Plum and Almond Galette

When the plums are overflowing at the farmers market tables, you know it's time to whip this puppy up!  Looks rustic and difficult, but it's super easy to make!

**Courtesy of Quiet Like Horses

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp + 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tbsp turbinado sugar for dusting 
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2-4 tbsp ice water
• 1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
• 5 to 6 firm plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (if using small ripe plums, as I did, simply slicing the "cheeks" off (2 slices per side) yields much neater results)
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten and strained through a fine mesh sieve

Directions

In a food processor, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, butter, 1/2 tsp sugar, and salt. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time. Pulse until dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed. Do not overmix. (Note: If you don't have a food processor, combining the dough ingredients in a large bowl and using a pastry cutter also works nicely). Remove dough from food processor and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tbsp sugar, and 2 tbsp of flour. Pulse until ground to a coarse meal. (To process the almonds, I used our small coffee grinder and then mixed it with the sugar and flour in a small bowl).

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, toss the plums with 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp flour and zest of half a lemon. Taste and add more sugar for desired sweetness and set aside. On a lightly floured surface sprinkled with turbinado sugar, roll out dough to a 13-14 inch round, about an 1/8-1/4 of inch thick. (Try as I might, I couldn't roll my dough out past ten inches or so. But it's supposed to be rustic, so I just went with it). Transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet (preferably without sides) and spread almond mixture over dough, leaving a two-inch border. Spread and arrange plums on top of almond mixture. Fold and pleat edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle galette with 1-2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.

Cranberry-Apple Pie

This is my signature dish for the holidays. 

Ingredients
2 cups cranberries
3/4 cups apple juice
1/4 cups corn starch
1 cup sugar
1 pound apples (granny smith)
2 pie crusts (either the pie crust from the Double Crust Apple Pie or trader joe's pie crusts)

Preparation

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine cranberries and apple juice; bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes or until skins on cranberries begin to pop.
3. Mix cornstarch with sugar, then stir in cranberries, cook about 2 minutes until mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from heat and mix with apples.
4. Heat oven to 375*.  Line 9-inch pie dish with 1/2 of pastry, trimming to about 1" beyond edge of pie dish.  Spoon filling into crust.
5. Roll remaining pastry into 10" circle.  Cut top pastry into 1" strips.  Cris-cross strips to make lattice top, then flute edges.  Brush pastry with water and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Crinkles

One of our Christmas cookie recipes.  The recipe makes a ton and is super decadent, so it's definitely a once a year treat.

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Cream shortening, granulated sugar, and vanilla thoroughly.
2. Beat eggs, then chocolate.
3. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, blending well after each addition.
4. Stir in walnuts.
5. Chill 2-3 hours.
6. Form 1 inch balls, then roll in powdered sugar.
7. Place on greased cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart.
8. Bake in oven at 350* for 15 minutes.
9. Cool slightly before removing from pan.
10. 
    

Chunky Style Applesauce

Better than any store bought applesauce.  It's also great as a dessert, warm with vanilla ice cream.  Definitely worth being doubled.

Ingredients
8 large apples (granny smith), peeled, coed and cut into thick slices and chunks
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

1. Combine apples, water and sugar in a saucepan. 
2. Bring to boil, then simmer 40 minutes or until apple as are part sauce and part whole.  Do not overcook.  It should be thick.
3. Turn off heat, and add spices as indicated or to taste.  Freezes well.

Pumpkin Cookies

When I was little, my mom was the leader of my girl scout troop.  She would always have a fun activity for us to do and this was the Halloween Tradition.  We would make the pumpkin cookies, then decorate the cookies as we saw fit, using cream cheese frosting, licorice, raisins, chocolate, peanut butter.  The cookies are also great in regular oatmeal cookie size.

Ingredients
2 cup flour
1 cup quick or old fashioned uncooked oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin (in the dark brown can, not the Pumpkin Pie Filling)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
3. Cream butter, gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in morsels of chocolate or stir in raisins (optional -- I never add them, but if you do, it's 1 cup each)
6. For pumpkin shaped cookies: Drop 1/4 cup dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet.  Spread into pumpkin shape, using a thin metal spatula...try to keep the cookie about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Add a bit more to form the stem.
7. For regular shaped cookies: Drop 1 inch balls on a lightly greased cookie sheet, approx. 1 inch apart.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes until cookies are firm and lightly browned (you want them to be a little moist).
9. Remove from cookie sheet, cool on racks
10. Decorate using anything edible.  Suggestions: Cream cheese frosting (on blog), peanut butter, chocolate, raisins, chocolate chips, candy corn, licorice, sprinkles.

Happy Days Aunt Chick's Pumpkin Cookies

My aunt has always made cookies at different times of the year with the Aunt Chick's cookie cutters.  She does a bunny with an Easter egg in the spring, Santa Clause in the winter.  But my favorite are the jack-o-lantern cookies.  The orange dough is so fun and festive.  Regular cookie cutters can be used with this dough, but truly consider buying the official cookie cutters at http://www.auntchicks.com/cutters.asp



Ingredients
4 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Red and yellow food coloring

Preparation

1. Sift together flour and salt. 
2. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy
3. Then add 3 eggs, beat
4. Add almond and vanilla extracts and any food coloring desired (red and yellow for pumpkin cookies). 
5. Combine mixtures and shape dough into an oval roll and wrap in waxed paper or place in plastic bag. Chill at least 2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
7. Use a pastry canvas and covered rolling pin. Flour both lightly. Take out 1/4 or less of dough. Keep remaining dough chilled. 
8. Roll dough into 1/4 - and 3/8 - inch thickness. 
9. With floured cookie cutter, place cutter on dough and press down firmly with fingers all around edges to make sure the entire edge is cut. 
10. With spatula, lift cutter and dough. With thumb, rub cutting edge clean of dough. 
11. Then, using thumb, gently press dough into design of cutter. Be careful never to press closer than 1/4 inch of edge of cutter. 
12. Slap cutter down on table or cookie sheet, and dough will come right out. 
13. Flour cutter before cutting next cookie. 
14. Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Cool thoroughly before decorating.

***Colored Dough: If you wish to make colored dough, mix color into dough just before rolling dough in waxed paper. Colored dough should bake at only 325 degrees to help the dough retain its color.

***Cookie Decoration:
Use allspice for the eyes.
For color (green stem): add food coloring to a beaten egg white, then use a small paint brush to place color on the stem.  While stem is wet, sprinkle with green sprinkles.  For the Easter bunny cookies, use this technique to color and decorate the Easter eggs.

Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

When I was growing up, each family member had a specific birthday cake that was made each year.  My mom had Angel Food Cake, my dad had German Chocolate, and I had Carrot Cake.  There is always extra frosting, which I would eat for days after my birthday :)

Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups shredded carrots (about 6 medium carrots)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Blend sugar and oil until moist
2. Add eggs 1 at a time, mix well
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and soda
4. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until completely blended
5. Add carrots and walnuts
6. Pour into 9x13" baking pan
7. Bake at 300* for 40 minutes.
8. Let cool, then top with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with walnuts.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 8 oz. package of Philly Cream Cheese
1 1 pound box of powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl on medium high until creamy. 

Key Lime Pie

One of the first recipes I made when I went to college.  Very easy to make, but tracking down the Key Lime Juice makes planning a necessity.

Ingredients
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup Key Lime Juice (like Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 (14 oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 (6 oz) reduced fat graham cracker crust
1 1/2 cups frozen reduced calorie whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Beat eggs and egg whites at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Gradually add juice, rind, and milk to egg mixture, beating until well-blended.
   Spoon mixture into crust, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until almost set (the center will not be firm but will set up as it chills).
   Cool pie on a wire rack. Cover loosely, and chill 4 hours. Spread whipped topping evenly over filling.

Lemon Squares

Very easy and super addicting recipe.  Great to bring for parties, summer snacks, or anytime desserts.

Ingredients

Crust:
1/4  cup  granulated sugar
3  tablespoons  butter or stick margarine, softened
1  cup  all-purpose flour
Topping:
3  large eggs
3/4  cup  granulated sugar
2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind
1/3  cup  fresh lemon juice
3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
1/8  teaspoon  salt
                                                      2  teaspoons  powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Crust: beat 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the butter at medium speed of a mixer until creamy. 
3. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. 
4. Gradually add 1 cup flour to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs. 
5. Gently press mixture into bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. 
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
7. Topping: beat eggs at medium speed until foamy. 
8. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (3/4 cup granulated sugar through salt), and beat until well-blended. 
9. Pour mixture over partially baked crust. 
10. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until set. 
11. Cool on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar evenly over top.

Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart

This recipe has the craziest back story of the bunch.  During my sophomore year of college, I was making a dessert for Easter at my boyfriend's house.  As I was working on this dessert, I called my mom to share my new recipe with her.  As I start to describe the recipe, my mom asks, "Is this the recipe that was on the cover of Cooking Light?"  To which I say yes...turns out my mom was making the exact same dessert, at the exact same time.  Definitely not a surprise to anyone who knows me and my mom :)

It looks prettier in a round pie dish that the recipe calls for.

Ingredients

Crust  (if you're in a hurry or just lazy, the pre-made graham cracker crusts work just fine)
36 honey graham crackers, about 9 sheets
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons water
Cooking Spray

Filling 
2/3 cup light cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Topping
6 cups small fresh strawberries, divided (try to get strawberries that are all the same size, or use the really large ones for the sauce)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Crust: place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly.  Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and water; pulse just until moist.  Place mixture in a 9 inch round removable bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch.  Bake at 350* for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  cook completely on a wire rack.
3. Filling: Combing cream cheese, sugar, and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth.  Spread mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.
4. Topping: place 2 cups strawberries in food processor; process until pureed.  Combine with a whisk.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
5. Combine 4 cups strawberries and lemon juice; toss to coat.  Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling.  Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use - like Almond Angle Cake and vanilla ice cream).
6. Sprinkle sliced almonds around edge.  Cover and chill 3 hours.

**For a festive Red, White, and Blue option, toss blueberries or blackberries in lemon juice and sprinkle over the top of the strawberry sauce**

Peach Berry Dessert

This recipe doesn't have a fancy name, but it is my favorite dessert of all time.  One summer, at least 10 years ago, my mom and I were visiting my Aunt.  We wanted to make a fresh fruit dessert and my aunt suggested this new recipe that she hadn't tried yet.  Ever since that day, this has become a family summer staple...I am constantly awaiting the day that peaches are in season, then make this as much as possible before the peaches disappear at the grocery store. 

Ingredients

2 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced (approx. 2 cups sliced)
3/4 cups sugar (divided: 1/4 and 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation

1. Mix together peaches, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Pour into 2 qt. baking dish or deep pie dish.
2. Sprinkle raspberries over peaches. 
3. In a food processor or in a bowl with a pastry knife, mix together remaining sugar, flour, butter and nutmeg until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal.
4. Squeeze topping together to compact, then crumble over fruit to cover. (Leave large chunks in the topping...those are the best parts)
5. Bake in a 375* oven until bubbling in center and golden brown on top, about 45 min. 
6. Cool 10 minutes. Serve dessert hot or cold.  Top with ice cream.

Red Velvet Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Beautiful cake for a fancy occasion.  Takes a little effort and you have to make sure not to stain everything red, but totally worth it.

Cake Directions

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/4  cups  granulated sugar
1/3  cup  vegetable shortening
1/2  cup  egg substitute
1  tablespoon  unsweetened cocoa
1  (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
2  cups  cake flour
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1  cup  low-fat buttermilk
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1  tablespoon  white vinegar
1  teaspoon  baking soda

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set pans aside.
3. Place granulated sugar and shortening in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute; beat well. 
4. Combine cocoa and food coloring in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; add to sugar mixture, stirring well to combine.
5. Lightly spoon the cake flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine cake flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Combine vinegar and baking soda; add to batter, stirring well. 
6. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

 Frosting Ingredients 

Ingredients 
3/4  cup  fat-free milk
3/4  cup  all-purpose flour
1/2  cup  butter, softened
2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
1/8  teaspoon  salt
2 1/2  cups  powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Combine milk and all-purpose flour in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes or until mixture forms a very thick paste, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon into a bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until chilled. 
2. Place butter in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and chilled flour mixture; beat until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating just until blended (do not overbeat).
3. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Top with other cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.