Lemon Curd Tart – This was delicious and very impressive!!!

Tags

baking, dessert, Food, Lemon Curd Tart, Meyer, recipe

I love to cook and I’m pretty proficient in the kitchen, but I was intimidated by this recipe. I don’t know why. Maybe because I’m not big on making my own crusts. This recipe really wasn’t hard at all and the crust came together beautifully! It was a great add to our Thanksgiving table, but would be good any time you have lemons on hand. Our Meyer lemons were ripening, so this was the perfect use of them!

I can’t take credit for this recipe. This came from Ina Garten AKA The Barefoot Contessa. I knew it must be good. Ina would never steer us wrong!!!

Lemon Curd Tart

For the Tart Shell:

12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus more for greasing, all brought up to room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

For the Lemon Curd:

4 lemons at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1/8 tsp salt

1. Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon curd:

1. Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

2. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.

3. Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.

Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving Dutch Apple Pie – A Traditional Favorite

Tags

baking, dessert, Dutch Apple Pie, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetaria

Yesterday I was a baking fool! First I made cranberry pecan muffins. These were only so-so, so I won’t burden you with that recipe! BUT then, I went on to bake an apple pie and chicken pot pie. Now these two recipes are worth sharing! Today I’ll start with the Dutch Apple Pie. This was my first time ever baking an apple pie! I decided to keep it basic and use a frozen ready made pie shell and went with a dutch topping, instead of crust. The pie was fairly easy to make and it was delicious!!! If you’re looking for a pie to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner, this is an easy version that can fit into your busy cooking schedule. Pies even freeze pretty well, so you can make it ahead and freeze for the big day.

Now I say this was pretty easy, but this is coming from a girl who was blessed to receive a Kitchen Aid spiralizer for Christmas last year. This particular spiralizer has a spiral slicing blade along with a peeling blade, so I did not have to peel and slice 8 cups of apples! Having to do this manually would make this pie more time consuming to make. If you don’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer, but you think you might make this more if you didn’t have to peel and slice apples consider investing in an hand crank apple peeler/corer that attaches to a table. We have an antique one of these and they work great!

Lastly, I cannot take credit for this recipe. This is a Betty Crocker recipe minus the portion to make your own pie crust. I substituted a frozen pie shell.

Dutch Apple Pie

1 frozen pie shell (set out and let thaw for 10-15 minutes)

Filling

8 cups peeled and sliced apples (I used about 5 medium sized apples)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat ove to 400 degrees. In large bowl, toss Filling ingredients. Pour into pie plate, mounding apples toward center.

In medium bowl, use pastry blender or fingers to mix butter, 1 cup flour and the brown sugar until a crumb forms. Sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar on top.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until pie crust and crumb topping are deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake – I Lowered the Fat and Simplified the Process! Can’t Beat That!!!

Tags

baking, dessert, low-fat, lowfat, Pumpkin Cheesecake

So first try at cheesecake with a berry topping was delicious, but didn’t set up the way it should. I would not be defeated!!! I was getting in the fall mood last weekend and decided to try again with a pumpkin cheesecake. This one was a winner!!!! It had a firm, yet silky texture and the wonderful, comforting taste of pumpkin. I’m not usually a fan of pumpkin pie, but the cream cheese ads a wonderful tang to this dessert!

Tip: In my first attempt at cheesecake I learned that you can’t cut out all the fat and expect it to set up nicely. This version is a compromise. I used the reduced fat cream cheese and used full fat sour cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 Pre-made graham cracker crust

2 – 8 oz blocks of reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream (full fat – see tip above)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients one by one while continuing to beat. I used my stand mixer for this. Pour filling into crust. You will likely have some leftover. I poured this into small oven safe bowls and baked as well. Making little custard like bowls. Place dishes on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Canteloupe Pie – Say What??? That’s a New One!!!

Tags

Canteloupe, chilled, Cream Cheese, dessert, graham cracker crust, Pie, refreshing, vegetarian

My friend Jody posted this recipe on FaceBook and I couldn’t believe my eyes!  Canteloupe pie!?! I’d never heard of such a thing, but my curiosity was peaked. The cantaloupes here in California have been wonderful this year, so as soon as I received one in my organic produce shipment I knew I had to try and make this pie. Just as it sounds, it is light and refreshing! Canteloupe, cream cheese and a little orange juice mixed, chilled and served in a graham cracker crust makes for a cold, refreshing pie that is perfect to serve on hot summer day!

Canteloupe Pie

1 9″ graham cracker pie crust, chilled

1 med-lg cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut in chunks

1 8 oz block cream cheese (I used reduced fat cream cheese and it worked just fine)

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/4 oz pkgs unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla

Whipped Cream or Cool Whip

In a food processor, process cantalope until as smooth as you can get it. Pour 1/2 of mixture into a large bowl. Add cream cheese to remaining mixture in food processor and process until smooth. Add to cantalope in bowl and gently mix. In a small saucepan combine juice, sugar, and gelatin. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved. Slowly stir into cantalope mixture, add vanilla. Pour into chilled crust, refrigerate until completely set. Top with whipped cream and serve.

Depending on the size of your canteloupe, you might have extra filling. Don’t overfill your crust (like I did!!!). Save the extra, pour in bowls and enjoy as a pudding!

Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler – The Perfect Summer Dessert for Your Barbecues

Tags

cobbler, dessert, Easy, fresh, fruit, Peach, recipe, summer, vegetarian

Happy Father’s Day!!! One of the desserts we’ll be enjoying today is peach cobbler. My husband got some beautiful fresh peaches from a neighbor’s tree. One of the great thing about living in Northern California, is the amazing, local produce that we have access to. These peaches were perfectly ripe, so sweet and delicious. Cobbler was calling to me! It’s so good, but rather easy to make. This came of the oven a wonderful bubbly golden brown! If you have access to fresh fruit (peaches, berries, nectarines) I highly recommend this recipe!

Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup butter

4 large peaches or about 5 cups, sliced (or other fruit)

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 1/4 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 tbsp baking powder

Dash of salt

Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Put butter in medium size baking pan and put in oven to melt butter. Meanwhile, add peaches, 1 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice to sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat while stirring constantly.  Once butter is melted (do not let brown!), remove baking pan from oven. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cup sugar, milk, flour, baking powder and salt until just mixed. Pour over butter in baking pan, but do not stir any more. Pour peach mixture over batter in baking pan, but do not stir. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. 

This is delicious served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Enjoy and again, Happy Father’s Day!

Thanksgiving Tip #15 – Pie? Chocolate? Yes, Please!!!

Tags

chocolate chip, Cooking, dessert, Food, nuts, Pie, recipe, Thanksgiving

  Do you like pie? Do you like chocolate? Do you like chocolate chip cookies? Look no further! I have the pie recipe for you! Pie seems to be the dessert of choice for Thanksgiving, but I’m one of those odd birds that doesn’t care for pumpkin pie. This is my kind of pie though! You get the wonderful flakyness of a pie shell with a filling that tastes like the best chocolate chip cookie. Yummmm!

Hopefully I don’t get disowned for sharing this recipe! I’m not sure exactly where it originated, but when I first married my husband he told me that I HAD to learn to make this pie. My mother-in-law actually gave me several recipes for my husband’s favorite foods at my bridal shower. Of course, the recipe for this pie was included!

So from somewhere in Missouri, I bring you…

Platte County Pie

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 – 9 inch unbaked pie shell
• Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add flour and sugar and continue beating two minutes. Add vanilla, butter, nuts & chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Bake 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Ahhh! Chocolatey, nutty goodness with pastry shell!!!!