Apple Pie

Well friends, winter is still with us, so lets do something about all those apples available. I have tried this recipe a few times and my suggestion is to make sure you cook your crust through; the pyrex pie pan is crucial for this (so you can see when it's done). This pie is ostensibly "easy," because the filling and crust are cooked together and there is no top crust. I won't call it easy because I think it's a little tricky to make your first pie... but give it a try!

Apple Pie


Yield: 8 slices
Baking Temperature: starts at 400°F
Baking Time:  40 min
Source: How to Bake by Nick Malgieri

Ingredients : Flaky Pie Dough

1 1/4 C AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, cold
2-3 TB water, cold

Instructions : Dough

1. To mix the dough by hand, combine the flour salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut the butter into 1 TB pieces and add to the dry ingredients, tossing to coat the butter chunks. Then using your hands or a pastry blender break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse-grown cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Sprinkle the minimum amount of water over the mixture and stir gently with a fork, the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together easily.
—or—
2. To mix the dough in the food processor, combine the dry ingredients in the work bowl fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Cut the butter into 1 TB pieces and add to the work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1 second intervals until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal, and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all. Scatter the minimum amount of water on the mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times , the dough should begin to hold together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together easily.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disk. Sandwich the disk between to pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6 inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm or until you are ready to use it, at least one hour.

Ingredients : Crumb Topping

1/2 C brown sugar
1 C AP flour
6 TB unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients : Filling

2 1/2 pounds firm, tart apples
2/3 C sugar (brown, white, or blend)
2 TB AP flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 TB unsalted butter, cold

Instructions : Pie

4. Roll the prepared dough out and line a 9" pyrex pie dish. Chill the crust while preparing the topping and filling.
5. For topping: combine the sugar and flour in a mixing bowl, add the butter, and stir in evenly. Set mixture aside 5 min, then use your fingertips to break into 1/4" to 1/2" crumbs. Set aside.
6. Set a rack at the lowest level of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
7. For filling: Peel, halve, and core apples. Cut the apples into a 1/2" dice. Place the diced apples in a bowl and add the remaining filling ingredients, except butter, tossing well to combine. Place the filling in the dough-lined pan, mounding it slightly in the center. Dot the filling with butter and sprinkle to cover with the prepared crumb topping.
8. Place the pie in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 375°F; bake the pie for 40 min or until crust and topping are baked through and a deep golden brown, and the filling is gently bubbling.
9. Cool on rack. Serve alone or with sharp cheddar cheese, or ice cream.

Tips

• Try one of these apple varieties: Northern Spy, Granny Smith, Pippin, Golden Delicious.
• You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it double-wrapped in plastic.
• I have made this same pie using the crumb topping from the Apple Crumble recipe and it's good :)

Cheesecake

Here's another winter favorite. It's rich and decadent, plus, you don't need any seasonal fruit for it! Perfect for dinner parties because it's baked the day before. This is one of the more complicated recipes I've shared but it looks harder than it is. Be sure to cook the crust through, and be sure to scrape the bowl often so the filling is homogenous. Do not overmix or it will rise and collapse, but this hasn't happened to me yet. The author warns not to use a convection oven or your cake will overcolor and overrise.

Yield: one 9" cake of 12 slices
Baking Temperature: starts at 350°
Note: bake the day before serving
Source: How to Bake by Nick Malgieri

Ingredients: Crust

3 TB unsalted butter, softened
3 TB sugar
1 egg yolk
1 C AP flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions: Crust

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature (especially cream cheese and eggs).
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Prepare a round, nine-inch, springform pan by buttering, then cover the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
4. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the yolk until smooth.
6. In a second bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
7. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be crumbly.
8. Pat the dough down into the pan evenly and firmly.
9. Bake 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden and baked through.
10. Lower the temperature of the oven to 325°F.

Nut Variation

Add 1/2 C (2.25oz) finely chopped sliced or slivered almonds, or finely chopped pecans, to the dry ingredients. Make sure to bake through.

Ingredients: Filling

2 lb (32 oz) cream cheese
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
4 eggs

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using your mixer's lowest speed, beat the cream chese smooth (with the paddle attachment), about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and beater.
2. Add the sugar in a stream, mixing for another 30 seconds (or less). Scrape the bowl and beater.
3. Add one egg, lemon juice, and vanilla, mixing only until absorbed. Scrape the bowl and beater.
4. Add the remaining eggs one at a time mixing only until absorbed, scraping the bowl after each addition.
5. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan (with the cooked crust in it).
6. Pour the filling into the pan over the crust.
7. Fill a large dish or roasting pan with water to a depth of 1/2 an inch.
8. Place your springform pan in the water bath.
9. Bake the cheesecake in it's bath for 60 minutes at 325°F, or until lightly colored and firm except for the very center.
10. Remove pan from water when the cake is done, remove foil, and cool on a rack.
11. Release the top of the cake from the sides of the pan with the point of a sharp paring knife to prevent cracks.
12. Once cool, wrap the cheesecake in plastic and chill overnight before unmolding.
13. Bring the cake out to warm to room tempterature one hour before serving. Serve plain or with berries.

No-Flour Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Today's recipe is pretty special because it won my husband and I second place in a cookie competition at Chico Natural Foods! The picture of our fork-pressed cookie at the bottom here is courtesy Chico Natural (the top picture is mine).

No Flour Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Source: bakingbites.com
Baking Temperature: 350°F

Ingredients

1 C peanut butter
3/4 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp water
1/2 to 3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In small cup mix together cocoa and water.
3. In a large bowl place peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and cocoa/water; stir well.
4. Fold in chips.
5. Drop by tablespoonfuls (or form balls with hands) onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Flatten slightly with fork, if you wish.
7. Bake 10-13 minutes until golden brown at edges.
8. Cool on pan 2 minutes then remove to rack to continue cooling.

Tips

• Keeps well when wrapped individually in plastic and refrigerated or frozen.
• For larger cookies make 2 inch balls (makes 1 dozen).
• If you take care to select gluten-free ingredients, this recipe can be gluten-free.
• Using white sugar or natural cane sugar will not affect the flavor much.
• Use any kind of peanut butter: homogenized or natural, smooth or chunky. I use freshly ground peanut butter such as is available at natural and bulk stores.
• For a flavor leaning more peanut, omit the cocoa and water and use chunky peanut butter. You can also omit the choc chips and keep the cocoa.

Apple Crumble

What a great winter standby. There's hardly any other fruit available so let's use it in a very easy dish to cap off a special meal.
I recommend Granny Smith apples as they are firm and tart, and remain so after cooking. Do not use a soft apple but feel free to experiment with your favorite cooking apples. Apples are in season in fall and remain in stores in great variety in winter. Apples are available year round because of the amazing things they can do with irradiating, cold storage, and international shipping! I recommend using fruits in season and with the bounty of choices in spring and summer there's no reason to use apples any other time than the colder months.
This recipe uses two large Granny Smiths or three to four smaller apples. It's easier to peel, core, and slice larger apples but if you have very fresh fruit don't let size be your guide.
I have a suspicion that this dish would work fine with peaches with no adjustment, or with pears using a little nutmeg instead of the cinnamon.

Apple Crumble

Yield:  6 servings
Baking Temperature: 400°F
Baking Time:  30 min

Ingredients

4 C apples: peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
3 TB orange juice
1/4 C white sugar
1 TB corn starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon (divided)
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C AP flour
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal (uncooked)

Instructions 

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 2 qt baking dish.
2. In large bowl, combile apples, orange juice, and vanilla.
3. In medium bowl, blend sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Add to apple mixture tossing to coat.
4. Spoon apples into dish.
5. In same medium bowl combine brown sugar, flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, mixing well.
6. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This is easiest if you use your fingers.
7. Stir in oats.
8. Sprinkle over apples.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.
10. Serve plain or with cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Notes: While a hit warm it's pretty good straight out of the fridge, too.
Any other thickener can be used instead of corn starch, such as arrowroot.

Gingerbread

Yield: 3 dozen men
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 8-12 minutes

Ingredients

3 C AP flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 TB butter, room temperature
1/2 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 C molasses

Instructions

1. In large bowl, whisk together flour, spices, leaveners and salt; set aside.
2. Using electric mixer beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg and molasses.
4. With mixer on slow, gradually add drys until just combined.
5. Divide dough, flatten into discs wrapped in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or freeze).
6. Thaw before rolling.
7. Roll to 1/8" thick, cut into shapes, and in a preheated oven bake 8-10 minutes for soft or 11-12 min for crunchy cookies.

Ah, a seasonal recipe at last. I ended up giving away most of these little guys as a gift, which was well recieved (yay). I frosted mine using the frosting recipe from Sugar Cookies, partly just to see how they would come out, but frosting is totally optional. It's not hard, so don't limit yourself, but it doesn't really add a whole lot of flavor, just sweetness. The most important thing to note was how easy it was to roll these out. I tried a different recipe first and it was a huge struggle. This recipe is easy to roll! This makes a lot of gingerbread men so I cut them all out at once and put them on parchment paper for easy switching in and out of the oven.

Baklava Recipe

Here is a real crowd pleaser of a recipe. Good nuts and honey are expensive, but one batch can easily turn into three gifts or more. I don't know whether to call this "easy." Mostly it is assembly and requires minimal skills. But unlike my other "easy" recipes it is by no means quick. One thing it definitely is, is different. Give it a try this holiday season!


Baklava

Yield: 36 slices
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

16 oz phyllo dough, thawed
1 C unsalted butter, melted
16 oz blanched almonds, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
1/4 C white sugar

Syrup Ingredients

1 C sugar
1 C water
8 oz honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. One day before baking thaw the dough.
2. Two hours before baking bring dough to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F
4. Butter bottom and sides of a 9x13" pan, glass recommended.
5. Chop nuts (food processor recommended) and toss with spices and 1/4 C sugar.
6. Unroll phyllo dough and with a sharp knife cut the stack in half to fit pan size. Cover dough with a dampended cloth to prevent it drying out while you work.
7. Place two sheets of dough in pan.
8. Butter surface of dough thoroughly.
9. Repeat steps 7 & 8 three more times.
10. Sprinkle 2-3 TB of nut mixture on top.
11. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, and nuts, layering as you go. You will lay down nuts about 14 times.
12. Make the top layer 6-8 sheets deep and butter but do not nut the top.
13. Using a sharp knife, cut down, half an inch shy of the bottom, first columns then crosscutting to make diamond shapes.
14. Bake 50 min until dough is golden and crisp (this is where the glass pan helps).
15. While the baklava is baking, make sauce.
16. Begin by making simple syrup (boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved) then add vanilla and honey. Don't add cool honey to hot sauce.
17. Simmer 20 mins, stirring occasionally, cool sauce to room temperature then refrigerate.
18. Remove baklava from oven when done and after a few minutes pour cooled sauce over hot baklava. Alternately you can cool the baklava down and pour hot sauce over cool baklava; the temperature difference prevents sog.
19. Cut all the way through when completely cool.
20. Use cupcake papers or doilies to serve.

Tips

• Phyllo/Fillo/Filo dough is available in the freezer section near the pies and desserts and comes in one pound boxes.
• Use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter on the pan and dough. Silicone pastry brushes are durable and easy to clean.
• I use blanched almonds that I chopped further in a food processor. Some people like chunky nuts or powdery nuts, you decide. Almonds are a good bet being locally grown but you could try mixing with hazelnuts or walnuts. Always use nuts without skins as the skins are bitter. Skins are removed by a simple process called blanching.
• Don't forget the top layer of butter as it is responsible for the brown color you'll be observing for doneness.
• Before you start to cut think out how to get diamond shapes: straight cuts the length of the pan with cross cuts at a certain angle for the diamond.
•  Will last a long time in the fridge (uncovered!) as honey is a preservative.
• The history of baklava is contested with both the Turks and the Greeks claiming invention!

Muffins

Felicia's Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Baking Temperature: 400°F
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 C AP flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1 C milk or cream
2/3 C packed brown, or white sugar
4-8 TB melted butter
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
1 1/2 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)
or 12 oz chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In secondary bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and zest.
2. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, butter and blossom water.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet but do not overmix.
4. Fold in berries or chips.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins (or lined with paper cups)
6. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar (maybe demerara).
7. Bake 15 mins or until stick comes out clean.

Tip: Use lesser quantity of butter for muffins that will be eaten right way; more butter means longer life.
Tip: In absence of lemon zest and orange water, substitute 2-3 tsp of vanilla essence.
Source: Felicia Bock.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Yield:  about 24 cupcakes
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 20 min 

Ingredients

2 ½ C AP flour
2 C sugar
½ C powdered baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
5 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1-4 tsp red food coloring

Instructions

1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift dry ingredients three times.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs on eat a time, beating well after each egg.
4. Add 1/4 of dry ingredients and 1/4 of the buttermilk and mix well. Continue in this way.
5. Mix in vanilla, add food coloring to desired redness.
6. Line cupcake tin with paper cups, fill them halfway with batter.
7. Bake for 20 min at 350°F.
8. Cool for at least 5 min in pan before transferring to wire rack.
9. Cool completely before frosting.
10. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Notes: You can make a buttermilk substitute. For each cup, put in 1 TB lemon juice or white vinegar and fill with milk to 1 C, let stand 5 min. However buttermilk has a flavor and lightness that is worth buying a carton. Try buttermilk pancakes or fried chicken to use the rest of the buttermilk.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield:  a double layer cake or full batch of cupcakes

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
½ stick butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 C powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Sift or at least whisk lumps from sugar.
2. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended.
3. Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended after each addition.
4. Use right away or refrigerate and bring back to room temp before using.

Notes: Try pink frosting: add a few drops of red food coloring and 1 tsp rasberry essence in place of vanilla.
Used On:  Red Velvet and Carrot cake.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Yield:  3-4 dozen cookies
Baking Temperature:350°F
Baking Time:  12 min

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, softenened
1 C firmly packed soft brown sugar
½ C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ C AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
3 C old fashioned oats
1 C raisins
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.
4. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
5. Add in flour mixture, beat well.
6. Stir in oats, raisins, and nuts using wooden spoon, mix well.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto silpat cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
9. Cool one minute on sheet and move gently (using frosting spatula) to wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Serve warm with a glass of milk.

Notes: Refrigerated and frozen cookies can be briefly microwaved for a warm-up, but refrigerated cookies are also good. Perfect for a quick morning snack.
Occasions Used:  Serve these cookies in colder months.
Source: Quaker Oats

Rolled Sugar Cookies

From Sweet Things: Food Pics!

Sugar Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 C sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1C unsalted butter, slightly firm
3/4 C superfine sugar
1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
2. In large bowl cream together butter and sugar.
3. In small bowl, beat egg and vanilla together with a fork.
4. Beat egg/vanilla into butter/sugar.
5. Add half of dry ingredients, mix, then other half mixing only until it begins to form a mass.
6. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until just smooth.
7. Divide into quarters and press into 4 discs.
8. Dust each disc lightly with flour and wrap in plastic.
9. Chill 15 min; heat oven to 350°F.
10. On a lightly floured surface working with one disc at a time, roll the dough out very thinly (1/16").
11. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to silpat on cookie sheet.
12. Bake 10-14 min or until edges begin to brown, rotating sheet within oven at least once.
13. Let stand 2 min then transfer to wire racks to continue cooling.
14. Let cool before decorating.

Sugar Cookie Icing - Ingredients

1 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp almond (or other) extract
food coloring

Sugar Cookie Icing - Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir sugar and milk until smooth.
2. Beat in corn syrup and extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If too thick, add more corn syrup.
3. Divide out to color.
4. Dip or paint cookies.

Tip: go to the Polvorones de Naranja recipe for some rolled cookie tips.