Baked Peaches From The Piedmont
Ingredients & Directions 6 Ripe peaches 1/3 c Sugar 8 Italian macaroons; crushed -such as Amaretti di Saronno 1 Egg yolk 4 tb Unsalted butter; melted Try this with white peaches, if available, for a subtle variation on the original. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350F and set a rack in the middle level. Rinse, halve and pit the peaches. Puree 2 of the peach halves in a food processor. Place the puree in a bowl and add the sugar, crushed macaroons and the egg yolk. Cover each peach half with this filling and place the peach halves in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining butter over the peaches and bake for about 30 minutes, until the peaches are baked through and the filling is a deep golden color. Serve hot or at room temperature. From Yields 8 Servings
Apricot Brandy Pound Cake 3
Ingredients & Directions 3 c Sugar 2 Sticks real butter (not -margerine) 6 Eggs 1/4 ts Baking soda 1/2 ts Salt 3 c Flour 1 c Sour cream 1 ts Orange extract 1/4 ts Almond extract (I -omitted…nut allergy) 1/2 ts Lemon extract 1 ts Vanilla extract 1/2 ts Rum extract 1/2 c Apricot brandy -GLAZE- 2 c Confectioners sugar Apricot brandy Grease and flour a large tube pan or 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine sour cream, flavorings, and brandy. Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixture to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan or pans. Bake for about 70 minutes. A crack will usually form in the center. Cool for about 30 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar, or glaze, if desired. Glaze: Mix just enough brandy with the sugar to form a thin mixture. Use a brush to cover the surface of the cake. Helpful hint: I buy small paintbrushes when they are on sale, and use these for such jobs. I put them in the dishwasher. When they get worn, I toss them and get new ones. They are great for brushing on bbq sauce on grilled meats, glazing cakes, and many other uses. Yields 1 Servings
Chocolate Red Beet Cake
Ingredients & Directions 2 1/2 c Beets, mashed, cooked 1 ts Salt 6 Eggs 1 tb Baking soda 3/4 c Cocoa 1/4 lb Margarine, softened 1 ts Vanilla 4 oz Cream cheese, softened 2 1/2 c Oil 1 Powdered sugar, sifted 3 3/4 c Flour, sifted 1/2 c Cocoa 3 3/4 c Sugar 1 ts Vanilla Mix beets and eggs. In separate bowl. combine cocoa, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Add the sifted flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add to beet mixture. Mix well in larger bowl. Divide batter between two 9×13 pans, greased and floured. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool, frost in pans or cool 10 minutes after removal from pans. FROSTING: Combine all ingredients, except milk, in a large bowl. Beat until spreadable. Add milk, a little at a time, to give spreading consistency. Yields 10 servings
Vanilla Cream Pie
Ingredients & Directions 1 Baked pastry shell 3/4 c Granulated sugar 1/4 c Cornstarch 3 c Milk 4 Beaten egg yolks 1 tb Butter or margarine 1 1/2 ts Vanilla Meringue Prepare and bake pastry shell; set aside. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stirin milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup hot filling into beaten egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to filling in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes more; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Set filling aside. Prepare meringue. Pour hot filling into baked pastry shell. Evenly spread meringue over hot filling, carefully sealing to edge of pastry. Bake in 325 oven 25 minutes. Coolon wire rack 1 hour. Chill 3 to 6 hours before serving; add cover for longer storage. Serves 8. Variations: Banana Cream Pie–Prepare Vanilla Cream Pie as directed, except before adding filling, arrange 3 medium bananas, sliced (about 2 1/4 cups) over the bottom of the baked pastry shell. Milk Chocolate Cream Pie–Prepare Vanilla Cream Pie as directed, except stir in 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, with the milk. Yields 8 Servings
Helensburgh Fudge
Ingredients & Directions 1/2 c Butter or margarine 4 c Granulated sugar 1 c Water 1 cn (14 ounces) sweetened -condensed milk (not -evaporated milk) 2 ts Vanilla extract 1. Lightly grease a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly-roll pan. Have ready a small bowl of ice water. 2. Melt butter in a 4- to 5-quart pot. Stir in sugar and water, then milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 3. Boil 10 to 15 minutes, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 234 F to 240 F (soft-ball stage) or when a small amount dropped into the bowl of ice water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water. 4. Off heat add vanilla, without stirring. When just cool (110 F) and “skin” forms over top of mixture, stir with a wooden spoon until thick and paler. 5. Pour into prepared pan. Chill until firm. Break into bite-size pieces. Store airtight in a cool place, up to 2 months. Makes 3 pounds. Yields 1 Servings
Mrs Field's Linzer Cookies
Ingredients & Directions COOKIES 1 1/2 c Flour, all purpose 1/2 c Ground almonds 1/2 ts Baking powder 1/4 ts -Salt 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon 3/4 c Butter; unsalted, softened 3/4 c Sugar, white 2 Egg yolks 1 ts Vanilla extract 1 ts Almond extract FILLING 1/2 c Raspberry jam 1 ts Lemon peel; grated -1/2 of a medium lemon TOPPING 1/4 c Sugar, confectioner’s 1/2 c Sliced almonds Preheat oven to 300F. In medium bowl, combine flour, almonds, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and wire whisk. in large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, the vanilla and almonds extracts, and beat at medium heat until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. With index fingers press an indentation in centre of each ball to hold filling. Bake 22-24 minutes or just until golden brown on bottom. Transfer cookies to cool, flat surface with spatula. In a small bowl combine jam and grated lemon peel. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling mixing in centre of each cooled cookie. If you wish to add an extra decorative touch, sift confectioner’s sugar over cookies and place sliced almonds in the jam filling. Yields 24 Cookies
Impossible Spinach Pie
Ingredients & Directions 1 Box frozen chopped spinach; -thawed and squeezed dry 1 sm Onion; chopped 1 c Shredded cheddar cheese 2 Eggs 1/2 c Bisquick 1 c Milk 1 ts Salt 1/2 ts Pepper 1. Grease a 9 inch pie plate well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (35o will also work…increase baking time.) In the bottom of the pan, layer the spinach, then onion, then cheese. 2. In blender, combine the eggs, bisquick, milk, salt, and pepper. Blend on medium speed until no lumps remain. Pour over the top of the spinach mixture. 3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are brown and center is set. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve. Yields 1 Servings
