BERRIES AND CREAM TRIFFLE

Cranberry Layer
• 24 oz fresh cranberries (2 packages)
• 1-1/2 Cups water
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
Custard Layer
• 1⅓ Cups sugar
• 3 Tbs cornstarch
• ¼ Tsp salt
• 4½ Cups 2% milk
• 9 egg yolks
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs butter
• Cake
• 1 loaf (16 oz) frozen pound cake, cut into 1″ cubes
  or
• 1 9×13 white cake, baked, cooled and cubed
• Chilled whipped cream for decorating 
• Sugared Cranberries for decorating (Recipe below)
Cranberry Layer
• Combine all cranberry layer ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Discard cinnamon stick.
Custard
• While the cranberries are cooking..combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a separate large saucepan. Whisk in milk. Stir over medium-high heat until mixture reaches a boil, let boil 2 minutes while stirring.
• Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Let boil 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
• Cool in the saucepan for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour into a large bowl and place plastic wrap on the surface. Refrigerate until completely cooled.
Assembly
• Place half of the cake cake cubes on the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half of the cranberry mixture and half of the custard. Repeat layers.
• Top with chilled whipped cream and candied cranberries if desired.
• Allow sugared cranberries to set for 2 hours before adding for best results.
• SUGARED CRANBERRIES
• 12 oz cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• extra sugar for rolling (coarse or fine)
• Bring ¾ cup each water and sugar to a boil. Let boil about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cranberries in.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove cranberries and place on a rack (reserve sugar mixture) and allow to drip dry for about 20-30 minutes. They should be tacky to the touch.
• Place cranberries, a few at a time, back into the sugar mixture which should still be warm. Roll each cranberry in sugar and place on parchment. Let dry 1 hour before handling.
• Note: I got this recipe from a friend who posted it on facebook.
• 
  

• 
  

MUFFIN PAN SUBSTITUTE

One of my friends says she does this and it works great.

CLASSIC DOUBLE PIE CRUST FROM KING ARTHUR FLOUR

Posting this King Arthur Flour recipe here for my benefit. I want to give this a try.

CRUST

• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt*
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 10 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
• 6 to 10 tablespoons ice water**
• *Reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon if you use salted butter.
• **Use the lesser amount of water if you use Pastry Flour Blend.

TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon coarse sparkling sugar

Instructions

1. Whisk together the flour and salt.
2. Add the shortening, working it in until the mixture is evenly crumbly.
3. Cut the butter into small (about ½") cubes.
4. Add the butter to the flour mixture, and work it in roughly with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a mixer. Don't be too thorough; the mixture should be very uneven, with big chunks of butter in among the smaller ones.
5. Add 4 tablespoons of water, and toss to combine.
6. Toss with enough additional water to make a chunky, fairly cohesive mixture. It should hold together when you gather it up and squeeze it in your hand.
7. Divide the dough in half, and gather each half into a rough disk. Smooth the disks; it's OK if they have a few cracks in the surface. Smooth the disks' edges by running them along a floured surface like a wheel.
8. Wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Or wrap in aluminum foil over the plastic, and freeze for up to 2 months.
9. When you're ready to make pie, remove the crust from the refrigerator or freezer, leaving it wrapped. Allow it to thaw (if it's frozen) or warm a bit (if it's been chilled longer than 30 minutes), until it's softened enough to roll, but still feels cold to the touch.
10. Next, measure the bottom diameter, and up the sides of your pie pan. If your pan is 7" across the bottom, and 1 ½" up each side, that's a total of 10". This means you should roll your bottom crust to a diameter between 11" and 12", which gives you enough extra for crimping the edges.
11. Place the crust on a floured work surface; our silicone rolling mat is a fine choice. Roll it to the desired width. See the big chunks of butter? That's a good thing.
12. Place the crust in the pan by folding in quarters and placing in the pan. Or you can simply pick it up with a piecrust lifter, and move it that way.
13. For a single-crust pie, fold the edges of the crust under, and gently squeeze them together. Crimp as desired. It's nice to make a tall crimp, as the filling for a single-crust pie is usually fairly liquid (think pumpkin or custard), and it's good to have that tall "dam."
14. For a double-crust pie, leave the edges of the bottom crust as is (no folding or crimping). Once you've added the pie filling, roll out the top crust to the outside diameter of your pan, and place it atop the filling.
15. Trim excess crust with a pair of scissors, then press the two edges together.
16. Crimp as desired. A simple fork crimp is fast and easy. At this point, it helps to return the pie to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes; this chills the fat, which ultimately increases the crust's flakiness.
17. Cut a hole in the center of the crust for steam to escape. Or slash the pie's top surface several times.
18. Brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired.
19. Bake... enjoy!
    
20. 
    
21. 
    

JELL-O PIZZAS

What a fun cool dessert for kids on a hot day or an after school snack. (I can't believe kids are already heading back -to-school!)

2 pkgs (4-serving size) JELL-O gelatin dessert (grape is pictured but any flavor may be used)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
Frozen whipped topping, thawed
Assortment of small fresh fruit* for topping

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, stirring to dissolve completely, about two minutes. Stir in the cold water. Pour gelatin into a 13-x-9-inch pan. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until firm.

To make the pizzas, pour about 4-inches of warm, not hot, water in sink. Dip pan briefly in the warm water, being careful not to get water on the gelatin. Using the rim of a large glass or a large round cookie cutter, cut out the circles. Lift carefully from the pan to serving plates.

Spoon whipped topping over the circles and decorate with the pieces of fresh fruit.

*Suggestions include white and red grapes, blueberries, raspberries, mandarin orange slices cut in half, etc.

Note: Layer the leftover pieces of Jell-O in parfait glasses with whipped topping.

THE BEAUTY OF THIS RECIPE IS THAT YOU CAN USE SUGAR-FREE JELL-O TO MAKE A FUN DIABETIC DESSERT FOR DIABETIC CHILDREN.