Baked Apples

Baked Apples

For a Quick Dessert For The Family!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients 

6 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup granola

1/2 cup Muesli

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup slice almonds

1/4 cup honey + drizzle

Cooking Tools

Small mixing bowl

Apple corer or melon baller

Baking dish

Optional

ice cream

whipped cream 

Directions

Preheat oven to 370 Degrees F. Slice top portion and core center of the apple to take out the seeds, leave enough rim to support the filling.

In a mixing bowl, add; Granola, Muesli, cranberries, raisins, almonds & honey, mix well.  Stuff each apple and bake in a shallow baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool, serve with your favorite ice cream or whipped cream.

Apple Tart

Apple Tart

Fall Is Just Around The Corner, Perfect Timing For This Delicious Dessert!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled & cubed

2 packages of puff pastry dough

3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Cinnamon Apple Jelly

1 tsp apple pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tbsp regular Apple Jelly

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp pearl sugar (for topping)

1 Tbsp heaping cornstarch

1 egg, whisked

Cooking Tools

Sheet pan, lined with Silpat or parchment paper

Large mixing bowl

Pastry brush

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.  In a mixing bowl, mix together; apples, cinnamon apple jelly, spice, vanilla, cornstarch, lemon juice and toss until well mixed. On a lined sheet pan, prepare puff pastry dough ( shown below) spread apple jelly down the center of the dough and then add apple mixture in the center and fold the sides of dough over the filling., Brush top and sides of the dough with the whisked egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let it come to room temperature before slicing.

Serves 6

 

Strawberry Fluff

Strawberry Fluff

No Cooking Required, Great For A Summer Party!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: No cooking required

Chilling Time: 2+ hours

Ingredients

1 regular size tub, Cool Whip Topping

1 Jell-O  (3.4 oz) Strawberry packet

1 Jell-O  (3.4 oz) Cheesecake packet

1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drained

4 cups diced fresh strawberries + garnish

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes + garnish 

2 cups mini marshmallows + garnish 

Cooking Tools

Medium mixing bowl

Whisk

Mesh strainer

Directions

Place the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip until the ingredients are well blended. Fold in the rest of the ingredients until well coated, and place in refrigerator for a few hours to chill. Place Fluff into serving dessert bowls and garnish with mini marshmallows, coconut flakes & fresh sliced strawberries.

Serves 6

Mango Sticky Rice

Mango Sticky Rice

A Delicious South Asian Dessert With Glutinous Rice & Mangoes!

 Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 12+ hours

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked Thai Sweet Rice (glutinous rice)

1 can coconut milk + 2 tbsp coconut cream

3/4 cup fine white sugar

1 tsp sesame seeds

2 fresh mangoes, sliced

Cooking Tools

Bain Marie or Steamer basket/ sticky rice steamer

Cheese cloth

Fine mesh basket

medium mixing bowl

Medium saucepan with lid

Directions

Before you prepare for cooking the rice, you will need to do a few step prior.  Repeatedly rinse 5x the rice with cool water, then place the rice in a mixing bowl and fill with water until rice is submerged. allow the rice to soak for at least 12 hours prior to cooking. The following day, drain the rice in a fine mesh basket. Prepare your steamer with a cheesecloth where your rice will sit upon evenly. make sure to put enough  water on the bottom portion of the Bain Marie but not to touch the bottom of the rice. (The rice will not be cooking in the water, but will cook by the steam). Steam the rice for about 40 minutes, while the rice is cooking, in a saucepan, simmer the coconut milk, coconut cream and sugar until melted. once rice is cooked, transfer the cooked rice in to the coconut milk mixture and mix.  cook an additional 5 minutes until the rice absorbs most of the milk, remove from heat and place lid on top until rice absorbs rest of the liquid. Serve will fresh mango slices and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serves 4

Brûlée Croissant & Berries

Brûlée Croissant & Berries

With Passion Fruit Buttercream!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 25- 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-7 minutes

Ingredients

2 large croissants 

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

4 strawberries, sliced

2 tbsp fine sugar

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Ingredients for Passion Fruit Buttercream

• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp passion fruit pulp (frozen food section) thawed

 

• To make the frosting: In a mixing bowl, add; room temperature butter and cream with a hand mixer. Gradually spoon in sugar and mix as you go, once sugar is whipped in, add milk, vanilla extract and passion fruit pulp and continue to whip until fluffy, chill for several hours.

Cooking Tools

Rolling Pin

Sheet pan

Brûlée torch

Piping bag with tip

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Flatten croissant with a rolling pin, place croissants on sheet pan and bake for 5 -7 minutes. Remove flatten toasted croissants and sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar evenly on each croissant and using a brûlée torch, caramelize the sugar and cool. Spread or pipe the buttercream on top of each croissant and place berries on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Serves 2

Strawberry Crunch cake

Strawberry Crunch Cake

A Box Cake Elevated!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 33-35 minutes

Cooling: 2-3 hours

Ingredients

1 Duncan Hines Strawberry Supreme Cake

1 cup water

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup melted butter

cooking spray

1  16 oz container Duncan Hines Creamy Buttercream Frosting

1 package Pepperidge Farm Dublin Shortbread Cookies

2 packages Simple Truth Freeze-Dried Strawberries

Cooking Tools

Bundt pan

Large mixing bowl

Hand mixer

Cooling rack

Off-set spatula 

Large ziploc bag

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. In a mixing bowl, add; cake mix, water, eggs, vegetable oil and butter into a mixing bowl and using a electric hand blender, mix on medium high until completely mixed. Spray inside bundt pan with cooking spray and poor batter into pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. While cake is baking, place cookies and freeze-dried strawberries into a bag and use a rubber mallet or palm of your hand to crush into small pieces, set aside. Once cake is bake, remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.  Cool the cake completely, open buttercream icing and mix icing in is container before spread over cooled cake with a off-set spatula. Using your hands, sprinkle and press cookie-strawberry bits onto the cake to cover up the icing. The icing will act like the glue to hold the sprinkle bits in place.  Refrigerate cake for a few hours before serving.

Serves 8

 

 

 

Christmas Bark

Christmas Bark

Might Not Be The Prettiest Chocolate Candy, But It Sure Is Addicting!

Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

4-6 Ghiradelli Chocolate bars

1 cup mini marshmallows 

1 cup roasted pecans

6 Chocolate covered pretzel rods with candy cane

2 cups mini pretzels 

1 cup broken Honey Graham Crackers 

12 mini candy canes

Cooking Tools

Sheet pan

Parchment paper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Line sheet pan with parchment paper including the sides.  Place chocolate bars side by side on sheet pan and place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until melted. Remove chocolate from oven and swirl with a spoon or a wooden skewer  to remove the lines and incorporate each bar to one another. Start adding all your other ingredients by layering into the chocolate. Make sure your ingredients touch the chocolate so as the chocolate cools and hardens the ingredients don't fall off.  Set aside to cool and firm up. Break apart into barks and serve!

Yields 1 sheet pan

Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

Honestly, You Couldn't Tell The Difference!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients 

1 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour

2/3 cup Dutch sweet cocoa

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup of chocolate chips

3 large eggs

1/2 cup melted plant based butter or butter

1/4 cup cooled coffee

 Cooking Tools

Mixing bowl

Brownie pan

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Whisk all ingredients in a mixing bowl, pour into a well greased baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Cool, cut and serve.

Serves 12

Dutch Apple Pie

Dutch Apple Pie 

Just A little Bit Of Work Creates This Beautiful Show Piece For Your Holiday Table!

Difficulty: Moderate

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 1 hour + 30 minutes

Ingredients

Apple Pie Filling

5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled & sliced

3 Honeycrisp Apples, peeled & sliced

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsp. pumpkin or apple pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp of cornstarch

1/2 stick cold butter, cubed

 

Cooking Tools

Le Crueset pie dish

Kitchen Aid Food Processor

1 Stainless mixing bowls

1 medium mixing bowl

Rolling pin

Parchment paper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Prepare pie dough, roll out to fit pie dish, Prepare crumble topping. Place all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well until every piece of apple is coated.

Cook's Notes: I give my sliced apple a vinegar or (lemon) & water bath to prevent apple from browning. Drain from water and dry completely before adding in ingredients.  Place apple in the prepared pie dish and top with crumble, bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove apple pie from oven and let completely cool 5-6 hours so it has time to set up.

Serves 8

Butter Pie Crust

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour + dusting

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

2 cold stick butter, cubed

8 tbsp ice water

Directions
Place dry ingredients in a food processor, add cubed butter.  Pulse flour and butter, drizzle in water until ingredients combine.  Remove and place on floured surface, combine to form a disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. Place dough on a lightly floured parchment paper and roll out your dough to fit the pie dish, trim off excess dough and pinch the edges.

Crumble Topping

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 stick cold butter, cubed

Directions
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to create crumbles.

 

 

Tropical Bread Pudding

Tropical Bread Pudding

With A Lemon Glaze!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 loaf crusty bread/ 4-5 cups, cubed

5 eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup Macadamia nuts

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp pumpkin spice

5 Medjool dates, pitted & chopped

1 1/4 stick of butter (melted) + greasing

Cooking Tools

Large mixing bowl

Small mixing bowl

zester

Loaf pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Mix eggs, sugar, milk, coconut, nuts, dates, spice, dates and melted butter.  Place bread cubes into the liquid and coat, let bread soak for 30 minutes before placing in a well buttered loaf pan. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes. Drizzle Lemon  Glaze (recipe below) about 15 minutes after pulling it out of the oven to cool slightly. Serve warm, but also can be served chilled.

Serves 6

Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners sugar

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Mix ingredients in a small mixing bowl until smooth.

Biscoff Pudding

Biscoff Pudding

So Few Ingredients Makes A Decadent Dessert!

This Is Our 800th Recipe!!!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking: Not required

Chilling: 4-5 hours

Ingredients

14 Biscoff cookies + garnish

1 (8 oz.) container whipped cream cheese

4 heaping tbsp Biscoff spread, divided https://www.lotusbiscoff.com/en-us

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups whipped cream or cool whip + topping

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking Tools

Food processor

Hand mixer

Medium mixing bowl

 

Directions

In a food processor, add; Biscoff cookies and melted butter.  Pulse to make crumb topping, set aside. In a mixing bowl, add; whipped cream cheese, 2 heaping tbsp of Biscoff spread, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2 cups of the whipped cream or cool whip and vanilla extract.  Use a hand mixer to incorporate until fully whipped. Layer Biscoff crumbs at the bottom of dessert serving bowl or cup, dollop with pudding until layers are formed. Place in refrigerator for several hours to chill. Right before serving, melt 2 tbsp of Biscoff in the microwave, slightly cool before drizzling over pudding then dollop with more whipped cream.

Serves 4