Buttermilk Pie

This is my friend's recipe for buttermilk pie and I think it is the best I have had. It makes two pies or one deep-dish pie.

Prepare 2 pie crusts.

Beat together:
4 eggs
2 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. melted butter
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. vanilla

Add:
3 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. soda

Pour into unbaked pie crusts. Bake at 400 for 10 min. then 325 for 50 min.

Top with berries of choice (fresh, or frozen are really good when slightly mashed and warmed and sweetened with a little sugar), and add whipped cream.

Peach and Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

I tried this recipe from Martha Stewart and it turned out great. I used frozen peaches because it is what I had, and skipped the lavender. It tasted a lot like peach cobbler.

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 medium ripe peaches (about 1 1/4 pounds), skins on, pitted, and cut into 3/4-inch wedges
• 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lavender, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried lavender
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, using a pastry brush to coat sides with butter as it melts. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over bottom of skillet, and cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Arrange peaches in a circle at edge of skillet, on top of sugar. Arrange the remaining wedges in the center to fill. Reduce heat to low, and cook until juices are bubbling and peaches begin to soften, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, lavender, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat remaining stick of butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a mixer on high speed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla and cream. Reduce speed to low, and beat in cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.
3. Drop large spoonfuls of batter over peaches, and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer skillet to a wire rack, and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around edge of cake. Quickly invert cake onto a cutting board. Tap bottom of skillet to release peaches, and carefully remove skillet. Reposition peach slices on top of cake. Let cool slightly before serving.

recipe and image via Martha Stewart

Caramel Walnut Cookies

My Grandma has made these round cookies every Thanksgiving as long as I remember. They are absolutely wonderful, but kind of a pain simply because of the time involved. You can break it into two stages to make it easier: Roll and bake cookies and nougat one night, dip in caramel and nuts the next day.




Nougat:

1/3 c evaporated milk
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c chopped walnuts

Boil till thickened and let cool. (Don't let it get too thick)

Cookie:

1/2 c butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c powdered sugar (I use half granulated sugar for a softer cookie, but it flattens them a bit.)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c flour

Cream butter and sugar till light, then add egg and vanilla till mixed. Combine with dry ingredients.

Roll dough into a ball roughly the size of a large walnut. Make an indent with your thumb, and fill with roughly 1/2tsp (Whatever fits!) of the nougat filling. Seal the ball, and start another one . . . Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 min.

Walnuts: Chop up 2 or so cups of walnuts while the caramel is boiling.

Caramel: (This makes enough caramel for a double batch, so you can halve it, but you'll need to be careful not to run out. Another solution is just to double the cookies and nougat!)

2 c sugar
3/4 c light corn syrup
1 c evaporated milk
1/2 c butter

Bring to a boil without stirring, then add 3/4 c more evaporated milk or cream. Boil till the caramel starts to darken and reaches soft ball stage.

Working quickly, poke a toothpick in the top of a cookie, dip and roll in the caramel, then roll the bottom of the cookie in the chopped walnuts. Take the toothpick out, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. We usually cut the cookie into quarters or more, but you can grab one and eat it whole. Cutting the cookies makes them last longer.

Lemonade Pie

This is a sweet, succulent, summer treat. Keeping in tradition with my super easy recipes, this one holds true.

You will need:

1 carton vanilla ice cream

1 can frozen pink lemonade

2 graham cracker pie crusts

Directions: Let ice cream and lemonade soften. Combine in large bowl. Pour mixture into pie crusts and refreeze.

Berry Tart

We love this. It is delicious with any combination of berries. I would suggest making more pastry cream based on your tastes and tart pan size. I usually double it and use as much will fit (I have a 10-inch tart pan). There is usually some left over, but it is great with leftover berries. It is easiest to prepare the pastry cream (without the whipped cream) and tart shell ahead of time. The pastry cream needs to chill a couple of hours.

Tart Shell:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces

Pastry Cream:
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Berries-the amount is up to you - plan on 3-6 cups
(Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries - any and all combinations are good)

Pastry Cream:
Heat milk over medium heat to simmering in heavy saucepan. While this is heating, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch till blended. While constantly beating with wire whisk, gradually pour half of simmering milk into yolk mixture. Reduce heat to low. Return yolk mixture to saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream thickens and starts to boil. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface directly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, two or more hours.

Tart Shell:
In medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening, then butter, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle about 4 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture; mix lightly with a fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape dough into a disk; wrap with a plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough to fit your tart pan and place in pan - I use a 10x1 inch pan and it is much easier if it has a removable bottom. You can fold in any overhang to form a rim slightly higher than the edge of the pan. Line tart pan with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans/rice. You can also use a pie tin or cake pan, just keep in mind that this will cook the bottom of the tart faster. Bake tart shell till golden, approx. 20 min, removing pan or foil halfway through - the time will vary based on your blind baking method.

Up to two hours before serving, whip cream in small bowl, adding sugar to taste as cream starts to get stiff. Whisk pastry cream until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Fill tart shell with pastry cream mixture, top with berries and enjoy! You can sprinkle the top with powdered sugar based on the sweetness of your berries.