MAPLE PECAN PIE I

 

1 (9-inch) unbaked pastry pie shell

3 eggs, beaten
1 cup maple syrup (pure is best)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecan halves or pieces

Place oven rack in lowest position; preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl combine all ingredients except pastry shell.  Pour the filling into the unbaked shell.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.

FILE PHOTO

Leftovers should be refrigerated.

SOUTHERN LIVING'S TRIPLE FUDGE BROWNIES

 

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• 1 pkg (18.75-oz) brownie mix
• 1 (10-oz.) bag miniature chocolate-covered whipped nougat bars
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 

Preparation

1. Bake brownie mix in a 9-inch square pan according to package directions. Cool completely. Chop miniature bars. Sprinkle half of chopped bars over cooled brownies. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch into bottom of a double boiler over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer; place semisweet chocolate morsels in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Pour sweetened condensed milk over morsels, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Spread melted chocolate mixture over brownies. Press remaining chopped candy bars into chocolate. Chill 30 minutes. Cut into bars.
2. Note: We (SL) tested with Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix and 3 Musketeers candy bars.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

No, I did not make these pretty cookies. This is a file photo.

 

LAINEY'S PIE CRUST

 My grandson is here from college with his girlfriend Lainey. She ask if she could make the pies for tomorrow. Of course I said, "Yes". I love it when a young person enjoys cooking and baking since so many now days aren't interested. Below is a picture of the apple pie she made for Thanksgiving and the recipe for her crust.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water/milk

She combined the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl then cut in the butter until dough like. She stirred in the vinegar and milk. Divided the dough into discs, wrapped in Saran wrap and chilled in the refrigerator for about an hour then rolled out on a floured surface. 

FRENCH-STYLE APPLE PIE

I have never been to France and never intend to go there but I am told the French make apple pies a bit differently than we do in America.  I got this recipe in 1984 from a cooking school and you will notice it is a bit different than our usual apple pies.

Pastry for a 2-crust pie

Cream Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Filling:
2 lb tart cooking apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
dash of nutmeg
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry.  Place in the refrigerator along with the pastry for the top.

To make the cream filling:
In a small saucepan combine the sugar and flour; mix well.  Stir in the milk.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and simmer, still stirring, until slightly thickened - about a minute.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks slightly with a wire whisk.  Beat a little of the hot mixture into the yolks then pour back into the saucepan, continuously stirring.  Add the butter and vanilla.  Pour into bowl to cool.

To make the apple filling:
Core, peel, and slice apples; sprinkle with the lemon juice.

In a skillet, heat the butter with the sugar and nutmeg.  Add the apples and saute, stirring occasionally.  Cook until apples are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Melt the preserves.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove pie shell and remaining dough from refrigerator.

Pour the cream filling evenly into the chilled pie shell.  Arrange the apple filling over the top of the cream filling; mound slightly in center.  Spread the preserves over the apples.

Roll out remaining pastry to form a 10-inch circle.  Cut the circle into 12 strips, 1/2-inch wide.

Slightly moisten the rim of the pie shell with cold water.  Arrange 6 of the pastry strips across the pie; press ends to rim of pie shell and press down.  Trim edges if needed.

Arrange the remaining 6 strips across the pie in the other direction just as before.  Bring any overhanging pastry from the bottom up over the edges of the strips.  Crimp edges to form a decorative edge.

Mix the egg yolk with the water; brush over the lattice.

Bake pie at 425 degrees for 40 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.

Delicious served warm.

DAFFODIL CAKE

White Batter (Basically Angel Food):
1 3/4 cup egg whites
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted before measuring)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsps cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

Place egg whites in a large bowl for 1 hour so they can come to room temperature.

Sift cake flour with 1/2 cup of the sugar; resift 3 times.

Using an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beater is slowly raised.  Beat in the remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat mixture until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised.

Using a wire whisk, fold the vanilla extract into the egg whites until combined.

Sift the flour mixture, one fourth at a time, over the egg whites.

Using the wire whisk with an over and under motion, gently fold in each addition with 15 strokes, rotating bowl a quarter of a turn after each addition.  Fold ten more strokes to blend completely.  Turn 1/3 of the batter into a medium bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make the Yellow Batter:
5 egg yolks
2 tbsps cake flour
2 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps grated lemon peel

In a small bowl combine the egg yolks, flour, and sugar.  With mixer on high speed, beat until very thick; add the lemon peel.

With a wire whisk, using the over and under motion, fold the yolk mixture into the reserved one third batter with 15 strokes.

For marbling, spoon the batters alternately into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, ending with white batter on top.  With knife, cut through batter twice.  With rubber scraper, gently spread batter in pan until it is smooth on top and touches side of pan all around.

Bake on the lower oven rack 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed with fingertip. Invert pan over neck of bottle to cool 2 hours.  With a spatula, loosen cake from the pan; remove.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

FILE PHOTO

WHOLE-WHEAT STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

3 cups white whole-wheat flour

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk applesauce, sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add flour, baking soda and salt, whisking until combined. Gently fold in the strawberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (22 to 28 minutes). 

Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan then remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 18 servings

file photo

 

MOCHA CREAM CAKE

I got this recipe from a Cooking School in 1994.

4 squares (1-oz each) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour sifted before measuring
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk

In the top of a double boiler, over hot but not boiling water, combine the chocolate and the hot water; stir constantly until the chocolate is melted.  Add the half cup of granulated sugar and cook while stirring for 2 minutes to dissolve sugar.  Remove from the hot water and cool to lukewarm.

Sift flour with the baking soda and salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a large mixer bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat the butter until fluffy.  Gradually beat in the 1 1/4 cups of sugar and beat about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla.

Add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time and beat well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of bowl and the beaters as necessary.

With mixer at low speed, add the flour and milk alternately beginning and ending with the flour.  Beat mixture just until blended.  Blend the chocolate in with a spatula.

Pour batter evenly into the two prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes or until the surface springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip.  Do not over bake!

Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.  Loosen sides from pans and remove cakes to wire racks to cool completely.

MOCHA FROSTING AND FILLING:
3 cups chilled heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp instant coffee
1/2 square semisweet chocolate, melted
14 whole raw almonds

In a medium mixing bowl combine the cream, sugar, cocoa, salt, and coffee; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and beat with a mixer until stiff.  Refrigerate again.

With a long, thin-bladed knife, split each cake layer in half to make 4 layers.  Place one layer, cut side up, on cake plate.  Spread with 2/3 cup of the chilled filling. Repeat this process twice and top cake with the final layer, cut side down.

Frost the top and sides of the cake with frosting/filling.  If desired, place some of the frosting in a pastry bag with a #2 star tip to decorate edges and top.

Melt the semisweet chocolate and dip the almonds to decorate the cake.

The file photo

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

 

FRESH BLUEBERRY PIE

 

1 9-inch baked pastry shell
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold water
5 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cold water until smooth.  Add 3 cups of blueberries.  Bring the mixture to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from the heat.

Add the butter, lemon juice, and remaining blueberries; stir until butter is melted.

Cool and pour into the baked pastry shell.

Refrigerate until serving time.

Serve with whipped cream.

file photo