Biscotti

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The Italians really know what they are doing when it comes to making simple cookies that go perfectly with a cup of coffee.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
3 teaspoons of ground anise
2 1/2 cups of flour
3 eggs + 1 egg for brushing
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of almond extract

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl if mixer, mix the sugars, ground anise, baking powder, and flour.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Add to the flour mixture. Mix until dough comes together.

On a lightly floured surface separate dough into four equal pieces. Roll one piece at a time into a log shape that is approximately 8 inches long, 2 inches wide. Repeat with remaining three pieces of dough. Place two logs per baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops of the loaves are shiny and deep golden. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before slicing. Place a loaf on a cutting board, and using a large serrated knife, slice cookies 3/4 of an inch thick on the diagonal. Place slices on their sides back on to the baking sheets and bake on each side for 7 minutes each.   Remove from oven and cool completely.  They will last for about a month in an air-tight container.

 

Leftover Cranberry Pound Cake

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Why not bake with leftovers?

INGREDIENTS

1 pound butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 cups flour
3/4 cup milk
Juice of one orange + zest
1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans

DIRECTIONS

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  This could take up to 7 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and zest (all at once) beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow yolk disappears.

Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with milk and orange juice, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. The batter should be smooth with no lumps. Fold in cranberry sauce and pecans.

Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Decorate as desired. I used a dusting of sugar and the cranberry juice.

BA’s Best Pumpkin Pie

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Well, what were you expecting? I got this recipe from Bon Appetite.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons chilled lard or vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Filling and Assembly

⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, beaten to blend
2 cups unsweetened pumpkin purée
⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream (for serving)

DIRECTIONS

Crust

Pulse sugar, salt, and 2 cups flour in a food processor until combined.
Add butter and lard and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pieces of butter and lard visible, about fifteen 1-second pulses.
With motor running, drizzle in vinegar and 5½ Tbsp. ice water and pulse until dough is still crumbly but just holds together when squeezed (add 1 tsp. water at a time if necessary, but be careful not to overwork dough).Turn out dough onto a work surface. Knead 1–2 times, pressing to incorporate any shaggy pieces. Flatten into a 6″-wide disk.Wrap with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.Preheat oven to 425°. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 14″ round. Transfer to a 9″ pie dish. Pick up edges and allow dough to slump down into dish, letting excess dough hang over dish. Trim, leaving about a 1″ overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch and crimp.Chill 30 minutes.

Line dough with parchment paper or foil, leaving some overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around the edges and just beginning to brown, 25–35 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights and reduce oven temperature to 350°.Brush inside of crust (not the crimped edges) with egg wash and continue to bake until crust is set and beginning to lightly brown in the center, 10–15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Filling and Assembly

Preheat oven to 325°. Whisk sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl until no clumps remain.

Add eggs, pumpkin, condensed milk, cream, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Bake pie until edges are set and slightly puffed but center is recessed and wobbles like Jell-O, 60–75 minutes (it will continue to set after baking). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 3 hours before slicing.

Blue Cheese, Walnut & Grape Muffins

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INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/4 finely chopped walnuts + extra for topping
12 grapes cut into small pieces
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly grease the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan. 

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients–milk, butter, eggs.  Take a fork or wire whisk and blend the two briefly–do not overmix. Fold in the nuts and grapes. 

Fill the cups of the muffin pan two-thirds to three-quarters full. Sprinkle nuts on top

Bake the muffins for 10 minutes and then lower over to 350 F and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and as soon as you can handle them turn them out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

Chocolate Covered Flap Jacks

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INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 1/3 cups oats
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium-sized pot, melt butter with brown sugar, and honey. After it boils simmer for 30 seconds.  Take it off the heat and mix in oats. Spread in pan in an even layer and baked bars for 25 minutes, until deeply golden at edges.

If you’d like to add chocolate, let them rest in their pan on a cooling rack for 3 to 4 minutes before sprinkling the chips all over, then waiting 5 minutes before spreading them in a single layer.

I worked with this recipe.

Bakery Style Corn Muffins

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Give someone the gift of waking up to a fresh hot corn muffin.

INGREDIENTS

1 2/3 cups flour
2/3 cups corn meal
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup melted and cooled butter

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.  Combine until just mixed and refrigerate for approx. an hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray or grease muffin tin.  Scoop mixture into muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes at 425.  Do not open oven door.  After 10 minutes, lower temperature to 375 F and bake for another 10 minutes.

Brown Butter Bars

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Baker By Nature does a great job with this stuff.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray parchment lightly with non-stick spray, set aside.

Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Continue cooking butter, stirring frequently, until it’s a light amber color and smells slightly nutty. Remove from heat at once and cool for a few minutes before whisking in the brown sugar; beat until well combined. Add in the egg, beating until combined. Gently stir in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, being sure not to over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the edges are firm and golden and the center is just slightly wobbly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Apple & Sour Cream Bundt

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So many fall goodies in one bundt pan.

INGREDIENTS

Apple Nut Mixture:

2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cake batter:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter,softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs room temperature
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2-3 tablespoons milk

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°F; grease a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Prepare apple-nut filling by cooking all ingredients, except nuts, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until apples are tender. This will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in nuts. Set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until each addition is just incorporated into the batter, don’t over beat. Fold in apple mixture.

Spread batter in the baking pan. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turnout onto a serving plate and cool completely.

Whisk together ingredients for glaze and drizzle on top.

 

 

Campfire Pie

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Imagine a buttery graham cracker crust, decadent chocolate pudding, and fluffy marshmallow frosting and you’ll never need to pretend you like camping again.

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker cookies
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 stick melted butter

Pudding
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks (save the whites for the frosting)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Frosting
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Crust
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 7 minutes. Cool. 

Pudding
Put 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, about 2 or 3 minutes more.

Pour the pudding into cooled pie crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight until set.

Frosting
Add the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tarter, and salt to a heat-safe bowl of an stand mixer. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water.

Heat the mixture, whisking constantly until the egg whites are warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, about 3 – 4 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 7-9 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last 10 seconds of mixing.

Pipe onto pie immediately.

Orange & Chocolate Muffins

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Orange and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh orange juice + 1 teaspoon for glaze
Zest of one orange
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup melted browned butter, cooled
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter and put aside. In a large bowl sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, orange zest, and salt.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg, milk, vanilla, sour cream and orange juice.

Pour the wet ingredients, including melted butter into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. Fold in chocolate chips. Do not over-mix or the muffins will become tough. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with nonstick spray.

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups using small ice cream scoop.

Bake at 425 F for about 10 minutes, lower oven to 350 and bake for additional 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Whisk together powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of orange juice and drizzle over muffins.