Peanut Butter Pie

I found myself crying when I read this story posted a few weeks ago by a popular food writer and blogger. Her request to honor her husband's memory by making this peanut butter pie (his favorite dessert) inspired me.

This recipe is a keeper so I wanted to post it here. I made it last week, and I shared it with people I love. I recommend you do the same. I guarantee they'll love you back.

Mangia~

Lora

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Serves 10 to 12

8 ounces chocolate cookies

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

2 cups heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup creamy-style peanut butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan or a glass pie plate.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture. Pour the filling into pie plate/pan. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Serve with remaining whipped cream and chopped peanuts.

Adapted from Jennie's Kitchen.

whole wheat rhubarb streusel muffins

Aren't these purdy? They taste as good as they look.

Rhubarb is one of those ingredients that wonderfully transforms once it's cooked. Raw, its bitter and tough. Heat brings it to life, and morphs it into something so delicious. Kinda like when I throw my cranky, grumpy 4 year old into a warm bath...

I realize this is the third sweet recipe in a row...sorry. It's all beans or sugar around here.

Many of you know that our family has recently increased by 1. T's sweet little baby boy has captured all of our hearts. ;) I thought another sweet recipe would be perfect way to celebrate his awesomeness.

These muffins are delicious, moist, not overtly sweet and moderately healthy! They call for white wheat flour, which I've been using to make bread lately (post to come). It's a great option for those who are opposed to full-fledged wheat flour, and it's right next to the white flour at the store so it's easy to grab.

I used vanilla yogurt instead of the author's recommended sour cream. I also added a bit more rhubarb than recommended. Next time I'm going to add 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries or blueberries - just because.

Follow a recipe verbatim? That's just too much like following the rules.

Here's the link to the recipe. Thanks Smitten Kitchen! Sooooo yummy.

Mangia~

Lora

Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie

Headline news:

Momma G breaks her silence...

The Pie Queen is going to let you in on her secrets. Grab a pen.

And, yes, you should be excited. We (I) don't call her the Pie Queen for nothin'.

Oh, and BTW, I don't have to make pie because my sisters and mom do it so well, and I reap all the reward. ;) But you must make pie. You must make this pie. Typically I post recipes here so I don't forget them. But, I'm posting this recipe so that YOU don't forget it. So you can make if for me (again and again).

Momma G never made pie in a round pie plate when we were kids. Pie came in square slabs. That's right. She made a yard of pie crust and baked pie in an extra-large cookie sheet. Yup, a sheet of pie. A sheet pie. A round 9" pie only feeds 4 in our family. And we had 5. And I got spanked once for sneaking in the kitchen and picking 80% of the streusel topping off of one her legendary apple steusel sheet pies. All I can say: It was worth it.

In fact, my mother's pie is so well regarded in our family that it's requested for birthday and Christmas presents. Gramps always requests this lemon meringue or the apple, and Poppa G just asks for "pie". They eat the entire pie themselves, with a quart of milk. I don't blame them a bit. Oh, and my gramps is going to be 87 this year, healthy as an ox. That's good pie.

So here it is, people...enjoy! Thanks, Mommasita!

Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie

(Original recipe by Julie Miltenberger)

Prep: 20 min. cook: 24 min. Bake: crust at 425 for 20 min; pie at 325 for 33 min. Refrigerate: after cooling for 1 hr.

1 pastry crust for a 9 in pie

FILLING

3 to 4 "large" lemons

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

6 egg yolks room temp. (save whites for meringue. careful not to get any yolk in the whites meringue will not whip well.)

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut up

MERINGUE:

6 room temp egg whites ( i use 7 with a little extra cream of tartar to get a really high meringue)

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1. Heat oven to 425. Fit pastry in 9 in. deep pie plate. Roll dough under and crimp for fluted edge. Check for cracks in dough repair then prick dough well, with fork; Line with thin foil

fill with dried beans or pie weights. ( I found pie weights at the Christmas Store. They worked wonderfully!)

2. Bake at 425 for 12 min. Remove foil and weights or beans. Put crust back into oven for 8 more min or until golden.....COOL

3. Grate 2 tbls lemon rind set aside. Squeeze 3/4 cup juice from lemons(no seeds please). Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Stir in 2 1/4 cups water and lemon juice. Cook over med. heat,

whisking, 15 to 20 min or until thickened and bubbly. Cook another 2 to 3 min. stirring. Remove from heat

4. Beat egg yolks lightly in a small bowl, stir 1/2 cup hot lemon mixture into yolks quickly, then stir this yolk mixture back into full lemon mixture in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for

1min. (DON'T OVERCOOK) Take off heat add butter and grated lemon rind. Pour into baked cooled crust.

5. Reduce oven temp to 325

6.Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl (not huge) until foamy. On high speed, beat in sugar one tablespoons at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue over pudding mixture, spreading to edges to seal meringue to the crust. Swirl into peaks.

7. Bake on lower rack at 325 for 25 to 30 min. cool on rack ( away from drafts, something I learned through the years) for at least 2 hrs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs.( Better if more) before slicing.

This recipe has been tried in my kitchen 4 times and each time was a success. If you follow each step exactly you can not go wrong. I do not recommend boxed or already made crust for this pie.Won't work! Besides this pie deserves a wonderful home made crust. I use an old Amish recipe, that I switched up a bit. But any homemade crust will do.

The Lemon rind in the pudding and the butter make the pie really special and Yummy. ENJOY!

Love, Momma G

Cherry~Blueberry Pie

Yes. I did soften the edges on this picture just a tad. I had to make it look as angelic as this pie tasted.

Abel and I made this the other night to bring to a friends for dessert. It had only been out of the oven a little over an hour when dessert time rolled around and I was a wee bit nervous cutting into it so soon. But we couldn't wait. And I was very relieved when it actually held its shape pretty well! Then, within a few hours it had set up perfectly. Can't say that always happens with my berry pies, so that is why this recipe needed to be written down somewhere other than my brain.

A very tasty spring dessert, if you don't mind using frozen fruit for now. With fresh fruit it could easily be an ace every time. I used frozen sweet cherries and blueberries of the Wegmans- "Just Picked" variety. Danny does it again.

Cherry~Blueberry Pie

Adapted from Peter Sterk (a Foodnetwork.com recipe)

2 cups frozen or fresh cherries (tart or sweet)

2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

1 1/4 cup sugar

4-5 T cornstarch

1 T tapioca

1/8 T almond extract

Your favorite pie crust recipe doubled (mine is below)

1 1/2 T butter to dot fruit (I used honey butter)

Berry Filling

Mix all four cups of fruit in medium saucepan and cover. Place over medium heat until the fruit loses a fair amount of juices, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch, sugar, and tapioca and reduce heat to simmer and simmer until juice becomes thicker. Adjust amount of cornstarch/tapioca if it still seems very runny. Add almond extract and remove fruit from heat. Place in cold bowl and then put in fridge to cool while making the crust.

Once bottom crust is rolled out place in 9 inch pie plate and put somewhat cooled berries into pastry, dot with butter, place top crust and cut vents in top. Bake at 375 for about an hour or when top crust is golden and fruit starts bubbling through vents.

My favorite Pie Crust via Betty Crocker

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 c plus 2 T shortening

4-6 T ice cold water

Pre-heat over to 425.

Mix flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour mixture until pea sized crumbs form, Add water one T at a time and toss with a fork until mixture can shape into a ball. Cut in half for two crusts. Refrigerate for 15 mins before rolling out on floured surface.

Christmas Biscotti

One day before Christmas, my mom and her friend Kathy would stay up all night baking. I remember they used to lay clean tablecloths all over the kitchen and living room and every surface would be covered with mexican wedding cakes, chocolate pinwheels, pizzelles, rosettes, oatmeal raisin and thumbprints.

My mom had these tin canisters that she'd line with wax paper, fill to the brim and hide in closets until Christmas parties started. Of course, we all knew the hiding spots. We snuck one at least three times a day. By the time Christmas came, I didn't want to see another cookie for at least a week.

I've never gone to the extreme that my mom has, but I did get into holiday baking a few years ago. The most I made were 3-4 different varieties.

Well, every year it seems there is less time for cookie making, and my list has shrunk accordingly. This biscotti outlasted them all, and it's my favorite treat to give away (and eat by the bag full) for a few reasons...

- Unlike most biscotti I've tasted, this has a buttery flavor and a cookie-like texture

- Biscotti, by nature, is a durable cookie, and seems to have a longer shelf life than its counterparts

- You aren't stuck at the counter rolling out countless dough balls

- The word biscotti means twice baked. I like this recipe because if (when) i'm in a hurry, the cookies taste just fine if they are only baked once! I actually only baked one** of my 8 batches twice this year...shhhh...technically, I guess I make uni-scotti

- This recipe has almond extract....mmmmm...

**I tried a new spin with one batch and added crushed candy canes to the dough (just removed the dried cranberries) and then sprinkled the cut biscotti with more crushed candy canes and baked a second time. Sooooo goood.

~Mangia & We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Lora

Adapted from Epicurious.com

White Chocolate & Cranberry Biscotti

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 egg white
  

preparationPreheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries and choco chips. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log on baking sheet. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer logs to work surface. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Transfer biscotti to rack.

Or skip the second baking and do a taste test to see if it's a good texture. ;)

Tortilla Snowflakes

I bought this present for my niece, Violet. We flipped through it before wrapping it up and stumbled on these little gems. Clipping tortillas into snowflakes, what a grand idea! I think I will make some small cookie-sized tortillas and turn this into a new Christmas tradition.

Whether you use store bought or homemade, all of your work is mostly done. Just fold the tortilla into quarters and clip shapes on the edges with kitchen shears. Line baking sheets with the number of tortillas you want and brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with colored sugar or raw sugar and bake at 350 until lightly brown. Douse with powdered sugar.

A month or so ago I was looking for a flour tortilla recipe with leaven and read about these on the homesick texan blog. They puffed up a little more than my great-grandma's recipe. Shhhhh. But they were equally as tasty, of course.

And check back for a corn tortilla post soon. Lora bought me a tortilla press!! Think that was her oh-so-subtle way of leaving that task up to me.

Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)
Ingredients:
Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight tortillas.

Mangia

~Tracey

Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes

My mom taught us well; Oreos are some of the best stuff on earth, and cookies n' cream ice cream (with oreos) is the king of ALL ice cream flavors. When I saw this recipe that included a creamy vanilla cupcake, oreos AND cream cheese frosting (for another post) I knew it was unknowingly created for me and my family. I've attempted homemade cake batter a few times in the past and it's always come out like cornbread. I've never come even close to a cake Gram Austin made for me and Tracey so many years ago. (Tracey's grandma-in-law is one of the best homemade cake bakers I've ever met. Don't worry Mommasita, you're still the queen of all birthday cakes and all things pie. Although, a bake-off would be interesting...and 'd happily volunteer to be a taste tester. ;) So...this vanilla cake batter is delicious and would actually be quite wonderful alone. But what ISN'T better with oreos? They are like the bacon of the dessert world.

If you have a free afternoon...please make these cupcakes, and PLEASE share them with me.

Mangia~

Lora

Rustic Oatmeal Scones

Our Gram loves to bake and share special desserts with the ones she loves. I like to bake too, if I'm in the mood. It's bad. I've been baking waaaay too much lately. I'm dangerous when there are baked goods in the house. Add blueberries and I'm lethal. Just don't know when to say, "When!!"

I've made two batches of these in one week...

Mangia (in moderation)~
Lora

1 large egg
½ cup vanilla yogurt
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
10 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, grated on a large grater or cut into small pieces
¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries
Drizzle of milk if dough is dry

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Combine the egg and yogurt in a liquid measuring cup. Stir together; set aside.
Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter to the bowl and toss. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture so that the mixture is crumbly. Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will be sticky). Fold in the berries just until incorporated (be particularly gentle if using fresh berries). Gently knead the dough just until it comes together into a sticky dough. Portion the dough out into 8-12 scones, depending on the size you prefer, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until golden -about 10-15 mins.

Adapated from Annie's Eats.

Here's my little helper, anxiously awaiting the fruits of our labor:

Oatmeal - Cinnamon Chip Muffins

This is a great recipe I found online, I only adjusted two things. But a great hearty muffin of a snack they are! I used "Irish" rolled oats but not totally sure that changed anything.

Our family is full of oatmeal lovers. My mom makes the best killer buttermilk-oatmeal cookies out there. I think she quadruples her recipe because she fills tables and countertops with them while they cool. She knows how fights would break out if there weren't enough.

Cinnamon chips are a great invention and I think this recipe needed a little more than called for in the original because they are so stinking good. I think they'd be great in our trail mix recipe too so I'll keep some around for quick access. I doubled this recipe and got 12 good sized snacks.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Muffins – Makes 5

1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup rolled oats (quick cooking okay, but not instant)
2 tablespoons butter, cut up
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (if doubled only add 3/4)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (may sub choc. chips) this is the edited amount :)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 5 normal size muffin cups or line with paper liners. In a large microwave-safe measuring cup combine boiling water, oatmeal and butter. Let sit for 20 minutes.

In a medium size mixing bowl, thoroughly mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

With a spoon, beat the egg and vanilla into the oatmeal mixture; stir oatmeal mixture into dry ingredients just until mixed Stir in cinnamon chips. Batter will be thick and kind of gummy.

Spoon into muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes. Note: If muffins seem to be browning too quickly, throw a sheet of foil over the top to shield.

Let cool slightly. Remove from pan.

Mangia~ Tracey