When I was in college, I worked at a restaurant that was famous for their peanut butter pie.  We sold more slices and complete pies than anything else on the dessert menu.  I have been looking for a peanut butter pie that would remind me of this delicacy of yesteryear and, with this recipe, I just may have.

Ingredients:

2 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar
12-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
9-inch graham cracker pie crust

Blend cream cheese and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy; set aside.  Mix powdered sugar and whipped topping together; blend into cream cheese mixture.  Spread in pie crust.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.  Before serving, top with whipped cream.

I use Martha Stewart’s recipe for homemade whipped cream (for pie topping):

1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

In a deep mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form.  Sprinkle sugar over cream; beat until soft speaks return.  Do not overbeat. 

For the fresh whipped cream, chill the whisk or beaters and bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.  I allowed the pie to sit on the counter for 10 minutes before I added the cream, cut and served.  Next time I may crush some Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and sprinkle over the whipped cream.  Enjoy!

xo–me

It’s a simple graham cracker crust we are making today.  Many of you will ask, why not just grab a pre-made one from the baking aisle at the market?  I too love convenience but it is so simple to make, you can honestly tell your family you made the entire pie, not just the filling.  I know you can skip right past those stacks of crusts and into the cookie aisle to get a box of graham crackers.  I know you can.

Ingredients:

12 graham crackers, finely ground (1 1/2 cups)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until combined.  Firmly press mixture into bottom and side of a 9-inch pie dish.  Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes.  Let cool completely on wire rack.

My BFF, Martha Stewart, shared this recipe with me.  Well, full disclosure, through one of her cookbooks.  Make this crust today and set it aside for tomorrows pie recipe.

xo–me

I decided since it was the new year, I should make an egg nog pie.  It seemed like the right time to try this pie that is one of the world’s favorite new year’s beverage.  I am not a huge fan of egg nog but the ingredients imply it’s going to taste like a heavier custard pie with lots of nutmeg.  The man of the house also loves egg nog so I was game.

I rolled out the crust and baked it with no problems.  The challenge and ‘burning down the house moment’ came when I put the filling in the crust and returned it to the oven.  I was delicate when covering the edges of the pie crust for this second round of baking.  I was cautious walking from the counter to the open oven.  And then it happened, I touched the side of the oven door and jerked.  Guess what happened to the liquid egg nog filling of the pie?  It jerked too.  Or rather it jumped, just a bit, but enough to make a small mess on the bottom of the oven.  I did my best to clean it up but clearly the smoke monster from the island found it’s way into my kitchen.

So the house smells like the place was on fire.  But not before I got a lovely pie from the oven.

Ingredients:

9-inch pie crust (Nany says the best recipe is on the back of the Crisco can)
3 eggs
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 c. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425.  Bake pie crust for 8 minutes; remove from oven and set aside.  Whisk or whip remaining ingredients together, pour into crust and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake 25 additional minutes or until a knife inserted in the center removes clean.

I had to bake the pie for 10 additional minutes than the recipe called for because, as I say all the time, every oven is different.  The house still smells a little funky this morning but I am hoping once I cut this pie (yes pie for breakfast), it will make it all worth it.  Be good to yourself today!

xo–me

The cookbook got me to thinking of my nephew, young William, who I fondly call the ‘Holy Terror’.  He is three and, well, he is three!  Into everything with his mind growing faster than a speeding bullet.  I love watching him learn and discover.  He is interested in everything.  Anyway, the cookbook got me thinking about recipes I could share here that he and Tricia could make together as well as other parents, babysitters, teachers and older siblings with their young ones.

Today’s recipe speaks to that group.  It’s one of the easiest recipes I have ever tried.  You can make this with your children or have it be the treat for the kids at the slumber party to make their own!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/3 cup very hot water
1 packet of yeast (Add only if you prefer thick crust.  If you like regular, omit this ingredient)
sauce
mozzarella
Italian seasonings
toppings of choice

Move oven rack to lowest position.  Heat oven to 450.  Grease 12-inch pizza pan. 

Mix Bisquick and very hot water until soft dough forms.  Press dough into pizza pan, using fingers dipped in Bisquick to push to edges.  Pinch circumference to form rim. Bake 8-10 minutes and remove.  Spread pizza sauce, cheese, seasonings of choice and toppings of choice over dough.  Put back into oven and bake an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese is bubbling and melted.  

I have used it to make several types of pizza and just love it.  Remember, it’s not NY style nor Chicago deep dish.  Pizza crust love is in the eye of the beholder.  Enjoy!

xo–me

You may alter the recipe by sprinkling coarse salt over the top before the chocolate hardens if you have found yourself on board the sweet/salt train of late.

Ingredients:

1/2 +3/4 c. butter
heaping 1 c. all-purpose flour
heaping 1/4 + heaping 1/2 c. baker’s sugar
7 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
3 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
14 oz. condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and line with parchment paper the bottom of a 9-inch square pan. 

Put butter, flour and sugar in a food professor and process until the mixture starts to bind together.  Press into the pan and level the top.  (I roll an orange over the mixture to even it out)  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. 

While baking, place remaining butter, remaining sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a heavy bottom pan.  Heat gently until the sugar has melted.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring until very thick.  (I used a double boiler the first time I made caramel.  It’s an easy way to insure you don’t burn it.)  Pour over shortbread and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm. 

Finally, melt the chocolate and let cook, then spread over the caramel.  (This is where I sprinkled a small amount of coarse salt over the chocolate.)  Put back into refrigerator for 2 hours or until set.  Cut shortbread into 1 inch squares using a sharp knife and serve. 

To make pretty pieces you must have a very sharp knife.  I also dipped mine in boiling water before each cut.

Enjoy!

xo–me

With many recipes on deck to try, I decided to go for a lemon drizzle bar with a small change–insert orange in place of lemon.  The results are terrific!  Try grapefruit, lime or your favorite citrus.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
generous 3/4 c. baker’s sugar
2/3 c. butter
finely grated rind of 1 medium orange
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
1 1/4 c. 10x sugar, plus additional for dusting
1/4 c. fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 7-inch square cake pan and dust with flour.

Put eggs, sugar and butter in a bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy.  Stir in the rind, then fold in the flour lightly and evenly.  Stir in the milk, mixing evenly, then spoon into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Remove and stand the pan on a cooling rack.

While cooling, make the syrup by heating gently together the 10x sugar and orange juice.  Stirring gently until sugar dissolves.  Do not boil.

Prick the warm cake all over with a fork and spook the hot syrup evenly over the top, letting it be absorbed.  Take your time with this step.  Cool completely in the pan, then turn out the cake, cutting into pieces.  Dust with 10x sugar before serving.

The orange used for the rind made exactly 1/4 c. orange juice.  Let me know what fruit you use.  Enjoy!

xo–me

I love this recipe for it’s simplicity and rich flavor.  It’s a good basic starter for anyone new to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter (I always use unsalted, you do what you prefer), softened
generous 1/2 c. baker’s sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Put butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the eggs.  Sift in the flour and fold in gently.  Fold in the milk.

Spoon batter into cupcake liners filling slightly more than 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.  Transfer to cooking rack to allow to cool.

I fill the liners more than 3/4 full so I have large full cupcake tops.  It’s makes frosting them much more fun and I can do all sorts of things with them.  And it took me three hours to make them because I allowed them to completely cool before I dreamed of frosting (and I made these as well).  Enjoy!

xo–me

Baked to Perfection:

• Unless otherwise stated, place your cake in the center shelf of the oven to bake.  If your oven tends to cook more quickly at the back or sides, carefully turn the cake pan or cookie sheet around toward the end of the cooking time.
• Resist the temptation to open the oven door too often during cooking, and close it gently rather than banging it shut.  It’s best to try to wait until at least halfway through the cooking time before sneaking a look.  A quick peep won’t harm the cake, but if you open the door too often, the temperature will drop and this may prevent the cake from rising properly.
• To test light sponge cakes for doneness press the top lightly with a fingertip–the cake should feel spongy to the touch and spring back when released.  To check rich fruit cakes for doneness, listen closely–if the cake is still sizzling inside, it is not yet thoroughly cooked.  Most large cakes will shrink slightly from the side of the pan when they are cooked.  As a final test, insert a toothpick or thin knife into the center of the cake, then lift it out.  If the cake is cooked, it should come out clean; if it’s sticky, the mixture needs more cooking.
• Most cakes should be cooled slightly in the pan before turning out, as they shrink from the sides of the pan and become firmer, so turning out is easier.
• Use a metal cooking rack for cooling cakes to make sure that any excess steam can escape without making the cake soggy.  If you don’t have a cooling rack, use the rack from a broiler pan or a barbecue rack.
• Always make sure your cake is completely cool before storing, as if any steam remains, it can cause mold.  Store cakes for short periods in a ventilated container with a close-fitting lid.  Use airtight containers or sealed plastic bags for freezing.

Hope you learned something this week or were reminded of something that could improve your already exemplary skills.  See you in the kitchen!

xo–me

The Perfect Mix:

• Always sift the flour with rising agents or spices before adding to a mixture so that they are evenly distributed throughout the mix.
• If you run out of self-rising flour, add 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder to every 2 c. all-purpose flour and sift together thoroughly before use.
• Most cake recipes use either butter or hard (block) margarine, which are interchangeable although butter has a much better flavor.  Soft margarine and oil are good for all-in-one recipes, but less successful for creamed methods.  Low-fat spreads have a high water content and give poor results in conventional recipes (Note:  I always use butter.  Life is too short.)
• For most recipes, fats should be used at room temperature for ease of mixing.  Hard butter can be softened fora  few seconds in the microwave to make mixing easier.
• It’s best to use eggs at room temperature for baking as they give a better volume and hold more air when whipped.  Fresh eggs are best for making meringue.
• To separate eggs, tap the shell against the side of a mixing bowl to crack, then break open, letting the white run out into the bowl and holding the yolk in the palm of your clean hand.  Tip the yolk back and forth between your hands to let all the white run into the bowl.
• When folding in flour, use a metal spoon, cutting through the mixture with a light, quick action to keep as much air in it as possible.  Over-mixing can result in a heavy, close-textured cake.

The final part of this three part series will come in the coming days.  In the meantime, share any tips you may have here with my other readers.  We are never too old to learn something new, as Nany always says.

xo–me

Before You Begin:

• Always preheat the oven to the correct temperature so it’s ready to use when your cake is mixed.  Allow at least 10 minutes for preheating.
• Grease pans lightly with a mild-flavored oil such as sunflower oil or melted butter (I almost always use butter).  Use a pastry brush to cover the pan quickly and evenly.
• For creamed mixtures, such as layer cakes, line the bottom of the pan with nonstick parchment paper; for rich mixtures and fruit cakes line the bottom and side of the pan.  For very rich fruit cakes, wrap a double thickness of brown paper around the outside of the pan for extra protection and tie with string to secure.
• If you don’t have the correct-sized pan for the recipe, or prefer to use an unusual shaped pans such as a heart-shaped pan, just match the capacity.
• Assemble all your ingredients and measure everything before you start to mix.

Remember no two ovens are alike so allow what time you need to preheat.  And yes, I need these reminders all the time.  Each time I come upon them I realize I could be doing better.

xo–me