Category Archives: Desserts

July 2, 2012

Summertime Fruit!

By Elizabeth Kilpatrick

Now that it is officially summer, we are seeing more small fruits make their appearances:  strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black-raspberries, current’s, and numerous others. I think probably my favorite would be all of them!!! And there is no better way to eat them then all combined. Three-berry pies, smoothies, sauces, cobbler’s, fruit bars – all of these can be made with your choice of berries.

I snagged this recipe from COOKS.com. I have used that website now several times for recipe’s. They have oodles of them!!!

 

THREE – BERRY SAUCE
1 c. fresh strawberry halves
2/3 c. fresh raspberries
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. cold water
1/3 c. pitted bing cherries or 1/3 c. blueberries
Combine berries and sugar in medium saucepan; let stand until sugar dissolves. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Combine cornstarch with water and add to berry mixture. Increase heat to high and stir constantly until thickened and clear. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in cherries or blueberries.Serve immediately.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Appetizers, Breakfast, Cakes, Desserts, Dressings, Fruit, Raspberry, vegan, Vegetarian

June 16, 2012

Coconut Cream Pie ~

By Sarah Stelzl

I spent the day in the kitchen this morning – measuring, mixing, and making a mess. Have I mentioned that I love baking? I run a baking business from home, where I hand-pick favorite recipes for each holiday, then email a list of customers. My younger brother Jonathan makes the phone calls to follow up, after we have mass-emailed our list with a link to our online store. From there, we create a list of orders and set to work the day before the holiday. So…enjoying the beautiful day that it is here in Waxhaw, I had a lot of fun. (Don’t I always have a lot of fun when I’m making a mess in the kitchen?) :-) .

Today I baked Banana Cream and Coconut Cream Pies, Buttery Black Raspberry Bars (for a family that does not eat white sugar), and our best-selling chocolate chip cookies. Well, I’m not going to share the cookie recipe, because if you look hard enough, you can find the recipe for yourself. But… I’ve been wanting to share the recipe for our most popular pie since I started writing for this blog. And part of me asked “Is it okay to share the recipe for our best-selling pie with the public?” Okay, so I finally decided it can’t hurt. There are a thousand recipes like it out there. But even though picking out the ingredients isn’t so very hard, making it is a bit more complicated. (Well, not too complicated once you make one or two.)

Oh, and by the way, for all of you coconut-haters out there ( ;-) ) you can easily turn this into a banana cream pie, strawberry cream pie, chocolate cream pie, or whatever else you want to throw in on your own… (just saying…)

Coconut Cream Pie ~

1 – 10″ pie crust baked and cooled. (If you prefer to make your own, you might consider using these recipes that I posted last week.)

1. Scald 3 cups milk in a pot, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Then remove the pot from the heat.(Choose a pot that will fit all the ingredients that go in this pie ;-) )

2. In a bowl combine the following ingredients: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Blend 3 egg yolks with a fork and add to the bowl. Whisk in 1 cup cold milk. Then pour the scalded milk from the pot into the bowl, while stirring/whisking. Make sure there are no lumps, and the mixture is well combined. Pour back into the pot where you first scalded the milk.

3. Cook the milk mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (Constantly!!!). It will thicken very fast in the end, all of the sudden. Stir quickly and be sure to get around the edges so you don’t burn it! When it begins to get very thick and bubbles up, remove from the heat.

4. Stir in 4 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon vanilla, and some coconut (about 1 1/2/ – 2 cups). Let the pudding mixture cool completely before spooning it into the already-baked-and-cooled pie shell.

5. Refrigerate until slightly chilled and set.

6. Beat 2 cups heavy whipping cream until peaks form (you want to be able to spread the whipped cream on top of the pie, but it should not be runny so that it slides off or looks flat). I usually add about 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of powdered sugar (you can also use an alternative sugar like coconut sugar) and some vanilla for flavoring. Spread over the pudding in the pie shell.

7. Toast about 1/2 – 1 cup of coconut flakes in the oven (Bake it at a lower temperature, and check it often, stirring it around so it toasts slowly and evenly without burning). Let it cool completely, before sprinkling it over the whipped cream. (I usually pre-toast the coconut so that I can put it right on after I spread the whipped cream on).

8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

9. Don’t eat too much. It is very rich, very filling, and very bad for you. That is the secret to why it tastes so delicious ;-) .

I sure hope you like coconut! This is one awesome coconut dessert :-) .

Note: To make the banana cream pie, I left out the coconut that I usually stir into the pudding after I take it off the stove. Instead, I let it cool completely, and then stirred in 2 fresh mashed bananas.  Instead of dumping the pudding into the shell, I layer a little pudding, then a layer of sliced bananas, more pudding, more bananas, and a final layer of pudding. Then the whipped cream. No coconut on top, just plain! Yummy.

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Desserts

May 12, 2012

Buttery Black Raspberry Bars~

By Sarah Stelzl
Today we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with a family trip to the beautiful NC mountains! I made this recipe to go along with our picnic lunch in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has become a family favorite, and something we love to throw together for our small group studies on Sunday, or any other occasion calling for something yummy and easy. Since we like to eat healthy, I made today’s batch using Date sugar, Agave syrup, and a little liquid stevia in place of the white sugar.

Buttery Black Raspberry Bars

Ingredients~

1 cups (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar (You can substitute 1 cup date sugar and 3/4 cup Agave syrup instead).

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup seedless black raspberry fruit spread

 

Instructions~

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, flour, and pecans and blend with an electric mixer until thoroughly mixed.

Spread half of the mixture into a greased 8×8” glass baking pan. Spread the fruit spread over the first layer, and then top with the other half of the mixture.

Bake 1 hour or until the bars are lightly brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool.

Enjoy!!! :-) :-) :-)

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Desserts

May 5, 2012

Bethany’s Biscuits

By Sarah Stelzl
Our strawberries have been coming in for quite a while now! It’s warm (in the upper 80′s on most days) and sunny, and the plants are loaded with berries that we have been enjoying :-) . It’s the time of year to make strawberry shortcake, and in our house there’s only one way to do it right…
No store bought angel food cake (of course we have made quite a few really delicious homemade ones in the past!) or pound cake. We have decided the best way to eat it, is on homemade sweet biscuits. I am convinced that my sister Bethany is the world’s best biscuit maker. With the right ingredients on hand, you can transform any ordinary recipe into something amazing!!! We love this recipe, and use it all the time without fail, when we feel like having biscuits.
 

Bethany’s Biscuits

1/2 cup palm shortening

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon bob’s red mill baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups milk

Combine the dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Stir in the milk using a fork. Knead dough 3-4 times on a lightly floured surface. Roll out about 1 inch thick and cut into circles.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 12-13 minutes.

Makes about 6 – 3″ biscuits.

I’m not usually very careful to specify particular brands of baking ingredients, but in this case we have found Bob’s Red Mill baking powder to be much more effective than other brands, in turning out big, fluffy biscuits! The Palm shortening is an ingredient we have been using in place of regular shortening for a long time now, and the two don’t even compare! The result is light, fluffy biscuits that rise very well, and are delicious!!!

Note: for a gluten-free version, substitute gluten free flour for all purpose flour, and add 2  teaspoons xanthan gum. You can also use rice milk in place of regular milk for a dairy free version, and coconut sugar or other natural sugars in place of white sugar.

4 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in breads, Desserts

May 3, 2012

1800 Cake

By Anna Dagarin

Oh, it’s good to be back! Seems like it’s been forever since the last time I shared a recipe. Feels like ages since I’ve cooked anything! I can’t even express how wonderful it was to spend some time in the kitchen today.

It was dreary outside. Watching raindrops meander down the window panes made me want to curl up in a cozy chair with a book and a cup of coffee. The patter of droplets on the roof somehow talked me into baking. Pulling warm cookies or a soft loaf of bread out of the oven on a raw and rainy day somehow comforts the heart as well as the stomach.

We had some soft, old apples in the fridge, so I figured a cake would be perfect. 1800 cake is usually my go-to recipe for all occasions. (Now, don’t go asking why it’s called 1800 cake, because, well…I have no idea.) We have used and loved this recipe for so long, I can’t remember where it originated. The cake is a family favorite, and it acquires new fans every time we bring it to a party or share it with friends. Everyone goes crazy for it. Literally. 1800 cake is a great dessert. It goes perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. I personally like eating it for breakfast.

Filled with apples, nuts, and chocolate, super moist, and not overly sweet, 1800 cake is so delicious. It’s also surprisingly easy to make. You simply can’t go wrong with it!

 

1800 Cake

Ingredients 

  • 2 C. flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 C. oil
  • 1 1/2 C. sugar (I usually cut back on the sugar by half a cup, and it’s still just as yummy)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 C. chopped walnuts (if preferred, you can leave out the nut’s and just use extra chocolate chips)
  • 1/2 C. chocolate chips
  • 3 C. apple slices

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.
  2. Add oil, sugar, and eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon.
  3. Then add and mix the vanilla, nuts, and chocolate.
  4. Fold in the apples.

Note: The batter is super thick and can be tough to stir! Not to worry, it turns out amazing

5.  Pour the batter into a greased tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Breakfast, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Fruit, Uncategorized

March 25, 2012

Peanut Butter Frosting

By Elizabeth Kilpatrick

Due to a busy weekend for me (Elizabeth), Hannah (see last week’s post) volunteered to help me out with a blog post this week. Thanks Hannah!! 

 

Did you know that the peanut is not really a nut? Comment on this post to see if you know what peanuts really are without looking it up! George Washington Carver came up with over 300 different uses of peanuts which included plastics, paints, cooking oil, and peanut butter. This Peanut Butter Frosting has been a family favorite for years. It is really simple to make and very delicious. (especially for peanut butter lovers)

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons crisco

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/3 cup milk (approximately)

1. Combine above.

2. Beat until fluffy.

 

2 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Cakes, Desserts, Food

March 18, 2012

Double Chocolate Cookies (with a secret ingredient)

By Elizabeth Kilpatrick

::I was having much trouble trying to write a blog post today, so my sister Hannah offered to do it this week. She wrote a guest post over at From Scratch Club this summer, and therefore is highly qualified. ::

A couple weeks ago, I entered the Saratoga Farmers Market Cookie Contest. I was super excited because my favorite thing to bake is cookies. The rules were that you had to use at least two market ingredients but could get more points for the more you used. I found a way to incorporate beets into one of my families favorite cookie recipes, used Battenkill Valley  Creamery cream to make my butter, used our eggs, and tada! I found a new favorite. I didn’t win the contest of around twenty entries, but it was still a fun experience.

I’ll give you the recipe with the beets and include the original beside any changes.

Double Chocolate Cookies (with a secret ingredient)

-Original recipe taken from No-Guesswork Cooking: Recipes You Can Trust, by Kim Cahill.

-1 1/4 cup butter softened

-1 1/3 cup white sugar

-1 1/4 cup brown sugar

Lightly cream in mixer with flat paddle.

-3 eggs

-2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2/3 to 3/4 cup finely shredded beet (exclude to make original recipe)

Add. Mix till smooth

-3 3/4 cups flour

-1 cup cocoa powder (3/4 plus 2 tablespoons) if making without beets.

-3/4 teaspoon salt

-1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Combine in separate bowl.

-1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

-1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips

Add dry ingredients alternately with chocolate chips and white chocolate chips to butter/sugar mixture. Mix evenly until combined. Pinch off 1″ balls, round, and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/2″ thickness. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes or until slightly firm. DON’T OVERBAKE!

ENJOY!!!

3 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food

December 21, 2011

Buckeye Balls

By Anna Dagarin

Just three days away, Christmas is is almost here! Are you counting down the hours yet? Christmas is my favorite holiday! I love it. The sparkling lights that make my heart melt inside; feasts of delicious food; the excuse to spend extra time with family and friends; wrapping frozen fingers around a hot coffee cup; the in-expressable joy I feel for all of it!

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Christmas is presents! I know, I know, it sounds a little superficial. But giving and getting presents was always my favorite part of Christmas. And well… it still is. Growing up I remember there being so many presents shoved under the tree that the bottom branches began to fold up, and the entire tree seemed to hover in the air. And after all the gifts were opened, there were mountains, and mountains – mountain ranges of wrapping paper.

Gifts are things you can hold in your hand that say “I was thinking about you. This is especially for you. I wanted you to have this. I love you.” Gifts are universal. There is not a country in the world where giving a gift is not an expression of love.

The Greek word “dorea” which is translated into the English word “gift,” means “grace,” or an underserved gift. We don’t give gifts to amend some wrong we’ve done. Or to pay for services rendered. We don’t use them to barter with. A gift is given freely. It is a token we give to someone as an indication of the priceless treasure they are to us. It is a tangible expression that speaks of our love for them.

Gifts need not be expensive. And they need not be saved for a holiday! Give without reservation an encouraging word wrapped in a smile, a little of your time stuffed with thoughtfulness, or a tiny act of kindness rolled up in generosity. And food – giving food is always a good option….

One of my family’s traditions at Christmas time is making buckeye balls. They are soooooo so so good, which I guess kinda goes without saying…. I mean, they’re made with butter, peanut butter, and chocolate. Now, I don’t really need to tell you that they are amazing, am I right? Super easy to make, dangerously addicting, and fun to give as gifts, buckeye balls are one of the best things about Christmas.

I hope you have the most magical, merry, wonderful, warm, joyful, blessed Christmas! May the LORD Immanuel be with you.:)

Buckeye Balls

Yields 5 dozen. 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, insert a wooden toothpick into each ball and refrigerate.
  3. Melt chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
  4. Remove balls from refrigerator and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food

December 15, 2011

Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

By Anna Dagarin

Hmmm… Lets talk about coffee!

As I’m sure all of you know, I sorta like coffee. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to drink a whole pot of coffee in one sitting…. I recently added it to my “dust list” – the list of things I want to do before I bite the dust. (A “bucket list” is just too cliche.) Before I cash in my chips, I want to drink a whole pot of coffee in one sitting. I’ve been building up to it. Last night I drank four cups. My hands didn’t shake too much, and I was able to fall asleep no problem. Progress!

Naturally, Starbucks is one of my favoritest places in the whole world. No other coffee compares. There’s no other brew for me. I think I’m in love! Starbucks has a new drink on their menu. It’s their Salted Caramel Mocha Latte. Maybe you’ve had it? Well, did you know that you can make it yourself at home whenever you want!

When I was visiting Elizabeth in New York this fall, we had so much fun in the kitchen together. One of the things we made was a replicated Starbucks’ salted caramel mocha latte. Elizabeth found the recipe online, and we spent some time planning, and getting ingredients for it. We finally found time in the midst of all the crazy busyness to make it. It was our weekend indulgence. And it was glorious! One sip of this enchanting deliciousness had us contented in enjoyment.

Both of us wanted to find out how our lattes compared to the “real thing.” So the next time I went to Starbucks I ordered the salted caramel mocha. It was soooo yummy! However I discovered that the ones Elizabeth and I had made were  just as good. Maybe gooder! So in my opinion, save the $4 and try making these yourself. Make the mess in your kitchen. It’s totally worth it!

This is the perfect thing to take your mind off the hustle of the holidays. Relax with your latte in hand. Put on some Christmas music. Sit beside a fire, or near some twinkling lights, and savor the goodness. =)

Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

Yields 1 serving.

Ingredients:

You’ll need a big mug for this!

  • 1 cup milk, steamed
  • 1 cup very strong coffee (4 tablespoons coffee grounds to 1 cup of hot water, prepared in a French Press)
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons caramel coffee syrup (you can also just use 2 T. of the caramel sauce in place of caramel coffee syrup)
  • Whipped cream
  • Caramel Sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Prepare your hot water in a kettle. Add four tablespoons of your favorite coffee grounds to your French Press. Pour 1 cup of hot water over them and allow the coffee to steep for 4 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. In a pot, heat up one cup of milk until it is steaming. Froth the milk with a wire whisk or an immersion blender until it is nice and foamy.
  3. In your coffee cup, mix together the prepared coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and caramel coffee syrup (or caramel sauce) until the sugar and cocoa powder are dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour the milk foam over the top of the coffee/mocha mixture and stir to incorporate. Top with whipped cream, a generous drizzle of caramel sauce, and your pinch of salt.


8 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Drinks

August 4, 2011

The Most Amazing Oatmeal Cake

By Anna Dagarin

This recipe was given to us long before I can remember. The benefactress was Jan Loux, one of my mom’s dearest friends.

If you want a super moist and delectable cake, then you should absolutely try this! It goes perfectly with tea and coffee!

(Aren’t you proud of me, I didn’t even mention coffee more than once! Well…twice. But I didn’t talk on, and on about how much I love it or anything! I think I’m making progress….)

Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 C. rolled oats
  • 1 stick butter (or 1/4 C. oil)
  • 1 1/4 C. boiling water
  • 1 C. brown sugar (or 1/2 C. molasses)
  • 1 C. sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 C. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

  1. Combine oats, butter, and boiling water in a bowl. Cover with a plate and let sit 20 minutes.
  2. Mix everything together and place in a 9×12 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

3 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Desserts, Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

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