Deep Dish Triple Cherry Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1 T. butter, softened
1 jar tart dark cherries, drained
1 jar red cherries (see NOTE below)
1 jar bing cherries, (NOTE: reserve all liquid plus enough from red cherries for 1/2 cup juice)
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. almond extract
2 t. lemon juice
1 pastry for double crust 9 inch pie

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice as noted
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch flour and salt
4. Combine cherry juice, vanilla and lemon juice
5. Add to dry ingredients, mixing well
6. Add cherries and mix well again
7. Add butter and let stand for 15 minutes
8. Pour cherry mixture into pie crust and finish top with lattice crust
9. Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden and bubbly

Easy Fresh Cranberry Apple Tart

Fresh Cranberry Apple Tart

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh cranberries

2 med gala apples, peeled and chopped

1 c. raw almonds, chopped

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 T. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

3 T. orange juice

2 egg whites, beaten

1 uncooked pie crust

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425.  In a medium sized bowl mix all ingredients together.  Pour into an unbaked pie shell.  Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.  Until crust is golden and you see the juices bubbling.  Let it cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.  Merry Christmas!

Butternut Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c. half-and-half or whole milk
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 c. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4inch cubes
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
pinch all-spice
2 1/2 c. stale bread
2 small apples, cored (leave the peel) 1 cut into bit sized pieces, 1 sliced
1/3 c. dried cranberries (plus more to top
2 T. fresh mint

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
2 T. light-colored corn syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt

Granola Topping:

Here is the link to my recipe: The Best Granola

For the Bread Pudding:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your baking dish, I used a 11x9.  It is best to make your caramel sauce first so it has time to cool a bit before you add it to the egg mixture.  Set aside to cool once made.

In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla.  Add in 3/4 c. of the bourbon caramel sauce.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl toss the squash, brown sugar, the spices, bread, apples and cranberries.  Make sure you get it all nice and coated.  Evenly spread the squash mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top evenly.  Let it sit for about 5 (or more) minutes to let the bread absorb all the creamy goodness.

Sprinkle the top of the bread pudding with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the granola.  This is totally optional.  I just had some on hand and thought it would be a good addition to the dish.  I really liked the crunch that it provided the creamy dish.  But again, if you do not have it laying around you can omit this.

Bake the bread pudding for 1 hour or until top is browned and bubbling.  Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Top it with the fresh mint, sliced apples, a few more cranberries and drizzle some bourbon caramel sauce on top.  TIP:  Leave some extra sauce to drizzle on each individual serving.  We found that this was the BEST way to really taste the sauce.  SOOO GOOD!

For the Bourbon Sauce:

In a heavy sauce pan combine brown sugar, cream and butter.  Melt over medium-high heat until boiling.  Turn down the heat and let it cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Stirring frequently.  You want it to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in the salt, vanilla and bourbon.  Set aside to cool.



Recipe Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Chocolate Sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of chocolate goodness in about 10 minutes.


Ingredients: 


1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream or just milk for a lower fat version
2 T. butter
2 t. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Over medium heat, combine milk and butter until the butter has melted. Add dry ingredients to the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Boil, stirring constantly until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Cool and refrigerate unused portion.

 from Kelly Carámbula's blog, Eat Make Read, is originally from the Old Occidental Hotel in Muskegon, Michigan.

Coconut Pineapple Bread Pudding

1 loaf of day old French bread
3/4 c. Butter
4 eggs
3/4 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Half and half or heavy cream
11/2 t. Vanilla extract
1/2 t. Cinnamon
3/4 c. to 1 c. Fresh pineapple
1/2 c. Coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 375. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and toast for 5 or so minutes to get it crispy. When crispy place bread in large bowl. Melt butter and pour over bread, toss to coat.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, cream and sugar together. Add rest of ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour egg mixture over bread and toss together - I like to use my hands to gently squeeze the bread and make sure it all gets soaked in good.

Pour bread into a greased 8" square pan or something similar. I used my 3 quart round cast iron pot and it worked great!

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until crispy on top. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Grown Up Strawberry Shortcake (lemon cake with balsamic strawberries)

I did not get a picture of it all assembled.  We ate it too quickly to remember :)  It was awesome!  You assemble it like a strawberry shortcake.  First the cake, then room temperature strawberries and top with fresh whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

10 min

Cook Time:

50 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze: (I omitted the glaze because I did not want it to be too sweet)

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Balsamic Strawberries

Ingredients

• 16oz fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and leave at room temperature for 1 hour and no more than 4 hours.

Fresh Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 8oz heavy whipping cream
• 2 T. powdered sugar
• 1 heaping teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Place mixing bowl in the freezer for up to 30 minutes before you make this.  You want the bowl to be very cold for best results.

Whip the cream in a mixer on high until soft peaks start forming.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Be careful to not over mix at this point.

Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Recipe By: Tracy Lytle

Apple Crumble Dessert Pizza

All I have to say is OH.MY.GOSH.DELISH!  It took some serious will power to not eat half the pizza.  Looking down at my growing belly helped me stop grabbing for more :)  It is a bit involved, but so worth it!

Preheat oven to 425.

Pizza Crust (makes 2 large cookie sheet thin crust dough's)

1 2/3 c. warm water (80 degrees)
2 T. sugar
2 T. oil
2 t. salt
4 1/2 c. all purpose flour (I used all purposed whole wheat)
2 t. yeast

Put all ingredients in order listed in bread machine and select "pizza course".  Or you can put all ingredients in order listed into a stand mixer with a kneading attachment.  Knead for 5 to 6 minutes and then let it rise until doubled.

Once doubled, cut in half.  Roll each half out into a thin crust, spread a light layer of oil over the crust and on the cookie sheet.  Set aside.

**I used one crust for the dessert pizza and one for a normal cheese pizza.  

Apple Base


2 large apples, peeled and cut into small pieces
1/3 c. water
1 T. butter
2 t. cinnamon
pinch of all spice and nutmeg
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2 t. corn starch
4 T. cold water

Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cover for another 5-10 minutes or until apples are soft.  Remove from heat and add cold water/corn starch mixture until thick.  Set aside.

Cinnamon Crumble 


1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. butter, cold
1 t. cinnamon

Mix ingredients into a bowl and cut in the butter until it resembles a course mixture.

Icing


2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. cold milk
1 T. melted butter
1 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients and put into a plastic baggie and place in refrigerator.
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Pre-bake the plain pizza crust in oven for 3 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread apple mixture evenly over pizza.  Then sprinkle the cinnamon crumble over the apples.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until crust is browned and apple mixture is bubbling.  Let cool slightly then cut a hole in the icing bag and drizzle over pizza.  Serve warm.

Recipe by: Tracy Lytle

Lemon Meringue Pie

This is my Husband's absolute favorite pie.  Being Father's Day I decided to tackle it.  I have always been nervous to make one, I don't know why, it just seemed daunting to get the meringue the right consistency.  This recipe was super easy and made a delicious pie!  Definitely going to make it again real soon.

**Note** The lemon dropped on the side of the pie was an accident turned into a "garnish".  Ha!

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2-3 lemons, juiced and zested, depending on the size
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
• 4 egg whites
• 6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 298 | Total Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 110mg

Recipe taken from: Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie

Posted by: Tracy