Monthly Archives: April 2015

Recipes - Desserts

Strawberry Pie

 

Ohhhh!  Fresh strawberries again!  There was NO doubting what I wanted to prepare and blog about today when I spotted fresh juicy strawberries at my local market yesterday!

This is my sister, Mamie’s, recipe for fresh strawberry pie and it is a great one!  Of course, I’d never prepare this pie without making a homemade crust so don’t skip that step!  This recipe can also be found in my “Missouri to Maui’ cookbook.  Note: I used a 9″ pie plate but I believe a 10” plate would also be fine as I had about 1/2 cup of filling left; I poured that over some cereal and added milk and ended up with a good lunch to boot!  Winner!

Simple prepare your crust and bake it then slice the berries and make the gelatin filling mixture on the stove.  Chill the filling for a short time in the fridge then pour over the berries in the baked crust. Pop it in the fridge for several hours (or overnight) and get ready to enjoy every delicious bite.  The filling itself is delectable and nothing in the world beats fresh strawberries.  This pie produces  a delightful blend of flaky crust and sweet berries and you will be very pleased that you chose to make this one.  Don’t forget to add a healthy dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip and serve up cold to those waiting impatiently around your table.  Happy Spring indeed!

Ingredients

1-9” pastry shell, baked
1-(3 oz.) box of strawberry gelatin
3 T. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups boiling water
Few drops of red food coloring, optional
1 T. lemon juice
1 quart strawberries, washed, stemmed, and quartered

Directions Prepare a homemade pastry shell because this pie deserves one. If not, proceed. Bake shell for 10-12 minutes at 400. Remove from oven and cool. Mix gelatin, cornstarch, and sugar in medium bowl. Add to the saucepan of boiling water and boil gently until mixture coats a spoon. Remove from heat. Add red food coloring if desired. Cool mixture slightly in fridge then add the lemon juice and stir to blend. Prepare the berries, filling the bottom of the baked pie shell with them arranged cut side down then pour gelatin mixture over the berries all the way to the top of the crust. Let sit in fridge until firm. Chill overnight if desired. Serve with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Hot Apple Dumplings w/Crescent Rolls

I told my girlfriend I wasn’t “going to mess with blogging today” since my mama just got out of the hospital yesterday and I am playing catch up at home, BUT, I certainly wanted something to take to the staff who cares for mama here in town to celebrate her homecoming, and I thought about these great, and quick, apple dumplings! The recipe is also included in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook.  Here we are then!

Most of the ingredients you will have on hand for this recipe; you will need two apples and two packages of refrigerated crescent rolls and a can of soda, however.  The dumplings are easily prepared and ready for the oven in under 15 minutes.

I used Granny Smith apples today as they hold up well for baking and I like the contrasting tartness they offer to the butter-sugar mixture in the recipe.  The apples bake up soft and moist and the crescent rolls provide the dumpling taste.  Flavor with ground cinnamon.  Do try this one when you want something fast yet delicious!  Enjoy every bite of moist dumpling!

Hot Apple Dumplings w/Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples
2 tubes crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-(12 oz.) can of 7-up or Mt. Dew soda

Directions Preheat oven to 350. Peel apples, core, and cut each apple into eight slices. Roll one apple slice in one crescent roll triangle. Repeat until you have 16 dumplings. Place in a 9×13 pan; sprinkle with the cinnamon. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add sugar to the melted butter and mix well. Add a little more cinnamon to this mixture, to taste, or not at all, and drizzle over the dumplings. Pour the can of soda over everything. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with ice cream or prepared whipped topping.

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Recipes - Entrees

Cheddar Ranch Chicken

Don’t you love a recipe that you can put together in 15 minutes and be ready to enjoy in 30?  Cheddar Ranch Chicken is perfectly suited when you want something fast, yet flavorful.  You can prepare a side dish while the chicken bakes and you’ll be sitting down to supper in no time at all.

Prep time for this recipe involves only “dressing” the chicken breasts with the savory topping and you’re all pau!  The mayo makes for moist chicken pieces while the dry ranch dressing provides a savory bite.  Adding Panko flakes consistently results in meat with a crunchy crust so this simple recipe really does have many good points!  I do recommend cutting the breasts into chunks if they are thick for ease in slicing into bite-size pieces.  Today I cut the chicken into chunks also for an even quicker baking time,  just 25 minutes.

I steamed two small heads of broccoli for a side dish, added butter, and was sitting down to the table in under an hour, finding every bite savory and satisfying.  Enjoy!

Cheddar Ranch Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T. dry Ranch seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Panko flakes
Cooking spray

Directions Preheat oven to 425. Place chicken in baking dish. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch seasoning and Cheddar cheese. Spread on top of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the Panko flakes on top and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.  Bake 10 minutes longer if using large breasts.  Chicken is done when its juices run clear.  Serve warm.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Sugar Crusted Raspberry Muffins

 

Knowing there was no way I was not going to use the last cup and a half of fresh raspberries today, I went looking for a recipe for raspberry muffins.  The recipe I used, from Real Simple magazine, resulted in 12 large moist muffins flavored with the first  raspberries  of the season.  Hello Spring!

The batter is simple and was ready in just 10 minutes.  It is a soft batter with milk, melted butter, and an egg for liquid.  Combine your dry ingredients then whisk the milk and egg and add to the dry ingredients.  Fold in the raspberries and nuts gently then scoop the batter into your muffin tins filling each tin 3/4 full for a nice pop to the muffin tops.

Today I added chopped pecans to my batter knowing the nuts would provide texture.  Cool slightly in the muffin tins then remove and cover tightly with foil until ready for serving. This healthy looking batch is today’s  Added Bonus for mama and myself with 10 muffins left for the staff at Woodland Hills; fresh, warm, and savory they make a great start to everyone’s Easter weekend!

Sugar Crusted Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup pecans, chopped small (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 400° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat it with cooking spray, vegetable oil, or butter. In a medium bowl, combine 1-3/4 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and combine. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined; the batter will be lumpy. Toss the berries with the remaining flour in a bowl. Gently fold the berry mixture into the batter .Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining sugar. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Serve while still warm.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Lemon Raspberry Coffee Cake

I was SO excited to find raspberries at my local market because I had almost given up on the idea of making this delicious coffee cake for Easter, and when I spotted those raspberries yesterday, my arms went up in a victory sign and i danced a jig right there in the produce section! I have made this coffee cake for many years now and especially love enjoying it for Easter morning when we are visiting my sister and her family in Illinois.  Everybody likes this moist cake, from great-granny to the little kids, and because it is so beautiful to behold that is our  Added Bonus for this dish!

It might seem a good deal of work for only a small one-layer cake, but it bakes tall and small wedges make it a perfect breakfast offering. Although the recipe in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook says you can use frozen raspberries also in this cake, I never do; fresh berries are definitely worth the wait. The tart berries contrast with the sugar, flour, and eggs in a dense batter flavored with fresh lemon zest. Do press the raspberries gently into the half-baked batter so they aren’t merely decorating the top of the cake (save that happiness for just a sprinkle of powdered sugar).

Because this cake usually travels, I bake it the day before, and it is even more delicious on the second day. Every bite is moist and sweet, and every berry, perfection! This is, of course, just made for coffee, but I know that our little kids like it with milk. Whatever works for you, you will be glad the cake is on the table. Wishing you and yours a Happy and Blessed Easter morning as well!

Lemon Raspberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel (zest)
1 egg
1 cup fresh raspberries (or frozen if you must)
Powdered sugar

Directions Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease bottom of 9×1-1/2” round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Grease and lightly flour bottom of parchment; set aside. For cake, in a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In separate large bowl, beat 1 cup of the sugar and the softened butter with mixer on medium until combined. Add 1 egg and the vanilla. Beat on low for 1 minute. Alternately add flour mixture and the 3/4 cup buttermilk, beating just until combined after each addition; set aside.

For cheesecake filling, in a small bowl beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with mixer on medium until combined. Add lemon zest and 1 egg. Beat well until combined.

Spoon half the cake batter into prepared pan, spreading to edges. Spoon cream cheese mixture on cake batter, spreading carefully to edges (so the two layers don’t combine). Dollop remaining cake batter on top of cream cheese layer, carefully spreading to edges of pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until puffed then take out of oven and gently press raspberries into cake. Bake another 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen edges of cake from the pan then turn out to a plate then turn out again on serving plate so cake is right side up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired; so pretty!

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