Perfect Pie Crust

Perfect Pie Crust

1 cup butter flavored Crisco (or regular Crisco, but no impostors!)

2 cups flour (slightly heaping in MA)

1/3 cup water

1/3 tsp. salt

Combine Crisco and flour with knife or pastry blender.  Add water and salt and mix with hands.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes before rolling out.  Makes a double 9” crust.  Bake a single crust at 400º for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

All I can say is, "Wow!"

2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups solid pack pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 cups flour (I use slightly heaping cups in MA)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (or ½ T. ground ginger, ½ T. ground cloves)

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease baking sheets. Combine the oil and brown sugar. Mix in pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp. vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets (I fit 12 on an industrial cookie sheet). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will spread quite a bit, but if they seem really thin, you may need to add a bit more flour. Let cookies cool completely; then make sandwiches from two cookies filled with Cream Cheese Whoopie Pie Filling. It’s usually best to let them sit for a few hours after putting the sandwiches together so the filling can set a little bit. On the other hand, no one is going to complain about having to lick cream cheese filling off their fingers!

For filling: Beat 3 egg whites until white, fluffy, and thick. Add 8 oz. cream cheese, softened. Mix until smooth. Add 2 tsp. vanilla, then 4 cups powdered sugar; mix well. Add 4-6 more cups of powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached (total of 8-10 cups). I like the filling to be somewhat thick, so it doesn’t slide out of the cookies when put together.

Yield: 18 pies.

Recipe modified from allrecipes.com.

Vanilla Crepes

You know it's a good recipe when you've made it 8 times in the last 8 weeks.


1 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I actually use 1 1/2)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and melted butter until well blended.

2. Heat a crepe pan over medium heat until hot. Coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and tip to spread the batter to the edges. When bubbles form on the top and the edges are dry, flip over and cook until lightly browned on the other side and edges are golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

3. Fill crepes with your favorite fruit, cream, caramel or even ice cream or cheese to serve. (We have also used mozzarella cheese and smoked turkey while the crepe was still on the pan for a melty delicious and quick dinner type crepe)

Razzmatazz Bars

Razzmatazz Bars

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

24 oz. (4 cups) white chocolate chips (morsels), divided

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and sugar bottom and sides of 9x13 baking pan. Melt butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl on high power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt, and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan. Bake 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack. Heat jam in microwave for 45 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Reserve 1 cup of morsels. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely. Melt reserved 1 cup of morsels in microwave with ½ T. shortening (microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval). Transfer to Ziploc bag and cut off a small corner of the bag. Drizzle over bars in a criss-cross diagonal pattern.

Chocolate Chippers

This is the tried and true recipe that I use for my all-time favorite white chocolate chip cookies. My dad used to make them (weekly) with semisweet chocolate chips, and many called them the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Don't tell my dad, but I think I may have even improved the recipe slightly over the past 6 years. It's all about the right amount of flour, a little extra vanilla, and the perfect baking time. Here is the famous recipe:

Chocolate Chippers

2 cups (Crisco brand) shortening

2 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs

4 tsp. pure vanilla extract (plus a little to grow on :)

4+ cups flour, heaping

3 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 bag chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, M&M’s, or whatever inspires you

Mix shortening and sugars until well blended. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add extra flour if needed until dough is just barely manageable with hands. Don't add too much flour, but you should be able to easily handle and drop dough by hand without having too much stick to your hands (If cookies come out too flat, add more flour; if they are too puffy, use less flour. Cookies will flatten some as they cool). Stir in chocolate chips. Using hands, drop in one-inch balls (or slightly bigger) on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Cookies will be much softer if you do not over-bake them. When cooled, store in an airtight container. If I'm not using them within 1-2 days, I freeze them to keep them soft and fresh. Just remove them from the freezer 30-60 minutes before serving and set them on a plate.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I got this recipe from a blog called "When in Doubt, Leave it at 350," who originally got the recipe from the magazine Cuisine at Home. They're cake donuts that are perfect with hot chocolate on a cold morning. Wow, they are delicious!

A few tips: I heat the oil in my electric skillet, because you can set the heat to exactly 370 or 375 degrees.  You also need to make sure you have a slotted metal spoon or skimmer to get the donuts in and out of the hot grease (don't use plastic!).  And you can cut them with any round cutters, but I love the Ateco brand donut cutter (2 1/2 inch) that I got for $4 from Amazon.

Pumpkin-Spice Doughnuts

Source: Cuisine at Home, October 2008 Issue, page 31

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, enough to fry in

Whisk egg and yolk together in a large bowl until frothy. add pumpkin, sugar, buttermilk, brown sugar, and butter; whisk until combined. Stir in baking powder, pie spice, salt, and soda. Fold flour in gradually until a stick dough forms; cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2″ oil to 370°F in an electric skillet, deep fryer, or straight-sided pan over medium heat.

Pat out dough on a well floured surface to 1/2 inch thick, then cut with a 3″ and 1″ biscuit cutters dipped in flour. Transfer doughnuts and holes to a floured baking sheet using a spatula that has been dusted in flour. Fry doughnuts and holes in batches in the oil until browned, about 2 minutes, turning once (holes cook faster). Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Finish with sugar or glaze.

Apple Cider Glaze

1/2 cup apple cider

2 Pinches of salt

6 cups powdered sugar

heat cider and salt in small saucepan over low until hot. Off heat, whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Dip cooled doughnuts in glaze and let stand about 5 minutes.

Cinnamon Sugar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 2 tsp)

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small paper bag. Toss doughnuts and holes in sugar mixture while hot.

Spudnuts

(sorry, not the best picture ever)

I love this donut recipe from Helen Black. It makes wonderfully soft, moist raised donuts. The secret ingredient? Mashed potatoes! Yum!

2 packages yeast
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
6-7 cups flour

Soften yeast in warm water. Scald milk, add shortening, sugar, salt,
mashed potatoes, eggs, vanilla and beat. Add yeast and enough flour to
make a dough too sticky to knead [Helen said she uses as little flour as
she can because you add more flour when you flour the table to roll out
the donuts]. Let raise until double in size. Roll dough out and cut.
Let raise [she let them raise for 15-20 minutes] and cook in hot oil
[375-400]. Drain on paper towels and glaze.

Glaze
1 pound powdered sugar
2 T margarine
1 t vanilla
Hot water

Add enough hot water to make the glaze thin enough to dip spudnuts in.
Dip both sides of donuts and let excess drain off.

After glazing, them, I like to frost them with a thicker icing. I start with 2-3 cups powdered sugar, then add just enough water to make a thick, white icing. I add a few drops of almond extract and food coloring. Icing is the right consistency if you can easily ice the tops of the donuts with a spoon, but the icing doesn't drip off too fast. Be sure to put sprinkles on immediately, before the icing dries.

Magnolia's Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for the Primary post-program celebration on Sunday. It is from our favorite NYC cupcake shop: Magnolia's. They actually publish their recipe, and I found it online. It's the best cupcake recipe EVER, and it's not much harder than making them from a mix! Don't forget to frost them generously. My theory is that people can always scoop off some of the frosting if they don't want it. But they can never add more frosting if you were stingy! Okay, no further ado:

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)

CUPCAKES:

· 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (I use all-purpose flour plus ¾ tsp. salt and 3 ¼ tsp. baking powder)

· 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

· 2 cups sugar

· 4 large eggs, at room temperature

· 1 cup milk

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

· 6 to 8+ cups confectioners’ sugar

· 1/2 cup milk

· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Baked Pears with Streusel Filling

Fall is Here! This dessert will not disappoint you in both its simplicity and its deliciousness as you welcome fall. It is one of our seasonal favorites!

STREUSEL:
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ Tablespoon butter, melted
1 Tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted

PEARS:
3 Anjou pears, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1/3 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 375 º

To prepare streusel, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a bowl. Stir with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans

To prepare pears, using a melon baler or spoon, scoop out core from each pear half. Spoon streusel evenly into pear halves. Place pear halves, cut sides up, in an 8-inch square baking dish. Pour apple juice into dish. Cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve pears warm. Drizzle evenly with cooking liquid.

Yummy Peach Dessert

This year, I have really craved peaches and tried to have them as much as possible. It's a shame that they are only fresh and good for a couple of months. This was our favorite way to eat peaches this year -- I made it once, and Ben begged to have it again! It's delicious and super easy too!

Crust:

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Filling:

3 2/3 cup powdered sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

4 oz. cool whip, softened

Mix ingredients for crust. Press on bottom of 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes. Cool completely. Mix filling ingredients. Spread over top of crust. Top with fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (I used 6).

Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns

I got this recipe from a friend and tried them on Sunday.  It's one of those tastes that gets stuck in your head for days after eating it.  The dough is more pastry-like than a regular cinnamon roll.  Then add apples, pecans, and caramel sauce.  Yum!

Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns (Rachel Ray)

Makes: 9 Prep: 45 min Bake: 40 min

2 tart apples, such as granny smith-peeled, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick

1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1 ½ sticks (6 oz.) butter, softened

2 cups flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chopped pecans

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

        Preheat oven to 400.  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.  Place the apples, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter on a parchment paper lined baking sheet; toss to coat.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and roast until tender, 15 min.  Lower the oven temperature to 350.

2.       Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, blend the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt at low speed.  Add 5 tablespoons butter and mix until crumbly.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup cream, then mix into the dry ingredients.

3.       On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to form a 9-inch rectangle.  In a small bowl, mix ½ cup brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon.  Cut up 2 tablespoons butter and dot the dough.  Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top and cover evenly with the roasted apples.  Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, and cut crosswise into 9 slices; place the slices cut side down in the prepared baking pan.  Bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

4.       Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt and the honey to a boil, stirring.  Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Drizzle the sauce over the warm buns.