Smells like fall! - Apple Pie

I never really make pies. I love pie. BUT I have always been challenged by the crust portion. I could never get that perfecly golden flakey crust. I set out to master the pie crust this fall... yes I actually did. My sister has the same issue, and we've secretly come to the conclusion that we think even Grandma's pie crust falls short. I was looking at Ree's blog (pioneer woman) and came across 'Pam's Pie Tutorial' and decided I'd start there. I was more than pleased.. I need look no further. This is the most perfect pie I have ever baked in my life! This will definitely be my go-to crust for both sweet and savory pies.

Filling is:
8 cups sliced, peeled assorted baking apples - about 3 lbs. (Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonathan)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 tablespoon water


In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice.
Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apples and toss well to coat.
Fill pastry lined 9 inch pie pan with apple mixture. Dot with butter.
Place second crust on top of pie filling, cut slits in top of crust to vent. Seal the edges of the crust with a fork
or by hand. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and water. Brush mixture over top crust.
Bake at 425 degrees, until the pie starts to brown, about 30 minutes. Cover the pie with foil to hinder more browning, turn the oven down to 375 and continue baking until the juices in the pie begin bubbling. Depending on the fruit used this could take twenty to forty minutes more. Be patient. As long as the pie crust is covered to prevent over-browning, the pie can continue to bake.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake- Martha Stewart

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Martha Stewart

Link to Recipe

Makes one 9-inch cake Serves 10
Ingredients

For the Topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Coarse salt


For the Cake
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for buttering pan
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut on a very sharp diagonal about 1/2 inch thick
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream


Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: Stir together butter, flour, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until moist and crumbly.
2.Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Dot with 4 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces). Toss rhubarb with 3/4 cup sugar; let stand for 2 minutes. Toss again, and spread in pan.
3.Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Beat remaining stick butter and cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in zest and juice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, until smooth. Spread evenly over rhubarb. Crumble topping evenly over batter.
4.Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top springs back when touched, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

*Cook's Note
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. The rhubarb will be too hot to handle safely right after baking. But if the cake sits much longer, it may stick

5 Layer JELL-O

Light, delicious and pretty dessert. And so easy! This is not a new recipe... but the first time I've made it.
Ingredients
4 pkg. 3 oz Jello (lemon, orange, lime, strawberry)
4 pkg. Knox unflavored gelatin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
DirectionsMix 1 pkg flavored jello with 1/2 pkg of unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Cool to room temp and pour into 9 x 13 glass pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (and make sure your refrig is level!)
Mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water. In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 pkg unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let stand a few minutes and then add 1/2 c boiling water to dissolve gelatin; add to milk mixture and stir to combine. Cool to room temp and pour 1 cup of milk mixture over first layer of jello. Refrig for 15 minutes.
Repeat for next three flavors. Let jello set. Cut and serve


*Use Fat Free Sweetened Condensed milk for: 2 Points!

Knox Gelatin: 25 Calories x 4 servings                                        = 100
FF Sweetened Condensed Milk= 110 calories x 10 servings   = 1,100
SF Jello (6oz. pkg) = 10 calories x 8 servings                            = 80
SF Jello (6oz. pkg) = 10 calories x 8 servings                            =80        
                                                                                      1,360/12 servings = aprox 114 cal/serving
*no fat or fiber

Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt

1 (32oz.) carton Non-Fat Yogurt (I used Dannon Light&Fit Vanilla)
3/4c. sugar

Mix sugar into yogurt until dissolved. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
That's it!

*Next time I will use Plain Non-fat yogurt and less sugar or entirely Splenda to cut down on points. I figured 3 WW points per 1/2c. serving for this recipe. If you use entirely Splenda you can have a whole 1c. serving for only 2 WW points.

Peach Rhubarb Crunch

Great Pumpkin Dessert

*My grandmother first made this recipe. She got it from Taste of Home Magazine. Great Dessert*

 
Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream


Directions
In a large bowl, beat first five ingredients until smooth.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Top with walnuts. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield: 12-16 servings

Reeses' Bars

*Made for coffee break at work. Everyone loved them. Very rich and addicting... be careful!*

(double for jelly roll pan)

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 lb (3 1/2 C) powdered sugar
1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 C (2 sticks) real butter, melted
1 12oz bag chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, you pick!)
2 tsp shortening

In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter and butter and beat until combined.  Press into a parchment (or waxed paper or foil) lined 9x13 pan.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.  Pour chocolate over peanut butter mixture and spread out evenly.  Place pan in the fridge just until chocolate is set and then cut into bars.  Tip:  If the bars chill until the chocolate is too hard to easily cut, use a sharp knife and score the cuts first, then gently cut through.  Can be stored in the fridge or at room temp.  They will stay firmer if stored in the fridge.

*Tip:  Instead of adding shortening to the chocolate topping, add a scoop of peanut butter.  This will prevent the top from getting solid.

Carrot Cake

I have been on the lookout for a great carrot cake recipe lately. I prefer a very moist cake with of course a lot of cream cheese frosting! Came across this recipe and will give it a try.

Summer Dessert Pizza

* Made for coffee break at work. Got great reviews *

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 
  GLAZE:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 
  TOPPING:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 1 firm banana, sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 can (8 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Press dough into a greased 12-in. x 14-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For glaze, combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• For topping, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add whipped topping; mix well. Spread over crust. Arrange fruit on top. Brush glaze over fruit. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Scary Eye Balls (Peanut Butter Balls)

*Used a Peanut Butter Ball recipe and Jazzed it up a little.*
*Make sure to use white chocolate bark. I used White Chocolate chips and needed to add A LOT of shortening to make the white chocolate smooth*

Ingredients

4c. confectioner's sugar
1-1/2c. smooth peanut butter
1c. (2 sticks) butter
1-1/3c. graham cracker crumbs
2c. white chocolate chips (16 oz.)
1 TBL shortening

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter (melted), and graham cracker crumbs. Mix until well combined. Shape into 1-in. balls (don't make too big, they are very rich) and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Place in freezer. Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Remove balls from freezer and use a toothpick to dip each ball into the white chocolate. Place back on cookie sheet. Use extra chocolate to color and decorate as you choose. I used red food coloring to color chocolate for eye veins. I topped with an m&m (for the colored part of eye) and piped a dot of melted chocolate chips for the pupil.