Blackberry-Pistachio Meringue Baskets

Hi everyone. This is a great individual dessert recipe. I'm so bad with putting recipes on the blog. A few friends have asked me for the recipe so here it is.

         Ingredients:

Meringue Baskets
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
pinch, cream of tartar 
Pistachio Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsps pistachio instant pudding and pie filling 
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Blackberries, or whatever other berries you'd like to have 
Chocolate Ganache
50 grams chocolate, finely chopped
50 mls heavy cream, almost boiling


Directions:
Prepare a pastry bag, fitted with a plain round 1/4 tip, or a star tip. Drape the pastry bag over a tall glass. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
1. Preheat oven to 270F (or the lowest temp your oven goes to)
2. Beat egg whites. When they have tripled in volume, look white and foamy, start adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Continue whipping for about 10-15 minutes, until the meringue is thick, white and glossy. It should stay in place if you put the bowl upside down.  
3. Transfer the meringue into a prepared pastry bag.
4. On prepared parchment paper, make 1 to 2 inch circles, by piping out a swirl, then go around the edge once, creating a ‘rim’ to the basket.
5. Bake for 2-3 hours at 270F. Make sure the meringues are dry before you remove them from the oven. To check, remove one meringue from the oven and let it cool. If it feels weightless and when you knock on it, it sounds hallow, then it’s ready. If not, just place it back in the oven and let it finish drying.
Chocolate Ganache
6. When the meringues have baked, pour the hot heavy cream over the chopped chocolate, and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Mix until smooth. Drizzle on the inside of each meringue baskets.
7. For the cream: whip the chilled heavy cream and vanilla extract until thick and smooth, add the sugar, then the pistachio instant pudding and pie filling. Mix until firm. Be careful not to over mix.
8. Spoon the pistachio cream into each meringue basket.
9. Top with fruit. Serve immediately, or no later than a few hours so that the cream stays in tact.
         


 Blessings,

Fall Apple Crisp

Hi all. 



If you haven't had apple crsip, now is the time to try it-especially since apples are in season right now.

google image

You will need:

3-3.5 lbs of apples

1 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar (I usually put a little less)

1 cup oats

1 cup flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

dash of salt

Ice Cream (optional)

Arrange the apples in a 9x13 glass dish. 

Combine the rest of the ingredients together and crumble over the apples.

Bake at 375 for 40 min.

You can eat it with ice cream and/or caramel if you wish :)

Blessings,

Lesya





Coconut Macaroons

Hi all.

This recipe is a hit every time I make it. I first discovered it in high school, and have been making it ever since.

You will need:

2 egg whites

2/3 cup sugar 

2 cups coconut* (I put a 14 oz package in, that way you get the flakiness in)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Beat egg whites until small peaks form. Gradually add the sugar. Add in vanilla and salt. 

Beat until stiff peaks form. You should be able to flip the batter upside down and it stays in place. 

Stir in coconut. Drop onto a cookie sheet and bake for 18-20 min.

*I prefer the store brands because the coconut is drier and seems to work better than super moist coconut.

Blessings,

Lesya

Curly Boy Cake

Hi all.

I wanted to share this cake recipe with you because I tried it and fell in love! My aunt introduced it to me. It is the perfect cake for when you're having a big party, or you can enjoy it yourself for a week or so, because the cake turns out big.  This is a cake that you want to be done with Saturday morning if you want to serve it on Sunday, because the longer it stands, the more moist the cake will be, the better the taste.

Cake Ingredients:

Note: you will need to bake two cakes, add 2 tbsp. of cocoa to the second cake.
3 eggs
1 cup sugar1 teaspoon baking soda & lemon juice
1 cup buttermilk (or sour cream)
½ can condensed milk
2 cups flour
(2 tablespoons cocoa for other cake)

Cream Ingredients:

48oz. Sour cream, reserve two tbsp. for the glaze.
2 cups powdered sugar
¾ cup milk
1(14 oz) can condensed milk

Chocolate glaze:

2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dutch cocoa
3 tablespoons butter

Cake: 

Beat together eggs and sugar until pale in color. Mix baking soda with lemon juice then add to buttermilk and mix it well. Transfer to egg mixture. 

Add condensed milk and mix on medium speed until well combined. Add the flour. Transfer the batter to a baking pan and bake approximately 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. 

Repeat the steps for next cake and just add the cocoa. I wait to make the second cake, then put them in the oven at the same time. Cool cakes completely. 

Cream:

Beat together sour cream and sugar. Add milk and beat for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed.

Chocolate glaze:

Combine sour cream, milk, sugar, and cocoa in a small saucepan. Heat it up on medium- low heat. When it starts to boil add the butter and cook until thickens ( a few minutes).

Assembling the cake:Slice the white cake in half. Spread condensed milk on the cake. Yes, use the entire thing. It's doesn't become too sweet. Spread the cream. Place the other half on top. Spread the cream on top and sides.

Cut the chocolate cake into 1 1/2 inch squares/cubes. Throw in about 7 squares at a time in to the bowl with cream and coat completely. My aunt doesn't do this, she puts the chocolate layer just as you'd do a regular cake. I like the  unique look of it when you cut it into squares.

Arrange the squares on top of the white cake. Using a spoon add the chocolate glaze all over the cake. 

Let it stand at room temperature for an hour or so before placing it in the fridge. Let it stand for at least 24 hours for best results so it has time to become moist. Of course, putting it overnight is fine too. 

It is best served if it stands at room temperature for about half an hour before serving. 

Blessings,

Lesya

Cherry Bars

Hi all.

This is one of those recipes that you probably already have all the ingredients for it in your house.

I had my own recipe for the cherry bars, but one day I could not find my recipe book, and I had already said I'd make something for coffee house so I turned to allrecipes, typed in cherry pie filling in the ingredients list section, and found that they had just as good a recipe as the one I had. The recipe I originally had came from the brio magazine-back in the day. There are also so many variations you can do which I love.

I made them for Victor's birthday party and my aunt's loved them so they are pretty good for bars.

You will need:

1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 (21 ounce) cans cherry pie filling
GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons milk

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the extracts. Combine flour and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Mix just until combined.
2. Spread 3 cups batter into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Spread with pie filling. Drop the remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over filling.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over bars.

 You don't have to use the almond extract but I really liked them with it. Also, for spreading some of the dough over the cherries wet your fingers-makes it much easier to spread the dough out!

Picture from Victor's birthday party.

Blessings,

Lesya

Graham Cracker Bundt Cake

Hi all.

This recipe was something I tried because it was something different. I have a ton of recipe books and this was from one of them where people submitted their favorite recipes and they put them all in a small cookbook-it's even called "Sharing Recipes"
I thought it turned out pretty good-so I thought I'd share with y'all.

1 lb graham crackers (2 cups, 16 oz.)
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar (recipe calls for 2, but that makes it way too sweet!)
5 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut (I added 1/4 cup-I don't like coconut)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional, I don't like nuts so I didn't add those either)
1 can crushed pineapple, drained well!
1 cup milk

Crush your graham crackers, add to bowl. Add the milk.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs, butter, sugar, and baking powder. (Butter, beat separately so that it's smooth, then add to egg mexture).
Add to the graham cracker mixture and combine. Add the pineapple, coconut, and pecans.
Bake in a tube pan (that has cooking spray on it) for 1 hr to 1hr and 15 min (depending on oven). Insert a toothpick to check this. 

Not a great picture, but you can see how browned it is-when it should be taken out of the oven. 

Blessings,
Lesya