Desserts

Lemon Meringue Pie

Spring is here and I have a hankering to make Lemon Meringue Pie. I found this recipe in the advice column of the newspaper about 25 years ago. Ann Landers received the recipe from a taxi driver - it is one of the best recipes I have ever tasted.

Pie Filling
  • 1 baked and cooled 9 inch pie shell
  • 1 13 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 13 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 12 teaspoons lemon extract
  • 2 teaspoons vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
Meringue
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 12 cup boiling water
  • 5 egg whites (I know you'll have extra yokes-freeze or save for later)
  • 7 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  1. In a double boiler, or a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch together; add in the 2 cups COLD water.
  2. In a small cup/bowl,combine the egg yolks with lemon juice, and the yellow food coloring; whisk until well mixed.
  3. Add to the sugar cornstarch mixture; whisk until mixed.
  4. Cook and mix/whisk until mixture thickens (about 6-7 minutes, do not over-boil mixture or it will not set properly), if you are making in a saucepan, be careful not to scorch the bottom of the pan, a double-boiler is definitely recommended for this.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Add/mix in the lemon extract, butter and vinegar; stir thoroughly.
  7. Pour the lemon mixture into cooled pie shell; set aside to make meringue.
  8. To make meringue:.
  9. Blend/whisk the cornstarch and cold water in a small saucepan.
  10. Add in boiling water, and cook, stirring until clear and thickened.
  11. Let mixture stand until COMPLETELY COLD.
  12. With an electric mixer at high speed, beat the egg whites until foamy.
  13. Gradually add in sugar, and beat until stiff but not dry.
  14. Turn mixer to low speed; add in pinch salt and vanilla.
  15. Gradually beat in the cold cornstarch mixture.
  16. Turn mixer again to high; beat well.
  17. Spread/pile meringue over cooled pie filling, making certain to seal the meringue to the baked crust.
  18. Set oven to 350°F, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly browned.

Strawberry Shortcake

Nothing says summer more than fresh strawberries! Make a strawberry shortcake and your in.


Recipe

2 pints of fresh strawberries
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup of sugar
Cool whip
or 
Make homemade whipped cream (1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar depending on how sweet you like it) Whip in a mixer on high (I chill the whisk) until stiff peaks appear.


Wash strawberries and slice them.  After all are sliced, cover with vanilla and sugar.  Give a good stir and let macerate for at least 30 minutes.  Cook and cool the biscuits.  When cool, slice in half like a hamburger bun.  Take bottom of biscuit, with a slotted spoon, put about 1/2 cup of strawberries on the biscuit, a dollop of whipped cream or cool whip, top with biscuit, one more dollop of whipped cream.  Serves 8 

Beautiful Cake

A coworker made this and I wanted to duplicate for my mother-in-law's birthday.  I made some changes because I know she doesn't have a huge sweet tooth. But the cake still turned out delish!


1 box yellow cake mix
1 cream cheese frosting (I use Pillsbury)
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/4 cup raspberry jam
40 Kit Kat pieces (the individual piece, not a "bar" and buy extra)
Ribbon

Preheat to 350 degrees. Make cake according to the box directions. This recipe will only use one 8 or 9 inch round cake. I used the rest for cupcakes. While the cake is cooking, clean strawberries and blueberries. I slice the strawberries so it is easier to eat (this is a deviation from the original recipe). Gently mix together and place in a bowl, cover with plastic rap and set aside.

When cool enough to remove from pan, place on a cooling rack. I gently cut the top to make it flat. Heat up raspberry jam, be careful not to burn. I used the microwave for about 30 seconds. With a pastry brush, spread the hot jam on the top of the cake. If you do this while it is warm, it will soak in nicely. (This step is a deviation from the original recipe.)

When cake is finally cooled, place on a flat plate with enough of an edge to line the cake with Kit Kats. On the edge of the cake only, spread with the cream cheese frosting. While the frosting is still fresh, push one Kit Kat vertically until you have circled the entire cake. Secure with a ribbon. I use the curling wrapping ribbon. Fill the well that has been made by the Kit Kat bars with the strawberries and blueberries - Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Thanks to a friend at work who loves to bring in recipes for other people to make :) I made 2 Apple Crisp, one for work and one for home.  The kids hate it when I bake for work and there isn't anything for them!  My friend Chuck had the recipe from a family friend, George Chamberlin. So here it is


6 - 8 Apples

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine (I always use butter)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1/8 tsp salt
I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon

from Amazon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a pie plate.  Place sliced apples in pie plate.  I use a apple peeler/slicer that make wonderfully even slices (see picture). Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a crumble.  A pastry blend works well for this.  Spread over apples.  Cook for 1 hour.  I would put a cookie sheet beneath the pie pan in case the juice spills over. Serve warm with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or ice cream.


Flan

In homage to my husband's Hispanic heritage, I made Flan today.  This recipe is a great tasting and can be made in a pie-like dish or ramekins for individual servings. I've used my homemade vanilla which I think makes it extra special. 



Ingredients

1 3/4 cup  sugar

1  can  (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)

5 eggs

1 Tbls.  vanilla


Dash  salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.
COOK 1 cup sugar in small saucepan on medium heat until sugar is melted and deep golden brown, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn or the flavor will be horrible. Pour into 9-inch round pan; tilt pan to cover bottom with syrup.You can use individual ramekins if desired.
BLEND milk and cream cheese in blender until smooth. Add 3/4 cup of sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt; blend just until smooth. Pour over syrup in pan. Place filled pan in larger pan; add enough hot water to larger pan to come halfway up side of smaller pan.This is important for an evenly cooked flan that will not crack.
BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Carefully remove flan from water. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Unmold onto plate just before serving.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake


For dessert I made a  pound cake. Not just an ordinary pound cake, but a cream cheese pound cake made with my homemade vanilla.  I tried to take a picture, but the family devoured it quickly! Here's one I found on the internet that looks close (from http://oliepants.wordpress.com)

Some key ideas with pound cake. Do not, I repeat, Do Not use margarine.  A pound cake is called a pound cake because it has a pound of butter.  Margarine doesn't cut it.

I also separate the eggs and whip the whites into a fluffy meringue that I fold into the batter. This helps keep the cake lighter.

Finally, I use sifted cake flour - this helps make a lighter cake! Note I use cake flour because it makes all cakes wonderful because it has less gluten which can "toughen" flour.  If you do not have cake flour, you can add 2 tablespoons of corn starch to 1 cup of flour less 2 tablespoons of flour and sift.

Here's the recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2  cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 table spoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups sifted Cake Flour

Preparation 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan (or use baking spray). Using electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add sugar and salt; beat 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Separate eggs and with a mixer, whip the egg whites with a pinch of sugar until they are fluffy.  Set aside. Add egg yokes to batter 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour at low speed until batter is smooth (do not overbeat).  Fold in egg whites careful not to deflate them. 
Add to Bundt pan and giggle to smooth out and get rid of air bubbles.  Bake for 1 hour and 20 - 30 minutes.  Cake is done when you use a cake tester and it comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; cool completely.


Cheater Tiramisu
I love Tiramisu and make the traditional recipe often.  But, every once in a while I need a quick dessert to bring to friends.  The recipe below is quick and easy-but looks as if you spent hours. Note, the picture is close to what I make, not exact.  Please follow recipe.


2 Frozen Pound Cakes (I use Sara Lee)
2 containers of Mascarpone Cheese
1/4 cup of Marsala Wine (optional)
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
3/4 cups of sliced almonds
2 tsp butter
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 cup of apricot jam
1/4 cup of raspberry jam

Turn on the broiler. In a small sauce pan, heat butter. Once melted, toss in sugar and almonds. Cook until sugar is melted and almonds are glossy and toasted.  Cool on a paper towel.  Slice pound cake (this is easier if it is still slightly frozen) in 1/2 inch slices and set each piece onto a cookie sheet pan.  Put in over and toast each side of the pound cake until just golden (Watch out-they burn easily). Cool. Mix (by hand or with mixer, but you want it to remain thick) Mascarpone cheese, Marsala wine, and powdered sugar (Taste to see if it is sweet enough for you, if not add more powdered sugar).  Mix apricot and raspberry jam in a sauce pan or microwave for about 1 minute.  

Assembly time! Take one piece of the pound cake, spread some of the Mascarpone cheese/wine/sugar mixture, top with another piece of pound cake.  Add a dollop of Mascarpone mixture on top, drizzle with raspberry/apricot jam mixture, sprinkle with sugared almonds.  Enjoy! 


Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake
I made this recipe tonight that I found on Two Peas & Their Pod cooking blog. It looked yummy and I love anything and everything with lemon (orange, no so much). So I adapted this recipe by using my stoneware bundt pan (heavily buttered) instead of my souffle dish because I've loaned to someone and I can't remember who. Also, I didn't use a bain-marie because of the stoneware and it's porous, so I was worried about what might happen. 

The recipe can be found here and it turned out delicious!  Below is a picture of how mine turned out compared to how it was suppose to turn out.  I liked how I could "slice" mine as opposed to spooning onto a plate.
Mine!
Theirs!


Sopapilla Cheesecake This isn't an original recipe, however it is one of our favorites! I have adapted this recipe from Food Gawker

Please note that I use a glass dish that is not fully 9 x 13.  You may need to use 2 cans of crescent rolls.

1 can butter crescent rolls (see note above)
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened) I use Nefchatel it is lower in calories
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Table spoons butter (melted)
Cinnamon & sugar (2 tablespoons of sugar with cinnamon to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Unrolled and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan (I use a rectangular cake pan). Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.



1 comment: