9 graham crackers (1 sleeve), finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cup) can be crushed in a Ziploc baggie.
1/4 c. granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
Pinch kosher salt Directions
In a medium bowl, combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of salt.
Mix until mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when pressed.
Pour into a 9” pie plate or spring form pan and press into an even layer, going up the sides. Use the back of a spoon or measuring cup to help pack firmly.
If baking, bake at 350° until golden, about 12 minutes.
2 cups farmer cheese, or ricotta
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup honey or light corn syrup, *brown sugar is also an option, see below.
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 Frozen or homemade pie crust or*Graham cracker crust parbaked or not, is good also. Parbake frozen pie crust: Remove the pan from the freezer and use a fork to prick holes throughout the dough. (This is called “docking,” which helps maintain the shape as the crust bakes.) Cover snugly with aluminum foil. Fill the shell with ceramic pie weights; push them toward the edges, which keeps the crust from shrinking as it bakes. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crimped edges are set but not browned. Remove from the oven and lift the foil and pie weights out of the shell. Let the shell cool. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F. Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine farmer cheese and milk. Stir well to remove large lumps. Add honey and salt, and stir well. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl, add to cheese mixture, and whisk until well blended; then stir in thyme.
Assembly: Pour the filling into the shell and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35–40 minutes. * Brown sugar A low sweetener that can be used as a 1 cup to 1 cup ratio for honey, but you may need to add 1/4 cup of liquid to the recipe. *Graham Cracker Crust
9 graham crackers (1 sleeve), finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cup) can be crushed in a Ziploc baggie.
1/4 c. granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
Pinch kosher salt Directions
In a medium bowl, combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of salt.
Mix until mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when pressed.
Pour into a 9” pie plate or spring form pan and press into an even layer, going up the sides. Use the back of a spoon or measuring cup to help pack firmly.
If baking, bake at 350° until golden, about 12 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 homemade pie crust, rolled out to a circle, 10-inches in diameter, 1/8-inch in thickness Or
2 Marie Callender’s Pastry Pie Shell, store-bought ready-made frozen pie crust shell, pan included.
2 (7.5-ounce) bars of Farmer cheese, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
all-purpose flour
Note: Transfer the store-bought ready-made pie shell to the refrigerator the day before you plan to blind bake (pre-bake) the pie crust.
Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
Directions For Partial Blind Baking:
After allowing the pies shells to rest n the refrigerator for 1 hour, place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pie crust, making sure to make the parchment flush with the crust. Add dried beans (or pie weights) to both pie shells. Push the beans towards the edges of both pies. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crimped edges are set but not browned.
Remove the pie shells from the oven. Next, carefully remove the parchment paper with the dried beans.
Note: DO NOT remove the silicone cover and or aluminum foil covering the edges while the pies are cooling.
Reduce oven temperature to 350-degrees F.
Directions For the Filling:
Using an electric mixer on low speed, mix the farmer cheese and powdered sugar together. Add the 5 eggs, one at a time, until they’re all combined. Add vanilla extract, Kosher salt, lemon zest, and heavy cream.
Evenly distribute the pie filling into each pie.
Place the pie’s, on a rimmed baking sheet, on the center rack and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes.
After the pie comes out of the oven, remove the silicone cover, and let cool for 30 minutes on a cooling rack. Dust the pies with some powdered sugar. Farmer Cheese Pie is delicious at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate the pies to store them.
Note: Times may vary depending on whether you’re baking in a glass or some type of metal pan. These vessels can affect the outcome of the pie.
*Dock: Pricking holes in the rolled-out pie dough allow the steam to escape while it’s baking. Without this, the steam would puff up in bubbles and pockets throughout the crust.
*Partial Blind Baking: Sometimes called pre-baking, is the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling. *Fully Blind Baking: First, follow the steps above, in the section marked, directions for partial blind baking.
Next, cover the crimped edges, of the pie, with either a silicone cover or aluminum foil to prevent the edges from burning. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottom crust is browned and cooked through. Fully Blind baking a pie crust is necessary when it will be filled with an unbaked filling (such as pudding or cream pies in which case the crust must be fully baked. Cool before filling.
Note: For best results, use the frozen pie dough or frozen pie crusts within 3 months. You can also refrigerate unbaked pie dough or unbaked pie crust for up to 3 days. Keep tightly covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
1 lb. pkg. Powdered Sugar (3 3⁄4 cups)
1⁄2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1⁄4 cup milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped Yields: 24 squares
Grease a 9×12-inch loaf pan. or a cookie sheet
Combine the confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla extract in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until all ingredients are mixed, smooth, and the mixture is glossy. Stir in the nuts or any other add-ins.
Quickly pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares.
1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (I Use “sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust” Recipe
1 cup White Sugar
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Corn Syrup
3/4 teaspoons Vanilla
1/3 cup Melted Butter (salted)
3 whole Eggs, Beaten
1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans
Preparation Instructions
First, whip up your pie crust using “Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust” found on Tasty Kitchen.
Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.
Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.
NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.
3 Eggs
1 C Light Corn Syrup, Karo Light
1 C Sugar
2 TB Butter or Margarine, Melted
1 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Salt
1 C Pecan Halves
1 9″ Pastry shell, (unbaked)
Beat eggs slightly, and stir in syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until blended. Sir in pecan halves. Pour into pastry shell and bake for 15 minutes at 400°. Reduce heat to 350° and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and completely puffed across top. Cool Completely before serving.
Per Serving: 452 Cal (38% from Fat, 4% from Protein, 58% from Carb); 20 g Tot Fat; 5 g Sat Fat; 68 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 60 g Sugar; 27 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 203 mg Sodium; 100 mg Cholesterol
I can’t even describe this candy; you just have to try it to see how good it is. It is so rich, that only a small piece will make your brain jump. My mom got this unique recipe from my aunt Phoebe Hayhurst – Payne – Padgett, who was a very unique, down to earth, hard working country woman. An off the wall, great tasting candy would never be hard for her to pull off.
I have read that potato candy is from Ireland, some say Austria, all agree it came to the U.S from Europe sometime in the late 1800’s. It was a well known recipe during the great depression, so it has been around for a long time. The candy uses so few ingredients and is so rich it goes a long way.
1 box powdered sugar
1 small potato, boiled with jacket on
1 tsp vanilla
1 small jar peanut butter, smooth is what mom always used, but crunchy would be good too.
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Peel and mash up potato. Add salt and vanilla to mashed potato and mix well.
Add powdered sugar until it is like biscuit dough.
Roll out dough and spread with peanut butter out to edges of dough. Roll it up like a jelly roll and refrigerate. When roll is firm, cut into slices. Let the candy rest for an hour or more so that it can dry out a little, it’s easier to serve that way.
My mom loved this cake and made it every other month or so when I was growing up. Mom used butter and brown sugar freely, it was so darn tasty the way she made it. We had a large family, therefor smaller portions on our plate, so we weren’t worried about such things as sugar or cholesterol. At our house, dessert was for Sundays, after dinner. Often as not, Jell-O was the dessert. Mom didn’t use nuts in her cake, but I love the addition of Pecans in the cake. She loved maraschino cherries and always used them if she had them on hand. I like to make my cake in a cast iron skillet, I think it makes a nice upside down cake, but a cake pan will do just fine. You may certainly make a cake from scratch. I was brought up on boxed cake mix and so cake from scratch seems grainy and dry to me. Maybe I just have not made a good cake from scratch yet.
You can also use muffin tin and make upside down cupcakes.
Ingredients:
1 cake mix
1 Tb flour for altitude change
1-2 eggs and liquid as called for in mix, be sure to allow for altitude as described on box.
I use 2 eggs in my cake mixes, Just my way of doing it, it isn’t really necessary for a good cake. Sauce:
5 Tb butter (1/2 stick plus 1 Tb).
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light if you have it)
1 Pinch (1/16 tsp) Cinnamon
1 20-ounce can pineapple slices, with juice reserved.
You will need 1 C Mixture of Water & Pineapple Juice drained from canned slices.
Optional:
1 jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained
¼ C Walnuts or Pecans
½ tsp. fresh lime juice for cake mix
¼ C shredded cocoanut
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a cast iron skillet melt butter remove from heat, (or in a13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven).
Swirl pan so butter comes up the sides of the skillet or pan.
Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter in the bottom of the pan.
Arrange pineapple slices on the brown sugar.
Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice if using.
Place nuts, if using, around the top of this layer, and set aside.
Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 cup.
Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water and adding 1 Tb flour to the batter.
Check for altitude option as described on cake mix box.
Pour batter over pineapple in pan.
Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake.
Let rest for 5 minutes.
Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan, turn plate and pan over at the same time (keeping plate and skillet or pan firmly pressed together). If you prefer, you can serve it right out of the pan, it just doesn’t look as pretty, but certainly tastes the same.
Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar syrup can drizzle over the cake, then remove pan.
Oh the memories! Mom would make up a huge bowl of this delight, and we could hardly wait for dessert. I’m pretty sure the original pudding was not instant in any way, so it took real effort and time to create. Mom could serve our most disliked food for dinner and we would clean our plates in anticipation of dessert. I thought it was so artistic, the little vanilla wafers and bananas lining the bowl, and the sprinkle of crushed cookies on top. I really did think that mom was the original creator of all things good and artistic coming from the kitchen. There was no T.V. at our house yet, and I hadn’t any experience with cookbooks and recipes at the time. I figured she just made it up as she went along. Maybe she did!
2 pkg. packages of Jell-O instant vanilla or banana flavor pudding & pie filling
Milk
32 vanilla wafers
2 bananas, sliced
Optional:
2 C thawed whipped topping or whipped cream.
I don’t care for the topping on my pudding, but many recipes today even call for it mixed into the pudding.
Make the vanilla pudding according to the directions. Let the pudding “soft set” which takes about 5-10 minutes before making your alternating layers of pudding, wafers and bananas.
Line the bottom of a large bowl with vanilla wafers.
Cut banana slices and place slices on the bottom of the bowl..
Spoon in a layer of pudding.
Push vanilla wafers down the sides of the bowl into the pudding.
Layer top with sliced bananas
Layer vanilla wafers
Make another layer of pudding
Add sliced bananas and a layer cookies across top .
Line sides of bowl again with wafers.
Add final layer of pudding
Line sides of bowl with wafers again.
Crush a few wafers and sprinkle over the top or layer on whipped topping and sprinkle with crushed wafers. You can stand a few cookies up by pushing them into the pudding a little. Enjoy!!
Mom always made popcorn balls at Halloween when we were young, to hand out to trick or treaters. I love the smell and the taste of these treats to this day.
1 1/2 qt popcorn, popped
1/2 cup light corn syrup, Karo
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 TB butter, or margarine
1/4 tsp salt
**Optional** Food coloring
Boil syrup, sugar, butter and salt. Syrup is ready when brittle threads form when syrup is dropped into cold water or 260° with candy thermometer.
If you wish to color the syrup do so at this time.
Pour over popcorn and stir with a wooden spoon until popcorn is coated. Lightly butter or flour your hands and lightly form mixture into balls.
(3 or 4 inch balls are a good child size)
Yield: 6 Cups
Candy Corn Popcorn Balls
Makes 16
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz.) Miniature Marshmallows
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Gelatin, any flavor
12 cups (3 qt.) popped popcorn
1 cup candy corn
Microwave butter and marshmallows in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Stir in gelatin until well blended.
Pour marshmallow mixture over combined popcorn and candy corn in a large bowl. Mix lightly until well coated.
Shape into 16 (2-inch) balls or other shapes with greased or wet hands.
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil (one that’s not too strong is better)
1 1/2 tablespoons water, at room temp
1 egg
PREPARATION
Sift together the sugar, flour and cocoa powder. Add the salt.
Mix together the olive oil, water and egg. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour into a mug and microwave for 2 minutes (no peeking!!)
Makes 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for tins
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Cream
Chocolate-Ganache Glaze for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes (see below)
Directions
Preheat oven, prep muffin tins, and combine dry ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour standard muffin tins. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Heat milk and butter:
Warm milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Beat eggs and sugar:
Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
Add dry ingredients:
Beat in dry ingredients.
Boil milk mixture and add to batter:
Bring milk and butter to a boil. With mixer on low speed, add milk mixture to batter, and beat until smooth. Add vanilla.
Place batter in muffin cups and bake:
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each halfway. Bake cupcakes until light gold, about 15 minutes.
Cool:
Let cool in tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Let cool.
Spilt cupcakes and spread with cream filling:
Using a serrated knife, cut each in half horizontally. Spread 1 tablespoon vanilla cream on each cupcake bottom.
Sandwich and spoon glaze over cupcakes:
Sandwich with top. Spoon glaze over each and serve immediately.
Ingredients
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (we like 61 percent cacao)
1 cup heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
Chop chocolate:
Coarsely chop chocolate. A serrated knife is best for the job; its sawlike teeth grab the chocolate, breaking it up.
Heat cream:
Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate, and add salt. Let stand for 10 minutes (don’t stir—doing so will cool the ganache too quickly, making it grainy).
Whisk the mix:
Stir with a whisk until smooth and shiny to break up any pieces and emulsify cream and chocolate.
Scrape the bowl:
Chocolate will often settle on the bottom or sides of the bowl. Scrape the dish with a silicone spatula to incorporate all of it.
Ingredients
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (we like 61 percent cacao)
1 cup heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
Chop chocolate:
Coarsely chop chocolate. A serrated knife is best for the job; its sawlike teeth grab the chocolate, breaking it up.
Heat cream:
Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate, and add salt. Let stand for 10 minutes (don’t stir—doing so will cool the ganache too quickly, making it grainy).
Stir with a whisk until smooth and shiny to break up any pieces and emulsify cream and chocolate.
Scrape the bowl:
Chocolate will often settle on the bottom or sides of the bowl. Scrape the dish with a silicone spatula to incorporate all of it. How to Fix Broken Ganache
If the fat starts to separate from the cream, much like the oil in a vinaigrette, fret not. To bring a “broken” ganache back, whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and emulsified again. Resist the impulse to add cream, which will disrupt the ratio of chocolate to fat (generally, 1 ounce chopped chocolate for every fluid ounce of heavy cream—plus 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt for every 8 ounces chocolate).
In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14×12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for greasing the cups
2 croissants (about 2 ounces each), torn into 1-inch pieces
1 large egg
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 soft caramel candies, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 ovenproof 6-ounce tea or coffee cups. Tear a loosely packed 1/2 cup of the croissant pieces into slightly smaller pieces, and toss them with the melted butter in a small bowl; set aside.
Whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the half-and-half and vanilla. Stir in the remaining 1-inch croissant pieces and the caramels, and let the mixture sit, folding occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Don’t worry if the mixture seems too wet; the excess moisture will be absorbed as the pudding bakes.
Divide the soaked bread mixture between the prepared cups. Top each with half the buttered croissant pieces, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Bake until the bread pudding puffs above the rim of the cups and is set, about 30 minutes. Let cool a few minutes (the pudding will sink), and serve warm.
Servings 75 cookies
Calories 55
Author John Kanell
Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (110g)
¼ cup unsulphured molasses (80mL)
¼ cup honey (80mL)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon anise extract
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (240g)
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine butter, sugar, molasses, and honey over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture just starts to bubble. Remove from the heat. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, anise extract, cloves, pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 20 minutes or until barely warm to the touch.
Once cooled, whisk in the egg until well combined. Fold in the flour and baking soda until all of the flour is incorporated. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, cover and press into a 1-inch-thick square. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 3 days. (The dough gets more flavorful as it rests, so this is a great step to make ahead.)
When ready to bake, position oven racks towards the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap the cookie dough and cut into ¾-inch wide strips. Cut again making ¾-inch-wide strips running perpendicular to the first set, creating cubes. Roll each cube of dough between your palms to create a ball. Place on the lined baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. If you can’t fit all of the dough on two sheets, rewrap and chill the remaining dough to roll and bake after the first batch.
Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch and just starting to crack on top. Let cookies cool for a few minutes. Toss cooled cookies in confectioners’ sugar until well coated. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Toss again in confectioners’ sugar once cooled.
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and will yield a dry and dense cookie. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. If you scoop the flour straight from the bag, you overpack the measuring cup.
It’s essential to roll these German cookies in powdered sugar twice. The powdered sugar may melt onto the cookies upon the first roll. The second coat makes sure the cookies are fully coated.
Do not skip chilling the cookie dough as you don’t want them to spread into a flat cookie upon baking.
Always keep the unrolled dough covered in the fridge. As you’ll have to bake these German cookies in batches, you don’t want the dough to come to room temperature or dry out between batches.
The easiest way to measure molasses and honey is to spray your measuring spoon with non-stick spray or grease it with a bit of butter. This way, the molasses and honey slides out of the measuring spoon.
Always line the sheet pan with parchment. The parchment help cookies bake more evenly and prevent them from cracking or breaking when lifting them.
If you don’t have anise extract, you can use ½ teaspoon ground anise seed or sub for vanilla or almond extract.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
2 teaspoons packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
2 teaspoons packed finely grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup honey or molasses
1/4 cup finely chopped candied lemon or orange peel (or a combination) For the spiced sugar: Sift all ingredients together into a large bowl; set aside.
For the cookies:
Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, salt, allspice, and pepper into a large bowl; set aside.
Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until finely ground, about 25 to 30 seconds. Add the almonds to the flour mixture and stir to combine; set aside.
Place the butter, lemon zest, and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until fluffy and combined, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until incorporated and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds more. Add the honey and candied lemon or orange peel (or mixture thereof) and beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing until just combined, about 1 1/2 minutes total. (Do not overmix.) Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Roll the chilled dough into 24 (3/4-inch) balls and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the cookies are very lightly browned around the edges, about 5 to 6 minutes more. (The tops will be soft, but they will firm up as the cookies stand.) Transfer the baking sheets to 2 wire racks and let the cookies sit until cool enough to handle but still warm, about 3 minutes.
Drop the warm cookies into the spiced sugar, making sure to coat them all over, then shake off any excess sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat baking and sugarcoating with the remaining dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between pieces of waxed paper, for up to 3 weeks. You can bake the cookies ahead of time and freeze them for up to 2 months.
COATING
1cup sugar
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
8tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1. FOR THE DOUGHNUTS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in bowl. Whisk buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs and yolk together in separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just combined.
2. Scoop batter into prepared tin. Bake until doughnuts are lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 19 to 22 minutes. Let doughnuts cool in tin for 5 minutes.
3. FOR THE COATING: Whisk sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Remove doughnuts from tin. Working with 1 doughnut at a time, brush all over with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar, pressing lightly to adhere. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve. KEY STEP: BRUSH WITH BUTTER
We brush the warm muffins liberally with melted butter before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar. The butter helps the coating stick and makes the muffins taste more fried. Use your hand to press the cinnamon sugar onto the doughnuts to coat them completely.
You can use any flavor Jello or gelatin mixture made with fruit juice you like for this refreshing cake. Although certain tropical fruits, such as pineapple, kiwifruit, and ginger, have an enzyme (bromelin) that can prevent gelatin for setting. Heating the fruit completely through before using will destroy the enzyme. I always seem to pick out white cake for my dessert as I like the color of the Jello or gelatin mixture to have a nice contrast with the cake. Your choices are unlimited when making this cake.
Servings12 Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 box (4-serving size) any flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (3 cups)
fruit, if desired
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan).
Make and bake cake as directed on box for 13×9-inch pan. Cool completely in pan, about 1 hour.
Pierce cooled cake all over with fork.
In small bowl, stir gelatin and boiling water until smooth; stir in cold water.
Pour over cake.
Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Frost with whipped topping and garnish with berries, or fruit slices. Store covered in refrigerator.
Ingredient:
1pkg. (2-layer size) yellow or white cake mix
2pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Cook & Serve
1cup powdered sugar
1qt. (4 cups) milk
2Tbsp. margarine or butter
Directions:
PREPARE cake batter and bake as directed on package for 13×9-inch baking pan. Immediately poke deep holes in cake at 1-inch intervals, using round handle of wooden spoon.
COMBINE dry pudding mixes and sugar in medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring until well blended. Add margarine. Bring to full boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour over cake.
REFRIGERATE at least 2 hours before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
VARIATION
For variety, experiment with these flavor combinations: yellow cake mix and JELL-O Butterscotch, Chocolate, Pistachio or Chocolate Fudge Pudding Mix; chocolate cake mix with Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut Cream, Banana Cream or Chocolate Fudge Pudding Mix; white cake mix with Butterscotch, Chocolate, Pistachio, Vanilla or Banana Cream Pudding Mix.
This is a cool, light dessert for summer days. I first made this dessert when I lived in Illinois and John and Jim were in grade school. Over the years I have found variations on this easy desert, but none I like any better.
Serves 12
1 Angel Food Cake baked and cooled
2 11.5 oz cans of apricot nectar juice
(Place 1 can in refrigerator to cool)
1 15.25 oz can of apricots in heave syrup
2 ¼ oz envelopes gelatin ( I use Knox gelatin pkts)
Optional
1/8 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
Vanilla ice cream
Bake angel food cake and let cool
Tear angel food cake gently into 2” to 3” pieces and arrange evenly in a large lasagna pan or serving dish large enough to accommodate the cake and about 3 cups of juice. I use a large 3 qt oblong glass baking dish.
Place your can of chilled apricot nectar into a large mixing bowl, and gently sprinkle the 2 packets of gelatin over top and let stand. It will dissolve while you prepare the rest of the juice.
In a large pan add the other can of apricot nectar and the juice off of the can of apricots. Smash up the apricots with a fork and press through a strainer into the pan of juice. Heat the juice and strained apricots just to a boil but not boiling. Stir in cinnamon or nutmeg if you are going to use them at this time.
Mix the gelatin that has been softening well, and pour in the hot juice slowly mixing as you pour. When gelatin is mixed thoroughly, let cool down to just a warm stage, but not thicken, then pour over the angel food cake evenly. I have found that letting the gelatin cool keeps the angel food cake from compressing too much, and it will retain its light and airy texture.
Chill and serve with a dollop of whip cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
Cherry-Pineapple Dump Cake:
One 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
One 15-ounce can crushed pineapple
1 box white cake mix (18 ounces)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter
Peach Dump Cake:
1 large can peaches in syrup
1 box white cake mix (18 ounces)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter
Whipped cream, for serving Apple Dump Cake:
2 cans apple pie filling 21 ounces each
1 package yellow cake mix
½ cup 1 stick butter, cut into thin slices about 20 slices
optional ⅓ cup caramel topping, warmed slightly I used Hershey’s
ice cream for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the cherry-pineapple dump cake: Dump the cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Stir together. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the fruit. Slice the butter into tablespoons and distribute evenly over the surface of the cake mix.
For the peach dump cake: Dump the peaches into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the fruit. Slice the butter into tablespoons and distribute evenly over the surface of the cake mix.
Bake until the tops are brown and bubbly, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream.
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 Large Pkg Instant Lemon Pudding Mix, (or 2 small packages)
4 Large Eggs
1/4 C Oil
1 16 Oz Can Fruit Cocktail, Juice And All
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Walnuts, Chopped
1 C Coconut, Flaked (optional)
1 Glaze Icing Recipe (Optional), To Frost Warm Cake
Blend cake mix and instant pudding filling together. Add fruit cocktail with juice, coconut and oil. Beat eggs until foamy and add to cake mixture.
Pour into greased pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and walnuts over batter and bake at 350° for 45 minute.
While cake is still warm drizzle with a glaze icing.
Per Serving: 264 Cal (44% from Fat, 8% from Protein, 48% from Carb); 13 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 33 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 18 g Sugar; 79 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 189 mg Sodium; 87 mg Cholesterol
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
3− 8oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes) If using key limes or juice,
use half as much.
3 eggs
whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine crumbs, butter and 1 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl.
Stir well to to coat all crumbs. Keep it crumbly. Press the crumbs onto the
bottom and half way up the sides of an 8″ springform pan. Bake crust for 5
mins.and set aside. In large bowl combine cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla.
Mix with electric mixer till smooth. Add the lime juice and eggs and
continue to beat till smooth and creamy. Pour filling into crust. Bake for
60 to 70 mins. If top is turning light brown it’s done. Remove from oven and
allow to cool till room temperature. Put into fridge. When chilled, remove
3 Cups Cubed Bread – Stale *preferably an Italian or French Crusty bread
Melted Butter 2 Tablespoon (28g) Half ‘n’ Half 2 cups (480ml) Large Eggs 5 (250g) Granulated Sugar ½ cup (100g) Brandy (optional) 2 Tablespoons (30ml) Vanilla Extract 1 Tablespoon (15ml)
Mix Method:
Melt the butter wither in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and eggs. Whisk smooth. Add the melted butter and milk and whisk to combine well. Add the optional brandy and vanilla extract. Whisk everything smooth. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and add it to the custard mixture in the bowl.
Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 3 hours so the custard has a chance to soak into the stale bread.
Prepare an 8″ Cake Pan with Pan Grease and line with a parchment circle. Pour the custard/bread mixture into the pan. Preheat the oven too 350°F and Prepare a water bath by placing this prepared pan inside another pan of a larger diameter, I use a 10″ or 12″ diameter for the water bath pan.
Meanwhile, set a pot of water or tea kettle on the stove and bring the water to a boil. This hot water and larger pan will be used to create a water bath which will ensure that your custard bakes gently.
Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until no liquid custard is visible when you press firmly in the center of the bread pudding cake. Remove from the oven and take out of the water bath. Allow to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool to cold, and set the rest of the way. When the bread pudding cake is completely cold, you can then unmold onto a serving plate.
Keep refrigerated at all times, but you can serve warmed in the oven if desired.
Bread pudding is eaten warm or cold it is your preference.
Bread Pudding can also be baked in a 9” x 13” casserole dish if you prefer. (No need for pan grease or use parchment paper.)
– Old-Fashioned Baked Custard Recipe:
Yields: 6 servings Ingredients:
4 to 6 eggs*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups milk, heated until very hot
Ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
* The amount of eggs used can vary according to your needs. When I make the custard for dessert, I usually use 4 eggs. When making for breakfast, I increase the recipe to 6 eggs.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to center position. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) six (6-ounce) custard cups and set them into a large baking dish. If cooking custards in a metal pan, cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of newspaper to ensure an even temperature on the bottom.
In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until dissolved. Mix in hot milk until blended. Pour egg mixture into prepared custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.
Bring the water for the water bath to a light simmer on top of the stove; carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come at least half-way up the sides of the custard cups. NOTE: The most common mistake people make in baking a custard is not putting enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the cups. You must protect your custard from the heat. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come up the sides of the custard cups.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. The cooking time will depend largely on the size of the custard cups you are using, but begin checking at a half hour and check back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that’s when you can remove it from the oven. If using a digital instant-read thermometer, inserted in the centers, the internal temperature should register approximately 170 to 175 degrees F. Begin checking temperature about 5 minutes before recommended time.
Remove from oven and immediately remove cups from water bath; cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Makes 6 servings (depending on size of custard cups).
Cooking spray
1/4 cup pecans
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces carrots (about 3 small), finely grated (about 1 cup)
Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add Checked Items To Grocery List
Directions
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan with parchment, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Toast the pecans on a small baking sheet until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Make a big well in the center so you can see the bottom of the bowl. Working within the well, add the sugar and egg and beat with a fork until well combined, then add the oil and vanilla and beat with the fork. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together with the fork until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pecans.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, then turn it out of the pan, remove the parchment and let cool completely, right-side up, on the rack, about 1 hour.
For the frosting: Process the cream cheese and butter in a food processor until completely combined and smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and process until just combined. Transfer to a small bowl.
To assemble: Cut the cake into 4 even wedges, as if you were cutting up a pie. Frost the top of each wedge with about 3 tablespoons of frosting (an offset spatula helps spread the frosting evenly). Stack the frosted wedges directly on top of each other on a serving plate, resulting in a 4-layer slice of cake with frosting between the layers and on top. Completely cover the curved back side of the cake with the remaining frosting, and leave the 2 remaining sides open. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cut the wedge in half, and serve.
You can make up many tasty variations on this easy classic dessert.
How easy is it to break up a store bought angel food cake into bite size pieces, pour over favorite gelatin (Jell-O) or instant pudding, gently stir, add a few berries on top, chill and maybe add some whip cream? In no time at all, there you are receiving praises for a light, tasty, desert that looks like it took hours to make.
Make this an easy mobile picnic dessert by placing the slightly cooled dessert into individual, clear, small plastic cups. Experiment with different flavors, vanilla, banana, lemon, butterscotch or chocolate pudding. Try lemon, orange, strawberry, and lime Jell-O. Add fresh banana or thoroughly drained fruit or berries, and you have an instant dessert.
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
The cream mixture freezes more quickly in a loaf pan than in a taller, narrower container. If you don’t have a loaf pan, use an 8-inch square baking pan.
Instructions
1.Process cream in blender until soft peaks form, 20 to 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of blender jar and continue to process until stiff peaks form, about 10 seconds longer. Using rubber spatula, stir in condensed milk, whole milk, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Process until thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
2.Pour cream mixture into 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Press plastic wrap flush against surface of cream mixture. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours. Serve.
Why This Recipe Works
True New York–style cheesecake is a beautiful thing: the dense, velvety, tangy-sweet filling is supported by a crunchy graham-cracker crust. But with a dessert this rich, a full-size cake in a two-person household will mostly go to waste. We wanted to make foolproof individual cheesecakes for two. We started with a simple graham-cracker crust, prebaked to ensure it wouldn’t turn soggy once we added the filling. We thinned the cream cheese with just a little tangy sour cream. One whole egg plus an extra yolk gave the cakes a lush texture that was dense but not heavy. A pinch of salt, a small dose of vanilla, and a squeeze of lemon juice perfected the flavors. Finally, we baked the cheesecakes using the classic New York method—first at 500 degrees to get a nicely browned top, then at 200 degrees to cook through gently.
Ingredients:
CRUST
3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon sugar
FILLING
10 ounces cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons sour cream
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
Instructions:
FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Process graham cracker pieces in food processor to fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons melted butter and sugar over crumbs and pulse to incorporate, about 5 pulses. Divide mixture evenly between two 4½-inch springform pans. Using bottom of spoon, press crumbs firmly into even layer on bottom of pans, keeping sides as clean as possible. Bake crusts until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Let crusts cool in pans on wire rack while making filling.
FOR THE FILLING: Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Using hand-held mixer set at medium-low speed, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar and salt and beat until combined, 30 to 60 seconds. Scrape down bowl, add remaining sugar, and beat until combined, 30 to 60 seconds. Scrape down bowl, add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until combined, 15 to 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl, add egg and egg yolk and beat until combined, 30 to 60 seconds.
Being careful not to disturb baked crusts, brush inside of pans with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and place pans on rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling evenly into cooled crusts, smooth tops, and bake cheesecakes for 2 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until cakes register 150 degrees, 12 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
Let cheesecakes cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes, then run thin knife around edge of each cake. Let cakes continue to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Wrap pans tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
To unmold cheesecakes, wrap hot dish towel around pans and let sit for 1 minute. Remove sides of pans. Slide thin metal spatula between crusts and pan bottoms to loosen, then slide cakes onto individual serving plates. Let cakes sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. (Cheesecakes can be made up to 3 days in advance; however, crust will begin to lose its crispness after only 1 day.)
SERVES 2
With a lot of testing, we discovered the keys to the perfect crème brûlée recipe: lots of yolks for richness, turbinado sugar for a crunchy crust, an instant-read thermometer for judging the custard’s doneness, and a final chill for the best texture.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 additional teaspoon
pinch table salt
3 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 – 4 teaspoons turbinado sugar or Demerara sugar
Before You Begin
Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks after the cream has finished steeping; if left to sit, the surface of the yolks will dry and form a film. The best way to judge doneness is with a digital instant-read thermometer. The custards, especially if baked in shallow fluted dishes, will not be deep enough to provide an accurate reading with a dial-face thermometer. For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar. Regular granulated sugar will work, too. The amount of sugar needed for the topping will depend on the shape of the ramekin. Sprinkle enough sugar over the the top to cover, and then shake off the excess (about 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons for turbinado sugar or 1 teaspoon for regular granulated sugar).
Instructions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
Combine 1/2 cup cream, sugar, and salt in small saucepan; bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile, place kitchen towel in bottom of baking dish or roasting pan and arrange two 4- to 5-ounce ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) on towel. Bring kettle or saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
After cream has cooled slightly, stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream to cool down mixture further. Whisk yolks in medium bowl until broken up and combined. Whisk in vanilla extract and about 1/4 cup cream mixture into yolks until loosened and combined; repeat with another 1/4 cup cream. Add remaining cream and whisk until evenly colored and thoroughly combined. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into 2-cup measuring cup or pitcher (or clean medium bowl); discard solids in strainer. Pour or ladle mixture into ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.
Carefully place baking dish with ramekins on oven rack; pour boiling water into dish, taking care not to splash water into ramekins, until water reaches two-thirds height of ramekins. Bake until centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy and digital instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 170 to 175 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes (30 to 35 minutes for shallow fluted dishes). Begin checking temperature about 5 minutes before recommended time.
Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Set ramekins on rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
Uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, place paper towel on surface to soak up moisture. Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (1 1/2 teaspoons for shallow fluted dishes); tilt and tap ramekin for even coverage. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to re-chill, 30 to 45 minutes (but no longer); serve.
SERVES 2
TIME 20 minutes
Why This Recipe Works
These individual chocolate cakes are cooked in coffee mugs in the microwave for a nearly instant dessert. To keep our cakes from overflowing, we had to supplement bittersweet chocolate with cocoa powder; cocoa powder has less fat, which produces less steam, thus less chance of an overflow. Microwaving the cakes on 50 percent power was the key to cooking them gently, helping create a light, tender crumb, and stirring the batter halfway through ensured even cooking. Finally, a few chunks of bittersweet chocolate added to each cake created a gooey, molten center.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce (28 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus 1 ounce (28 grams) broken into 4 equal pieces
¼ cup (1 3/4 ounce/50 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (1 1/4 ounces/35 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe in a full-size, 1200-watt microwave. If you’re using a compact microwave with 800 watts or fewer, increase the cooking time to 90 seconds for each interval. For either size microwave, reset to 50 percent power at each stage of cooking. Use a mug that holds at least 11 ounces, or the batter will overflow. The bittersweet chocolate is added at two points.
Instructions:
Microwave butter and chopped chocolate in large bowl, stirring often, until melted, about 1 minute. Whisk sugar, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, and salt into chocolate mixture until smooth. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Whisk flour mixture into chocolate mixture until combined. Divide batter evenly between 2 (11-ounce) coffee mugs.
Place mugs on opposite sides of microwave turntable. Microwave at 50 percent power for 45 seconds. Stir batter and microwave at 50 percent power for 45 seconds (batter will rise to just below rim of mug). Press 2 chocolate pieces into center of each cake until chocolate is flush with top of cake. Microwave at 50 percent power for 35 seconds (cake should be slightly wet around edges of mug and somewhat drier toward center). Let cakes rest for 2 minutes. Serve.
Biscuits are delicious. Peaches are delicious. So why, when you combine them, is the sum of the parts less than the whole?
SERVES 2
TIME 55 minutes, plus 20 minutes cooling
To prevent soggy biscuits and a runny filling in our peach cobbler, we cook the peaches to concentrate the juices into a syrup. Caramelizing them in butter and brown sugar adds flavor at the same time. We found that a little bit of thickener helped tighten up the peach juices exuded during baking, and flour is our go-to choice. Lemon juice and vanilla round out the filling, and for convenience, we bake our cobbler right in the skillet. For the topping, a traditional buttermilk biscuit is our favorite. Dropping the biscuits on top while the filling is hot jump-starts the cooking, and a final sprinkling of sugar before it goes in the oven creates a crispy, craggy, golden-brown top.
If you use frozen peaches, don’t thaw them, but do increase their cooking time in step 1 to about 7 minutes. A serrated peeler makes quick work of peeling fresh peaches. If you don’t have buttermilk, combine ¼ cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before proceeding with step 2 of the recipe.
Ingredients
FILLING
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ pounds (567 grams) fresh peaches 1 1/4 pounds (567 grams) fresh peach , peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges, or 1 pound (454 grams) frozen sliced peaches
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
TOPPING
½ cup (2 1/2 ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon in 8-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add peaches and cook, covered, until peaches release their juice, about 5 minutes. Whisk water, lemon juice, and flour together in bowl and stir into peaches. Off heat, stir in vanilla. Cover and set aside.
FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Add buttermilk and butter and stir until dough forms.
Using spoon, drop 1-inch pieces of dough evenly over hot peach mixture in skillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and bake until topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Serve.
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (16 ounces) fruit cocktail with syrup
TOPPING:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
SAUCE:
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; mix well. Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. pan and sprinkle with topping ingredients. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. When cake is done and still warm, pour sauce over cake. Cool to room temperature. Yield: 15 servings.
Nutritional Facts: 1 serving (1 piece) equals 353 calories,
12 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 46 mg cholesterol, 382 mg sodium, 60 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Fruit Cocktail Cake in a Loaf Pan Recipe
Ingredients
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
one 16 ounce can Fruit Cocktail or mixed fruit, well drained
Directions
Blend cheese and butter. Blend in sugar and vanilla and then add eggs one at a time, beating well. Mix baking powder and flour and gradually add to the mix. Fold in well drained fruit cocktail and nuts. Grease 2 loaf pans and bake in a 325 degree oven for 70 minutes (check for doneness with toothpick). Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
You can also use muffin tin and make upside down cupcakes.
Apple Dump Cake:
