So I love crusts. A lot of the time many desserts just need a good crust and you are good to go!
1 3/4 Cup Crushed Graham Cracker
3 Tablespoons Powered Sugar
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
Preheat Oven 350
Mix all ingredients together and place on the bottom of either a pie dish or spring form pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
Let cool before you had desired filling. This could be great just putting chocolate ice cream on top!
Recently, I had fried pear wontons for dessert. I thought that since apple season is quickly approaching, I’d try it with apples instead. They were equally delicious!
1 Large apple peeled and diced
1/2 cup of raisins
1 tablespoons of Rum
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 1/2 teasppons of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup chopped roasted pecains (optional)
20 Wonton Wrappers
(egg white for sealing wontons)
Mix all ingredients together except wrapper and bake for 15 minutes at 350. Put about a tablespoon of apple mixture onto each wonton wrapper and fold over sealing wonton together to egg white. ( this can be done by just brushing the ends of the wrapper) Once all have been prepared heat oil in frying pan and fry wontons until golden brown. Serve with either ice cream or whipped cream. If passing these whipped cream would be easier for dipping.
Surprisingly, I am not an impulse purchaser when it comes to clothing but I am with food. By my office on Friday afternoons there is a farmers market. Last week, they had fresh corn and it was perfect because I was having a BBQ that weekend for a friend who was visiting. Then I saw nectarines (my favorite fruit) fresh and as ripe as can be sitting there. I thought, okay for dessert I will make a nectarine blueberry cobbler. Although, by the time I was making the cobbler I had eaten some of the nectarines and had to substitute them with some peaches.When I was making the cobbler I got very excited when I figured that I could cover it with biscuits cut outs in different shapes, I chose different sized stars.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
8 nectarines/peaches, pitted and sliced thin (about 5 cups)
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Juice of one lemon
For the biscuits
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar2 tablespoons of butter softened
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream
heavy cream or milk for brushing the biscuits
sugar for sprinkling the biscuits
Fruit: Combine the nectarines, the blueberries, the water, the sugar, the cornstarch, and the lemon juice, in a baking dish (8×8 inch baking dish) and let stand for about an hour for juices to come out.
Biscuits: In a bowl sift together the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, and the salt, and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl beat the cream until it holds soft peaks, spoon it into the well in the flour mixture with butter and combine the mixture with a fork until it just forms a dough. (Refrigerate for half hour) On a lightly floured surface knead the dough until it is combined well, roll or pat it out about 3/4 inch thick, and cut biscuits into desired shapes with cookie cutter.
Arrange the biscuits on top of the fruit mixture, brush them with the cream, and sprinkle them with the sugar. Bake the cobbler in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are browned and the fruit is bubbling.
Serve with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
In specialty stores lately, I have seen homemade marshmallows being sold and this intrigued me. I had never really thought about making them because I would always just buy a bag of them from the grocery store. So I thought, “why not? This could be fun and I’m curious!” Plus it is summer and this could make the average s’mores even better when by the camp fire. Overall I found them pretty quick to make and that they tasted better the next day.
1 cup cold water
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered Sugar to coat the Marshmallows
Vegetable oil to grease the pan
Cut a piece of waxed paper to line the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan and grease the sheet and sides of the pan. (This can be more easily done by inverting the bottom of the pan cutting the proper size sheet)
In a mixing bowl place 1/2 Cup of water and the three packages of gelatin. In a pot add sugar, corn syrup, rest of water over moderate heat until the sugar has dissolved and comes to a boil. At this point you may turn the heat to high and with a candy thermometer bring the mixture to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) It is key when making candies to make sure get the temperature correct otherwise the candy does not come out well. It will either be too soft or too hard.
Once it has reached 240 pour the mixture in mixing bowl and beat for about ten minutes on high. Mixture will be come white and fluffy add vanilla at this time.
Now pour the marshmallow into greased pan and spread evenly. Let stand for about five to seven hours before cutting.
When cutting into desired sizes grease the knife and keep cleaning of the marshmallow. After marshmallow cubes are made, lightly coat them with powdered sugar and keep in an air tight container.
When making these I decided to dip some of them in melted chocolate and it was very tasty.
Pre Heat Oven 375
2 Cups of Flour
2 Teaspoons of baking soda
½ Teaspoons of salt
½ Cup of Butter Softened
1 and ¼ Sugar
2 Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk
2 ½ Cups Blueberries
2 Tablespoons of Sugar for Muffin Tops
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy add eggs one at a time. Add Flour with baking powder and salt alternating with buttermilk.
With a fork mash ½ cup of Blueberries and folding into batter and then gently add the remaining berries.
Fill muffin tins and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
This batter also makes a great coffee cake using a square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.