¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup butter softened at room temperature
1-cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 (1oz.) bottle red food coloring
Filling:
1 (8oz.) bar of cream cheese
1 ½ sticks of butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1-cup marshmallow Fluff
Directions:
1) Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda; Set aside
2) In a large mixer combine egg, butter, vanilla, and sugar; Mix until well combined.
3) Add salt and then add a quarter of the flour mixture. Slowly pour in buttermilk and continue to alternate until all ingredients are combined. Add food coloring and mix again until the dough is desired color.
4) Drop about 2 TBLS. of dough on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. About halfway through baking, take a rubber spatula and remove the baking sheet from oven and flatten the dough. Cool on a wire rack
5) Meanwhile make filling; Add butter, cream cheese and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Cream together until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and then add marshmallow Fluff.
6) Place about 1 TBLS. of filling in between two cookies and then enjoy!
Polly’s Nutty Baklava
Polly is a wood Nymph so, of course, the girl digs on baklava. This flaky pastry is super sweet but oh so good! Baklava is not that difficult to make, but you have to work fast otherwise the phyllo dough will dry out in a heartbeat. When you are not using the dough be sure to cover it with a damp towel, even if it’s only for a few seconds otherwise the dough will be useless.
Ingredients:
12 oz. of crushed, shelled pistachios and 4oz. of chopped pecans
½ tsp. ground cinnamon, or to taste
1-cup ground vanilla cookie wafers
4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 rolls of phyllo dough (thawed)
½ tsp. kosher salt
Syrup:
3 cups sugar
1 6-8 oz. jar of honey
2 TBLS. Fresh lemon juice
2 TBLS. Fresh Orange juice
Directions:
1) Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Combine the nuts, cinnamon and ground cookie crumbs in a bowl
3) Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter. Layer ten pieces of phyllo dough in the dish, brushing each piece with butter before adding the next (keep remaining dough covered with a damp towel). Sprinkle a quarter of the mixture over the dough. Layer five pieces of phyllo on top, brushing each with butter adding the next, sprinkle with another quarter of the nut mixture. Add five more pieces of phyllo dough on top, brushing again with butter before spreading the rest of the nut mixture.
4) Layer, the remaining phyllo dough on top of the nuts, brushing each one with butter. Bake in the oven for one hour or until golden brown.
5) Meanwhile make the syrup: Bring the sugar, honey, and 1-½ cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, 10-15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and orange juice and boil 3-4 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
6) Pour the syrup over warm baklava and let soak uncovered for at least six hours or overnight. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.
*Syrup will not be thick so don’t get your panties in a knot if it’s not thickening up in a saucepan. You want it to be thin and pour it all over the baklava. I know it seems like a lot, but the dough will absorb all of the liquid*
*You cut small strips of the phyllo dough and make a crisscross pattern on top of the baklava
before baking. Just remember to brush each crisscross layer with butter!*
Petits Fours
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBLS. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1-½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
6 large egg whites
½ tsp. almond extract
1-cup milk
Icing:
3 cups sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tarter
1-½ cups of water
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
3 drops of food coloring, if desired
Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside
2) Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3) Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until creamy. Add one egg white at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low. Add flour mixture alternating with milk, beating well after each addition until just mixed.
4) Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Carefully remove cake from pan; cool completely.
5) Combine sugar, cream of tartar and water in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to boil. Cover and boil for three minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until candy thermometer reaches 228-234 degrees. Remove from heat; cool to 110 degrees (about 1 hour) Stir in powdered sugar, 1 tsp. of vanilla or almond extract and food coloring if desired.
6) Place wire cooling rack over wax paper. Place 1-cake piece on fork and drizzle icing over top and sides of cake, making sure each side is covered. Place on separate wire rack and cool completely. Garnish each petit four with candy flowers or frosting flowers, if desired.
Pop’s Lemon Curd Tartlets
Lemon curd in a little mini tart? Heaven in my mouth! Thanks Pops!
Shortbread Crust
2 cups all-purpose
¼ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Lemon Curd
Zest of 3 lemons
1-½ cups of sugar
1-stick unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs
½ cup lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, sift flour and salt.
2) Cream butter and powdered sugar in a bowl of a standing mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just incorporated. Gather the dough and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan and set aside
4) On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ¼ inches thick. Cut into 12, 3-inch rounds. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
5) Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6) Make lemon curd: Mix lemon zest and sugar with a fork
7) In a large bowl cream the butter. Add the sugar mixture and beat together. Add the eggs, lemon juice and salt. Mix until well combined.
8) Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly for about 10-15 minutes or until the curd starts to thicken.
9) Remove from heat. Push the lemon curd through a sieve to make it extra smooth. Pour the lemon curd into prepared tart shells and place in refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
10) Top with fresh fruit and a dollop of fresh whip cream if desired.
Willa’s Apple-Blueberry Pie
Buttery Pie Crust
Makes 1 single-pie crust*
1 ¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup of unsalted butter, chilled and diced
¼ cup ice water
Directions:
1) In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Pulse in butter and ice water until mixture just comes together to
form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for four hours.
2) Roll out dough on a well-floured surface to fit in a 9-inch pie shell.
A Willa hint- I usually make about 4 of these puppies at a time. You can always freeze a couple for a few weeks!
Apple-Blueberry Pie Filling
5 cups fresh apples, sliced
1-cup blueberries
1 TBLS. lemon juice
1 cup of sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Directions:
1) Sprinkle sliced apples and blueberries in a bowl with lemon juice and set aside.
2) In another large bowl combine sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add apples and blueberries and combine well.
3) Transfer mixture to a pastry-lined pie plate. Gently place the top layer of pie crust and crimp edges to secure.
4) Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Filling
1-cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
6 large egg yolks
1-½ cups water
1 TBLS. lemon zest
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 TBLS. unsalted butter
Meringue
1 TBLS. cornstarch
1/3-cup water
¼ tsp. cream of tarter
4 large egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 single layer of buttery pie crust*
Directions:
1) Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan.
2) Add egg yolks, the gradually whisk in 1-½ cups water.
3) Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking regularly, about 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
4) Remove from heat and whisk in zest, lemon juice and butter. Set aside and keep warm.
5) To make meringue: Mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, occasionally whisking. Remove from heat when it is transparent and thickened.
6) Preheat oven to 325 degrees
7) In a large bowl combine cream of tartar and sugar together.
8) In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until frothy and add vanilla. Beat in sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time and then drop in cornstarch mixture gradually until stiff peaks form.
9) Pour lemon filling into prepared pastry lined pie dish and then gently fold the meringue topping over filling. Lift back of a spoon to create decorative peaks.
10) Bake for 20 minutes.
Mimi’s Homemade Blueberry Pie
I will give my mother props for this one. This is probably the best blueberry pie I have ever had. She won’t even let me type this one out (That’s why the typeset is a little different, but my mother doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. *sigh*) apparently, only Mimi can explain it properly…ok, Mom.
Hi again, it’s Cecily! I love this recipe because the flavors are amazing together. I know that every time I make it for Cormac he actually hides it so no one else will find it and eat any of this delicious pie!
Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cold butter, sliced
6 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, sliced
1-teaspoon kosher salt
4 to 6 Tbsp. ice-cold water
Filling
7 cups fresh blueberries
1/4-cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2-cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4-teaspoon kosher salt
1/4-teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large egg
Directions:
-Prepare Crust: Process first 4 ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, gradually add 4 Tbsp. ice-cold water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and process until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of the bowl, adding up to 2 Tbsp. more water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, if necessary. Divide the dough in half, and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill two hours to two days.
- Prepare Filling: Place 1-cup blueberries in a large bowl; crush blueberries with a wooden spoon. Stir cornstarch and vinegar into crushed berries until cornstarch dissolves. Stir sugar, next five ingredients, and remaining six cups blueberries into crushed berry mixture.
- Unwrap 1-dough disk, and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with flour. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Fit dough into a greased (with butter) 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Repeat rolling procedure with remaining dough disk; cut dough into 12 to 14 (1/2-inch-wide) strips. (You will have dough left over.)
-Pour blueberry mixture into piecrust and dot with butter cubes. Arrange piecrust strips in a lattice design over filling. Trim excess dough.
-Roll remaining dough, and cut into 6 (9- x 1/2-inch) strips. Twist together two strips at a time. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water. Brush a small amount of egg mixture around edge of pie. Arrange twisted strips around the edge of pie, pressing lightly to adhere. Brush entire pie with remaining egg mixture. Freeze 20 minutes or until dough is firm.
Preheat oven to 425°. Bake pie on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°, and bake 20 more minutes. Cover pie with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake 25 to 30 more minutes (65 to 70 minutes total) or until crust is golden and filling bubbles in the center. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack; cool 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Brittle
Alright, so I love peanut brittle. I love it at Holidays, I love it on the weekends, I love it on the weekdays, I just f-ing love it!
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup butter
3 cups sugar
1-cup light corn syrup
1 cup shelled raw peanuts
1-cup pistachios, shelled
1 cup pecans
Directions:
1) Butter one-cookie sheet liberally with ½ stick of butter and set aside.
2) Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and ½ cup water in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and attach a candy thermometer. Cook over medium heat or until syrup spins a thread when poured from a spoon or when thermometer reaches 240 degrees.
3) Stir in nuts and continue cooking and stirring until candy becomes golden brown or until thermometer reaches 300 degrees.
4) Remove from heat immediately and quickly add remaining butter, vanilla, salt and baking soda. Stir only until butter melts and then pour brittle onto the cooking sheet, spreading mixture thinly. When brittle has completely cooled, break the candy into pieces and store in a tightly covered container.
Chocolate Mascarpone Cups
These delectable little treats are a bitch to make, but boy are they delicious. You have to spread the chocolate mixture onto the paper muffin liners not too thick and not too thin. I would recommend a little practice before diving right into the whole batch!
8 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1-cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
3 TBLS. sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated orange peel, if desired
Directions:
1) Line 8-muffin cups with paper liners.
2) Melt bittersweet chocolate over a double boiler, stirring until smooth.
3) Spoon 1 TBLS. of melted chocolate onto each paper liner. Using a pastry brush, coat chocolate evenly over bottom of the liner and up the sides. Freeze until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Re-melt the remaining chocolate and spoon another 1 TBLS. into cups forming a second coat. Freeze until just set, about 1 hour.
4) C
ream together whipping cream and sugar until soft peaks form; set aside
5) In another bowl beat mascarpone cheese, melted semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla and orange peel until smooth. Fold in whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag and pipe into chocolate cups.
If desired, garnish with white or dark chocolate curls
Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight
The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* Page 103