Category: Dessert

Berry Lemon Cake

5/31/2021

note: When modifying a recipe for honey, For every cup of honey you add to replace a cup of sugar, reduce the liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup, add 1/2 tsp baking soda (to neutralize the acid in honey) and reduce the baking temperature by 25ºF.

Pumpkin Espresso Brownies

2/7/2021

If you REALLY love pumpkin taste, add the remainder of the can from the pumpkin mix to the brownie batter

Brownie Mix:

1/2 cup chocolate, chips or chopped
1/3 cup espresso powder
1 1/4 sticks butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs bourbon
2 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
4 oz - 2 cups chocolate chips/chunks

Pumpkin Mix:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
?1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch allspice
pinch cloves

Melt together chocolate, espresso and butter in double boiler, stirring occasionally
Beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, bourbon, cocoa powder, salt at low speed until light and fluffy
Fold in melted chocolate
Fold in flour until just combined
Stir in additional chocolate chips
Cream cream cheese on high speed until smooth
Beat in sugar, then egg
Beat in pumpkin, vanilla, and spices
Pour half of brownie batter into the prepared pan
Spread pumpkin cheesecake batter over top
Dollop remaining brownie batter in lines over the cheesecake mixture
Swirl batters together by dragging a knife across the lines back and forth.
Bake at 350 for 30 -45 minutes and cool before cutting

Baked Apples

1/16/2021

apple
1-3 tsp honey per apple
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 stick butter, melted

if apples don't stand up slice off bottom
cut 1 in opening on other side and scoop out middle
fill new hole with honey
combine all other ingredients and fill apples
bake at 350 for 40-55 minutes, until topping is golden and apples are soft

Molasses Cookies

1/9/2021

1 1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbs ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
dash nutmeg
pinch salt

Cream together butter and sugar on medium-high until light, fluffy, and pale yellow
Beat in egg and molasses on medium-low
Stir in dry ingredients slowly
Refrigerate for at least an hour
Form one inch balls and roll in large grain sugar
Space out on cookie sheet prepared with parchment paper
Bake 8-9 minutes at 350. Don't stack cookie sheets too close or they won't crack
8 minutes isn't always enough but 10 minutes is usually too much

Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

9/26/2020

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 can pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups dark chocolate

Beat together sugar and butter, then other wet ingredients
Mix in dry ingredients
Fold in chocolate chips
Refrigerate 15 minutes to spoon onto parchment paper
Bake 15 min at 350 degrees

Hand Pies

8/29/2020

Sheet Pastry Dough
1 cup peaches, peeled and diced
2 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp thickening
1 egg
1 tbs water

Combine peaches, sugar, and thickening (I used potato starch in bowl)
Cut dough into rectangles about 2 x 3 in
Prepare egg wash with egg and water and brush rectangles on one side
Spoon about a tbs of peaches (leave liquid behind) onto half of the squares
Place other squares (egg wash side down) over peach squares and press edges together
Use fork to crimp the edges and poke holes in the tops
Chill until oven preheats to 375
Brush chilled pies with egg wash
Bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown

Peach Galette

8/15/2020

Filling:

3 cups peaches, 1/2 inc slices
1 tbs thickening
1 tbs lemon/orange zest and juice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar

Egg Wash:

1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbs heavy cream

1 tbs silver rum
course sugar (optional)

Toss sliced peaches (with or without peels) in all filling ingredients except sugar
Organize peach slices in spiral on puff pastry
Cover in sugar
Cut slits around dough every 5 inches and fold up onto outer ring of fruit
Refrigerate while preparing wash
Wish together egg wash ingredients and coat dough, including between flaps
Bake for at least 20 minutes at 400 F until sugar is cooked down
Brush filling with rum and decorate dough with course sugar (I used raspberry sugar)
Bake 40 more minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is brown
Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm

Fruit Crumble

7/16/2020

5 apples worth of fruit, very ripe
2 tbs sugar
pinch of cinnamon
tsp vanilla or vanilla seeds
dried cranberries/strawberries
lemon

lemon
1 cup flour
2 tbs brown sugar
stick butter, room temperature
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1 cup granola

Mix sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla into dish to caramelize
Swirl dish until brown
Grate in two apples , including skin; they'll break down as they cook
Stir in sliced fruit, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cranberries
Turn off heat and leave to sit
Mix crumble by combining flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon with hands
Combine with granola
Starting in the middle, place crumble into dish and turn heat back on
As soon as fruit begins to mixture, move to oven
Back at 400 for 12 - 14 minutes until golden brown

Blueberry Crumble Bars

6/20/2020

Mom gave me part of the 11 pounds of blueberries she bought, and while I don't like to eat them I DO like to eat baked goods with them.

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
4 cups blueberries, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish
In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla.
Mix in flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt
Add cold butter cubes - cut together with fork/knife/pastry cutter until crumbly
Press 1/2 of the mixture evenly into prepared baking dish.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch
Stir in lemon juice and blueberries
Spread berries evenly over crust.
Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over berries.
Bake about 38 - 42 minutes until golden brown.

Make more lemony by adding lemon zest.

German Chocolate Cake

5/16/2020

It's the boys' brother tomorrow so the younger one (with LOTS of assistance) made him a German chocolate cake. I don't like coconut so I left the coconut and pecan out of half the frosting (and therefore halved the amount of coconut and pecans from the recipe. Also there were some AMAZING fails throughout the experience of this cake and it's very impressive we managed to save it as well as we did.

Baking