Desserts

OK, folks, I have no idea why this recipe was in my grandmother’s recipe collection.  She never drank alcohol the entire time I’ve known her.  She’s 95 today.  But this does sound like a pretty good recipe and I would assume those who drink it would be “happi”…I don’t know if that’s a typo or intentional..but it was published in 1957.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans frozen limeade
  • 3 cups tequila
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups orange liqueur
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice
  • Lime slices for garnish

Thaw limeade.  Stir everything together and chill for 8 hours.

Serve over ice and garnish with lime slices.

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This is such an elegant dessert!  The pastry is flakey and wonderful!  Be sure to keep the butter really cold and you’ll get a flakey pastry!

Ingredients:
For the crust:

•    1 stick butter, cut into pea size pieces (keep very cold!)
•    1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
•    1/4 cup sugar
•    Pinch salt
•    1 teaspoon lemon zest
•    1 egg yolk
•    2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

•    1 cup sugar
•    1/4 cup apple cider
•    1/2 lemon, juiced
•    1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (if you don’t have vanilla bean, use 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract)
•    1 stick butter, cut into pats
•    6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
•    Mascarpone cheese mixed with 2 tablespoon sugar, for garnish

Directions:

To make the crust:

In a food processor combine the butter, flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Pulse until it looks like finely grated Parmesan cheese.   Add the egg yolk and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the water. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture comes together. If it seems a bit dry add a little more water and pulse, pulse, pulse. Add the water very slowly – you can’t take away too much water but you can add more!!!

The mixture should come together into a ball. Dump the whole thing out onto a clean lightly floured work surface. Knead the mixture 1 or 2 times only to make it a smooth ball. Using a rolling pin or your fingers roll or press the dough out to an even circle about 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, covered with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

To make the filling:

While dough is chilling, place the sugar, apple cider, lemon juice, and vanilla bean seeds in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof pan. Stir to combine. Over high heat bring the mixture to a boil brushing down the sides of the pan occasionally .  After 6 to 7 minutes the mixture will eventually begin to turn light brown. Swish the pan around gently to promote even cooking. Cook the mixture for another minute or so until the mixture becomes a much deeper amber color. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, 2 pats at a time. The mixture will bubble up. That is okay, just be VERY CAREFUL not to get any of this on you. When all of the butter has been incorporated, begin to arrange the apples rounded side down in circles. Try to do this neatly and in a pretty way. Remember, the bottom will be the top!

Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Retrieve the chilled pastry from the refrigerator and place it on top of the apples. Tuck the pastry in around the edges of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and crispy. Let the tart cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Place a serving platter upside down on top of the pastry and carefully flip the platter and the pan over. Let the tart fall gently out of the pan.

Slice tart into individual pieces and garnish with a dollop of sweetened mascarpone.

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We’ve been eating these “fancy pancakes” for dessert for decades. My mom made these for every bridge club and garden club party that she hosted. We’ve carried on the tradition and serves these “fancy” pancakes at every celebration. They are so easy and simple and one of the first dishes I learned to cook. I’m sure our future generations will learn to make our “fancy pancakes” and continue to pass it on for future generations!

Ingredients:

Crepes:
•    3 eggs
•    Pinch salt
•    ¼ cup sugar
•    ½ tsp. vanilla
•    1 ½ cup milk
•    1 cup flour
•    2 tablespoons melted butter
•    Butter or cooking spray for skillet

Filling:
•    8 ounces cream cheese softened
•    ½ stick butter softened
•    ¼ cup sugar
•    1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
•    1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Sauce:
•    1 jar Smucker’s Apricot preserves
•    1/3 cup orange juice
•    1 tablespoon lemon juice
•    1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
•    1 ½  teaspoons orange zest
•    2 tablespoons butter

Slivered almonds

Directions:

For crepes:
In a blender, mix eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, milk, flour and melted butter.

Butter or spray a skillet and heat.  Make very thin pancakes by pouring ¼ cup batter and swirl to coat bottom of skillet evenly.  When sides of crepe are set, turn over and brown other side.  Stack on a plate.

For the filling, blend together cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.

Butter or spray a 9 x 11 casserole dish.  Fill each pancake/crepe with about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling.  Roll crepes and place in bottom of casserole dish.

For the sauce, in a saucepan heat Smucker’s Apricot preserves, orange and lemon juice, lemon zest and butter until heated.  Don’t boil!  Pour over crepes in casserole dish.

Top with slivered almonds.

Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.

(NOTE: If you want to be really fancy with this recipe, you can flambé it with either brandy or Grand Marnier.  Keep the filled crepes in a copper skillet.  Pour the sauce over the top and bake until bubbly.   Then pour ¼ cup of the liquor on top and light!  Take to the table to serve with a dramatic flair!)

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This basic pound cake is heaven!  This was Pawpaw Waldrop’s favorite – so Nanny always had one on hand.  I do not ever remember going to their home and not having this cake on hand!  I loved it best when it was at least 2 days old.  By that time the flavors had melded together and the crispy, sugary top of the cake was divine!

Over the years, I have used this basic pound cake recipe as the foundation for several variations!

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ¼ teaspon. soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 6 egg whites
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks one at a time.

Dissolve soda in sour cream.

Add alternately with flour to butter mixture.

Add vanilla.

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold into mixture.

Pour into greased and floured tub pan.  Bake 2 hours.

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Cherries Jubilee

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Ritz Chocolate Topped Toffee Cracker

These delicious Ritz crackers topped with rich choclate toffee give the perfect balance of sweet and savory and are very easy to make. Ingredients: 1 sleeve Ritz crackers 3/4 cup pecans finely chopped Additional 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped – set aside 16 tablespoons butter 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/8 […]

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Cream Puff Recipe

Cream puffs are always a delight to eat and this recipe is sure to thrill. ½ cup water ¼ cup butter ½ cup all purpose flour 2 eggs Heat oven to 400˚;  heat water and butter to rolling boil in saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until the mixture forms a ball. […]

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