Recipe: Apple Pan Pie

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This unique idea of baking an Apple Pie in a sheet pan worked great to feed a crowd at Thanksgiving.  I prepared the apples a day ahead of time using an Apple Peeler Corer.  Preparing the apples ahead allowed for a delicious Apple Pie that did not have a soggy crust.  And leftovers tasted great!

Recipe: Margo's Blond Brownies

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If you are not a fan of chocolate, try these chewy Blond Brownies, a recipe  passed along by my sister many years ago.

An offset spatula makes spreading batter easy

Recipe: Microwave Brownie in a Mug

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Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

pinch of salt

2 tbsps. unsweetened cocoa

2 tbsps. olive oil

3 tbsps. Spring water

ice cream (optional)

Directions:

Add dry ingredients to the mug.  Add oil and water.  Mix until consistent.

Put in the microwave and cook for 1 minute and 

40 seconds.

Remove from the microwave.  It's hot!

This is not the same tasty brownie you would get when making a full recipe from scratch but it is a fair substitution if you are looking for a quick snack

or a fun recipe to make with a child. 

Add ice cream and a little hot caramel sauce and enjoy!

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Recipe: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES
Dipping Chocolate Ingredients:
2 pints strawberries
2 tbsps. vegetable shortening
1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips


Drizzle Chocolate Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable shortening
3 ounces white chocolate chips


Directions:
Wash and dry strawberries.  
In double boiler over hot - not boiling - water, melt shortening with chocolate.  Dip in berries to cover one-half to two-thirds of the fruit.  Place on foil lined cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam and wiped with a paper towel.  Refrigerate until set.


Prepare Drizzle Chocolate the same way and drizzle white chocolate from a spoon back and forth over the tops of the dipped strawberries.  Refrigerate and then enjoy!

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Recipe: Apple Cobbler & Caramel Sauce

I made French Apple Cobbler and baked it in small heart shaped tin pans for Valentine's Day.  I placed the cobbler upside down on a plate and served it with ice cream and hot Butterscotch Sauce.  Delicious!  

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Table Setting: Dessert Is Served

This table setting consists of dishes, place mats, napkins, water goblets, vases and the smaller porcelain balls from Homegoods/TJMaxx, along with slate place cards from Pottery Barn and a candle vigil light centerpiece from Crate and Barrel. The large porcelain balls, bearing the first initials of each member of our family, are from the Christmas Tree Shop.

And dessert was served!  The brownie waffles and butterscotch sauce recipes can be found here.

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Recipe: French Apple Cobbler by Roberta

 Yummy dessert that freezes well. Warm up in oven after defrosting. Serve with ice cream.

French Apple Cobbler

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
FILLING:
1/4 cup water
3-5 cups peeled sliced tart apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsps. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. soft butter or margarine (for top of apples)


BATTER: (I double this for better coverage)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. soft butter or margarine
1 egg (slightly beaten)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375'.
MAKE FILLING: In medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. Turn into 9x9x1 3/4 inch baking pan. Dot apples with butter.

MAKE BATTER: In medium bowl, combine all batter ingredients and beat with wooden spoon until smooth. ( I use electric mixer) Drop batter in 9 portions on apples, spacing even ly. Batter will spread during baking.

Bake 30-35 mins. or until apples are fork-tender and crust is golden brown. Serve warm. Perhaps with vanilla ice cream ! And a little butterscotch sauce if you dare.... 

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Recipe: Perfect Chocolate Cake with Whip Cream Filling

This dessert along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, is a perfect ending to a meal. It is a moist chocolate cake with whip cream between the layers and iced with a thick chocolate frosting. Keep the cake in the refrigerator but allow it to sit out and come to room temperature before serving. Leftovers keep nicely for a few days in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Frosting

(printable recipe)

CAKE:

1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups boiling water

2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FILLING:[I double this for a thicker filling]

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

1/4 cup unsifted confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In medium-sized bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. cool completely. Sift flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt. Preheat oven to 350'. Grease well and lightly flour [ I use instant cocoa mix] three 9" x 1 1/2" layer cake pans.

2. In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light (about 5 minutes), scraping bowl occasionally. At low speed, beat in flour mixture ( in fourths) alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

3. Divide batter evenly into prepared cake pans; smooth top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula; remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

4. Filling: Whip cream with confectioner's sugar and vanilla; refrigerate. Assemble cake: On plate, place a layer top side down; spread with half of the cream. Place second layer top side down; spread with rest of cream. Place third layer top side up.

5. Frosting: with spatula, frost sides first, covering whipped cream; frost top with remaining frosting, swirling decoratively. refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. to cut, use a thin-edged sharp knife; slice with a sawing motion.

This is a recipe my mother used which couldn't be easier or tastier.

FUDGE FROSTING by Peg: 
l stick butter or margarine

4 squares melted unsweetened chocolate

6-7 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup milk

Melt chocolate and butter together. Mix sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Blend chocolate and sugar mixture together. Beat until smooth and begins to lose it's gloss.

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Recipe: Holiday Pound Cakes- Happy Holidays Everyone!

See Peg's Pound Cake entry for more info.  This recipe will make six small loaf pans.  I cut one lengthwise to show the colors but would normally cut across.  This cake is very good heated for about 10 seconds in the microwave.  Great with a cup of coffee or tea! 

Pound Cake

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter (1/2 lb.) 
3 cups sugar
4 cups flour, sifted 3X ( I stir with a whisk instead)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsps. baking powder
1 cup milk
2 tsps. vanilla
6 eggs

Directions: Add dry ingredients together and sift 3X. Add to creamed butter alternately with milk. Add vanilla. Add one egg at a time. Beat well. Pour into prepared loaf pans. (Spray with Pam and line across long sides with wax paper)
Bake in a 350' oven for 50-60 minutes depending on size of pan. Test with cake tester for doneness. The top of the cake will be tan when done.
Note: I tint some of the batter red and green - about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of each color (Christmas), orange (Halloween) etc. for a marble effect. Return tinted batter to pan and swirl with a knife in a figure "8". This cake also freezes well and makes a nice hostess gift over the holidays.

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Recipe: Hot Fudge Sauce by Peg

My most favorite hot fudge sauce recipe was discovered by my mother. This sauce keeps a very long time in the refrigerator and will become thicker with each reheating. Eventually, it will harden like candy when poured over ice cream - if it lasts that long! Recipe can be doubled. Sauce is pictured over ice cream and a chocolate brownie (see September 6, 2008 entry for recipe), topped with whipped cream and a strawberry. Yum !

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 ozs. unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tbsps. light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Put chocolate, butter and boiling water in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Stir in corn syrup and sugar. Raise the heat to moderate and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring and boil moderately exactly 8 mins. (You don't have to be this precise on the time.) Remove from heat and at once set sauce pan briefly in cold water in order to stop boiling. (I've never done this.) Stir in vanilla - sauce will bubble up when you do. Makes 1 cup. Enjoy over your favorite ice cream topped with some fresh whipped cream! 

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Recipe: Monkey Bars with Chocolate Bits

This is an excellent recipe to use up those old bananas collecting in the refrigerator.  I tried it with the cinnamon but think I would prefer it without cinnamon.  This recipe is  much like a banana bread only in bars.
I found the recipe in Woman's Day Magazine.
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MONKEY BARS (printable recipe)
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5)
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tsp. each baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350'.   Line a 15x10x1/2 inch  baking pan
with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 inches
above pan at both ends.)

Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs,
vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon (optional) and salt in
a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour
just until blended; gently stir in 1/2 cup of the min
chocolate chips.

Spread batter in prepared pan.   Sprinkle remaining
chocolate chips on top.   Bake 15-20 mins. until
wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto cutting board.
Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cut
each strip in 10; remove foil.

80 cal. per bar
NOTE:  I do prefer these without the cinnamon.  

Recipe: Baby Shower Cake

My daughter-in-law's baby shower took place recently and I made this cake for her in the colors of the future baby girl's nursery.  To personalize it I printed out a baby photo and taped it to a wooden skewer to insert into the cake.

 Click here for the chocolate cake recipe.

It is a Wilton Pan called Baby Buggy and I used a Wilton pastry bag and a #16 or 17 tip to form the individual stars to cover the cake.  They recommend slicing enough off the top of the cake while it is in the pan so that it will sit flat on your serving platter. I did put a skim coat of white frosting (delicious!) on the cake first.  Then using a large Wilton pastry bag and a star tip, I began the process of covering the cake with the appropriate colored stars.  

I also make chocolate cupcakes and yellow cupcakes.  Unfortunately, the cute baby design on the cupcake wrappers pretty much disappeared during the baking process so I set them in a fresh paper before serving.  The cupcake stand is also from Wilton and many of their products are sold at ACMoore and Michael's.  Don't forget your 40% off coupon!
The basket holds the favors, baby buggy sugar cookies, frosted with Royal Icing.  And the frame contains a collage of early photos of the 
future Mom and Dad.

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Recipe: Sundae Bubble Crown & Cream Puffs

Excellent dessert to serve with  Hot Fudge Sauce and whipped cream.  Delightfully delicious!  

Cream Puffs

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 400'. Heat water and butter to rolling boil in saucepan. Stir in flour, sugar and salt. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat eggs in thoroughly, one at a time. Beat until smooth after each egg. (I transfer to mixer for this.)

Drop dough by slightly rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. (I use a pastry bag and large star tip for this.)

Bake about 15- 25 mins. (depending on size) or until puffed, golden brown and dry. Immediately remove from baking sheet and allow to cool on a rack. Slice a slit in side of large puffs to let air escape.

Makes about 70 tiny puffs or 13 large puffs, 2-3" diameter.

Alternate 3 layers of  tiny puffs with 2 layers of different flavored ice cream in a tube pan to form Sundae Bubble Crown and serve with Hot Fudge Sauce.  Let "crown" sit for about 15 minutes before running a spatula around the edges. 

For large puffs, slice off tops, fill with ice cream and replace top. Can do ahead and freeze. Allow to defrost a bit before serving with Hot Fudge Sauce and whipped cream.  Also great with Butterscotch/Caramel Sauce.

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Recipe: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

This cake will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and still be tasty.  In addition to whip cream between the layers you can also frost the top and sides with frosting if you prefer.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

(printable recipe)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
4 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (cool)

Heat oven to 350'. Grease and flour oblong pan, 13x9x2 inches or two 9 inch or three 8 inch round layer pans.  Measure all ingredients into a large mixer bowl.  Mix 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping the bowl constantly.  Beat 3 minutes at high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally.  Pour into pans.
Bake oblong 40-45 mins, layers 30-35 mins. or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger.  Cool. Frost with your own frosting or whip cream.

Whip Cream:  Whip a one pint container of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream in mixer.  As cream thickens, add 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and whip until firm peaks form.  Frost between cake layers and keep chilled. 

 

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Recipe: Chocolate Brownie Waffles and a New Waffle Iron

 Perfect base for ice cream or whipped cream. And hot fudge or butterscotch sauce enhances this dessert as well ! These also freeze well. You can use an electric mixer - batter is thick.

Chocolate Brownie Waffles

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Work the shortening with a spoon until fluffy and creamy.[I use an electric mixer.] Gradually add sugar, while continuing to work with a spoon until light.

Add melted chocolate and eggs and blend well. Sift together the dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to shortening mixture. Add vanilla.

Bake on a heated waffle iron which has been sprayed with Pam. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes about 9 waffles which can be cut on the diagonal to make 18.  Or using this waffle iron, you will get about 16 waffle sticks.  Enjoy!

Recipe: Chocolate Brownies and A New Brownie Pan

The Christmas Tree Shops  was offering a divided brownie pan for $4.99 last week and I had to have one.  You can not beat the price.  I've seen these for $19.99 plus $9 s/h!   Tried it out this weekend and it works great - once you figure out how to secure the plastic cover.  And as an added bonus, I love the brownie recipe which came with the pan.  Perhaps better than my original favorite brownie recipe although there isn't a whole lot of difference in the ingredients.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) real butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate mini bits
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'.   Spray brownie pan well with non stick baking spray. (Pam)
2. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 1 min.   Stir.   Return for another minute or until butter is melted.   Stir until Chocolate is completely melted.   Cool slightly.   Stir in sugar.   Blend in eggs and vanilla.   Add flour and 1/4 cup of bits and mix well.   Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Top   with nuts or remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate bits if desired.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. do not over bake.   Cool completely in pan on wire rack.