Category: Desserts

From The Wooden Spoon Dessert Book

I did the math tonight and realized I’ve been making lemon meringue pie for 20 years. Since I’m not yet 30, that’s saying something. I’ve used at least a dozen different recipies but have finally settled down with this one. Each time I make it I look aghast at the lack of zest and consider throwing some in, but it really doesn’t need it and it’s nice to have the pudding layer chunk-free.

Every recipe has a different opinion about what needs to cool (crust, filling) and for how long. I’m impatient and throw everything together hot. One of these days I’ll nail down the perfect combo and again, I’ll report back.

1 blind baked 9″ pie crust
4 eggs, separated
1.5 c sugar
60 g cornstarch (6 tbs)
.25 tsp salt
.5 c cold water
.5 c fresh lemon juice
1.5 c boiling water
2 tbs butter
.5 c sugar

Preheat oven to 425F

In a large saucepain (I prefer a saucier) stir together 1.5 c sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in cold water and lemon juice, then egg yolks. Next stir in the boiling water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Continue to cook, stirring briskly, until thick and bubbly, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Gently stir in butter until melted.

Pour filling into crust. Whip egg whites to soft peaks then gradually add remaining .5 c sugar while whipping to stiff peaks. Spread meringue over filling, bake for 4 to 6 minutes until nicely colored. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Best eaten cold.

Excellent all on it’s own, topped with strawberries, or as a base for strawberry shortcake. Since the butter is melted and not softened it’s quick to throw together.

Cake
16 Tbs (8 oz) unsalted butter, plus 1 tbs, softened, for pan
1 ½ c (6 oz) cake flour, plus 1 tbs for pan
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ c (8 ¾ oz) sugar
2 tbs zest plus 2 tsp juice from 2 lemons
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
½ c (3 ½ oz) sugar
¼ c fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray 9×5” loaf pan with Pam with Flour.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter

In food processor, process sugar and zest until combined. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined. With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in steady stream. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325F and bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Combine lemon juice and sugar in small saucepan, bring to boil stirring occasionally, simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack, poke all over with skewer, then brush on glaze

I made this for the first time a couple of days ago. It’s not the cobbler I grew up with, but it’s very good and EASY.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (3.75 oz)
3/4 cup sugar (5.5 oz), plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups fruit or berries, sliced (not sweetened or thickened)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan; set in oven to melt.

2. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Add milk; whisk until just incorporated into dry ingredients. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven. Pour batter into pan, without stirring it into butter, then arrange fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until batter browns, about 40 to 50 minutes.

From Cook’s Illustrated.

Cream cheese is the best thing to happen to limes since Corona. I think this may become my new key lime pie! Next time I’ll use probably 4 oz animacl crackers, 5 tbs butter, and a little more lime juice. Or possibly just more zest, I think I skimped.

Crust
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

Filling
2 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular. NOT BOTTLED.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 8″ square baking dish with nonstick tin foil.

2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

From www.allrecipies.com.

Simple and delicious. Makes either a 10″ tube or bundt cake or 12-14 mini loaves/bundt pans. My mini loaves and bundt pans each take 3 #16 dishers’ worth.

12 oz butter (1.5 c) butter
1 8 oz package cream cheese
3 c sugar (1 lb 4 oz)
2 tbs vanilla
6 eggs
12 oz (3 c) cake flour

Preheat oven to 325F. Spray pan(s) with Pam with flour.

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light. Do not underbeat! Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and the eggs alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

Bake for 1:15 (large pan) or 35 minutes (small pans) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

From the Cook’s Illustrated bulletin board:

Here is my Mom’s caramel apple recipe:

1 C. sugar
3/4 C. dark corn syrup
1 C. light cream
2 Tbls. Butter
1 tps. Vanilla
5-6 medium size crisp, tart apples. Cleaned, dried, with a stick inserted

Combine all ingredients except the vanilla. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, then cook, without stirring to firm ball stage. (245° F–250° F, sugar concentration: 87%)
Take off heat, stir in vanilla and dip apples.
Cool on a sheet of parchment or buttered foil. (I used that non-stick foil and it released the caramel without a problem.)

5 pounds

1 lb. butter
2 lbs. brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 oz. Light Karo syrup
2 (15-oz.) cans Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Melt butter in a heavy 6-quart pan. Add brown sugar and salt. Stir in corn syrup, mixing well. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook over a medium heat until it reaches the firm ball stage (245 degrees). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into a well buttered 11” x 18” jellyroll pan. Cool, cut, and wrap in wax paper squares.

CHECK YOUR THERMOMETER before you start to make the caramels, by placing it in boiling water for a few minutes. It should register at 212 degrees, if it doesn’t then add or subtract accordingly.

I use a non-stick jelly roll pan and then when the caramel is cool I turn it out on a huge board and cut it. I also get the special wax paper squares from Sweet Celebrations, see page 132 of their catalog Item B. It is a heavy duty, double sided wax paper that is already cut and comes in different colors. See: http://www.sweetc.com/Cat/Set13/pr132lg.htm

1 lb unsalted butter
½ tea. table salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. water
1 cup slivered almonds (do not use sliced almonds)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chips are fine)
1½ -2 cups lightly toasted pecans (or walnuts), finely chopped

Melt ¾ of chocolate over hot water or in a microwave oven at half power for 2-3 minutes. When melted, stir in remaining chocolate and set aside. Line a large jelly roll or half-sheet pan with heavy-duty foil and butter the foil.

Melt the butter with the salt in a heavy 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the water about halfway through this process.

After all the sugar is added, begin testing the mixture to see if the sugar is dissolved. Place a drop of mixture on wax paper; allow it to cool and rub it between your fingers to make sure it doesn’t feel grainy. If it does, continue to cook and test again. The mixture will probably be boiling at this point.

When sugar is dissolved, add the almonds, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook to the hard-crack stage, or about 310-320 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring often to keep the candy from burning on the bottom. When it’s done, it should be a medium-dark amber color and have a caramel aroma. The almonds should have a toasted color but they should not burn. This is the tricky part, as there’s a thin line between perfect and overdone, and to some extent it’s a matter of taste.

Remove from heat and pour into the prepared pan, spreading as evenly as possible with an offset spatula. Be careful, this stuff is hot! Set the pan on a cooling rack. After 2-3 minutes, when toffee is just set, pour reserved chocolate on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, and press them in gently with a spatula or bottom of a glass to anchor them in the chocolate.

Allow the toffee to harden at least 6-8 hours—overnight is better. Break into pieces using a sharp pointed knife with a rigid blade, or you can use your hands. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Makes about 3 pounds.

Pie Crust:
2 cups flour
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup very cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 TBS canola oil
5 TBS heavy cream
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
Sugar for sprinkling

Filling:

6 cups cooking apples, pared, cored, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
4 TBS cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
freshly ground nutmeg to taste
1 1/2 TBS butter, cubed

Mix together in a large bowl all dry ingredients for crust. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture is well blended, but still has very small chunks of butter. Mix together in a small bowl, the vinegar, oil, and cream. Slowly add this to the flour mixture and stir together well. Pour this onto counter and further blend together with palms of your hands. Then form dough into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Roll out one disk into a 10″ round. Place in a 9″ pie plate.

Mix together in a large bowl the first 5 ingredients for the filling. Place filling in pie plate. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining disk to a 10″ round and cover filling. Trim excess and seal edges of pie. Make slits in top of crust or cut a 1″ round in center for ventilation. Brush some of the egg mixture on top crust and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake on center rack in a 400° preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375° and bake for another 40 minutes or until juices are bubbling inside and pie crust is golden brown. Cover edges with foil if necessary, to prevent burning.

Pie Crust:

1 ½ cups AP flour
½ cup butter flavored Crisco
½ pinch of salt
3 TBS Water
1 TBS Apple cider vinegar

Chocolate Layer:

6 TBS AP flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ pinch of salt
4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup butter, diced
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 snickers bar (super sized) thinly sliced, about ¼ inch thick

Cream cheese layer:

9 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz. Macadamia nuts (diced finely, toast in oven)

Garnish:

2 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 TBS heavy whipping cream

Pie Crust:

Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in Crisco with a pastry blender. Mix water and vinegar in a spray bottle, add 3 or 4 ice cubes to keep water mixture cold. Spray flour mixture lightly with water solution mix to combine. Repeat just until piecrust comes together. Put crust in a Ziploc back and bring together into a circle place in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Pull crust out of the refrigerator and roll out to pan size. Poke holes in the bottom as well as the sides of the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Chocolate Carmel Nut Pie, continued

Chocolate layer:

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. In a double boiler melt semisweet chocolate and ½ cup of butter, stir until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile beat sugar, whole egg, and egg white in a medium bowl until slightly thickened. To this mixture add vanilla and cooled chocolate. Mix until well blended. Stir in dry ingredient mixture and mix until just combined. Pour mixture into crust and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 19 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Place candy mixture (sliced snickers bars) on top.

Cream cheese layer:

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Spread mixture over candy bars, add your macadamia nuts over cream cheese, and bake for 20 minutes, or until set. Cool on rack.

Garnish:

In a small sauce pan, stir chocolate and whipping cream over low heat until smooth. Drizzle over pie. Refrigerate and serve chilled.