Category: DESSERTS

GRANDMA’S STREUSEL COFFEECAKE
2 + 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 + 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
6 + 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 JUMBO eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cups blueberries

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the 2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and orange peel in a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk together the eggs, 6 tablespoons butter, buttermilk and vanilla.
• Gently fold in the blueberries.
• Pour liquid mix into flour mixture and beat until smooth with a hand mixer.
• Pour into a prepared 9×9 pan.
• In a small food processor process all the remaining ingredients except the walnuts until smooth.
• Using your hands form small flat pancakes with the mixture and scatter over cake batter until well covered.
• Poke a few holes down into the cake for the streusel to run into or run a knife through creating a swirl.
• Scatter walnuts evenly over top.
• Bake 1 hour.
• Serve warm with a dab of butter melting on top of each piece.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (make 4 ramekins)
2 Tablespoons butter + 1 Tablespoon butter
1 ounce Baker’s Bittersweet Chocolate
1 ounce Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 1/4 ounce Baker’s sweet German chocolate
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flour
1/8 scant teaspoon baking powder
1/8 scant teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe ramekin for 30 seconds, add the bittersweet & semi-sweet chocolate and microwave in 30 second increments until you can stir it smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
  
• Mix together the egg and sugar and beat on high with a hand mixer until slightly thick and turns a dull yellow. Lower speed and add chocolate mixture to egg mixture.
  
• By hand stir in the flour mixture until consistent in color.
  
• Spoon into ramekins and bake on cookie sheet for 25 minutes or until centers are set.
  
• Just after you put these in, prepare the topping.
  
• Melt the other tablespoon of butter and then add the German sweet chocolate and melt until you can stir smooth.
  
• Just after the brownies come out of the oven, pour the topping over.

CRUST
2 1/2 cups ginger snap crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
PURE
FILLING
2 large eggs
2~8 ounce softened cream cheese
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
optional: 3 Tablespoons dutch cocoa~using this makes them very rich!
GLAZE
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

• Generously spray 9×13 pan with PURE

• Finely grind gingersnaps in food processor. Add melted butter and pulse until evenly mixed. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 1 minutes and then cool 5 minutes before filling.

• Sprinkle gelatin over milk and mix well. Beat together softened cream cheese, eggs, salt and gelatin mixture at medium speed until smooth.

• Pour sweetened condensed milk into a tall bowl and microwave for 3 minutes in 3 minute increments. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.

• Pour over cooled crust.

• Bake 45 minutes or until center is set.

• Cool on rack 2 hours.

• After 2 hours, melt butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Pour over cheesecake layer. Chill overnight before serving.

With a thin knife cut into squares. Be sure and wipe knife clean after each cut.

1/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 +/- tablespoons milk

• With a hand mixer mix together the crisco and softened butter
• Add the vanilla extract and beat smooth
• Gradually add the sugar, adding the 1st tablespoon of milk midway
• After adding all sugar beat until creamy adding a dash more milk if necessary

Recipe (page 142) adapted from ‘A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband’ by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron

I seriously adapted this one into a modern easy to use recipe.

When I was a little girl Boston Cream Pie was my FAVORITE Sunday dinner dessert and my grandma made it for me regularly until I was about 10 years old and then Sunday dinners as we knew them stopped on a regular basis. Since then I have craved Boston Cream Pie on a regular basis and finally have resurrected her recipe.

According to about.com, Boston Cream Pie is “Not a pie, but not your average cake, Boston Cream Pie is one of the city’s signature recipes. A descendant of pudding-cake pie, the Boston cream pie is considered to be the creation of French chef Sanzian of the Parker House Hotel (now the Omni Parker House). In 1996 the Boston Cream Pie was named the official dessert of Massachusetts. Use this recipe to make one yourself, and find out what makes the Boston Cream Pie such an enduring favorite.”

CAKE

• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 JUMBO egg
• 1 1/4 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk

CUSTARD***

• 1/3 cup sugar
• scant 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 JUMBO egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

GLAZE

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons hot water

CAKE
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9 1/2-inch springform baking pan. I use a square one to make pieces easier to cut.

Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Cream together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each one.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Combine with the creamed mixture and add the milk.

Pour batter into the prepared pan*. Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.

CUSTARD
Combine the cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth.

Bring the custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk, let the custard boil for two minutes.

Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Set custard aside to cool, continuing to whisk occasionally.

GLAZE
In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth. remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

BUILDING THE PERFECT PIE
Remove the cake from the pan and cut it in half horizontally with a long serrated knife.

Place one half of the cake on a plate with the cut side facing up. Top with custard.

Place the other half of the cake on top, with the cut side down.

Coat the top of the cake with glaze allowing it to drip down the sides.

*I like to use my square spring form pan for a couple of reasons; it make cutting pieces a lot easier since the slices when it is cut as a pie tend to try and fall over and my serving plate is rectangular in shape.

***The traditional custard substitutes in this recipe for a pineapple custard which is what we like to do.

CHEESECAKE APPLE CRISP

CRISP
2-3 large Granny Smith apples (4 Cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup apple juice

TOPPING
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 small box cheesecake flavored instant pudding

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In a large mixing bowl combine all CRISP ingredients and mix well. Pour into an un-greased stoneware pan.
• In a mixing bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.
• Sprinkle topping over apple mixture.
• Bake 45-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and golden.
• Serve warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.

4 tablespoons cake flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
small splash of vanilla
3 tablespoons chocolate chips*

In a large coffee mug add the dry ingredients and mix well with a fork.
Add the egg and mix throughly.
Add the milk, oil and vanilla and mix again.
Add the chocolate chips.
Microwave for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
Cake will rise above mug – don’t worry.
Allow it to cool a bit before eating.

Originally posted at 3 Sides of Crazy.