Thank You, Pioneer Woman! Peach Crisp w/Maple Cream Sauce

I'm baaaack!  I missed you!  The last few weeks of July were crazy busy.  I'll have more on that later, but for now, let's talk fresh Colorado peaches.

Fresh peaches. Yum.

Yes, peaches.  They are finally in season!  We bought our first bucketful from the Frederick Farmers Market this past week and knew exactly what we were going to make with them - The Pioneer Woman's Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce from her first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl.  Our oldest daughter has raved about this recipe ever since she made it last year.  Thank YOU, Mrs. Gramith!

O.M.G.  Can you say heavenly and sinful in the same sentence?

Corn Syrup and PURE Maple Syrup...

and some heavy cream...

makes this Maple Cream Sauce.  This is the SINFUL.

For the Peach Crisp, you'll need flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cold butter, fresh peaches, zest and juice of 1/2 lemon and pure maple syrup. (flour, nutmeg and lemon not pictured, oops!)

For the crumble mixture, dry ingredients are mixed together, and then you cut in the butter.

I neglected to take a picture of the sliced peaches!  I was so busy stirring the maple cream sauce on the stove while hubby combined the peach mixture and crumble mixture.  Bad Kelly.

The crumble mixture on top of the peaches.

Fresh out of the oven.  This is the HEAVENLY part.

Heavenly and Sinful.  Oh yeah.

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

MAPLE CREAM SAUCE

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons light corn syrup (I used dark corn syrup, it's what I had on hand)

1.  Mix cream, maple syrup and corn syrup in heavy saucepan.
2.  Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
3.  Chill for at least an hour before serving over warm peach crisp.


PEACH CRISP

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 lb (1 stick) cold butter
5 or 6 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (about 6 peaches)
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
3.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch square pieces.
4.  Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a fork or pastry blender to cut it into the dry ingredients.  The mixture should resemble a moist, coarse meal.
5.  Place the peaches in a bowl.  Add the lemon zest.
6.  Next, gently stir in the lemon juice and maple syrup.
7.  Pour the peaches into a 9-inch square or 8x12-inch baking dish.
8.  Spread the crumb mixture evenly over the peaches.
9.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
10. Remove the foil and bake 30 more minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden brown.
11. Spoon the warm crisp onto a plate, and drizzle with the chilled cream sauce.

PW says to drink any leftover Maple Cream Sauce with a straw.  Daughter #1 said the leftover Maple Cream Sauce was great on oatmeal.  Both of those suggestions work for me!

This is definitely a keeper.  You can't eat it everyday and keep your waistline in check, but you have to make it once during peach season!

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Cake Bites

It's finals week for daughter #2.  Two more days and she'll have survived her freshman year at college.  Since she is only 30 miles away, I made a treat for her and her 11th floor dorm-mates.

I have wanted to try making cake pops, but did not have time to run to the craft store to get the necessary sticks, so instead I made cake bites--pretty much the same thing but minus the sticks.

Considering it was my first time, I was happy with how they turned out.  It was a lot like making the truffles I make during the holidays.

CAKE BITES

Ingredients
Baked Cake (I made strawberry)
Frosting (I used store bought cream cheese flavor)
Candy Melts
Sprinkles

I am not a 'cake' person, but everyone else in my family is.  I chose to use a strawberry cake mix for these particular cake bites but you could use any flavor combination of cake and frosting. Using your favorite homemade cake or frosting recipe would be fabulous!

Bake the cake per the box instructions (or recipe instructions).

Once the cake has cooled, crumble into a large bowl.  Mix with the frosting.  Use between 3/4 and the whole container, depending on how moist the mixture is. You want it just moist enough to stick together.

I used my cookie scoop to make the balls.  Since I wasn't making cake 'pops', I left the bottom of the cake ball flat instead of making it into a round ball.  That way they sit better in the paper holders/container.

Place balls on a parchment covered sheet pan and place in freezer for 15-20 minutes or until firm.  This will help minimize crumbs when dipping in the candy coating.

Melt the candy melts per package instructions.  I chose the microwave method.  I added a tablespoon of oil to the melted candy and mixed well.  It helps keep the candy from hardening too fast.

Dip each cake ball into the melted candy mixture.  Let excess drip off.  I can see how this would be a bit easier with a stick!

Immediately sprinkle with your choice of candy sprinkles. I chose to place in regular cupcake holders.

Aren't they pretty?

Til next time ~ find your JOY!
Kelly

Indulgence

Did you know that if you pour half and half on frozen berries, it freezes and turns to ice milk?  And if you sprinkle it with a sweetener (I used Splenda) it turns into a decadent dessert?  And, if you're on Weight Watchers it's all of 1 or 2 points plus values (depending on how much half and half you use)?

Most of the time I eat the frozen berries plain, even without the Splenda, but once in a while, you have to indulge.  This works for me.

Til next time ~ find your joy!

Kelly

Peppermint Brownies

Most of the baking I do is from scratch.  However, there is one item that I make from a box (I know, shudders from you bakers out there).  It's a very specific box.  And I'm talking about brownies.

I've tried many brownie recipes but none of them are as yummy as these Ghirardelli brownies.  They are moist and chewy with a crusty layer on the outside.  I buy the big box from Costco.  I prettied them up with some peppermint flavored frosting and crushed candy canes. They turned out very festive!

See what I mean?  Crusty outside, moist and chewy inside.  And, can you say triple chocolate?  You chocolate lovers out there know what I'm talking about.

Cool brownies completely before adding this:

PEPPERMINT FROSTING

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 Tbps milk

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

green food coloring

Crushed peppermint candy canes 

Note:  I doubled the frosting recipe for a 9x13 pan of brownies.

 

I used 4 candy canes.  Place in a baggie and using a rolling pin, gently crush into small chunks.

When you put it all together you get a very festive, rich and sweet treat for those holiday parties or to enjoy just because.

Hubby gave them a double thumbs up!  Works for me!

I cut them into 1 inch squares and placed in cupcake liners to serve on my red tile tray.  I only had white ones on hand, but I think they look good.  Colored or holiday themed ones would work too.

Enjoy!

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Apple & Triple Berry Crumble

This afternoon we made an apple and triple berry crumble.  It's actually a triple berry crumble recipe, we just added the leftover Honeycrisp apples we didn't use in the apple pies we made a couple weeks ago.  The once crispy apples were reaching the end of their shelf life so it was use 'em or lose 'em.  So we cut them up and added them to the berries.

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 cups berries (fresh or frozen, if frozen, thaw and discard excess liquid)
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups butter


PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, gently toss berries and sugar, set aside.

Although we added the few apples we had left, we didn't cut back on the berries or add any additional sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cut in butter until crumbly.

Press half of the mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  

Cover with berries.  Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.  


Bake 30-40 minutes until berries are bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream, or whipped cream, or cream!  Or eat it plain.  It was delish.


Note:  If you add apples, you need to bake for an additional 15 minutes to ensure the apples are cooked through.

The best kitchen helper/partner in the whole world!  


Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Homemade Donuts

After Jim's suggestion that we make homemade French fries, he suggested, since we already had the oil in the pan, that we make donuts.

Now, neither of us have ever made homemade donuts before, but we thought, what the heck, let's give it a try!

I knew I'd seen a donut recipe on one of the food blogs I follow not too long ago, so off I went looking and I found it on Our Life in the Kitchen, one of my favorite foodie blogs.

Here is the link to Karen of Our Life in the Kitchen's Donut Recipe (her pics are much better than mine-- she's a photographer too!).  

DONUTS INGREDIENTS:
2 packs Rapid Rise Yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
5 cups flour
1/3 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
Vegetable Oil


GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
4-6 tbsp hot water

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water.  Add lukewarm milk, salt, eggs, shortening and two cups of the flour.  Beat on low until it's blended.  Scrape down the sides and continue mixing on medium for another couple of minutes.

Add the remaining flour.

Beat until smooth and well blended.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set in a warm spot.  Let it rise for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut out the donuts.  Gently re-roll the scraps so no dough is wasted.  Set the donuts back in the warm spot, cover, and let rise for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, mix up the glaze.

Heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees.

Gently drop in two or three donuts at a time and let them cook until they float, only about a minute.  Flip over and cook for another minute.

Dunk them in the glaze.  Set on a rack to cool.

Best eaten while WARM!!!

I would encourage you give making donuts a try.  They're not as hard as they seem and they are delicious while they're still warm!

'til next time, find your joy~

Kelly

Apple Crisp

My hubby loves baked apple dishes.  So, for his birthday I made him Apple Crisp.  This is just for you, babe!

APPLE CRISP

Peel and slice 4 tart apples. (I used Honeycrisp, our favorite apple.)  Sprinkle with a splash of lime juice and a shake or two of cinnamon.  Spray baking dish with spray oil.  Arrange apples in baking dish. It fit perfectly into a 9x6 dish.

Mix together 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, heaping 1/2 cup oatmeal, 3/4 tsp nutmeg, 3/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter.

 Mix with fork until...

(it looks like this) well combined.

Spread mixture evenly over the apples.  Bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes.

Hot out of the oven!

It's wonderful served as is, or dress up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.  If you're really daring, try with a bit of shredded sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.

Jim enjoyed it as is, hot out of the oven...for breakfast. **big contented smile**


Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook circa 1996


'til next time, enjoy!

Kelly