Category Archives: sweets

Blueberry Crostada

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crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3-5 tablespoons ice water
1 lemon, zest finely grated
save 1/4 tsp for filling

filling:
2 c. fresh blueberries
NOTE: for frozen berries use I bag (2.5-3 cups), increase sugar to 1.5 tbsp and flour to 1.5 tbsp.
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

topping:
1 tbsp. butter
frosting sugar
milk wash

To make the crust:
Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the lemon zestice and water and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. (If the dough still crumbles and does not form into a ball, add another tablespoon of ice water.) Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 30 min-1 hour.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a heavy baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat.

For the filling:
Add the rinsed blueberries to a bowl and toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Brush crust with milk and sprinkle frosting sugar over crust. Dot the filling with butter.

Bake the crostata for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool on rack, serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

Chocolate Nut Chews – Cecil Atwood

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1 ½ c sugar
¼ c. cocoa
½ c evaporated milk
1/3 c margarine
1/3 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ c uncooked oats
½ c nuts

Mix first 4 ingredients in a heavy 2 quart pan and stir over medium heat until mixture bubbles all over top. Boil and stir for 2 minutes more remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter till melted. Add vanilla, oats and nuts, mix. With a teaspoon drop on waxed paper. Let stand until set.

Makes 3-4 dozen


 

Best-Ever Chocolate Cake- Chenango Bridge Elementary School Kitchen

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1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/3 c. salad oil
1 c. very hot coffee or hot water
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well, pour coffee over all and stir well with a fork or wooden spoon. Pour into 9×9 pan,can grease or not.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, test with tooth pick to make sure it’s done but be careful not to overcook.

Makes a great moist cake and is vegan to boot. All ingredients can be dumped into baking pan, mixed then baked without ever using a bowl.

For cupcakes-decrease flour 1 1/2 tbsp. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 full, bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Can be doubled, bake in 13×9 pan.

 

Plum Pudding – Amy Voigt

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31 oz can purple plums, drained, pitted and chopped (2 cups)
16 oz pkg ginger snaps, finely crushed (31/2 cups)
2 cups flour
11/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
3/4 cups milk
3/4 cups melted butter

Make up to 3 weeks ahead. Grease well a 12 cup mold and lid. Using a spoon, mix well all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into mold and cover with lid. Place on rack in deep 8 qt. pot. Add boiling water to half way up mold, not touching lid. Cover and simmer 3 hrs. and 45 min. Remove from water and cool on rack for 30 min, Loosen pudding and invert on platter. Wrap pudding and refrigerate. About 30 min. before serving, place pudding in double boiler, cover and simmer over boiling water until pudding is warm.

Lemon Posset – Hellen Rundell

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2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice

Garnishes:
Powdered sugar
sprigs of mint
crisp, thin ginger snaps

Place cream and sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly.

Once at a simmer, continue to whisk constantly for 3 minutes while at a constant simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Three minutes is the magic number!) Remove from heat. Stir in the strained fresh lemon juice. Pour into small cut glass bowls or martini glasses. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Grandmother’s Lemon Custard Ice Cream – Terry

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3 zest of Lemons
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 cup half-and-half — or substitute 3 parts milk to 1 part cream
4 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
2 cup heavy cream

In a heavy bowl, combine the lemon zest and lemon juice, and stir in the sugar with a fork. Let it stand for 30 minutes. The sugar helps release the flavor of the zest. Scald the half-and-half over medium heat and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and salt with a mixer until well-blended. Slowly add about half of the scalded half-and-half and stir gently. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook the custard over medium to low heat stirring constantly until it is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Immediately remove it from the heat and strain the custard into a large bowl. Stir in the lemon mixture and the heavy cream.

Lay a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. When the ice cream is thickened and frozen, cover it and place it in the freezer until firm. Let it soften slightly in the refrigerator before serving.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

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1-1/2cups whole milk
½ cups granulated sugar
4 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ blueberries

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, heavy cream, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The frozen yogurt will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the frozen yogurt to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Buttermilk Pudding Cakes – Serves 8, Lee brothers

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DSCF0586

  • 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 9 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) fresh raspberries
  • Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack positioned in the top third of the oven.
  2. Sift together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. In another large bowl beat eggs until creamy and yellow. Whisk in buttermilk, vanilla, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, and butter (mixture will look curdled and broken). Slowly add flour and whisk until batter is smooth and combined.
  3. Spray 8 standard-size (3-ounce) nonstick muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin pan cups, filling about two-thirds full. Transfer to oven and bake until sides of cakes are evenly browned (check by inserting a knife tip between the rim of cake and muffin cup, pulling gently to expose side of cake), about 9 minutes. If cakes are not evenly browned, they will not hold together when inverted. Continue baking, checking every minute, until evenly browned.
  4. Meanwhile, place raspberries in a medium bowl; add remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and gently toss to coat.
  5. Invert cakes onto eight individual plates. Place berries on top and alongside cakes; serve with whipped cream, if desired.

The Bitten Word’s Lemony Sugar Cookies

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lemon-cookies

2 eggs
2 cups sugar, plus additional sugar for sprinkling
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, buttermilk, shortening and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in baking soda, flour and salt.  Add zest.

Line baking sheets with parchment. Drop 1 tablespoon size portions of cookie dough onto the sheet, with at least 2 inches between each round of dough. Bake for 15 minutes.

If you prefer a thinner cookie, in the final 2 minutes of baking, use a spatula to flatten each cookie.

Sprinkle cookies with a light dusting of sugar and allow them to cook on racks.