Apple Blueberry Crisp

This is a great recipe. I think I am done searching for the best one–this will be my go-to recipe. I made apple/blueberry, but you could easily just do plain apple, throw in some peaches, pears, whatever.

adapted from the Tasty Kitchen

• 6 cups apples, peeled & cored
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:

• 1-½ cup flour
• ¾ cups sugar
• ¾ cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the apples into thin slices. Place in a large mixing bowl and combine with the blueberries, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss to combine and pour into a 9×13 pan.

To make the crumb topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal and butter. Beat on low for 1 to 2 minutes, until the butter is broken up into small bits. Crumble the mixture evenly over the apples.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the topping is brown and the apples are bubbling.

Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread

Oh this is fantastic. Even better, it’s more fantastic on day two…so its a great make ahead recipe. The original recipe calls for white chocolate drizzled on top, but since I usually buy cheap white chocolate, it doesn’t seem to melt real well. I end up with chunks instead of a nice smooth drizzle. So, I just sprinkled the white chocolate chips on with the dark, and it was fantastic. And easy!

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely choppedcandy canes (about 3 ounces)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour, beating on low speed just to blend.

Drop dough into prepared baking pan. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.

 

 

Adapted from epicurious.com recipe.

Pumpkin Cake

I hosted Thanksgiving this year, and at the last minute decided to throw in one more pumpkin dessert. I needed something fast and easy, and this was it! These were absolutely delicious, and ended up being the favorite of the desserts I offered. Adapted from Paula Deen’s recipe.

Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together butter and sugar. Add the eggs and pumpkin. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Apple Cake

Yet another fantastic dessert from my friend Emily Buscema. She makes GREAT desserts.

• 2 c. sugar
• ½ c. oil (I always use butter.)
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp. vanilla
• 4 c. chopped apples (peel on is good)
• 2 c. flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Beat together sugar and oil (or butter). Add eggs and vanilla.

Mix together dry ingredients and stir into sugar mixture. Stir in apples.

Spread in a greased bundt cake pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes; turn out onto cooling rack.

Caramel Bars

This is a recipe from my friend Emily Buscema. We visited her last spring just 4 weeks after she had her third baby, and still she cooked for us and served us dinner every night. It was amazing. And so are these bars. Amazing.

• 1 cup butter
• 4 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp baking powder

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.

Mix together dry ingredients stir into sugar mixture. Add pecans if desired.

Place in greased 10×15 pan.

Bake 350 degrees about 40 minutes.

*If it’s not cooked enough it’ll be very gooey in the center. It should be cooked more than just light golden brown on the top, but some gooey is very tasty!