lemon meringue pie

oh my was this good!  doesn't it look like it came right out of your grandmother's kitchen?  i have never really been a big fan of meringue pies, i don't really have a good reason for it.  i think it's because if i ever had a choice of dessert, i would lean more towards a cake or cookie.  not a pie.  a lemon meringue one at that.  but, i wanted something sweet a few weekends ago and i wanted it to be somewhat low calorie/fat.  i don't know if this fits the bill, but in my mind it did. i mean, the topping is essentially egg whites!  and egg whites are good for you. this pie was so easy to put together and i had everything in the house to make it.  to start, add 1 cup of sugar, 2 tb of flour, 3 tb of cornstarch, a pinch of salt, 1.5 cups of water, and 2 lemons juiced and zested in a saucepan.  while stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil.  add 2 tb of butter. separate 4 egg yolks and 4 egg whites.  add a little of the sugar mixture into the yolks to temper them.  add the yolks to the saucepan.  continue to cook until thick, about 3-4 minutes.  add to a baked pie crust ( i used pillsbury).  to make the meringue, beat the egg whites until foamy and add 6 tb of sugar.  continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.  spread the meringue over the pie, sealing the edges at the crust.  bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  one slice of this light, refreshing pie is 298 calories.  not bad for a dessert...

profiteroles with lemon custard

good lord these are good.  and a cinch to make.  quite fun, too.  there are very few ingredients, so you probably have everything in your pantry and fridge.  to start, combine 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 stick of butter and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat and add 1/2 cup of flour and stir with a wooden spoon.  continue to cook until the mixture has formed a ball and has a slightly sweaty sheen to it and has pulled away from the pan.  it happens fast.  transfer the mixture to another bowl and let cook for a few minutes.  with an electric mixer add 2 eggs, one at a time.  don't add the second egg until the first one is fully incorporated.  add a pinch of cinnamon and beat to combine.  transfer the mixture to a pastry bag.  i use a zip lock bag that i have snipped off the corner.  you want to pipe 1 inch balls onto a sheet lined with parchment paper.  after you have added all the balls, dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each ball where the bag released the dough.  leave about 1 inch between each ball because they grow.  bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  rotate have way through so they bake evenly.  once cool, cut in half horizontally and fill with whatever you want.  i made a lemon custard and topped with melted chocolate and toasted almonds.  ice cream is fantastic in these.  they are so cute.  they have hollow insides so you can stuff them with whatever you have.  you can even make these savory by not adding cinnamon and stuff them with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, or ricotta and fresh herbs.  they make great appetizers.

apple pound cake

toasted, buttered pound cake. stewed sugary apples. whipped cream.   good god.

strawberry trifle

happy valentine's everyone! i'm not big on this holiday - i feel bad for the men.  it is such an obligatory holiday.  for a day about love - i bet there are a lot of fights going on out there.  forgotten flowers, cards, chocolates, dinner reservations, etc.  i give brian a pass on this day.  don't get me wrong, we will share a bottle of wine tonight and sit down to a great meal, but there is no need for any special gifts.  however, i did want to make my clients meal a bit more special tonight, so i prepared these individual strawberry trifles.  i rarely, almost never, make a dessert.   i think these will go over well. i bought the glasses yesterday at crate and barrel.  they worked out perfectly.  i took a short cut and bought good ole' sara lee pound cake, layered it with whip cream, and strawberries.  super easy to put together and just enough to not go over board. 

apple sauce

 

it's apple season!   i don't know why i put an exclamation behind that sentence, apples really don't excite me, if i must be honest.  just trying to be positive.  i made this homemade apple sauce for some clients last week that i paired with a pork tenderloin.  i got the inspiration from bond street bakery.  i essentially made it directly as she stated, but instead of putting a cinnamon stick in, i used ground cinnamon.  this is so easy to make, why ever by it from a jar?  start by peeling four apples.  then dice them and throw them into a sauce pan with 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 of sugar (i used less), a big squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  bring to a boil, cover, and reduce for 35 minutes.  stir when you think about it.  i cooked my apples down a bit longer than 35 minutes, only because i had the time, and i didn't want to go the extra step and mash the apples.  by cooking a bit longer they broke down into apple sauce consistency.  i make baked apples for clients often for a healthy end of the meal snack.  it is the same process as this, but slice the apples, put them in a baking dish and cook at 350 degrees, covered with foil, and bake for 40 minutes.  a little dollop of ice cream would be really good on top.

peaches n' cream

is everyone enjoying the wonderful peaches out there?  man are they good.  i have found that the best peaches are at a farm stand.  i don't know what it is, but i think the farm stand folks now how to handle and store their produce better than the big chain markets.  some fruits are just not meant to be refrigerated.  peaches are one of them.  tomatoes are another.  and i believe that many of the produce is shipped in huge refrigerated trucks. unlike the local farmer who picks their fruit, then packs everything up in their beat up truck and delivers to the local farm stand.  don't take my word on this, it's just what i think.  makes sense though.  i made this individual pie with the best tasting peach i have had so far this summer.  i intended to make fresh whipped cream, but something drastically went wrong.  and to this day i still can't figure it out.  i've made whipped cream several times before, but this one just didn't turn out.  fear not, i just drizzled a bit of the flat cream over the diced peaches and it was awesome.  sorta like when ice cream melts over a hot brownie and you have this nice sweet milky liquid.  yum.  there's not much to this recipe.  all i did was bake an individual pie crust for 15 minutes and topped it with diced peaches, about a 1/2 teaspoon of cream, and a fresh sprig of mint.  didn't even cook the peaches.  it's a great little dessert.  give it a try while you are still able to enjoy the taste of these delicious summer peaches.

blue eyes....

i know this blog is about food, but my goodness look at those eyes!  jcrew, are you out there?  is there anyone out there who reads this blog who knows someone. . .  who knows someone. . .  who might know someone. . . who works for jcrew?  anyone?  i can see him  in their magazine.  hell, on the front cover.  okay, okay, okay.  enough already.  but i am marshall's aunt, so i can brag and boast without sounding obnoxious,  right?  i mean, it's not like i am saying he looks like me or anything... anyway, my nephew marshall is turning 8 tomorrow, so the family got together to celebrate. we have always been good at that. we love a reason to eat good food and top it off with a wonderful dessert. my sister-in-law made a lemonade pie, and had a lot of filling left over, so this "sandwich" was made from the leftovers.  its two graham crackers with the lemonade filling stuffed in the middle.  all the kids went crazy over these - they were gone within minutes. some even double fisting (i'm not naming any names, though). the recipe is out of southern living magazine, so you know it's good. they always seem to put out good ole', tried and true recipes. i wasn't there to watch it come together, but the ingredient list is short and so are the instructions. what i do know, is that it was delicious.  here's what you need:

1 (12oz.) can evaporated milk
2 (3.4 oz.) packages lemon instant pudding mix
1 tb. lemon zest
2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 ts. vanilla extract
1 (12oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (9inch) ready-made graham cracker crust
thawed frozen whipped topping
lemon for garnish (optional)

whisk together evaporated milk and next 2 ingredients in a bowl for 2 minutes.
in a separate bowl beat cream cheese and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  add lemonade concentrate, beating until smooth.  add milk mixture and beat until blended.  pour into crust.  cover and chill 8 hours or until firm.  dollop each slice with whipped topping.  this light dessert is perfect for these hot, smoldering, sweaty days we are having.  the sandwiches freeze nicely, too.  so whip up a batch, eat a few, save the rest later.  and, please feel free to forward this photo on to your contact at jcrew...

georgia on my mind

ah, peaches. i love them.  but they can be so disappointing sometimes when you don't pick a good one. you know the ones that when you bite into them, the juice runs down your chin and wrist.  those are the ones i like.  and these were just that.  i made grilled balsamic peaches tonight for my clients and think they turned out great.  (i sure hope they did at least, i have never tried this recipe...)  i simply poured a bit of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of brown sugar over the tops and grilled them on an indoor grill pan for 2 minutes.  topped them off with a few fresh thyme leaves.  having fruit after dinner is such a great alternative to dessert, and it can usually satisfy that sweet tooth.  i bet a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of mascarpone and fresh mint would be out of this world.  i think i just might treat myself to that tonight (the ice cream version, of course).  it's peach season, so pick up a few and try grilling them - just as they are.  it makes the fruit so sweet and juicy.

a lazy, tasty cookie sandwich

i have told you before i don't bake, and that i don't normally eat desserts.  but, there are times i just want a little something at the end of a meal to finish it all off.  there is nothing new here with this dessert, but i thought i would share it with you so you can keep it in your "recipe file".   so on those nights that you want something sweet and satisfying, that's not too indulgent, you can put these together.  the cookies are those 100 calorie packs from nabisco (i think?) filled with frozen vanilla yogurt.  each package contains 12 cookies, so they make 6 tiny chocolate chip cookie sandwiches.  perfect.  i found that using a melon baller is the easiest way to assemble the sandwiches.  they also freeze really well.  so next time you buy a box of these 100 calorie cookies, make up the entire batch and put them in a air tight container.  your next sweet tooth craving will be satisfied in a flash!

individual apple pie

what's more american than apple pie?  i made these saturday night in honor of the usa!  they played england saturday afternoon and tied 1-1 (which we were very lucky to do).  i sure hope our team plays better at their next two match ups, than how they played against england.  come on guys, where's the fire?  where's the intensity?  anyway, back to food blogging - thought i was a sports writer for a brief moment.  i love making these quick and delicious pies.  i purchase frozen pie shells and fill them with whatever fruit i have around.  they are great with blueberries, cherries, peaches, and blackberries.  i start by blind baking the pie shells in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.  this ensures a crusty bottom.  if you were to put the filling in without this step, the bottom of the pie shell would stay doughy.  while the pies shells are in the oven, peel and slice 1 apple (for 2 pies) and throw the slices in a skillet with about 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and about 2 tablespoons of water.  cover and simmer until the apple slices are soft, about 20-25 minutes.  check on the apple slices every now and then and add more water to the pan if needed.  the water creates a nice sauce.  once the apple slices are soft, scoop into prepared pie shells and bake for another 5 -7 minutes.  top with a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt and you've got yourself one patriotic, portion controlled dessert!

eat more fruit

i cooked all day today for a political fundraiser, and i am worn out and going to bed.  i will fill you in tomorrow as to what i prepared.  it was a hit.  my blt bites were so darn good. you will want to serve them at your next get together - they scream summer.  since this photo is self explanatory, i just wanted to remind everyone to eat more fruit. this photo also has nothing to do with what i prepared tonight, just too tired to blog.  good night.

perfectly petite profiteroles

my adorable nieces and nephews are coming in town this weekend for the long holiday and that means cookouts!  that also means dessert.  i am going to get my niece, avery, to help me with these. (she helps me with all my pies i make during the holidays).  this is probably the easiest, most time consuming looking dessert i have ever made.  it literally took me about 5 minutes to put these together.  just 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of flour, pinch of salt and a pinch of cinnamon.   i used vanilla yogurt as my filling - my way of making it just a bit "healthier", and melted a few chocolate chips with some water over a double boiler and here is what i got. you can find the original recipe here.

blackberry empanadas

my husband was away last weekend, and i decided to get in the kitchen and create (after watching 2 movies on lifetime and about to start my 3rd, i thought i needed to be a bit more productive). as i've told you before, i don't eat sweets often. so that means i don't bake. i will bake an apple pie or a cheesecake from time to time, but a holiday is usually the reason. i found a recipe online that looked easy to make, so i decided to give it a whirl. out came the flour, butter, salt and water. that's it, all made in a food processor! 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 sticks of cold butter (oh hush, i was bored), 6-8 tablespoons of cold water and a pinch of salt. throw it in the food processor and you have homemade dough! this makes 2 pie crusts. i knew i wasn't going to make a whole pie, i just wanted to try something with the beautiful dough i just made, so i thought about individual, bite size empanadas. i really like small desserts. for these, i just mixed some blackberries with lemon zest and a spoonful of sugar and flour. used a 3" round cookie cutter and filled it with my mixture. (just to give you a reference of size - only 2 blackberries fit in the crust) brushed an egg wash on top and a sprinkle of sugar. baked them at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.  if you only eat one, what's the harm, right?  i made eight, but i also ate eight.  had to have been the boredom...
by the way, check out one of my favorite blogs - www.bondstreetbakery.com, this chick can bake!

absolute heaven

i don't eat dessert often. not for any other reason than i just don't have a sweet tooth. i like sweets, of course i do, but i would much rather fill up on savory items. this however, is simply incredible. i was given tom colicchio's cookbook a few months back and have made this recipe so many times. it is the kind of dessert that absolutely wows people, seriously. not to mention it is easy to make, can be made ahead of time and is relatively low in fat and calories. its a lemon steamed pudding. and this is how you make it. the recipe calls for a serving of 6, but i make it for 5. could be that my ramekins are larger.

i think i am going to make this for my clients on cinco de mayo, but with limes of course!

1/2 cup sugar plus additional for dusting ramekins
2 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2/3 cup of buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
zest on 1 1/2 lemons

heat the oven to 300 degrees. lightly butter and sugar 5 - 4 ounce ramekins. beat the eggs whites until they hold soft peaks, set aside. sift flour, sugar and salt. in another bowl, combine buttermilk, egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. gradually add the flour mixture. fold in the egg whites. place ramekins in a roasted pan with enough water to come half way up. fill ramekins with batter. cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake for an additional 20 - 25 minutes until the tops are lightly golden. unmold and serve alone or with fresh berries, or with a berry compote. i made a blueberry compote by putting blueberries in a saucepan, add about 1/2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons or so of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, cook over low heat until blueberries burst.

tyler florence has a version of this recipe that you can find here