake sale at First Bapt Dallas. We came up with the idea of putting all the ingredients for this cake in bags and selling them. All the buyer needed to do was to add the eggs, sour cream, butter and water. We sold out and I put it in my cookbook, as I love the almond flavor and the easiness of preparation. I don’t have a clue where she got the recipe, but it is a great cake and since it is made in a jelly roll pan (10×15″), it serves a lot.

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter (I use 1 stick butter and 1 stick margarine)

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 teas baking soda

1 teas salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teas almond extract

Frosting

1 stick butter

1/4 cup milk

1 (1 lb box) powdered sugar or 3 1/2 cups

1 teas almond extract

Pecans, chopped for topping, if desired

Cake

Mix butter and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in sugar before adding any other ingredients. Add eggs, beins sure hot mixture has cooled somewhat so eggs do not cook in the batter as you mix together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar-butter mixture and stir until no lumps remain. You can use mixer on low speed if desired.

Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until cake tests done. It does not take long, so be sure to watch it the last couple of minutes. Do not over bake.

Cool while preparing frosting.

Frosting

Combine milk and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter is melted. Pour over powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add almond extract and mix. Pour over warm cake and spread over entire cake. Sprinkle chopped pecans if desired.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Apple Sharlotka

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2015-04-11 13.07.27

Saw this in a cookbook that was being passed out at Costco. Randy loves apple anything, so when I saw this, I knew I would be making this. So easy!

7 Eastern or Red Delicious, Empire or Jonagold, peeled and diced into 1″ cubes.

3 large eggs

1 cup super

1 teas vanilla

1 cup flour

1 teas baking powder

1 teas cinnamon

1/4 teas nutmeg

Powdered sugar for dusting

Ice cream or whipped cream for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with a circle of parchment paper. Butter the pan and paper.

Place diced apples in the prepared pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar, beating well. Add vanilla, then stir in dry ingredients, just until blended.

Pour the batter over the prepared apples, smoothing it over and into the apples. Gently tap the pan on the counter to even ly distribute the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cake tests done.

Let cool in pan for 20 min. Flip the cake onto a plate, then again onto a serving platter.

When cool, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate · Desserts

Brownie Fudge Pie

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Many years ago a sweet friend of mine, Marie Williams gave me a book, Take Big Bites, by Linda Ellerby. It has been one of those books that keeps reminding me that life needs more special moments, more shared memories with loved ones and that we need to always be grateful for each day that we have. Every few pages in the book, Linda gives a recipe. This recipe became one of those that I continue to make sometimes twice a month, sometimes more. It is printed also in my cookbook, Princess on the Porch, but after having it edited again, before it goes into publication, I noticed that the recipe which is on page 90 needs correction. In my book, I gave in the list of ingredients, 1 cup of butter, when it should read 1 STICK of butter. If you have a copy of Princess on the Porch, please make sure to make this correction. It would be pretty greasy if you use 1 cup.

For those of you who don’t have a copy yet, I hope you will consider getting one when they come out in a couple of months. They will be available for Kindle, through Amazon and I think, Barnes & Noble. In the meantime here is the recipe.The book has humorous stories along with recipes and words of encouragement for the seasons of your lives…

Linda Ellerby, thank you for sharing this memory with us. This dessert has already been enjoyed in our home, more times than I can count. Everyone who we have shared it with, agree that it is a chocolate dessert that should be considered a food group.

1 stick butter

2 (1 oz ea) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teas vanilla

2 eggs

1/4 teas salt.

Preheat oven to

Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat or in microwave. Cool. Mix together the next 5 ingredients. Add cooled chocolate mixture and then stir until completely blended. Pour into a greased pie plate. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Do not over bake, as you want it a little gooey

If you are a true chocoholic, you will cut off a piece every time you walk through the kitchen. Serve warm with ice cream is a great way to make new friends.

Serves: 6 to 8

Cakes · Desserts

Spoonful of Sugar Tea Cakes

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Happy Easter! He is Risen! What a glorious time of year when we celebrate the risen Savior!

Tomorrow, we will consume our weight in sugar, with all the chocolate bunnies, the ham with it’s sugary glaze, baked beans, coconut cakes and handfuls of colorful jelly beans. Sometimes, (and this happens maybe once every 5 years) I even get on sugar overload. Randy loves these teacakes, because they are not real sweet…just like having a little spoonful of sugar to pop in your mouth. They can be decorated to look like any holiday, but are especially pretty on Easter dessert tables, with lightly colored colors of Easter. But perfect for your coffee time in the afternoon and because there is no coconut to add even more calories, you can even have a few more pieces….am I the only one that thinks like that?

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

4 large eggs

2 teas vanilla (or 1 full teaspoon of almond extract, which is what I use as it makes me taste like wedding cake)2015-03-26 08.01.24

1 table baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

Cream Cheese Frosting (if desired) or sprinkle cookies with colored sugar as your topping

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9″ baking cake pan. and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until well combined. Beat in sour cream. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 35 min or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 min. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Trim off 1/2″ from all the sides. Level cake using a serrated knife to trim off rounded top. Cut cake into 3×2″ cubes. Spoon cream cheese Frosting on top of each cake piece. Garnish with colored sugar or raspberries.

Frosting:

1 8 oz cream cheese softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole milk (add gradually, you might not need it all)

Mix all ingredients and mix until well blended.

Be sure to share the Good News of Christ and His love for us with someone…invite them to church! Have a glorious Easter

Desserts · Fruit

Lemon Ice Cream Bars

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What a great recipe for Spring and Summer. While waiting in the salon with dye all over my head, I began to leaf through magazines that the owner brings to the shop. I took pics of this one and one that I will post tomorrow: Donut Tiramisu. Can’t wait to make that one either. I have recipes for bread pudding made with donuts (thank you very much Paula Deen) but had never heard of this one so will be anxious to get to donut shop and buy the necessary donuts to make that one next week.

In the meantime, will be making these, as lemon just screams, “SPRING”. So we are off to a great start to a most beautiful time of year; except all the green junk that is all over our driveway, sidewalk and porch.

For the lemon Curd:

6 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice

12 tables unsalted butter

1/2 teas grated lemon zest.

Or if you are in a springtime lazy mode, buy the lemon curd already made.

For the Bars:

2 (5-6 oz) boxes shortbread cookies,

3 tables unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teas grated lemon zest

2 pints vanilla ice cream, slightly soft

Powdered sugar for dusting

Make the lemon curd: Combine the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook, whisking until the mixture begins to thicken, about 8 minutes. Stir in the butter, 1 chunk at a time, with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 7 more minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and salt. Pour into a bowl that will sit on top of a large bowl, which you will fill halfway with ice. Set the bowl of curd on the ice and let cool completely, stirring occasionally.

Make the bars:

Coat an 8″ square baking dish with cooking spray and line with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until finely crushed. Slowly add the melted butter and lemon zest and pulse until  the mixture starts coming together..

Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking dish and press firmly into the bottom. Spread the ice cream over the crumb mixture with a rubber spatula; spread the lemon curd on top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

When ready to serve, lift out of the pan using the overhanging foil. Cut into pieces and dust with a little powdered sugar. Makes

about 9 squares

Breads · Desserts

Quick Crusts Ideas

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The last day of March? Really snuck up on me. It has been such beautiful weather here that all I have wanted to do is sit outside (you notice I don’t say, walk or run) and think about what I might want to bake next. When I was going through several baskets of recipes the other night, I came across this sheet I had torn out of some cooking magazine, but I don’t know which one.

I thought it would be convenient to post all of these different crusts on one posts, so you could print them up and tape them inside one of the cookbooks you use often. There are 6 different crusts. I will give several suggestions of which type of pie you might like to use the appropriate crust for. But be daring and experiment with them and let me know what you are using the crusts for.  It’s exciting to learn different recipes for friends.

Basic Crust Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients, stirring to combine. Press crust into bottom and up sides of a 9″ pie plate. Cook for times specified below. Cool completely before adding your fillings.

Macaroon Crust

3 cups crumbled macaroons (about 9 cookies)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cook for 10 min.

Use for:

chocolate pies, coconut pies, lemon pie, pineapple pie

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (isn’t it wonderful you can buy them already crushed now)

1/4 cup ground nut of choice *opt

3 tables sugar

5 tables melted butter

Cook for 6-8 min or until lightly browned.

Use with:

Any type of cheesecake filling, chocolate, lemon, strawberry ice box pie

Gingersnap Crust

1 1/2 cups gingerbread crumbs

2 tables firmly packed light brown sugar

4 tables melted butter

Cook for 6-8 min or until lightly browned.

Use for:

Any pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake filling, caramel, banana cream, possibly apple filling

Peanut Butter Cookie Crust

2 cups peanut butter sandwich cookie crumbs (about 16 cookies)

2 tables sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cook for 6-8 min, or until lightly browned.

Use for:

chocolate filling, peanut butter pies, apple pies

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Almond-Strawberry Cream Cheese Bunny Bites

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2015-03-26 08.01.24Using a Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix, I just made the cake according to the box directions, in a 9×13 pan, but added 1 full teas almond extract. (I love wedding cake, so when I get a craving for wedding cake, I just make up this exact cake and add almond flavored butter frosting to it, wa la…wedding cake in an instant.)

Because I was needing just a little bite of something for ladies at a Bible Study today, I thought this would be the perfect little “bite” of something sweet for them. Just cut your cake into 2″ squares. The frosting is amazing and feels almost whipped. I had some Easter colored M&M’s on hand (of course, and peanut M&M’s and Hershey’s chocolate eggs and Coconut flavored M&M’s, can you tell our house is never without chocolate of many flavors?) which I just placed one on the top of each one. Setting the little squares in cupcake liners I swirled on the strawberry-cream cheese frosting and they turned out so pretty.

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box of powdered sugar (about 3 1/2 cups)

1 stick of butter, softened

4 oz softened cream cheese

3 tables strawberry juice and if desired, a little whipping cream. Add these slowly as to not get mixture to thin. If necessary, add more powdered sugar if you get a little too much juice and it gets a little too thin. (Oh, what a dream that is of mine, to hear, “my she has gotten just a little too thin, don’t you think?”…will never happen)

Enough whipping cream and strawberry juice from frozen strawberries to get frosting to spreading consistency. You can omit the whipping cream and use all strawberry juice. I just had some left over whipped whipping cream in fridge so added that to the mixture. Beat until all lumps and cream cheese is blended well and is light and fluffy.