Apple Danish Pies

From Taste of Home Cooking for 2 Winter 2008

1/3 C sugar

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 C chopped peeled tart apples

1/4 C unsweetened apple juice

1 tube (4oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 pkg (3oz) cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:

1/4 C confectioners' sugar

2 tsp 2% milk

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add apples and juice; toss to coat.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat.

Separate crescent dough into four triangles.  On a lightly floured surface, roll two triangles into 5" circles.  Place each into an 8oz ramekin, pressing dough onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla.  Spread over dough in ramekins.  Top with apple mixture.  Roll out remaining crescent dough into 4" circles; place over filling.  Cut slits in top.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over pies. Serve warm.

Zucchini Pistachio Cupcakes

From Every Day with Rachael Ray September 2007


One 18.25-ounce box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic Yellow Cake mix
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 large zucchini (about 10 ounces), shredded
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachio nuts (about 4 ounces), chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with baking liners. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and cloves. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until smooth; stir in the zucchini.2. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool.3. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the lime peel, lime juice and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water until smooth. Cover each cupcake with the glaze and sprinkle with the pistachios.

Triple Chocolate Dessert

From Crockpot Cookery

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 8oz carton sour cream
1 3oz pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 C chocolate chips
3/4 C oil
4 eggs
1 C water

Lightly grease crockpot. In a bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, pudding mix, chips, oil, eggs and water by hand. Pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

From Every Day with Rachael Ray February 2008


One 10-ounce box shortbread cookies, such as Lorna Doone
1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons flour
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cups dulce de leche or other caramel sauce
Boiling water, for baking

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil. Using a food processor, finely chop the cookies, nuts, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the butter and pulse until just combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
2. Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until softened, 2 minutes. Beat in the flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt on low speed. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, on medium speed. Mix in 1 cup dulce de leche.
3. Pour the batter into the crust. Loosely cover the pan with foil, set in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to reach a depth of 1 inch. Bake the cheesecake until set at the edges but slightly wobbly in the center, about 55 minutes.
4. Transfer the cake to a rack; let rest for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining 3/4 cup dulce de leche over the warm cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then remove the springform and slice the cheesecake.

Honey Granola Brittle

From Every Day with Rachael Ray February 2008

1 C sugar
1/3 C honey
1 Tbsp butter
2 C granola

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the paper. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and honey over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture until just melted; bring to a boil. Insert a candy thermometer and cook until the mixture is caramel colored and the temperature registers 300 degrees.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the granola and pour the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, spreading into a 1/4 inch-thick rectangle. Let cool for 20 minutes.
Cut the brittle into 1/2 by 2" pieces. Let cool completely. Wrap each piece in a 3x4" piece of cellophane.

Sweet Dreams

From Every Day with Rachael Ray August 2008

1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1/3 C confectioners' sugar
1/3 C heavy cream
1/8 tsp salt
2 C whole milk
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, heavy cream and salt. Divide the peanut butter among 10 glasses.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, cocoa and cornstarch over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted. Spoon the warm chocolate pudding over the peanut butter cream; refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Berries and Cream Cheesecake

From Every Day with Rachael Ray August 2008

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Grated peel of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 C blueberry preserves
3/4 C blueberries, plus more for garnish
3/4 C chopped strawberries, plus sliced strawberries for garnish
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 C confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 C heavy cream, chilled
2 12oz pound cakes, sliced crosswise 1/3" thick

In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup water, the granulated sugar and the lemon peel to a boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, the preserves and the berries and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.
Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with a layer of the poundcake slices, cutting to fit as needed. Brush with the lemon syrup and spread half the berry sauce on top. Spoon half the cream cheese mixture over the berries. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients.
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight. Release from the springform pan and top with more berries before serving.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bomb

From Every Day with Rachael Ray August 2008

3 C chocolate chips
2 sticks butter, 5 tablespoons melted
1/4 C peanut butter
5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 C sugar
2 C heavy cream
2 C broken graham crackers (about 20 squares)
1/2 C roasted, salted peanuts, plus chopped peanuts for garnish
1/3 C corn syrup

Line six 6-ounce custard cups with plastic wrap. In a saucepan over low heat, melt 1 2/3 cups chocolate chips, 5 tablespoons butter and peanut butter; stir to combine.
In a double boiler, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar over medium low heat until doubled in volume, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Beat the cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the peanut butter mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Divide among the prepared custard cups; tap lightly to settle. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours.
In a food processor, grind the graham crackers and 1/2 cup peanuts then pule in the 5 tablespoons melted butter.
Unwrap the custard cups, divide the graham cracker mixture among the cups and press to set. Refrigerate for 15 minutes more.
Combine the remaining 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips, 6 tablespoons butter and corn syrup. Microwave at high power until melted, about 30 seconds; stir to combine.
Invert the custard cups onto plates; discard the plastic wrap. Drizzle with the chocolate glaze and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts; refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Marshmallow Cupcakes

From Every Day with Rachael Ray June/July 2008

Five 3.5oz bars dark chocolate
3 1/2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 C flour
2 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 C confectioners' sugar
One 7.5oz jar marshmallow cream

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two muffin pans with baking liners. Chop 3 chocolate bars and place in a small bowl. In a large saucepan, melt 2 sticks butter in 2 1/4 cups water, stirring often, over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the 3 chopped chocolate bars until melted. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the flour, granulated sugar and baking soda. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until the muffins spring back when gently pressed, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely, then turn out of the pans.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 chopped chocolate bars, 1 1/2 sticks butter and the corn syrup; microwave at medium power for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave 1 minute more at medium power. Stir until smooth.
Dip the top of each cupcake into the chocolate glaze and set right side up on a cooling rack. Dip each cupcake two more times. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.
Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt at high speed until fluffy. Add the marshmallow cream and mix at medium speed. Transfer to a pastry bag fitting with a small tip. Decorate the cupcakes with a zigzag design, or dollop with a spoon.

Strawberry Bonbons

From Every Day with Rachael Ray June/July 2008

1 pint strawberries, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
25 plain vanilla wafer cookies, such as Nilla wafers
1 pound dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 C pistachios, chopped

In a medium saucepan, simmer the strawberries and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
Transfer the ice cream to a large bowl; fold in 1/2 cup strawberry sauce (reserve remaining sauce for another use). Cover and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
Place the cookies flat side down on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Top each cookie with 1 small scoop of ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
In a double boiler, melt three-quarters of the chocolate. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until melted. Dunk each bonbon into the chocolate to coat; return to the prepared baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the pistachios. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Basic Flaky Single Piecrust

From The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp shortening
2-3 Tbsp ice water

In a food processor or large bowl, pulse or whisk together the flour and salt. Pulse or cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pulse or cut in enough ice water until dough just comes together (it should not be sticky).
Press the dough into a ball; using the palm of your hand, flatten it into a disk. Wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or until ready to use.

Sweet Potato Meringue Pie

From The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat

2 large sweet potatoes, baked and cooled
1 C sour cream
1 C granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp bourbon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 Basic Flaky Single Piecrust (Pg 208 of cookbook), chilled, or 1/2 of a 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crusts (1 crust)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 C superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Peel the potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the sour cream. beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the granulated sugar, egg yolks, butter, bourbon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 11" circle. Line a 9" pie plate with the pie crust and crimp the edges decoratively. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until almost set in the center. Let pie cool to room temperature.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a second large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add the superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy but not dry. Spoon the meringue over the pie filling; make sure to spread the meringue to the edges and use a spatula to form the customary meringue peaks. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Let pie cool before cutting and serving.

Peach and Cinnamon Cobbler

From The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat

Butter for coating dish

Filling:
6 C peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4" thick
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C quick-cooking tapioca
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch Salt

Topping:
1 2/3 C all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
3 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2/3 C heavy cream, plus additional for brushing

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the filling ingredients. Pour filling into the prepared dish; set aside.

For the topping, in a food processor or large bowl, pulse or whisk together the 1 2/3 cups flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse or cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add the 2/3 cup cream, mixing until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat together. Form the dough into 2" balls. Flatten balls gently with the palm of your hand.
Evenly arrange the dough rounds on top of the filling. Brush a little cream over the rounds. Bake about 1 hour or until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling.

Yellow Flag Dessert Skewers

From Every Day with Rachael Ray April 2008

1 pineapple, cut into 1" cubes
1 frozen pound cake, slightly thawed, cut into 1" cubes
Honey, for drizzling

Soak 8 wooden skewers in water. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Alternately thread 4 cubes each of pineapple and pound cake on each skewer.
Grill, turning once, until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side.
Drizzle with honey.

Red Velvet Black & White Cookies

From Every Day with Rachael Ray March 2008

1 ¼ C flour
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ C granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp red food coloring
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 C confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp corn syrup
4oz semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Using a mixer, beat 5 tablespoons butter with the granulated sugar until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.
Place ¼-cup scoops of batter 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet; spread out. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon corn syrup and 2 tablespoons hot water until smooth. In another bowl, combine the chocolate, remaining butter and 1 tablespoon corn syrup; microwave until melted, about 1 minute.
Coat the cookies with the vanilla, then the chocolate icing. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.

Smith Island Cake - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

From Saveur Magazine

MAKES ONE 8" CAKE

8 large Reese's peanut butter cups, frozen
Nonstick cooking spray
1⁄4 cup flour
1 18 1⁄4-oz. box yellow cake mix, preferably Duncan Hines
2 cups plus 3 tbsp. evaporated milk
16 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
6 cups confectioners' sugar
1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1. Pulse 4 peanut butter cups in a food processor into small chunks; transfer to a bowl. Pulse remaining peanut butter cups into a fine powder; transfer to another bowl. Chill both until ready to use.
2. Heat oven to 350°. Grease four 8" round cake pans with cooking spray, dust with half the flour, and knock out any excess. Set aside. Put cake mix, 1 1⁄2 cups evaporated milk, half the butter, vanilla, salt, eggs, and 1⁄3 cup water into a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 10–12 minutes. Divide half the batter between prepared cake pans. Set remaining batter aside. Using the back of a spoon, spread out batter so that it covers the bottom of each pan, making it slightly thicker around the edges than in the middle. Bake until cooked through and golden around edges, 12–14 minutes. Set aside to let cool slightly, then loosen cake layers with a knife and invert onto cooling racks. Wash and dry cake pans. Repeat process a second time with cooking spray and remaining flour and batter.
3. When all 8 cake layers have cooled, make the icing. Combine remaining milk, sugar, and cocoa in a medium pot; stir well, then add remaining butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and icing is shiny, 4–5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir well.
4. Spread a cake layer with about 1⁄4 cup of icing; sprinkle with about 1 tbsp. powdered peanut butter cups. Top with another cake layer and repeat process to make 8 layers in all. Frost outside of cake with remaining icing; sprinkle top with peanut butter cup chunks. Let sit for 2–3 hours before serving. The cake can be stored for up to a week refrigerated in an airtight container.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Pecan Pie

From Rachael Ray Show

3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.
With a hand beater, beat eggs well. Beat in corn syrup, sugar, butter, pumpkin and vanilla until well-blended. Arrange pecans in bottom of pie shell. Slowly pour egg mixture over them. Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving to allow the filling to set up.
Garnish with whipped cream .

Gooey Butter Cakes

From Paula Deen

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.
For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.
For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Grandmother Paul's Red Velvet Cake

From "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook"

2 eggs
2 C sugar
1 tsp cocoa
2 ounces red food coloring
2 sticks butter
2 1/2 C cake flour
1 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs; add sugar. Mix cocoa and food coloring. Add butter and egg mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour into three 9" round greased and floured pans. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until tests done.

Icing
2 egg whites
1 1/2 C sugar
5 Tbsp cold water
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 C miniature marshmallows
1 C or 3.5oz can shredded coconut
1 C chopped pecans

Cook egg whites, sugar, water and corn syrup in double boiler for 5 minutes and beat. Add marshmallows; stir until melted. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Pear Fritters

From "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook"

Batter may be used for sliced fresh apples or bananas, or canned pineapple

1 egg, beaten
1/2 C milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 C self-rising flour
1 C sour cream
1/4 C vegetable oil
3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced horizontally

Combine the beaten egg, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Mix well and add sour cream. Heat 2 tablespoons oil to 375 degrees. Dip pears in batter, carefully place in oil, and cook 1-2 minutes. Turn and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add oil as needed. Remove fritters and drain. May be sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.