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Apple Blackberry Pie

Apple Blackberry Pie

by | Aug 23, 2022 | Cakes & Pies, Dessert, Recipe | 7 comments

Apple Blackberry Pie

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1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 7-8 Tart apples
  • 2-3 cups Blackberries
  • 1/2 cup Brown sugar (dark is good)
  • 5 tsp Cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Method
 

  1. Have your pie crust ready. Mix together everything EXCEPT the fruit.
  2. Preheat your oven to 375F
  3. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Keep them in lemony water to keep them from browning as you prepare the remaining apples.
  4. Place sliced apples and blackberries in a large bowl with room to mix them around. Pour dry ingredients and mix well with the fruit.
  5. Pour everything into your prepared pie crust. Top with the rest of the crust, crimping the edge to avoid leaks. Score the top to allow the steam to escape. Use a pie shield or put strips of foil around the edge to keep it from browning too quickly.
  6. Place a sheet of foil under the pie (to catch spills) and bake for 50 minutes at 375F
    Remove the pie shield (or the foil strips) and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
    Cool for at least 2-3 hours.
Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

by | Jun 15, 2022 | Dessert, Recipe, Sweet Baking | 6 comments

 

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

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Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Butter, room temperature (2 sticks, 226 grams) not too soft
  • 1 Cup Brown sugar, packed (213 grams)
  • 1/4 Cup Granulated sugar (50 grams)
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 Cups All-purpose flour (200 grams)
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 3 Cups Quick oats* (297 grams)
  • 1 Cup OPTIONAL add-ins chocolate chips, chopped nuts, coconut flakes, raisins, etc

Equipment

  • baking sheets
  • Cooling Rack
  • Stand Mixer or Hand mixer

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
  2. Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer and cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (if using a hand mixer, do the same). This could take 2-4 minutes or more.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add vanilla and mix until all is well combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients MINUS any optional add-ins. Add to butter/sugar mixture all at once and mix until combined. Add in optional add-ins until just combined
  5. Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5T) for regular sized cookies. Use a large cookie scoop (3T) for larger sized cookies. Arrange cookie dough balls a couple of inches away from each other on the baking sheet(s).
  6. Bake until the edges just start to turn golden brown and the centers look slightly under-cooked. This will take from about 8-12 minutes depending on the size of the cookie and your oven.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven and use something flat to press the cookies down just enough to take the roundness down and make them look more uniform. This step is optional but it makes them easier to stack and they look better (IMO).

Notes

The use of quick oats in this recipe (versus "old fashioned" oats) gives the cookies a softer more tender mouthfeel that we love. When making the larger size cookie, we have found that they make a great ice cream sandwich!
if you prefer a little crunch to your cookie, just bake them a little longer and they'll look like this (and they'll still be delicious).

 

Chocolate Cups (aka Truffle-in-a-Cup)

Chocolate Cups (aka Truffle-in-a-Cup)

by | May 6, 2021 | Dessert, Recipe | 12 comments

Chocolate Cups (aka Truffle in a Cup)

These are tied for first place for the easiest dessert with the biggest impact. When you make them, you'll see why. They definitely have the WOW factor but they are SO easy to make and so easy to customize.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
  • 7 oz dark chocolate, 70% or higher
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp brandy*
  • 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

Equipment

  • small, heavy bottomed sauce pan
  • whisk
  • scale or measuring cups, measuring spoons
  • Silicone spatula
  • little cups or bowls

Method
 

  1. Chop the chocolate into little chunks about the size of chocolate chips. Alternately, you can pound it (inside the packaging) with a rolling pin (not too hard) and it will break up nicely.
  2. Heat the cream on medium heat until just starting to bubble around the edges. Keep and eye that you don't overheat the cream. Dump all the chocolate into the cream remove from the heat. Stir with a whisk until all combined and creamy (trust me, it will get pretty and shiny).
  3. Wait a few minutes for the mixture to cool a bit then add the egg yolks and whisk until fully combined.
  4. Add the brandy (or rum or whisky or high-quality booze...or don't add any booze) and stir until combined. Last, add the butter and continue to stir until all the butter is mixed in well and no oily streaks are left.
  5. Pour into little cups, tiny bowls, espresso mugs, etc. It should make 6 to 8 little pots of deliciousness depending on the size of your vessel.
  6. Refrigerate until chilled or overnight. Before serving, bring to room temperature and add a dollop of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, berries, a small sprinkle of Maldon salt, or whatever sounds good to you. Serve with a crisp cookie or just with a spoon.
  7. This is the recipe that your friends will rave about. You don't have to tell them that it was super easy to make.
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

by | May 6, 2021 | Dessert, Recipe | 9 comments

The BEST Peanut Butter Cookie I Have Ever Made

Peanut butter cookies are not my strong suit but these came out perfect if you like them soft in the middle, firmer at the edge, and not crumbly.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c butter, unsalted
  • 1 c peanut butter, crunchy or creamy, as you wish
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 3/4 c dark brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Equipment

  • good quality baking sheets (I used NordicWare but I also like USA Pan)
  • a hand mixer or stand mixer
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • a spring-loaded cookie scooper
  • a potato masher (the kind with little squares)

Method
 

  1. Cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs slowly until combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, sift together (yes, with a sifter) the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir it into the wet mixture.
  3. Put the batter in the refrigerator for about an hour. Scoop (or roll with your hands) into @ 1" balls and place on baking sheets leaving room to spread. Flatten each ball with your potato masher (or use a fork to make hash-marks).
  4. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown. Do NOT overbake (unless you like that sort of thing).

Notes

Banana Nut Cookies

Banana Nut Cookies

by | Feb 25, 2021 | Dessert, Recipe, Sweet Baking | 7 comments

Banana Nut Cookies

yields about 4 dozen cookies
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, salted and softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp milk
  • 3/4 cup banana, mashed (about 2 bananas)
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Equipment

  • baking sheets
  • mixer
  • Silicone spatula
  • mixing bowls

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer blend the sugars. Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, milk, and banana and beat at medium until smooth.
  4. Add flour mixture along with the nuts and chocolate chips and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
  5. Drop rounded teaspoons onto an un-greased cookie sheet, 2" apart.
    Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack with a spatula
Easy Chocolate Syrup

Easy Chocolate Syrup

by | Feb 3, 2021 | Dessert, Recipe | 10 comments

The Kitchen Company

Easy Chocolate Syrup

This is a quick and easy make-at-home version of a Hershey's-style chocolate syrup
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cacao (or cocoa) powder
  • 1/4 cup boiling water

Equipment

  • Mason jar
  • Silicone spatula
  • Measuring cups

Method
 

  1. Boil some water. While it's boiling, add the sugar and cacao (or cocoa) powder to a mason jar (pint size minimum) and stir well until no white sugar is visible.
  2. Slowly pour about 1/8 cup boiling water into the jar. Use a silicone spatula to begin stirring the water down into the powder mixture. Add a bit more water as needed and continue to stir. Keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved and there the syrup is smooth and shiny. It's OK if you don't use a full 1/4 cup. The amount of water used will determine the consistency of the final product. Less water yields a thick, fudgy sauce (great on ice cream).
  3. You can kick up the flavor by adding cinnamon or cayenne to the mixture. You can also adjust the sugar content to your liking using a bit more or less sugar.
  4. Keep refrigerated and use to taste with cold milk, coffee, hot milk, smoothies, etc.

Notes

I like to keep a jar of this on hand for when I need a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day or to have a glass of chocolate milk with my grilled cheese sandwich (or mac and cheese) or to drizzle over ice cream.