Apple Crisp

Early into our first summer in Korea, we received a flat of peaches from our company. These things were huge, hard and very unripe. I let them ripen forever, it seemed, but they were still hard as a rock and not very sweet. I finally realized there would be no fresh peaches and ice cream for us, so I made peach crisp. I made it again later in the year using apples, which is what I used for this particular recipe. Both are great!

This recipe is hardly baking, as there's no actual pastry so measurements don't need to be exact. It would be perfect for your kid-cook!

For an 8" pan, start with 3 apples (or peaches, if you prefer), peel, core and slice these babies as thin as you can make them. You could use more than 3 if you prefer more fruit, but I prefer more crisp, so I make my fruit layer fairly thin.
Don't tell my tummy.


I sliced them right into the pan.


Measure 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt, and 3/4 tsp. cinnamon into bowl (pretend there's cinnamon in this picture). Slice butter directly into bowl.


You could use a pastry blender, or the two-knife trick, but those take so much more time and it just annoys me. I just stick my fingers right in there and start pinching the ingredients together till it looks like fine sand (that's not really the word I want, but I can't think of what it really looks like).


Please forgive the picture quality.
Pour the flour mixture evenly over the sliced apples. It's going to look like too much, but believe me, you want it all!

Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees (or whatever your supper is cooking at, it doesn't really matter, mine happened to be closer to 400 degrees), and bake about 30-40 minutes until the top is slightly golden.

You can serve this with ice cream or Cool Whip (yuck), OR.....


Hello!
Homemade whipped cream--yum!!
Whip 1 cup heavy cream till peaked, mix in 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla and whip till peaks form.
Your family will thank you.
Even if your tummy doesn't. Just don't tell your tummy!


Dish it up!

What you need

3 peaches or apples, peeled, cored and sliced as thin as you can make them
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Tbs butter, chilled (use more or less depending on your preference)

Place sliced apples/peaches in 8" round baking dish. In bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Slice butter into small chunks. Mix well. Pour over fruit. Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes till light golden.

Chocolate Cake

This is a take off Portillo's chocolate cake recipe. If you are ever in the Chicago area you must go to Portillo's. They're famous for Chicago style hotdogs, but their chocolate cake is absolutely divine. Yes, divine. This recipe, while not quite an exact replica, it comes darn close. And the only difference is maybe that I had to do the dishes myself. I swear that changes flavors for me.

This being a baking recipe, if you're in a high altitude area, you'll want to take note of the ingredients and directions in orange. If you're at sea level, skip those parts.

What you need
1 chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker, it's the only brand I can use at this high altitude)
1/4 cup flour
3 lg eggs
1 cup water (+2 Tbs. water)
1 cup Hellman's Mayo (This is a weird one, I am completely aware of that. Please just think of this substituting for the oil in other cakes. Don't get weirded out, ok? I also usually use generic brands for almost everything, but I stuck with Hellman's here. The website specifically called for it. I didn't want to take the chance of messing up my cake. )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees). Grease 2 round cake pans. Beat all the ingredients together for 4 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake for 30 minutes (40 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then pop out of pan. Cool completely. Frost with your choice of either canned frosting, or use a chocolate butter cream frosting. (I found mine in my Betty Crocker cookbook. It's the best.)

Gingerbread House Icing

I found this icing on a website, wrote it down, and now can't remember if is was Recipezaar.com or Allrecipes.com. Either one, this is the best icing hands down! It's super easy, way cheaper than buying cans and cans of icing, tastes great, and holds like glue when it's dry.

Make this! Make the houses! Have fun!

What you need

3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar OR 1 tsp. baking powder
4 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Whip the egg whites and tartar or baking powder together in your mixer on medium high till mixed fairly well. Start adding your sugar a bit at a time. Once it's all in there, mix on high 4-5 minutes. It'll be really whipped looking and beautiful white.

Makes enough for 1 house and all the decorations on it. I made two batches for these guys.

Apple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

People, get out and make these guys! I made them for Adam's teachers today and they were fighting over who could lick the pan. Ok, that's an exaggeration. A gross exaggeration. Ha ha ha. But seriously? Get out and make these guys. I'm not sure what you're supposed to "get out" of, but it sounded right when I wrote it.

Ok.

So, thank you Rachel Ray. You are my hero. That said......

High altitude adjustments are in orange.

What you need

2 tart apples, Granny Smith are good, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups flour /plus 1-2 Tbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder /just a bit less than 1 Tbs
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream /plus 1-2 Tbs
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 400/450 degrees. Place apples, 1 Tbs brown sugar and 1 Tbs butter on baking sheet (you can put foil or parchment paper down so it doesn't stick, but I don't think this made much difference), mix it around, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes /may take 20-25 minutes, just watch them, or until apples are tender. Remove from oven, and lower oven temp to 350/375 degrees.

In your mixer, blend flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt at low speed. Add 5 Tbs. butter and mix until crumbly. In small bowl, whisk eggs with 1/2 cup cream, then mix into dry ingredients. (May need a bit more flour so it's not too sticky in your hands.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat out your dough to form a 9 x 13 inch rectangle (this is very approximate). In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Smear onto your dough about 2 Tbs butter, just sort of dotted all over. Sprinkle the pecan mixture on top and cover evenly with the roasted apples. Roll up dough, jelly roll-style, and cut crosswise into 9 slices. Place slices cut side down into 9 x 9 inch pan that's been well greased. Bake till golden, about 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 Tbs butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 tsp salt and honey to boil, stirring. Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly then poor it on the rolls.

So good. So, so good. Get out there and make these guys!.

Oh, and I'm embarrassed to say I don't even have a final shot of them, they got eaten so fast! You'll have to go make your own to see it to believe it.


These are super easy to double. Also, make everything the day or night before (except for that last sauce that you pour over the cooked buns), then bake it in the morning. Perfect, and easy.

Choloate chip pecan pie

It is what it sounds like. Divine. Oh yeah. With the holidays coming up (I know, they're not immediately around the corner, but they'll be here before we know it), this is a perfect pie. Top it with whipped cream or ice cream. This comes from my Texas friend, Melissa. Thanks, Melissa!! Oh, the good times we all had together just eating!

What you need:

Pie crust dough (you can make your own or do what I do, and get the kind in the refrigerated case, just don't tell my mom!)--you need only 1
3 eggs
1 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter--melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (I've used mixed nuts, too, both very good)
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbs. butter or shortening

Place the pie dough in a 10-inch pie pan. Don't prick it, but press it into sides.

In a mixer, beat eggs, then add in corn syrup. Add brown sugar, butter and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Stir in nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Carefully pour filling into pan with crust. Cut dough to fit pan, and you can do any sort of fancy design on the edge (my fancy was fork-tine design. Ooo!) Place pan on foil or another baking sheet because it tends to leak over.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (at my altitude, 8,000+, this actually took almost 1 hour, so keep that in mind, based on your alitude). The top should be sort of solid/crispy. My test is, I jerk the oven rack a bit, and it there's no jiggling in the pan, then it'sgood.

Meanwhile......take that 1/3 chocolate chips and the tablespoon butter and melt together in a saucepan or in the microwave (just for about 30 seconds). Stir together. When pie has cooled just a bit, use a spoon and make zigzag lines all over that pie. So pretty!