Candy Brandy Pecans

INGREDIENTS:

6 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
5 tbs brandy
2 tbsp Gingerbread Spice Mix
10 oz-bag whole shelled pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non stick spray.

Melt butter in sauce pot on medium heat.

Add brown sugar, brandy and Gingerbread Spice Mix, cook for 1 minute until bubbly stirring constantly.

Add pecans and stir until all coated.

Spread out in an even layer on cookie sheet with rubber spatula and bake for 20-25 minutes stirring several times throughout.

Remove from oven to cool and in medium bowl combine:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp Gingerbread Spice Mix

Pour pecans in bowl and stir until all coated with sugar mixture. 

Let cool completely and store in airtight container. I put mine in decorative mason jars for Christmas gifts. This would also be good for birthday gifts, hostess gifts, parties, baby showers, Thanksgiving snacks, mother’s day gifts, and father’s day gifts

 

 

This recipe is being shared at Foodie Friends Friday

 

Rustic Plumb Tart

RUSTIC: Having simplicity and charm that is considered typical of the countryside!

Now that is my kind of cooking. Ultimately it boils down to the fact that my chops can be different in sizes and my crust doesn’t have to be embellished cookie cut outs of the exact same things. YES, I can be rough and tough and still win with RUSTIC.

Plumbs will only be around for another month or so at the most (through October), with that being said I wanted to take advantage of their juicy flavor with a hint of sweetness. Plumbs are filled with vitamin C and are mildly sweet and super juicy by nature. When you eat a plumb think of this, they are considered a SUPER FRUIT. with the cold and flu season upon us, this is a great way to boost your immune system now to avoid, as I tell my 2 year old…THE YUCKIES!  Believe it or not they are a part of the rose family and they have over 140 varieties. 

I have a sweet tooth the size of Montana! This tart is so far from my norm that it isn’t even funny. It is barely sweet, but the taste of the hearty crust mixed with the lightly sweetened filling, leaves you wanting another bite.

CRUST

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

FILLING

• 1 1/2 pounds red plums, sliced 1″ in size and, pitted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon water (egg wash)

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt several times to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. (If needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Do not over mix.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead once or twice. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Flour a large cutting board with piece of parchment paper. Place dough on paper. This dough will be VERY hard, let is warm up and using your knuckles, press edges of dough flat until you have worked yourself into the middle. Continue until all the dough has been pressed out and IT WILL CRACK.  Press all cracks back together and transfer dough (still on parchment) to prepared baking sheet.
4. Make the filling and bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together plums, sugar, and flour. Mound plum mixture in center of prepared crust, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Fold border over fruit in a pleated pattern. Brush dough with egg wash.
5. Bake tart until crust is brown and filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a rack; let cool 20 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.  **NOTE** filling may leak, this is normal and expected.

 

 

Make sure to keep the butter cold while working with it as it makes the best flaky crust. Also know if using the whole wheat flour, the crust is not as flaky as if using all white flour.

Mixture should just hold together like this to know it is ready

\

Prepare filling mixture

Yes, it cracks. I did this all by hand, with no rolling-pin. I like it that way and it is more rustic that way.

It all comes back together in the end, so cracks aren’t the enemy here

Close sides around the tart ensuring the cracks are closed and pressed together. This helps prevent the filling from leaking out. Some will anyway so don’t be alarmed.

Berry Naughty Whip You Up

As adults we all need a little pick me up now and then. I love sweets and this is just the answer to that calling. If you have never tried the Pinaccle Whip Cream Vodka…you are in for a real treat. BE WARNED, this drink is addicting 😀

INGREDIENTS
1 Pint Fresh Strawberries (buy local folks if possible), washed, cleaned and halved
1/2 Pint Fresh Blueberries, washed
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 Vanilla bean, split and seeded
1 750 ml bottle of Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka

DIRECTIONS

1. On stove top, in a pot, bring water and sugar to boil. 
2. Add vanilla bean seeds and simmer for 10 minutes, this is a vanilla simple syrup. 
3. Remove from heat and let cool
4. In a food processor, combine 1 cup strawberries and 1/2 cup blueberries puree until smooth. 
5. When vanilla simple syrup is cool add  3 oz to the berries and give the food processor a whirl to mix.
6. Take a glass with ice (or frozen blueberries) and add 3 -4 oz of vodka and your berry mixture
7. Garnish with more blueberries or a strawberry on the rim of the glass

Sweetened Whip Cream

 

Basic sweetened whip cream that will have you craving more and throwing away your cans and tubs!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 c. heavy whip cream

1/4 c. white granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

DIRECTIONS

1.    Place a bowl and your beaters in freezer until ready to make whip cream.

2.    Remove bowl and beaters from freezer; Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed add heavy whip cream.

3.    As the mixture thickens, slowly add sugar until completely incorporated.

4.    Add vanilla extract.

5.    Continue mixing until stiff peaks form being careful not to over mix or butter will form.

Apple Pie Rolls

Does anyone enjoy Fall as much as I do? The crisp clean freshness in the air. The ripe beautifully colored apples. The tart oakiness of freshly uncorked wine….ahhhh, I can smell and taste them all. This recipe was inspired by a favorite, apple pie. Now I must confess, as I have before, a baker I am not. That being said, pie crusts for me come from a box, there I said it, now lets move on. Also, as you may know, I love bite sized finger foods. Now if I could only incorporate a pie with no crust that is bite sized, I’m all over it.

 

Did you know those cool egg roll wrappers could be used for more than savory foods? Frying or baking them and then dusting with cinnamon and sugar make such a quick easy snack…wait…what if I stuff them with something…WAIT…what if that something is APPLE PIE filling? YES! That is the answer and inspiration for these tantalizing fall treasures I call apple Pie Rolls.

These little ditties were featured on Good Day Sacramento on 8/20/12, from our home on live TV. 

 

 

INGREDIENTS 
2 apples 1 granny smith and 1 gala (2 heaping cups worth)
1 large lemon juiced
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/8 tsp. salt
16 egg roll wrappers
1 egg lightly beaten

 

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1.    Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F

 

2.    Peel and chop apples and add into a medium sized bowl.

 

3.    Add remaining filling ingredients to bowl with apples and stir together until well combined. Allow mixture to sit for about 10 minutes for all flavors to merry and the lemon to coat the apples.

 

4.    Place 1 egg roll wrapper onto a clean surface ( I use a wooden cutting board) and brush edges with a 1 inch perimeter of egg wash.

 

5.    Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the filling across the side of the prepared egg roll wrapper closest to you. You do not want to over stuff these they will explode and they are easily “overstuffable”. *NOTE* I have overstuffed, they taste the same! Just a little messier.

 

6.    Fold both sides toward the middle of the wrapper and brush again with the egg wash.

 

7.    Finish by rolling the end you filled (closest to you) and rolling away from you keeping a firm hold and roll to the end, press gently but firmly to ensure a good seal.

 

8.    Place roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with a thin layer of cooking spray. Repeat until all the filling and wrappers have been used.

 

9.    Bake egg rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. During the last 5 minutes of cook time, pull out baking sheet and brush rolls with a little melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. Put back in oven for remaining 5 minutes. Serve immediately with sweetened whipped cream.

 

TO MAKE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

 

1.    Place a bowl and your beaters in freezer until ready to make whip cream.

 

2.    Get hand mixer, bowl and beaters; on medium-high speed add heavy whip cream

 

3.    As the mixture thickens, slowly add sugar until completely incorporated.

 

4.    Add vanilla and cinnamon

 

5.    Continue mixing until stiff peaks form

 

6.    Add in a dish on the side for dipping apple pie rolls in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on Thursday’s Treasures on a great blog Recipes for My Boys, thanks Debi 😀

Shamrock St. Patty’s

For this cookie, I was looking for something fun to do for St. Patrick’s Day. We all know to wear green and if not you get pinched. We also know that corned beef and cabbage is the honorary food of this day. But sweets, what about the sweets? I need sweets!! Ok, over my sugar high now. So with this past year I was at home with my kids and we were trying to think of something new to make. I decided sugar cookies because they are so versatile you can add to them almost anything and get a great result. Ok, added green food coloring, kids love it, our hands not so much. Then my daughter, Jasmine, came up with the idea of using cookie cutters. Brilliant, we found shamrock! Several batches later we found the perfect ratio of food coloring to dough and all the rest of the sugary goodies that kids love fell into place! Also knowing and always promoting that I am not a baker, makes me feel even more sugary and sweet inside about this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

2.5 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Leaf Green Coloring

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside

2. Cream the sugar and butter

3. Add egg and extracts, mix well

4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until well combined

5. Divide dough in 4 parts {or leave all one color} gradually add coloring

6. Place in fridge about 30-60 minutes to make handling the dough easier

7. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of wax paper approximately 1/4″ thick, cut with a shamrock cookie cutter

8. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray

9. Place cookies on sheet and bake about 12-14 minutes or until firm to the touch, but still soft

10. Cool completely

11. Frost one side of cookie with frosting and put your favorite sprinkles on it, then top with another shamrock cookie and roll in more sprinkles!

12. Or if you don’t want the sandwich cookie, frost and sprinkle one cookie.