Apple Crisp

This is a great recipe to have on hand because it can really be used for any type of fruit crisp.  I generally make fruit crisps when I have a lot of one type of fruit left over and need to use them before they start to go bad.  It’s a great dessert in the fall and kinda just warms the soul, ya know?

Ingredients:

• 5 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples (pears, peaches, or apricots also work)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Mix together fruit and sugar in a large bowl.  Transfer to a 2 quart square baking dish.
3. In another bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Add in the butter in small chunks.  Mix together until it resemble coarse crumbs.  Stir in the pecans.
4. Sprinkle topping over the fruit.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool for 20 minutes. Top with ice cream and serve 🙂

Blueberry Pie

Happy Birthday, America!….This one’s for you.

This was perfect for an Independence Day cookout but will also work for all types of gatherings in the Summer. You can decorate using any type of pie/cookie cutters that you can find (or keep it simple with a traditional pie crust).

Pie Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons half & half or cream

Pie Filling:

• 4 cups fresh blueberries, washed and with stems removed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions:

1. FOR CRUST: In a food processor, blend the flour, salt and sugar.  Add butter and process until it’s a coarsely mixed.  Pour in the water and process for another 30 seconds.
2. Take the dough out and put it onto a floured surface.  Form dough into two, equal sized disks.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
3. After an hour, remove and put one disk on a floured surface.  Roll the pastry into a 12 inch circle (roll from the center out to create a circle).  Place dough into pie dish.  Put this back into the refrigerator.
4. Take out the second disk and roll it out into another 12 inch circle.  Using pie cutters, cut out shapes for the top of the pie.  Transfer the cut out shapes to a sheet of wax paper and put back in the refrigerator.
5. FOR THE FILLING: In a bowl, mix together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest.
6. PIE ASSEMBLY: Pour this mixture into the prepared pie shell.
7. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk and cream.
8. Brush the rim of the pie shell with the yolk mixture.
9. Cover the top of the pie with your crust cut outs.
10. Brush these with the remaining yolk mixture.
11. Put the pie back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
12. COOKING THE PIE: Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the pie on a baking sheet.  Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 400F.  After 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 350F and cook for another 40 minutes (or until the crust is browned and the juices are bubbling)
13. Allow the pie to cool for 1-2 hours before cutting then…ENJOY! 🙂

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Okay, well this clearly isn’t baked but I just had to dedicate a post to it.

This is a LOVE it or HATE it kind of dessert…I happen to LOVE it.

It reminds me of something that housewives in the 50’s would make for summer block parties.  Almost all the ingredients are canned (crushed pineapple, fruit cocktail) or processed somehow (marshmallows, Jell-O, Cool Whip) but I’m not one of those food purists so it’s fine by me.

Have any of you ever had Ambrosia salad before? Please tell me I’m not alone on this one…

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) containers of frozen whipped topping, thawed ( I use Fat Free Cool Whip)
• 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 (30 ounce) can of fruit cocktail, drained (in light syrup)
• 1 (30 ounce) can of crushed pineapple, drained
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 package sugar-free pistachio pudding

Directions:

1. Mix everything together in a big bowl
2. Refrigerate for at least an hour
3. Enjoy 🙂