Category Desserts

Florida Strawberry, Lavender Farmers Cheese and California Walnut Braided Pastries

Carroll 4 Comments

How could there not be pastries at a brunch, desserts are a must, right?  Best for last?  California Walnuts sent all the participants of #BrunchWeek a bag of fresh from the tree walnuts and I was thrilled to use them for a scrumptious sweet #BrunchWeek finale!

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Strawberries are the perfume of the produce section right now in our Florida groceries.  I love this time of year with all the U-Pick farms, the road side stands filled with just picked berries.  With the inspiration from the berries and the beautiful earthiness of the fresh walnuts I thought making a pastry would be perfect.  To emphasize seasonal I wanted to use a floral essence, so I added the lavender.  Perfectly seasonal!

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Ingredients

  • 16 ounces strawberries, cleaned and sliced
  • 16 ounces of puff pastry sheets (2 sheets)
  • 1 cup California Walnuts, chopped
  • Lavender Pastry Cream
  • 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

 Lavender Simple Syrup:

  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • ½ teaspoon dried lavender

 In a small sauce pan but sugar, water and lavender in and bring to a rapid simmer for about one minute reducing to about half.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. 

 Lavender Farmers Cheese Pastry Cream

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 7.8 ounces farmers cheese (8 is fine, but the package I used was 7.8, either way)
  • 2 tablespoon lavender simple syrup
  • 2 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

 Add the softened cheese to a bowl and beat until combined.  Add in remaining ingredients and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy, and completely mixed. Place in piping bag if you like, but a spoon will work just as well.

Method: 

Preheat oven to 400.

On a floured surface, roll one puff pastry sheet out to be 1/8 inch height to about a 12×10 square.  Cut with a knife down the center so there are now two 6×10 sections.  Trim a triangle from the corners of each section.  Cut angled strips down the 10 inch length of the dough, about ½ inch apart, make the same number of cuts on each side.  

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Pipe or spread a ¼ of the pastry cream down the center of the each piece.  Top with 4 ounces of cut and cleaned strawberries and then sprinkle ¼ cup of walnuts down the center.
 

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Make a fold with the top piece of the pastry over the berries. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the filling, alternating sides, to cover the filling.  Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with egg wash.

Repeat with remaining cut section of pastry, and then repeat with the second sheet of pastry dough.  Place two braided pastries on each baking sheets.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until pastries are golden brown.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.  Cut each piece in half or in quarters depending how much your stomach is growling.

Makes 8 large or 16 regular size pastries.

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These pastries could be a little sweeter for some, but a simple sanding sugar after brushing them with the egg wash would do the trick.  The lavender is very delicate, not overpowering at all- infact, one may not even notice.  The California Walnuts earthiness were the perfect complement to the light floral, the farmers cheese and to the sweet strawberries. 

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As #BrunchWeek comes to a close today, leaving us with a library of ways to treat the Mom’s of the world tomorrow- I wanted to shout out again to all the participants of #BrunchWeek, and especially Terri of Love and Confections, and Christine of Cook The Story who made it all happen- You ladies are Fabulicious!

Join us at the #PinChat today, May 11th from 2-3 Eastern, for a chance to win prizes and participate in #BrunchWeek closing ceremonies!!  Until then- take a look at all this mouth watering goodness!

Brunch Drink Recipes

Frozen Grasshopper by Amanda’s Apron
Gin and Sparkling Red Wine Cocktail by Take A Bite Out Of Boca
Chocolate Trifle {kid friendly} by Real Housemoms
Vanilla Pomegranate Mojito by Noshing With The Nolands
Cherry Sangria by Cooking In Stilettos

Potato Brunch Recipes

Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes with Vidalia Onions and Thyme by Cook the Story
A Salad Called German Potato by The Vintage Cook

Breads, Grains, Cereals and Pancake-type Yums

Chocolate Chip Craisin Granola Bars by Big Bear’s Wife
Dandelion Pesto Pizza by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Biscoff Walnut Granola Parfaits by White LIghts on Wednesday
Stuffed French Toast by poet in the pantry
Pina Colada French Toast by The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook
Sourdough Epi Baguettes with Rhubarb Blood Orange Ginger Jam by Spontaneous Tomato
Carrot Cake Pancakes by Love and Confections

Spreads and Dips for Brunch

Strawberry-Kiwi Jam by Sweet Remedy
Grilled Pineapple and Walnut Dip by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Brunch Dessert Recipes

Raspberry Sweet Rolls with Meyer Lemon Glaze by by Cravings of a Lunatic

WESitval and the Coca-Cola Float Cupcakes

Carroll 4 Comments

Last week was my husband Sir Wes’ birthday or Birfday as he calls it.  It also happened to be my niece and nephews spring break, who were more than happy to come all the way from South Carolina to celebrate WEStival with us.   What kid wouldn’t want to go to a birthday party at Walt Disney World.  Forget the bowling alley/Putt Putt/Chucky Cheese parties, WEStival was where it was at. 

WEStival

 

Sir Wes had only made two requests for his birthday, first was to spend time with the family and the other was that he wanted Coca-Cola Cake for his birthday dessert; a child hood favorite of his.  Both of these requests were easy and fun to fulfill. 

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 We spent the few days hopping between the parks and the pools, kids and adults having a blast.  A little of this-

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 And a little of that-

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 Coca-Cola Float Cupcakes- recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Coca-Cola Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp. cocoa
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1 cup Coca-Cola

 Coca-Cola Glaze:

  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp. cocoa
  • 3 Tbsp. Coca-Cola
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

 Marshmallow Buttercream:

  • 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup confectioner sugar, sifted
  • 1 Tbsp. milk
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup mini marshmallows

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For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter, cocoa, marshmallows and Coca-Cola, heating it gently. Pour the warm butter mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring well, and then add the liquid ingredients mixing until the batter is well blended.

Pour into a muffin tin that has been greased or lined with papers filling each well ¾ quarters and bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

For the glaze:

Sift the confectioner sugar into a bowl and set aside. In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the butter, Coca-Cola and cocoa and stir over a low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, and spoon in the sieved icing sugar, whisking well, until you’ve got a smooth, spreadable, but still runny, icing.

Either dip the cupcake tops into the pot of glaze, or carefully pour a tablespoon of glaze over the cupcakes while they are still warm, and leave to cool

For the marshmallow buttercream:

Mix together the softened butter, confectioner sugar, vanilla and milk until the buttercream frosting is a smooth consistency.

Gently melt the marshmallows in a glass bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds on 50% power until they have slightly melted and started to rise up.   Add the melted marshmallows to the buttercream frosting, and whip until completely combined; the frosting should be thick and light.  Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with your favorite style tip and pipe over the cooled, glazed cupcakes.  Garnish with cherries, sprinkles, nuts or your favorite float topping.

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The Coca-Cola Cupcakes came out extrmely moist, and very suitable for travel.  Even a few days later the treats are still delectable.

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Needless to say, we had a great spring break, and a fabulous WEStival!  Hopefully Sir Sully and Lady Corree are not going to be disappointed in the next birthday party they attend.

Smores Brownies

Carroll 2 Comments

Ahhhh, the Florida winter weather.  Let me pick out what shorts to put on today, ones that match my favorite tan flip flops.  All while I am watching the news reports of the snow storm that has struck the northeast United States.  Piles of snow, city transportation suspended, flights cancelled, tired commuters sleeping on the airport floor- how many Facebook snow related pictures are on your news feed?   Admittedly, I am super jealous- would love to take a sled ride down the hill I grew up with in my Philadelphia back yard.

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Camping season, fire pit season, or even just soft blanket season come unexpectedly in Florida, and is gone before you know it.  I love cool nights that justify buying leather boots or a great looking jacket.  Sitting outside by our fire pit that has only been used a handful of times is a great way to end the day.  When there is a chance of winter visiting Florida, I grab on tight-  boots, fires, blankets, comfort dinners and how could Smores be ignored.

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Generally there is a box of brownie mix in our cabinet, stemming from my inability to resist 2 for 1 at the grocery.  Pastry Chefs may balk, but honestly, I have yet to meet a bad brownie.  Bad Cookies, cakes, ect- yes, I have tasted several that I put down with displeasure, but not the brownie.  Brownies are simply never bad.    With a cool night upon us, I pulled out the box mix and grabbed the smores components that I keep for in hopes of an impromptu fire pit evening.  They came out delicious!  A tall glass of ice cold milk and every bite was a treat.

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Ingredients

  • ½ stick butter, melted
  • 1 cup graham crumbs, about 6 crackers
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 box favorite brownie mix, or make your favorite recipe
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine the melted butter, graham crumbs and brown sugar in a bowl and blend well.  Coat 9×9 brownie pan with cooking spray and spread graham crust evenly on the bottom of the pan.  Prepare brownies as directed on the box or in the recipe and pour on top of graham crust.  Bake  33-36 minutes or as directed.  Remove from oven when the center of the brownies is cooked, try sticking a toothpick in to see if it comes out clean.  Turn the oven to broil and sprinkle the marshmallows around the pan.  Place the pan back in the oven and watch until the marshmallows are evenly toasted.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Cut into squares as small or big as you like and enjoy!

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There may not be any sleds or even firepits in my plans for the weekend but the memories of multiple snow suit changes, mugs of hot cocoa and races down the hill will bring a smile when I see the 100th picture of snow in my Facebook feed.

May you enoy the snow or escape the snow this weekend- either way, stay warm in the heart!

Chili Butterscotch Squash Truffles

Carroll 3 Comments

It tis the season…Pumpkin season.  I had to get in one pumpkin recipe before the Christmas extravaganza started.   At one time I loved all things pumpkin, but I am almost, a tiny bit, almost.., sick of all the pumpkin going on.   Anyone else feel that way?  Pumpkin is the fall version of Sliders….You can’t escape it.  Fortunalty I am only “kinda” tired of it, I still have some love for the orange squash.

Truffles are a great way to play with flavor combinations.  Small enough to not commit to entire desserts, and at the same time big enough to be impactful with strong flavor profiles.

Chili Pumpkin Truffles- Modified from Whole Foods recipe

  • 2 ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped gingersnaps, about 6 cookies
  • ¼ canned pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup finely chopped graham crackers, 2 whole wafers
  • 1 tablespoon confectioner sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • Butterscotch morsels

Start by melting 1/2 cup of the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat, stirring often to keep the chocolate from burning. Transfer to a large bowl.  Combine gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, chili powder, salt and cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl, cover and chill until just solid enough to roll into balls, at least 2 hours.

Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Melt remaining 2 cups chocolate and transfer to a small, deep bowl. Roll 1 heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture into a ball in your hands, then drop into the chocolate. Working quickly, gently spoon chocolate over to coat. Using a small spoon or fork, lift the truffle out of the chocolate, shake off excess and transfer to prepared sheet tray. Dollop a bit of extra chocolate on any parts that remain exposed, then sprinkle a few gingersnap or graham cracker crumbs over the top, if you like. Repeat process with remaining pumpkin mixture and chocolate, then chill truffles until chocolate is completely set, about 1 hour. Melt Butterscotch morsels and drizzle over top of truffles.

Truffles are fun for the kids to help with as well, rolling balls and dipping into the chocolate.  Great way to keep them occupied while the game is on!

Hopefully you aren’t “pumpkinned” out yet and left room for one more recipe!!  Great idea for hostess gifts over Thanksgiving!

Halloween Bacon Oreo Bark

Carroll 3 Comments

I know friends are starting to talk in amazement about Christmas decorations going up, and Black Friday Sales being advertised before Halloween has come and gone.  But I’m still stuck in wonderment that Halloween is this week- How did that happen??  Correct me if I am wrong but weren’t we enjoying a long Labor Day weekend a few days ago?? 

Obviously it’s been busy and here we are going to a Halloween party tonight- Bring your best treat.  Awesome.   When it comes to “on the fly” treats, one of the best options is the bark road.  If you have even a little bit of a sweet tooth you are likely to have a bag of chocolate in your house.  Melt that chocolate and throw in whatever looks good- candy, salty snacks, herbs, dried fruits, cereal, marshmallows, ect and you’re done in 15 minutes.  I did this in shorter time then it took Sir Wes to fill out his absentee ballot this morning.

The kiddos are able to help with making bark as well- I know my niece and nephew, Lady Corree and Sir Sully would love it! 

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
  • 10 Halloween Oreo’s, crushed
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, rough chopped

Method

Line a 9×13 baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Place pot with water on stove over medium heat, and place a metal bowl on top creating a double boiler.  Add chocolate and vegetable shortening and stir while the chocolate slowly melts.  When the chocolate is smooth add the crushed Oreo’s and bacon and mix well.  Pour onto the lined pan and spread evenly.  Pop in the refrigerator until set and then break into pieces. 

Serves 1-8 people, depending how piggy!

Here is to hoping Thanksgiving still happens and we don’t just skip to Christmas!  Because we all know- Thanksgiving is the best food holiday! 

White Chocolate Bread Pudding- Straight from DAK Catering Recipe Book

Carroll 2 Comments

I mentioned that I started my culinary career at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK) Catering department.  It was a super small team- at most 7 people.  We got to be very close, and have always remained like family.  We executed amazing events that we surprised ourselves with.  Hundreds and thousands of guests were fed out of a tiny little kitchen and with a pretty green bunch of cooks.   Luckily we had a few veterans that led us, and gave us all a great culinary foundation.  

Full of good memories and full of amazing food!  My favorite recipe that I took away from “DAK Catering” is the White Chocolate Bread Pudding.  I love this- so perfectly sweetened, lots of rum and deliciously rich.   Loved it enough that when Sir Wes and I got married (he was one of the seven that worked with me); we served it at our wedding as a nod to where we met.

After 7 years of happiness, Sir Wes and I are still celebrating with it!  Happy Anniversary to the guy, that drove me crazy every day; and who later became my best friend and partner in life.
Ingrediants

  • 12 oz. loaf butter pound cake, few days old is perfect as it absorbs nicely
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup Myers Rum
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8- 1 oz. squares white chocolate, cut in large chunks
  • 8- 1 cup oven proof mini casserole dishes

Directions

Slice pound cake into 1 inch cubes and place evenly into mini casserole dishes.  In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, milk, rum, sugar and cinnamon and blend well.  Pour even amounts into the casseroles, filling to almost the top.  Distribute the chocolate evenly around the casseroles, leaving a few pieces on the top of each dish.  Put the casseroles on a baking sheet in case they bubble over and bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set.   Best to serve right out of the oven as they soufflé up and look awesome with the rise.

Makes 8 servings. 

Putting the white chocolate on top lets it get nice and toasted- this is the best bite of the dish. 

I think to this day, we would all agree it was the best team we have worked with, and probably had the most pride in what was accomplished.  And this bread pudding is definitely the dish that has been most requested in my life. 

Cheers to a wonderful family born thru work, and a continued life time of happiness to my best friend.  Happy anniversary Sir Wes!

Caramelized Apple Upside Down Cornbread Cake

Carroll 4 Comments

Yesterday was the first day of fall; did you know it didn’t start until 10:49 AM?  So those of you celebrating at Starbucks with your Pumpkin Lattes before…well, you cheated :).   I love the fall season and all the gifts it brings, even in Central Florida, where we seem to skip the refreshing cool, breezy days, you still see the harvest being celebrated despite the warm, sticky temperatures.

Pumpkins, apples, caramel, corn, root vegetables, and squashes are being turned out by women across the area, the same ladies that are forcing the jean and boot season to start as soon as the highs fall below 90.  I have learned after years of living in Central Florida to reluctantly join them, otherwise I’d miss the autumn season entirely. 

When I was at the College of Charleston I took a trip with friends to the mountains to see the leaves change colors.  We stopped at a road side market, where I insisted on buying some apples to make fresh apple sauce.  After the grill was going and happy hour had started I was able to coerce my friends into peeling apples; which I then chopped up and threw in a pot.  They simmered for about 8 hours, never getting to the point of apple sauce but they did become somewhat of a trip mascot.  We certainly did cheer them on!  I only pretended to know what I was doing in the kitchen when I was in college (sometimes I still do a little of that) but my love of apple baking was ignited.

This dessert is straight out of the South, right on Meeting Street, Charleston SC.   It was adapted from a recipe in The Local Palate, developed by Chef Frank Lee of SNOB and Maverick Restaurants. 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces butter, split in ½
  • 1 & ¼ cup brown rice syrup
  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered and seeded
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup self-rising flour

Method

Preheat oven to 325.  In a heavy bottom, oven ready sauté pan over medium high heat melt 4 ounces of butter and 1 cup of brown rice syrup.  Arrange apples in the sauté pan round side down and remove from heat.  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk, ¼ cup of brown rice syrup.   Mix in cornmeal and salt, followed by flour.  Blend until just mixed and pour evenly over apples.   Bake for 35-40 minutes and cool for 5 minutes.

When ready to serve, place a large plate over the sauté pan (one with a deep surface as there is quite a bit of sauce) and gently flip.  Slice into wedges and garnish with whip cream and fresh apples.

Serves 8-10, depending how hungry!

A scoop of Brown Butter Ice Cream would be perfect to serve with this dessert- or even some of Chef Matt’s bacon brittle.  I am not a bacon eater, but I won’t keep you from adding it!

I told Sir Wes, that this would be a great appetizer if you replace the first butter with bacon and remove the brown rice syrup from the cornbread.  Bake it in small individual dishes and serve warm- bacon, apples and cornbread, sounds like a good combination.

Cheers to the beginning of fall, and of course the start of jeans and boot season!

Cherry Rose Hand Pies, a Homemade Childhood Favorite!

Carroll 2 Comments

We have been taking a lot of trips to the beach lately, which for us is an all-day affair, living 1 ½ hours away from it.  So we get going early, pack a cooler and load the car and are on the road before the morning steam is finished rising.  I discovered last summer that packing chocolate really doesn’t work; it in fact just leads to a plain mess.  So this summer I went with hand pies, perfect for any picnic, lunch box or on the go treat.  I don’t want to knock Hostess or Little Debbie….but…

Cherry Rose Hand Pies

Cherries are in season, and to make these a little more special I added the rose water.  The flavors blend perfectly, giving a floral finish to the cherries.  If you are on Team Hate Rose Water, substitute vanilla extract and double the amounts.  I do know many chefs that detest rose water, but one chef I know recently told me, “Those haters just see it misused a lot”.  A little goes a long way in the case of rose water.

Hand Pies for Everyone!!

Ingredients

Pie Dough –

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 6 tablespoon ice water

Filling –

  • 2 ½ cup pitted cherries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon rose water
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Glaze –

  • 1/2 cup confectioner sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon rose water

 Preparation:

 In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until mixed well.  Add the butter and shortening into the bowl and run until it looks like coarse meal.  Slowly add water in until the dough comes together.  Remove the dough from the bowl and knead into a ball.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour. 

While the dough rests, start the filling. In a medium sauce pan, combine the cherries, sugar, rose water, and salt. Over medium heat allow the ingredients to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring well.  As the juices from the cherries release, remove 4 tablespoons of the sauce and place in a small bowl.  Add the cornstarch into the bowl and mix well.  Stir the cornstarch slurry back into the sauce pan and continue to simmer, stirring constantly until you have the consistency of pie filling.  Remove from bowl and place in refrigerator to cool.

To make the hand pies divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll them into balls. On a floured surface, with a rolling pin, start flattening the balls into 6″-7″ circles. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375. Remove your dough and allow to stand about 5 minutes. In center of circle add 2 tablespoons of the filling and fold in half. Crimp the edges with a fork and poke the fork into the center of each pie to allow the steam to exit.  Place the pies back onto the parchment lined baking sheet and place in oven.  Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden.

While the pies are baking, make the glaze by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.  Once the pies have been removed from the oven, allow them to cool slightly, and then spoon pour the glaze over them.  Allow the glaze to set while the pies continue to cool.

Makes 8 hand pies.  These can be refrigerated up to a week or frozen up to a month.

Lunch Box Favorite!

I love the portability of hand pies, easy and convenient.  But most of all, I love being taken back to the special days of my childhood that I would find a hostess pie in my lunch. 

Smores- Golden Graham Style!

Carroll 1 Comment

I am not sure there is a better combination of sweets than chocolate, marshmallow and graham.  The joy isn’t just in the taste of the ooey gooey smores, but in the trip back to your childhood nights you take when you eat them.  Same can be said for Rice Krispie Treats- I feel like I am in the small desk at Woodland Elementary whenever I eat the kids treat.

Childhood Ooey Gooey Goodness

Inspired from childhood, my friend Alex and Macaroni and Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 6 cups mini marshmallows, 1- 10 ounce bag
  • 1 12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 5 tablespoon butter
  • 6 cups Golden Graham Cereal
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

    All the flavor and no need to build the fire!

 

Directions
Place package of chocolate chips and 1 cup of marshmallows in the freezer to chill. Coat a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.

In medium sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat.   Add in 5 cups of marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Drop in the salt and vanilla and stir.  Once combined remove from heat and pour into your largest mixing bowl (I used my large tossed salad bowl).  Add the cereal into the mixing bowl and stir until well coated before throwing in the frozen chips and marshmallows.  When all is mixed well spread into the baking pan, pressing to evenly fill the pan.  Allow to set, storing in the refrigerator. 

Makes about 2 dozen squares.

Perfect Camping Treat

Added bonus – Pretty sure you can get the kiddos to do the dirty work to get these smores!

Peach and Tarragon Peach Mason Jar Pie

Carroll 3 Comments

Happy Independence Day to all!  Sir Wes LOVES the 4th of July, I secretly think he has the goal to participate in Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest, which just thinking about makes me a little sick.  Most years we stick with a batch of Sangria, a cookout and a trip down to Celebration to see the fireworks instead.  Yesterday I made a dessert that would be perfect to pack on any picnic, park, beach, or backyard.

Peach and Tarragon Mason Jar Pies

I can’t resist the scent that comes from the piles of peaches at the market, the smell is so strong you can taste it.  I love this quote of a Farmer describing his peaches on NPR, “Drips off your elbows, drips off your chin, drips off your face, drips onto your shirt, onto your pants, onto your shoes … We just want the consumer to know out there, that this is an awesome fruit and it’s a great time of year.”

Easy Travel Peach Pie!

Fresh peaches and a leftover pie dough sheet in the fridge, perfect for this all American holiday!  I had a bit of fresh tarragon staring at me from the refrigerator shelf , so I added that into the filling.  I love adding herbs to fruit, they just add a different, refreshing twist.

  • 4 peaches, pitted and diced
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon chopped tarragon (basil or cilantro will work here too)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 pie dough sheet, use your favorite recipe, or purchase one
  • 4 ½ pint mason jars

To prepare the filling:

Place all the peaches, sugar, tarragon and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Allow to gently simmer, pulling out the juices of the peach, with the sugars thickening the juice.  After 15 minutes remove from heat and cool in refrigerator.

To assemble Mason Jars:

Roll out dough to a standard pie thickness, cut out 8 circles of dough by using the top of the mason jar.  In each jar place a cutout on the bottom and scoop the peach filling into the jars.  Top with the remaining dough. 

Place mason jars on baking sheet and cook in oven for 30 minutes at 425°.

The smell of peachs makes my mouth water!

Happy Independence Day, may we all appreciate the freedom we have, thanks to the service men and women who have provided it so courageously!