Fresh Peach Pie

You don't have to cook the peaches for this pie, so you keep the yummy, fresh taste.  This is definitely a recipe I will make every summer.





¼ cup lemon juice
3 cups fresh sliced peaches
1 cup sugar - divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring (I prefer vanilla)

Directions:

• Toss the lemon juice and peaches with 1/2 cup sugar.   Allow the mix to sit for one hour in the refrigerator. 
• Drain fruit and save one cup of the juice.  If there isn't 1 cup of juice, add enough water or juice to make 1 cup. (If I need to, I use peach nectar or apple juice.) 
• In a sauce pan melt butter and cornstarch to make a rough. 
• Add the juice, ½ cup sugar, salt, and flavoring. 
• With a wire whisk, blend until well mixed.  Bring to a boil stirring until thick. 
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly; about 5-10 minutes. 
• Add the fruit and pour into a 10" cooked pie shell. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Carmel Apple Coffee Cake

Cake:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4-5 cups chopped and peeled apples
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Topping:
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt

• In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Blend in oil and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to egg mixture. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour into a greased 10-in. tube pan; bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake to a serving platter.
• For topping, combine all ingredients in a saucepan; boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly pour over warm cake (some topping will run down onto the serving plate.)

Pumpkin Dump Cake

The name of this dish comes from the way you dump all the ingredients together.  It's easy and delicious.  I'm not even a pumpkin pie lover and I really like this desert.





2 (12 oz) cans pumpkin
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups evaporated milk
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 - 1 cup of chopped pecans

• Combine pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, eggs, sugar and evaporated milk together and mix well.
• Pour into greased 9X13 pan.  Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture.  Drizzle the melted butter over the cake mix and then sprinkle the pecans on top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I think this is the healthiest you can make a cake.  It turned out really moist.  It was a huge hit and I didn't feel bad about eating it.




1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups shredded zuchini

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix applesauce, sugar and vanilla extract until well combined.  In another bowl combine flours, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.  A little at a time combine the flour mixture into the sugar mixture.  When combined, mix the zucchini into the mixture and spread evenly in the pan. 
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake gently springs back when touched.

You can use any chocolate frosting recipe you like.  It is such a moist cake and has such a nice chocolate flavor that you really only need a simple white sugar glaze on top.

Pumpkin Brownies

If you like pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, you will love these.  They are perfect for a fall desert but we will eat them all year.

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract; beat in the eggs one at a time with a spoon. Gradually add the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it's evenly moistened. Divide the batter in two separate bowls. Divide it so it's 1/3 in one bowl and 2/3 in another.
3. Into the bowl of batter that has 2/3 of mixture, blend the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the second bowl of batter, stir in the pumpkin puree, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Spread 1/2 of the chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and follow with 1/2 of the pumpkin batter. Repeat the layers, ending with a pumpkin layer, and drag a kitchen knife or small spatula gently through the layers in a swirling motion, to create a marbled appearance.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan, cut into squares, and serve.

Pear Cheddar Pie

FOR THE CRUMBLE

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup butter

                  

FOR THE PIE

6 cups peeled and sliced pears

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

unbaked pie crust

•  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine the flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and Cheddar cheese. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Toss the sliced pears with the lemon juice. Combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the pears and toss to coat.
• Transfer the pears to the pie crust and top with the crumble mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Mixed Berry Cobbler

This calls for strawberries and raspberries, but we made it with strawberries and blueberries and really liked that as well.










Filling1 Tb cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 Tb lemon juice

Topping1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup milk


Blend the sugar and cornstarch. Add fruit and lemon juice and stir until combined. Put filling in a square baking dish and set aside.
For topping, whisk together the dry ingredients. Work in butter just until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Add the milk and stir until everything is moistened.
Use a teaspoon scoop to drop balls of dough close together on top of the filling. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the top is browned and filling is bubbly. Allow dish to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

White cake with lemon curd filling

If you like lemon, this is pretty heavenly. I frosted it with a lemon butter cream frosting, but you can use any frosting.



3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tb baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter, just until coated with flour.
• Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla. Add wet ingredients gradually to the dry until it is well mixed.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Lemon Curd Filling

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 Tb unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• Whisk together juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface. (About 6 minutes.)
• Put in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Chocolate Cupcakes with a Kick

1 pkg chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 Tb vanilla
1/2 -1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
1 pkg chocolate chips
2 tsp flour
1 recipe for white frosting
2 oz chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup whipping cream

• In bowl combine cake mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, vanilla and chipotle pepper. Beat on low to combine and then mix on medium for 2 minutes.
• Fold flour and chocolate chips into batter. Spoon into greased or lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when you touch them. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Makes 24 cupcakes.
• Frost with white frosting and then drizzle with chocolate. For drizzle, placed chocolate in a small bowl. Bring whipping cream to a boil over the stove. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.

White Frosting

8 oz pkg softened cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar until mixture is a spreadable consistency.

Cream Soda-Toffee Cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tb molasses
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda (not diet)
3/4 cup toffee pieces

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with 18 cupcake paper cups.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Beat butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugars, beat until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time until combined. Beat in molasses and vanilla.
• Alternately add flour mixture, buttermilk and cream soda to mixture, beating on low until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the toffee.
• Fill cups 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes or until tops spring back when you touch them. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Frost with brown butter frosting.

Brown butter frosting:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
1-2 Tb buttermilk

• Heat 1/4 cup butter over medium-low heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
• In bowl beat 1/4 softened butter with cooled brown butter. Beat until combined. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt.
• Beat in buttermilk until spreadable. Use immediately.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfaits

3 Tb milk
3 Tb peanut butter
1 cup thawed whipped topping
1 pkg. (4 serving) chocolate instant pudding

• Add milk gradually to peanut butter in bowl, stirring with whisk until blended. Add whipped topping and stir until blended.

• Prepare pudding as directed on package. Spoon half the mixture into 6 parfait glasses. Top with the peanut butter mixture and cover with the remaining chocolate.
• Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Apple Crisp

For this recipe I use apples that I have canned to make it easier, but you can make it just as easily if you don't have any.






2 qts peeled, cored and sliced apples
1/2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

• In bowl combine flour, oats, spices and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly.
• Take 1/2 mixture and pat on the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Put apples on top and cover with the remaining crumb mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. (If using canned apples bake for 30 minutes.)