Pies, Tarts, Crisps, & Cobblers

Cheater Apple Dumplings

Hi Sis,

Nate and I love fruit and dessert! Naturally, apple dumplings are a favorite. But, they are kindof a pain to make, so I usually make apple pie instead.

Here is a super fast and tasty recipe. I actually like it better then traditional dumplings. I have always liked the apple and tolerated the crust with pie and dumplings. But, this is a very complimentary topping for apples, so the whole thing is ultra delicious!

This recipe is all over the web. I have no idea of its origins. I remeber making something similaras a child from a vintage baking book from Grandma Cooper, so it has been around for a bit 😊.

Cheater Apple Dumplings
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
  2. 1 1/2 c brown sugar
  3. 1 c unsalted butter, melted
  4. 1 t vanilla
  5. 12 oz (1 1/2 c) 7 up or Mt. Dew
  6. 4 Apples
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Wash, peel, and cut apples into fourth or thirds, depending on the size of your apples.
  3. Roll/wrap each apple piece into a crescent roll
  4. Butter 9 by 13 baking dish and put in doublings.
  5. Combine all ingredients except soda, and pour over the dumplings.
  6. Pour soda between the rolls and bake 30 - 45 min, or until golden.
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Love,
Jamiegoof

Traditional Hamantaschen

Dear Sis,

We made traditional jelly filled Hamantaschen cookies in the morning to share with our Jewish neighbors and munch on throughout the day. 

Hamantaschen
Yields 30
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Ingredients
  1. 4 oz cream cheese, soft
  2. 1/2 c unsalted butter, soft
  3. 1/4 c granulated sugar
  4. 1 t vanilla extract
  5. 1/4 t salt
  6. 1 c unbleached flour
  7. 1/4 c apricot preserves
  8. 1/4 c raspberry preserves
  9. 1 egg white, beaten
Instructions
  1. Cream together cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy.
  2. Stir in flour until dough forms. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 min - overnight.
  3. Line baking sheets with parchment.
  4. Full dough on a floured/powdered sugared surface to 1/8". Cut 2 1/2" disks and place on prepared sheets.
  5. Warm preserves in microwave slightly to make more pliable. Fill each cookie center with preservers.
  6. Brush egg white around edges, fold into a triangle, press, to seal.
  7. Chill 30 minutes before baking!
  8. Bake cookies 12 minutes at 350.
Adapted from Saveur
Adapted from Saveur
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William rolled out a half dozen of his own. They turned out so much like the rest it was hard to tell them apart. My kitchen helper is getting better all the time:) …still pretty messy with the flour though.

Happy Purim!

Love,

b

Thanksgiving

Dear Sis,

We made way to much food for 2.5 people! …but it is all yummy and leftovers guarantee I don’t have to work very hard the next few days to feed my family. 

William’s eyes got very big when he saw his very full plate and a full set of utensils!

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Roasted Turkey Breast & Gravy 

Cheesy Potato Casserole & Creamed Corn

Cracker Barrel Carrots & Green Bean Mushroom Casserole

Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole

Homemade Crescent Rolls

1860s Pumpkin Pudding & Pear Pie

We have had this dish at other dinner parties, but we had never tried it ourselves. We decided we like it best without the corn flakes and extra butter. The recipe below includes these preferential adjustments.

Cheesy Potato Casserole
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 28 oz frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained
  2. 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
  3. 1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
  4. 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
  5. 1/2 c salted butter, melted
  6. 1 t garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients. Spread into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  2. Bake 45-60 minutes at 350. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Lil Luna
Adapted from Lil Luna
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Surprisingly, this is a recipe Josh found and made for us a few times. Tonight he was kind enough to share his source.

Cracker Barrel Style Carrots
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 lb. fresh baby carrots
  2. 2 T salted butter
  3. 1 T brown sugar
  4. pinch nutmeg
  5. pinch salt
Instructions
  1. Place carrots in a large saucepan. Cover with water and simmer until soft 30-45 minutes.
  2. Drain two-thirds of the water. Stir in the butter, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Serve warm.
Adapted from CopyKat Recipes
Adapted from CopyKat Recipes
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I’ve always liked the premise of Green Bean Casserole… green beans and mushrooms basking in yummy creaminess. However, I’ve never tasted the perfect balance before tonight. Fresh beans and mushrooms are a must! 

Green Bean Mushroom Casserole
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/4 lb. fresh green beans, washed & trimmed
  2. 8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
  3. 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
  4. 3/4 c whole milk
  5. 1/2 t ground pepper
  6. 3/4 c fried onions
Instructions
  1. Place beans in a large stock pot and boil until al' dente, 10-15 minutes. Drain.
  2. Stir in mushrooms, soup, milk, and pepper. Pour into a square casserole dish.
  3. Top with fried onion. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
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Again, I’ve loved the idea on Sweet Potato Casserole, but I’ve never had one that wasn’t too sweet for my liking until tonight.

Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves 12
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  1. 3 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  2. 1/4 c half and half
  3. 2 T butter
  4. 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
  5. 1/8 t salt
Pecan Streusel Topping
  1. 1/2 c pecans, crushed
  2. 1/4 c brown sugar
  3. 1/4 c butter, soft
  4. 1/4 c unbleached flour
  5. 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
  6. 1/8 t salt
  7. 2 c mini marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and boil until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain.
  2. Mash cooked sweet potatoes with remaining ingredients and spread into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  3. For topping, cream together all ingredients except marshmallows.
  4. Sprinkle 1 c marshmallows over mashed sweet potatoes. Top with broken up bits of pecan streusel. Sprinkle with remaining marshmallows.
  5. Bake casserole 15-20 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden, at 375.
Adapted from Celebrating Sweets
Adapted from Celebrating Sweets
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I used to make homemade crescents all the time, but haven’t since Josh and I were dating. I’m glad I brushed off this old favorite:)

Homemade Crescent Rolls
Yields 12
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 c warm water
  2. 1 T dry active yeast
  3. 1/2 c butter, melted
  4. 1/2 c milk or half n half
  5. 1/3 c sugar
  6. 1/2 t salt
  7. 1 egg
  8. 3 1/2 - 4 c unbleached flour
Instructions
  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
  2. Whisk together melted butter, milk, and sugar. Beat in dissolved yeast and egg.
  3. Add 1/2 c flour at a time, stirring between additions. Knead until smooth.
  4. Grease dough and rise 1 hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 350.
  6. Roll dough into a large circle. Cut into 12 wedges and roll up from the wide end. Shape into crescents and arrange on two baking sheets. Bake 12-18 minutes, until golden and baked through.
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Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

1 fine sweet pumpkin

6 eggs

1/4 pound of butter

1/2 pink of new milk

ginger

nutmeg

1 wine glass of brandy

sugar

paste

Instructions:

Stew the pumpkin till soft and dry; rub it through a sieve, mix with the pulp the eggs quite light, butter, milk, some powdered ginger and nutmeg, the brandy, and sugar to your taste. Should it be too liquid, stew it a little drier, put a paste round the edges, and in the bottom of a shallow dish or place; pour in the mixture, cut some thin bits of paste, twist them, and law them across the top, and bake it nicely.

The Virginia Housewife (1860)

Pumpkin Pudding
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie shell
  2. 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  3. 6 eggs
  4. 3/4 c whole milk
  5. 1/2 c granulated sugar
  6. 1/2 c salted butter, melted
  7. 1/4 c brandy
  8. 1 t ground ginger
  9. 1/2 t ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Unroll pie shell into a pie plate. Piece with a fork to vent.
  2. Place puree into a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  3. Beat in remaining ingredients as listed. Pour into prepared pie plate.
  4. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.
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Sweet Crumb Pear Pie
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie shell
  2. 6-8 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
  3. 2 T granulated sugar
  4. 1 T cornstarch
  5. 1/2 t cinnamon
  6. 1/4 t nutmeg
  7. 1/8 t salt
  8. 1 c unbleached flour
  9. 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
  10. 1/2 c unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Place pie shell in a pie plate and piece with a fork to vent.
  2. Toss pears with granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over crust.
  3. For sweet crumb topping, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over spiced pears.
  4. Bake 15 minutes. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes more. Cool.
Adapted from Mostly Homemade Mom
Adapted from Mostly Homemade Mom
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Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

b

Sharing the Bounty

Dear Sis,

Last night, we delivered Labor Day cookies to our backyard neighbors. They sent us home with four huge garden tomatoes they wouldn’t be able to eat fast enough. Little did they know, we already had two perfectly ripe tomatoes on our kitchen counter. What to do with so many yummy tomatoes! We made Three Cheese Tomato Basil Pie for dinner, bought more pie crust in the morning, and made two more to share.

We knocked on our backyard neighbors door and said, “Hi, your tomatoes are back.” We also gave one to the vegetarian family that lives across from us. 

In the afternoon, we made a stop at the library for some new reading material and the local quilt shop, so we could pick up some Civil War Era reproduction calico for Evelyn’s pinafore. We got home in time to start cooking dinner.

In the middle of August, our vegetarian neighbors gave us three homegrown butternut squashes because they had too many. We steamed one and ate it for dinner right away, but after a few days of leftover squash, William and I were all squashed out. We needed to give squash a taste makeover! We made risotto, because everything is good when made into risotto!!! My handsome kitchen assistant did most of the stirring.

We also tried a new chicken recipe. Both were super yummy and went really well together. 

Butternut Squash Risotto
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. butternut squash cubes
  2. 2 T avocado oil
  3. salt & ground pepper
  4. 4 c chicken stock
  5. 3/4 c red onion, minced
  6. 1 T butter or ghee
  7. 1 c Arborio rice
  8. 1/2 c white cooking wine
  9. 1 c Parmesan, grated
  10. 1 t ground sage
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a jellyroll pan with foil. Peel squash, half and remove seeds, cube into bite size pieces. Toss squash with oil, salt, and pepper and spread over prepared baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Stir and roast 5 more minutes.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt butter or ghee. Sauté onion, stir in rice, add wine and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken stock 1/4 c at a time stirring and cooking down between additions.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, sage, and roasted squash.
Adapted from Adventures in Veggieland by: Melanie Potock
Adapted from Adventures in Veggieland by: Melanie Potock
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Lemon Pepper Chicken
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 6 thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lb.)
  2. 1 T fresh ground lemon pepper seasoning
  3. 1/3 c unbleached flour
  4. 2 T avocado oil
  5. 2 T butter
  6. 2 t lemon juice
  7. 1 t parsley flakes
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
  2. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper. Then, dredge in flour.
  3. Panfry chicken 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove to a serving dish and cover with foil.
  4. Remove skillet from heat. Melt butter, add lemon juice, and stir to deglaze pan. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with parsley flakes just before serving.
Adapted from Dinner at the Zoo
Adapted from Dinner at the Zoo
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Since we had a freak storm in the afternoon, during nap time, the evening was nice a cool. Perfect for a walk. We drove to the river trail near our house and walked 2 miles. Well, Mama walked 2 miles. William walked 1.5 miles:)

Our sun hat, which fit wonderfully at the beginning of summer, is hilariously small. Time to look for one on sale for next year:)

Love,

b

 

Family Reunion

Dear Sis,

We just got back from Tennessee. Josh’s family is having a reunion at Aunt Peggy’s house.

We flew in Sunday evening. We finally got to meet, Uncle Warren and Aunt Debbie, cousin Brian’s new daughter Ryleigh, Uncle Steve and cousin Andrea, and P-Pop’s cousin Susan and her husband Paul. Perhaps the most special introduction occurred between Josh’s brother Jason and our William.

There were also several old faces in the crowd. Aunt Peggy her daughter Paula, Uncle Buddy, cousins Brian and Julia and their two older kids, and cousin Natalie.

William really enjoyed playing with the kids. Ryleigh is just 11 months older. Where she lead, William followed:)

Sunday night we had cousin Susan’s yummy cake. She was kind enough to share the recipe.

Mandarine Pineapple Sunshine Cake
Serves 18
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Ingredients
  1. 1 box yellow cake mix
  2. 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
  3. 4 eggs
  4. 1 t vanilla
  5. 15 oz can mandarin oranges
  6. 20 oz can crushed pineapple
  7. 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
  8. 8 oz tub whipped topping, thawed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  2. Beat together cake mix, butter, eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 c juice from the mandarine oranges until smooth. Add drained oranges and beat until they break up and become part of the batter. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool completely.
  3. For frosting: drain pineapple, reserving juice. Beat together pudding mix and juice until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and crushed pineapple. Spread over cake. Chill and serve.
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Monday I helped Aunt Peggy make dinner and I got two more yummy recipes.

Steak & Gravy for a Crowd
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Ingredients
  1. olive oil
  2. flour
  3. round steaks
  4. canned french onion soup
Instructions
  1. Cut round steaks into portions. Place flour in a bag and toss steak until well coated. Pan fry in oil until browned on each side.
  2. Place panfried steaks in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add enough canned soup to cover meat. Bake at 350 for several hours until meat falls apart like roast.
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Strawberry Shortcake
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound strawberries, hauled and sliced
  2. 1/4 c + 3 T granulated sugar
  3. 2 1/3 c baking mix
  4. 3 T unsalted butter, melted
  5. 1/2 c whole milk
  6. can of whipped cream
Instructions
  1. Combine sliced strawberries and 1/4 c sugar. Cover and set aside in refrigerator.
  2. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  3. Whisk together baking mix and 3 T sugar. Make a well with dry ingredients. Pour in melted butter and milk. Stir just until absorbed.
  4. Press dough out on a floured surface. Cut six biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter. Arrange on prepared sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes, until golden. Cool on wire racks.
  5. Slice biscuits in half. Place bottom half on a serving dish. Top with sliced berries and whipped cream. Replace biscuit top and layer with more sliced berries and whipped cream. Serve.
Tag Sis, You're It! http://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

Tuesday morning we went to the Natural History Museum at Gray Fossil Site. In the early 2000s, they were digging to expand the highway and they found a bunch of Ice Age fossils. The museum is home to the continuing dig, collections, and exhibits. It also has a couple of great hands on areas for the kids. Williams favorite stops were the fossil dig…

the station where bottles were launched with pressurized air…

Bottle Launching Movie

…and the dress up area.

We stayed for dinner Tuesday and then flew home. Aunt Debbie took our family photo before we left.

If was a wonderful visit!

Love,

b