Raspberry Charlotte

I had every intention of posting this recipe on Valentine's Day weekend, seeing as this is the perfect celebratory dessert. But, as is most common in my life, my days got away from me, and somehow in the blink of an eye, it became March! Then, I realized that I posted a "green" recipe on Valentine's Day (see HULK muffins). Apparently, I just wanted to mix up the holidays! So, in hindsight of Febrruary and preparation of St. Patty's day, I give you America's Test Kitchen's Raspberry Charlotte.

Let me tell you, this dessert is hard work. It takes a lot of time and concentration. It's full of everything you shouldn't eat. I don't even want to attempt to calculate the calories in it. You'll have to wash a lot of dishes. There will be waiting. Lots of waiting. But, I promise, it's all worth it for the final product! If you're feeling ambitious, give it a shot! 

Ingredients:

Fillling:

1 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

2 T water

3 large egg yolks (reserve whites for cake)

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 pound (3 1/4 cups) fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

2/3 cup sugar

2 T unsalted butter

Pinch salt

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

Jam Mixture:

1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 T lemon juice

1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam (I couldn't find seedless, so I just strained mine through a fine mesh strainer after heating)

Cake:

2/3 c. cake flour

6 T sugar

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 large egg, plus 3 large egg whites (reserved from filling)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 T water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:

1. The good stuff - make the filling: Sprinkle the gelatin over water in large bowl and set aside. Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until combined. Combine raspberries, sugar, butter, and salt in medium saucepan. Mash lightly with whisk and stir until no dry sugar remains. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is simmering and raspberries are almost completely broken down, 4 to 6 minutes.

2. Remove raspberry mixture from heat and, whisking constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup raspberry mixture to yolk mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, return tempered yolk mixture to mixture in saucepan. Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Pour through fine-mesh strainer set over gelatin mixture and press on solids with a rubber spatula or the back of a ladle until only seeds remain. Discard seeds and stir raspberry mixture until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until curd is slightly thickened and reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes or up to an hour and 15 minutes.

3. Jam time: Sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice in small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Heat jam in microwave, whisking occasionally, until hot and lfuid, 30 to 60 seconds. Addd softened gelatin to jam and whisk until dissolved. Set aside.

4. Cakety cake cake: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 8-inch round cake pan and 8-inch square baking pan, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease parchment. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk oil, whole egg, water, and vanilla into flour mixture until smooth batter forms.

5. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer one-third of egg whites to batter; whisk gently until mixture is lightened. Using rubber spatula, gently fold reamining egg whites into batter.

6. Pour 1 cup batter into round pan and spreadh evenly. Pour remaining batter into square pan and spread evenly. Place pans on rimmed baking sheet and bake until cakes spring back when pressed lightly in center and surface is no longer sticky, 8 to 11 minutes (round cake will be done first since it's shallower). Cakes should not brown. 

7. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert round cake onto wire rack. Carefully remove parchment, then reinvert onto second wire rack. Repeat with square cake. Let cool completely, at least 15 minutes. 

8. Place round cake in center of serving platter. Spread with 2 tablespoons jam mixture. Place ring from 9-inch springform pan around cake, leaving equal space on all sides. Leave clasp of ring slightly loose. Using sharp chef's knife, trim 1/8 inch off all tablespoons jam mixture. Cut cake in half. Cut each half lengthwise into two pieces to make four equal-size long strips. Place cake strips vertically around round cake, jam side in, taking care to nestle ends together neatly. Fasten clasp of springform ring.

9.Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low pseed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer one-third of whipped cream to curd; whisk gently until mixture is lightened. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining cream until mixture is homogenous.

10. Pour filling into cake ring and spread evenly to edge (surface of fillign will be above edge of cake). Drizzle reamining jam mixture over surface of filling. Using knife, swirl jam through surface of filling, making marbled pattern. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours.

11. To unmold, run thin knife around edge of ring (just 1/2 inch down). Release ring and lift to remove. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

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"Hulk" Muffins

We spend a significant amount of our free time around our friends' toddlers, and there is always a common theme: picky eaters. Mamas out there, just know you are not alone... every child goes through a phase in which every healthy option is met with "I don't like that!" 

So, I set out on a quest to make our godson eat his vegetables. Yes, I know, I'm mean. I tried to force feed him carrots the other day, and he wasn't even enticed with ranch. That's when I knew  I needed to up the ante. I knew if I could hide the veggies in a baked good, he would down them, as long as it tasted nothing like a vegetable. And that brings us to "hulk" muffins. They're seriously magic. I felt like a champion when I watched him down a mini-muffin in one bite and promptly ask for another one. Victory!

I adapted this recipe from superhealthykids.com, by adding a protein booster (chia seeds), eliminating the white sugar, and adding some more veggies. I'm sure you could use a variety of whatever veggies you have on hand, you just need a total of 2 1/2 cups of produce puree. Also, you can change the name of these muffins to whatever will entice your kiddo - the Hulk or all things scary/monstrous are what works for little man!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c. honey
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 small apple, cored
• 1 c. baby spinach
• 1/2 c. steamed broccoli
• 1/2  c. steamed green beans
• 1/4 c. plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat together the honey, butter, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.
4. Combine the applesauce, carrot, apple and spinach in a powerful blender (I use my Blendtec) or a food processor. Blend until smooth. 
5. Add the steamd vegetables and banana to the puree and pulse until smooth.
6. Combine the puree and yogurt into the butter mixture and beat until mixed.
7. Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined and wet.
8. Scoop the mixture into a prepared muffin pan
9. Bake them in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes for regular size muffins, and 350 for 20 minutes for mini-muffins. Bake until the tops are slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean or they bounce back when you touch them with your finger.

These freeze great! Put them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

How do you like your pancakes... Strawberries and lemon creme?

Or blueberries and maple syrup?

Whatever fits your fancy, you HAVE to make these lemon poppyseed pancakes!! HAVE to. Seriously, do it now. Eat them for breakfast. Eat them for lunch. Eat them for dinner. Eat them for a midnight snack. Top them with your favorite fruit, or just roll em up like tortilla and take it to go. Just make them. Really. You won't regret it.

Ingredients:

2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/3 C sugar
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. pure lemon extract
1 1/2 to 2 C buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 T butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle if using an electric griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, powder, soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk, eggs, butter, lemon zest, lemon extract, and poppy seeds.

3. Add the wet to the dry until it's the right consistency. Add the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk if needed to thin the batter. Stir all ingredients together until they're just combined.

4. Heat up griddle to medium-high and brush with melted butter. Pour about 1/3 C of batter in skillet at a time and cook until golden brown on both sides.

5. Serve with your desired toppings of choice!

For the lemon creme:

Mix together 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth.  Let sit for a few minutes to thicken, if desired.

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Blueberry Buttermilk Bake

Inspired by a recipe from Pinterest, again! This made a fantastic group brunch dish... I'm sure you could use other berries (would probably be good with raspberries)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Zest from 1 large lemon
2 c. white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Set aside 2 Tablespoons of the sugar.  Cream butter with lemon zest and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/2 cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9x13" pan with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with  reserved sugar. Bake for 35-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Strawberry Dream Cake

We're taking a brief sabbatical from the new cookbook to try out a Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen magazine) beauty.  This is the perfect dessert for the perfect fruit at this time of year! So much intense strawberry flavor, this is just absolutely delicious! If you have any left over frosting, it goes really well in homemade crepes with fresh strawberries... just an idea. =)

Below is the recipe as posted on the Cook's Country website.  It's a little intense, a bit time consuming, and completely worth it.  Be sure to check the cakes while they're baking; if you overcook them, the cake will be dry.

INGREDIENTSCAKE

• 10ounces frozen whole strawberries (2 cups)
• 3/4cup whole milk, room temperature
• 6large egg whites, room temperature
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4cups (9 ounces) cake flour
• 1 3/4cups (12 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 4teaspoons baking powder
• 1teaspoon salt
• 12tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

FROSTING

• 10tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4cups (9 ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 12ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 pieces and softened
•  Pinch salt
• 8ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, grease parchment, and flour.
• 2. Transfer strawberries to bowl, cover, and microwave until strawberries are soft and have released their juice, about 5 minutes. Place in fine-mesh strainer set over small saucepan. Firmly press fruit dry (juice should measure at least 3/4 cup); reserve strawberry solids. Bring juice to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk milk into juice until combined.
• 3. Whisk strawberry milk, egg whites, and vanilla in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Give batter final stir by hand.
• 4. Scrape equal amounts of batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and cool completely, about 2 hours. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
• 5. For the frosting: Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix butter and sugar on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add reserved strawberry solids and salt and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
• 6. Pat strawberries dry with paper towels. When cakes are cooled, spread 3/4 cup frosting over 1 cake round. Press 1 cup strawberries in even layer over frosting and cover with additional 3/4 cup frosting. Top with second cake round and spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Garnish with remaining strawberries. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

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Chocolate Covered Pears with Sauce

A beautiful symbol of decadence, these pears are a perfectly chocolaty after-dinner treat.  Goes great with either the espresso sauce or raspberry sauce.  Surprisingly, they are pretty quick and easy to make despite how fancy they look!

Ingredients:

1 lemon

6 c. cold water

2 c. sugar, divided

1 (4") stick cinnamon

2 whole cloves

4 ripe Bartlett pears, with stems

4 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped

2 tsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. brewed espresso coffee

Directions:

Cut 2 strips of zest from the lemon, about 2" x 1" each.  Juice the lemon and keep the squeezed halves.

In a saucepan deep enough to hold the pears standing up, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.  Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil and boil 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the stems on.  With a small melon baller, working from the bottoms, scoop out the cores.  Rub the pears all over with a lemon half to prevent discoloring.  

Add the pears to the syrup, which should come up to their stems.  If necessary, add cold water.  Return the pot to medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Cook the pears until a thin knife easily penetrates at the thickest point, 15 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the pears and set on a plate to cool to room temperature.  Reserve the cooking syrup.

Pat the pears very dry with paper towels.  Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwaveable bowl and heat in 10-15 seconds increments until they are melted.  Remove and stir until smooth.  To coat the pears, set them on a wire rack over wax paper.  Spoon the melted chocolate over each pear to coat.  Let them set in a cool place until the chocolate forms a shell, about 2 to 3 hours.  

For the sauce, strain 1 cup of the cooking syrup into a small saucepan and add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. (I used the remaining syrup to make sun iced tea!).  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and boil until the syrup is reduce by half.  Off the heat, add the coffee. Set aside to cool.

Serve each pear with 2 tablespoons sauce.  

Alternate raspberry sauce:

4 cups raspberries

1-2 tbsp powdered sugar

1/2-1 tsp lemon juice

Place the raspberries in a fine strainer set over a bowl.  Using a wooden spoon, push as much pulp as possible through the strainer.  Discard the solid from the strainer (I used mine to make fruit leather!).  Mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice into the strained fruit. 

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Baked Apples

Need a quick, healthy dessert?  Here's your answer!

Ingredients (per 1 serving):

1 apple

1/2-1 T butter

2 T. brown sugar

Cinnamon

Directions:

Hollow out the apple (I just used a knife to get out the core, then a spoon to make the hole a little bigger).  Peel a thin strip off the apple so that it can breathe in the oven.  In a small dish, mix together the butter and brown sugar, then put the mixture inside the apple. Place the apples in a baking dish and cover the base of the dish with water.  Sprinkle apple generously with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees until desired softness, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, or just gobble up!

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Surprise Success!

What a spread.

Last weekend, we hosted a surprise 30th anniversary party for my parents.  It was a HUGE success.  Over 30 people came and honored the happy couple, and to top it off, Mom and Dad had no idea that we had this planned! I served brunch theme food, including Bacon Quiche Tarts and Quiche Lorraine Muffins.  I know it looks like a lot of work, but there are two tricks: 1. Bake almost everything on a free day and freeze.  2. Don't be afraid of store-bought delights.

Besides the recipes mentioned above, we also had:

• Whole Wheat Banana Bread
• Ham & Cheese Bake
• Veggie Dip
• Fruit Dip
• Brownies (from a Ghiradeli box)
• Costco-bought Cinnamon Rolls (Mac almost likes them better than my homemade ones!)
• Aunty Christy's Cinnamon Muffins

The dips were delicious and easy to make; an easy must-have for any gathering.

Fruit Dip:

Cream together 1-(8 oz) package of cream cheese (softened) and 1 jar of marshmallow creme.  Simple as that.

Lemon-Dill Veggie Dip:

Ingredients:

3/4 c. mayonnaise (I usually avoid mayo at all costs, but it's hard to make a creamy dip without it)

3/4 c. sour cream

4 T. fresh lemon juice

4 oz. crumbled feta

2 T. fresh dill

Salt and Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients well. Again, simple as that.

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Jam-time!

When you pick 25 pounds of fresh, organic strawberries it's time for some jam!

This is only about 1/8 of the berries we picked.  I only used this much on a double batch of jam! The rest went in the freezer to use throughout the year...

 First, you need to hull the strawberries.  The easiest way to do this is using a straw, as seen here:

After you hull, you mash. (Next time, I might puree... I think I like smooth jam best).

Then, you mix the mash with lots of sugar. Lots. I tell you, do not skimp on the sugar...

I did not want to put in as much sugar as I did, but it's necessary for the jam to gel.

For 4 quarts of berries, you use approximately 10-12 cups of sugar.

I know. Ridiculous.

But necessary.

 So, go ahead... pour it in...

Then slowly bring that to a boil.  You want to try to get it up to 220 degrees. 

 Meanwhile, start sanitizing your jars and lids (lids on the stove, jars in the dishwasher)...

And start your water bath...

 ... and make a yummy strawberry beverage.

(Strawberry puree, lemonade, and ginger ale)

... and start some strawberry fruit leather in the dehydrator

(accompanied by 5 layers of drying apples!)

Once the jam starts boiling, and the water bath gets going, I get too busy to take pictures.  It's easy; you just ladle the hot jam into hot jars (straight out of the dishwasher), and process in the boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.  Key points are to make sure:

1. Rims of the jars are clean.

2. Lid pieces are secure.

3. Jars are completely covered by water in the water bath.

After 15 minutes, remove the jars CAREFULLY, and voila!

Jam for the next 6 months! (or Christmas presents!)

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Lemon-Yogurt Mousse with Blueberry Sauce

Nothing goes together better than good dessert and good friends!

God has blessed me with three irreplaceable "kindred spirits" (yes, I'm an Anne Junkie)!  We all live in different cities now, so any chance the four of us get to be together, we take advantage of it.  This year, there happened to be ONE night that all four of us close to Corvallis, so we made it happen.  In addition to enjoying fantastic fellowship and laughter, we also enjoyed this:

Lemon Yogurt Mousse with Blueberry Sauce

I always wish that fancy desserts came in larger portions... This was so delicious and refreshing... my only complaint was that I wanted more!  

Ingredients:

3/4 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 Tbl. sugar

2 Tbl. water

pinch salt

3 Tbl. water

3/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1/2 c. whole milk Greek yogurt

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest plus

3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

6 Tbl. sugar

Directions:

For the blueberry sauce, bring the blueberries, sugar, water, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is heated through, 2-4 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much puree as possible (there should be about 1/2 cup sauce).  Spoon the sauce evenly into six 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.  

For the Mousse:  Meanwhile, pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top.  Set aside to let the gelatin hydrate for 10 minutes.  In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt, heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt together until smooth.

Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar together in a large bowl.  Set the bowl over a large saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until it has tripled in size and registers about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes.

Off the heat, quickly whisk in the hydrated gelatin until melted.  Whip the warm mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it forms stiff, shiny peaks, 4-6 minutes.  Add the yogurt mixture and continue to whip until just combined, 30 to 60 seconds.

Divide the mousse evenly among the chilled ramekins with the blueberry sauce, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and set, 6-8 hours (I left it in the fridge overnight).  Serve chilled.

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Strawberry Shortcake

Best. Shortcake. Ever. Hands down.  Strawberries were on sale, 4 lbs. for $4.98, so we just could not pass up the opportunity to indulge.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Strawberries:
2 qts. strawberries
6 T. sugar

Shortcakes:
2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
5 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
9 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and chilled
2/3 c. half-and-half (I used part heavy cream and part 1% milk since I didn't have half and half)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 recipe Whipped Cream (see below)

Directions:

1.  For the strawberries, crush 3 cups of them with a potato masher.  Slice the remaining 5 cups and stir into the crushed berries with the 6 tablespoons of sugar.  Let sit at room temp until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are juicy, about 30 minutes.

2.  While the berries are macerating, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Pulse together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combine.  Scatter the butter pieces over the top and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses.  Transfer to a bowl. (You can also just whisk the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter if you don't have a food processor).

3.  Blend the half-and-half with the beaten egg and pour into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Stir with a rubber spatula until large clumps form.  Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly until the dough comes together.

4.  Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9 by 6 inch rectangle about 1 inch thick.  Cut out 6 dough rounds (I used a floured 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter).  Reform the remaining dough and cut 2 more rounds.  Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

5.  Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes.  Let the shortcakes cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

6.  For Whipping Cream, blend together 1 c. heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract on low speed until sugar is dissolved.  Increase mixer speed to high and whip until doubled in volume and soft peaks form (about 3 minutes).

7.  To assemble, split shortcakes in half, spoon a portion of the fruit over each bottom, and a dollop of whipped cream the replace top half of shortcake.

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Applesauce

Last fall (2009), we made 21 quarts of applesauce.  This year, I made about 7, but still worth it!

The kitchen becomes a workshop!

First you wash the apples...

 Then you quarter them...

 Put 'em in a big pot

Add a little water and cook 'em til they're soft but not mushy

Get your water-bath canner ready (fill with water and bring to a boil); Start sanitizing those lids too! 

Set up the "Squeeze-O"

Mash the apples through the squeeze-o

See the pretty applesauce come through the filter!

 Ladle the applesauce into a jar using a wide-mouthed funnel and sanitized jars!

Put the lids on, making sure no water is on the rim, and stick 'em in the water-bath

Process 20 minutes with the lid on, and then let them cool!

 Pink Lady apples make pink applesauce. :)

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Fruit Cobbler

Now is the time of year when I resist the urge to use ALL of my frozen summer berries at once... Unfortunately, once those holiday get-togethers pick up, my ability to maintain composure fails completely and I succumb to baking one of these delicious cobblers, just so I can have a little taste of summer to share with everyone... You can use pretty much any type of fruit (fresh or frozen) for this cobbler, as I have listed for your enjoyment.  My favorite so far has been the peach!

Ingredients:
1 recipe fruit filling (see below)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. plus 2 tsp sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. buttermilk
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  PLace the fruit filling in 9" deep-dish pie plate.  Place the pie plate on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fruit begins to release liquid, 20-30 minutes (about 60 min for frozen fruit).
While the fruit is baking, whisk the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla together.  In a third bowl, toss the cinnamon with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Once the fruit filling has begun to release liquid, gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until the dough is just combined and no dry pockets remain.
Remove the cobbler filling from the oven and stir.  Pinch the biscuit dough into 8 equal pieces and place them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1/2 inch apart.  Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar.
Return the cobbler to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Fruit filling varieties:

• Blackberry (6 cups) plus 1 T. cornstarch (2 T if frozen), 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla
• Blueberry (6 cups) plus 1 T. cornstarch (2 T if frozen), 1/2 to 2/3 c. sugar, and 1/2 t. cinnamon, 2 T lemon juice
• Peach/Nectarine (4-5 whole fruit), peeled, pitted, and cut into thick slices, plus 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, pinch cloves, 1 t. vanilla extract, and 1 T. brandy
• Raspberry (6 cups) plus 1 T. cornstarch, 1/2 to 2/3 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla
• Strawberry (2 quarts) plus 1 T. cornstarch, 1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla

If you would like the ratios for apricot, sour cherry, plum, or strawberry rhubarb, let me know!

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Apple-Banana Muffins

Yummy! I adapted this recipe from Passionate Homemaking.  We ate them for breakfast in the morning and then threw some frosting on to turn them into cupcakes for dessert that evening!

Ingredients:
*1/3 c. butter, melted and cooled
*1/3 c. applesauce
1 c. brown sugar
*2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. yogurt
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. ripe bananas
2 apples, peeled, cored and grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix together dry ingredients in small bowl.  In a large bowl, cream together butter, applesauce, and eggs.  Beat in vanilla and yogurt.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined.  Fold in apples and bananas.  Fill greased/floured or lined muffin tins with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes:
* You can use all butter or all applesauce if you want... Next time I will use 2/3 cup applesauce and omit the butter.
* I didn't use eggs... I used flaxseed binder and I highly recommend it!

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German Apple Pancake

America's Test Kitchen recipe... I would recommend using Braeburn Apples, not Pink Lady (like we did). Nonetheless yummy! Also, when I say to "dust with powdered sugar, if desired", I mean DUST HEAVILY WITH POWDERED SUGAR, even if undesired. A large shower of powdered sugar is a must. Don't skimp.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. white sugar
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. half-and-half
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 T. unsalted butter
3-4 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the half-and-half, eggs, and vanilla together. Whisk the half-and-half mixture into the flour mixture until smooth with no lumps.
Melt the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add in apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often, until the apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Quickly pour the batter around the edge of the skillet, then over the apples. Place the skillet in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the pancakes i brown and has risen above the edges of the skillet, about 18 minutes.
Loosen the edges from the hot skillet with a spatula (don't forget to use an oven mitt to get the pan out!), and flip the pancake onto a large plate or serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, (DO IT!), cut into wedges, and serve immediately.

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Apple Dumplings

From the kitchen of Jan Evans

All this was lacking was vanilla ice cream... yum!

Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
2 c. water
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
3/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
about 4 apples, grated
Cinnamon-sugar

Directions:

Mix the sugar, water, cloves, and cinnamon together in a pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the 1/2 cup of butter, and let cool while preparing the rest of the dumplings. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in the shortening and then add the milk. Roll out dough to 1/4" thick rectangle. Cover generously with grated apples, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and roll up as for jelly roll and cut into 1" slices. Place in pan (so it looks like cinnamon rolls) and pour the syrup over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

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Big, Beautiful Muffins

If you happen to read my Words Page, you would have seen that I checked out The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book from the library yesterday. Then, I sat down to determine exactly which recipes I could manage to make in the 3-week checkout time. The conclusion: I need to buy the book.

This was the first recipe out of the book, and we couldn't agree on a flavor, so I made a half batch of lemon-berry for Mac and the other half mocha-chip for me! We both liked the berry ones best. Add whatever you'd like to the basic batter and they should turn out great! Also, please note that the picture makes them look overcooked, but it's the espresso powder and whole-wheat flour... I NEVER overcook my baked goods. :)

Ingredients:

3 c. flour (I used 2 c. whole wheat + 1 c. all-purpose)
1 c. white sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. plain yogurt (Can use homemade!)
2 large eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt and eggs together until smooth. At this point, if you are making two different kinds of muffins, you need to split the dry mixture and yogurt mixture in half because there will be different things you add to the yogurt mixture. If you're making all one kind, continue on...
3. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in the melted butter (don't forget to split the butter in half also)
4. Using a greased 1/3 c. measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
5. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving (or devour immediately as we do).

For Lemon-Berry:
Add 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest to the yogurt mixture (I eye-balled about 1/2 tsp since I split the batch in half). Toss 1 1/2 c. fresh or not-thawed frozen berries with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold into the batter (used 3/4 c. of berries and 1/2 tbsp. of flour). Tossing with flour keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

For Mocha-Chip:
Add 3 tablespoons instant espresso (again, since only 1/2 batch, I used 1 1/2 tablespoons) to the yogurt mixture and fold 1 cup (I only used 1/2 c.) semisweet chocolate chips into the batter.

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Trifle Bar

This is a super fun and easy dessert when you have a casual get together. We had a great time looking at each person's creation and enjoying the various choices. You can include whatever you want for your trifle bar, but this is what we had:

- Vanilla & Chocolate Pudding (Recipes to follow)

- Pound Cake (Recipe to follow in a later post)

- Brownies

- Strawberries

- Bananas

- Walnuts

- Chocolate Chips

- Whipped Cream

Just have each person take a goblet and layer their choices, putting pudding in between each layer. Have fun!

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