Dessert

Brownies

Making good brownies is not about the recipe you use, but the technique. My baker once overcooked the brownies and my client called and said they were dry. I knew exactly what happened. I baked again, being careful not to over bake and the client was happy.

I love a chewy brownie with a smooth ganache icing. It’s a marriage made in heaven! Enjoy

Brownies

Inspired by recipe from The Art Institute

Course Cookie, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, ganache

Servings 23

Equipment

12×18 sheet pan
mixer
flat wire whisk

Ingredients

2 5/8 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound butter
9 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
1 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool.
Cream together the sugar, salt and butter, using a paddle in the mixing bowl on #2 for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix on #2 for another 5 minutes, scrape the bowl.
Add the flour, chocolate, baking powder and vanilla; mix on #1 until well blended.
Line baking sheet with foil and butter. Pour in the brownies mix spreading out even.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Do not over bake.
Cool thoroughly and spread the top with chocolate ganache.
Cut 4×6 rows to make 24 brownies.

Chocolate Ganache

Heat 1 cup of heavy cream to a simmer. Add 1 2/3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips remove from heat Let set a few minutes to melt the chocolate. stir with a wire whisk to completely melt the chocolate and mix the ganache to a pourable consistency.

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Pumpkin Bars- An Easy Fall Dessert

Two of my first mentors were Jane Noland and Miriam King. They both taught courses that included a vegetable lab. Each lab dish included a vegetable- even the dessert. Pumpkin Bars were an easy favorite that called for canned pumpkin. The use of vegetable oil and baking on an ungreased jelly roll pan furthermore made the recipe fast and easily manageable in a one hour lab. The recipe results in a moist cake topped with cream cheese frosting and topped with a sprinkling of pecans. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bars, cream cheese frosting, pecans, pumpkin

Servings 12

Author Jane Noland and Miriam King

Equipment

1 jelly roll pan

Ingredients

4 each eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2 cups flour AP
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.
Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly.
Spread batter onto ungreased jelly roll pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream together 3 oz cream cheese and 1 stick of softened butter. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2 cups powdered sugar a little at a time. Spread on cool cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if desired.

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

Mae Standley’s Apple Pie

Would I ever make this pie again? My eldest sister married during my early teens and I was then introduced to her mother-in-law’s Apple Pie. It was all homemade except it called for canned apples. Not a problem during that era, but today one cannot find them. Canned pie filling has taken their place, for convenience and demand. Then just last week, our local grocer had the Lucky Brand Canned Apples. My sister bought 10 cans, I bought 6! Where was Mae’s recipe? I finally found the luscious pie recipe made with canned apples combined with sugar, flour, cinnamon, a dash of salt; dotted with butter then enveloped in a flaky double pie crust. The canned apples make it so easy. I hope I can continue to find them. With all the cans that flew off the shelf, I am sure my grocer will take note.

Request Sliced Canned Apples from your grocer

Request Sliced Canned Apples from your grocer

Mae Standley’s Apple Pie

Best apple pie made with can sliced apples

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword canned apples, cinnamon, pie crust

Cook Time 30

Author Mae Standley

Equipment

1 pastry blender
1 Rolling Pin
1 pie plate

Ingredients

1 double pie crust
20 ozs can sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour all purpose
1 tsp cinnamon ground
1 dash salt
2 tbsp butter

Double Pie Crust

2 cups flour all purpose
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp cold water

Instructions

Double Pie Crust

Place flour, vegetable shortening and salt in a bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in shortening until the size of small peas.
Sprinkle water over flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough combines.
Divide the dough in half. Flour a pastry board and roll out one piece until slightly larger than pie plate.
Gently lift the dough into the plate and add filling according to instructions. Roll out remaining dough and cover the top of the pie. Crimp the edges, cut vents in the top and bake according to instructions.

Apple Pie Filling

Place apples in bottom pie shell. Do not drain.
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and mix well. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
Place 2 tablespoons of butter slices on top of apple mixture and then cover with crust. Crimp edges of crust and cut slits in top of dough to vent pie.
Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Pie will start to bubble out of vents.

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I have never been a fan of lemon pie. The tartness was too much for me. And then, my sister, Nancy, brought a recipe from a dear old friend, Gracie. She was so gracious to share the recipe. It only has the juice of one lemon which gives the pie a milder lemon flavor that’s just right. Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cream pie, lemon, meringue, pastry

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 9" pie shell, baked See recipe under cream pie post
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 eggs separated
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon for juice and grated rind

Instructions

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water slowly stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thickened.
Add a small amount of hot mixture to beaten egg yolks to temper. Then add yolks to custard mixture.
Cook for approximately 1 more minute.
Remove from heat and add lemon rind, juice and butter. Stir until blended.
Pour into baked crust, top with meringue and bake until lightly browned.

Swiss Meringue

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cream pie, egg whites, topping

Servings 8

Equipment

1 stainless steel saucepan with 1" water, simmering
1 stainless steel mixing bowl
1 electric mixer

Ingredients

3 each egg whites in bowl with no yolks or added fat
6 tablespoons sugar
dash cream of tartar

Instructions

Combine eggs whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a stainless steel mixing bowl and place over simmering water.
Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Egg whites should be barely warm.
Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Spread meringue on top of pie filling. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degree F or until meringue is browned. Cool and serve.

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

Grandma Carrie’s Chocolate Pie

I watched Grandma Carrie make chocolate pie many times but never got her recipe. A recipe from our church cookbook is just like I remember– thickened with flour instead of cornstarch. Tweaking the recipe to include cooking in the microwave does not shorten the time to make it, it just prevents scorching the cream filling.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate, cream pie, meringue

Servings 2 pies

Equipment

2 pie pans
1 wire whisk

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup flour
4 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole milk
5 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 baked pie crusts
1 recipe Swiss Meringue
1 teaspoon chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa and salt in microwave safe bowl. Stir to break up cocoa lumps.
Warm milk in microwave for 2 minutes. Add to mixture and stir with a wire whisk to blend.
Microwave on high at 2 minute intervals until thickened, stirring well in between.
Separate egg yolks from the whites. Slightly beat the yolks then blend in a few spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture to temper the yolks. Add the yolk mixture to the chocolate cream mixture and blend well. Microwave for an additional two minutes then add remaining vanilla and butter stirring until blended.
Pour into baked pie shells and top with meringue made from the egg whites. Bake in a 400 degree F. oven until slightly brown. Top with a few chocolate sprinkles to identify it as a chocolate pie.

Pie Crust

A flaky crust made with butter

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk, pie crust

Servings 16

Author stevens1951

Equipment

2 pie plates or pans
1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

2 sticks butter unsalted
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Place flour and salt in a bowl.
Grate cold butter, a little at a time, over flour. Toss the butter into the flour every few minutes to prevent the butter from sticking together.
Sprinkle cold water over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough starts forming a ball.
Divide the dough in half and place on floured pastry board or counter. Roll dough into a circle to fit pie plate. Sprinkle a little more flour over pastry if it sticks to the rolling pin.
Fold dough over and lift into pan. Press dough to fit pan. Fold top edge under and flute. Prick bottom and sides of shell with a fork to prevent shrinkage. Repeat with remaining dough.
For a baked pie shell, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Swiss Meringue

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword egg whites, pie

Servings 16

Author stevens1951

Equipment

1 stainless steel mixing bowl
1 saucepan
1 wire whisk

Ingredients

6 egg whites no yolk or fat can be in whites
12 tablespoons sugar
dash cream of tartar

Instructions

Add 1 inch of water to saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a stainless steel mixing bowl and place over simmering water.
Stir constantly with a wire whisk or the beaters of the electric mixer until sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is slightly warm. Test by rubbing mixture between two fingers.
Remove from saucepan and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Spread meringue on top of pie filling. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. until meringue is browned.

Notes

“Weeping” is the watery liquid that often collects under the meringue and causes the pie to be soggy. This is caused by the sugar not dissolving completely. High humidity also does not help. The Swiss method of dissolving the sugar in warm egg whites helps to prevent weeping.

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