sweet

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.

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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.

Candied Jalapenos

My youngest daughter was working at a local antique store that sold canned food for gifts. One was candied jalapenos. My daughter loved them so much she was eating a jar a day. So in self defense, I started work on developing a recipe. That was more than 25 years ago and the recipe is still a hit. We love it on a cracker with cream cheese then topped with one or more slices of jalapenos. You can also serve on a log of cream cheese with crackers or crisp bread. Enjoy!

Candied Jalapenos

Great served over cream cheese on a cracker

Course Appetizer, Party Food, Relish, Snack

Cuisine Tex Mex

Keyword jalapenos

Servings 5 one cup jars

Author stevens1951

Equipment

1 water bath canning pot
5 one cup jars with lids and rings
1 stainless steel dutch oven or pot
1 set canning equipment lifter, canning funnel, magnetic lid lifter, ladle
1 large tong

Ingredients

3 pounds jalapeno peppers or a combination of peppers firm and washed
2 cups cider vinegar
6 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp celery seed
3 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp cayenne optional

Instructions

Sterilize jars and lids by placing in a large pot and boiling for 10 minutes.
Following water bath canning instructions, insert the wire rack in the bottom, add water and heat to a simmer.
Slice peppers and place in stainless steel pot.
Add all ingredients except sugar and cook 10 minutes until peppers are tender.
Add sugar and stir over low heat until dissolved.
Using tongs, empty water out of one jar and place on towel covered tray. Insert canning funnel into jar and fill with peppers to the bottom of the rim. Continue same process with remaining jars.
Cook remaining syrup for 5 minutes. Pour over peppers filling the jar up to 1/2 inch from the top.
Wipe top of jar rims with damp paper towel to remove all pepper residue and sugar that would prevent sealing. Use magnetic lid lifter or tongs to place a lid and band on top of each jar. Screw on band hand tight.
Using lifter, place each jar in the canner. Add hot water to cover the jars. (I use the water for sterilizing the jars.) Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes.
TTurn off heat and leave in water for 5 minutes. Remove with lifter and place on towel covered tray to cool. The lids will pop and seal as they cool. Allow to cool overnight.
Make labels for jars and store at room temperature.

Notes

I like to dress up my jars by making Avery Labels at avery.com. The labels shown are Avery 22855.

I weigh out my peppers and adjust the recipe accordingly.

For precise instructions on water bath canning, follow instructions at https://www.freshpreserving.com/blog?cid=water-bath-canning

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.

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