Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

I recently bought 25 pounds of rhubarb from my fruit supplier from Hood River.  So far I have made four Rhubarb Custard Pies, a Rhubarb Crisp, and two of this delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.  The recipe for it happened to be in my Pinterest feed, without me even looking for it.  Perfect timing!   I have to say that this may be my most favorite fruit crisp ever, which is saying a lot because my mom's apple crisp is a piece of heaven on earth.

The original post is HERE.  She made it with strawberries only, which is kinds of sad to me, and I doubled it, of course.  

Adapted from “Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking”

Filling:
3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
4 cups (8 ounces/250 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
3/4 cup (4 ounces/125 grams) sugar

Topping:
•2 cups (5 ounces/155 grams) all-purpose flour
•1 cup (1.5 ounces/45 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
•2/3 cup (3 ounces/90 grams) sugar
•2/3 cup (2.5 ounces/75 grams) firmly packed golden brown sugar
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, melted


Directions:
1.Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Have ready a 5 quart ceramic or glass baking dish or baking dish.  I used a 9x13 casserole dish.


2. For the Filling: In a large bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar until well mixed. Pour into the baking dish, and set aside.


3. For the Topping: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, rolled oats, sugars, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Stir in the melted butter until evenly moistened crumbs form. Spoon the crumb mixture over the filling.


4. Bake the crisp until the rhubarb is tender when tested with a toothpick, the juices are bubbling, and the topping is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.


Note: The crisp can be cooled, covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Rewarm in a 250-degree F oven for 15 minutes before serving. Preferably with a substantial scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Creme Brulee

I have a confession.  I am in love with Creme Brulee!  I love to order it at restaurants for dessert.  The day I realized I could make it at home was a blessed day!  I was in Target, many years ago, the day after Valentines Day, and there was a lot of Valentines stuff on clearance.  One of the shelves had a few "Creme Brulee Kits" complete with a couple of ramekins and a kitchen torch!  I grabbed it!  I was so very excited!  

Here we are about 10 years later.  I am on my third torch, and I make its several times a year including on Valentine's Day.  My children are spoiled.  I never had creme brulee before I was an adult.

When Gourmet Club first started my partner Alyssa and I knew we had to do creme brulee for a dessert at some point.  Lucky for us, two years in we decided on the Titanic as our theme, and creme brulee was served on the last night before the ship sunk.  For all the party details and recipes click HERE.

If you need a torch, I have bought my last two Butane kitchen torches at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  BB&B also carries butane for refilling.

**If you do not have a kitchen torch look below for an alternate option.

I always at double or triple this for my family.  This recipe only makes 4 smaller puddings.  For gourmet club I quadrupled it.

Ingredients

2 cups half and half         

5 egg yolks, beaten                                                                                                    
⅓ cup sugar  

1 tsp. Vanilla extract   

⅛ tsp salt    

¼ cup sugar for topping

Heat half and half in saucepan till slightly foamy/bubbly.  In a separate bowl combine egg yolks, ⅓ cup sugar, vanilla and salt.  Slowly add half and half to eggs, while mixing.  Be careful not to curdle eggs.

Pour evenly into ramekins placed in a large baking dish.  Bake in a water bath (pour water in and around the ramekins in the baking dish) at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Chill for at least an hour.  Sprinkle a couple tsp of sugar evenly over the top and fire with a kitchen butane torch till caramelized.

**If you do not have a torch - Lay a single, solid layer of white sugar in a hot frying pan.  DO NOT STIR.  Wait for it to caramelize, watching carefully.  As soon as it turns brown, drizzle of the tops of the creme brulee’s in a as light a layer as possible.  

Orange Rolls

These are the BEST orange rolls out there!  The dough and the icing both have sour cream, which adds a deep richness and softness to these delicious rolls.  Christmas morning would not be what it is with out these rolls, along with Breakfast Casserole after opening presents.  

The recipe comes from my mother in law's cookbook.  Another favorite of Jason's from growing up.  Perfect for a festive breakfast, or for a decadent dessert. 

For Christmas I make them the night before, I will start the dough about lunch time on Christmas Eve.  I warm them in the oven after we open presents on Christmas morning, then make and add the icing/glaze. 

1 TBSP active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (I got VERY warm, almost hot to make sure the yeast gets activated.  This is actually a very small amount of yeast for this amount of dough.)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 butter or margarine (1 stick), melted

3 1/2 cups flour

2 TBSP grated orange peel (about 2 oranges)

Glaze - 

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 TBSP orange juice

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl (I use the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer.) Beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar, salt, eggs, sour cream, and 6 TBSP of melted butter.  Gradually add 2 cups flour.  Beat till smooth.  Knead remaining flour into dough.  I use my dough hook for all of this.  I really hate kneading, so I let my dough hook work the dough really well.  

2.  Let the dough rise in a large, lightly greased bowl, in a warm place, covered.  Rise till doubled, about 2 hours.  This dough does take longer than your average dough to rise.  If I am in a hurry, then I start out by adding 2 TBSP to the 1/4 cup of hot water in the beginning.  

Knead the dough on a well floured surface.  I do this in the bowl.  I just punch it around a little bit.  (Can you tell I am really not in love with kneading dough?)

3.  Roll one half of the dough to a 12 inch circle.  Combine 3/4 sugar and orange rind.  Brush dough with 1 TBSP melted butter and sprinkle with one half of the orange/sugar mixture.  

4.  Cut into 12 wedges.  Roll up, starting with the wide end.  Repeat with remaining dough.  (I tend to always cut more than 12 wedges.  I don't count them.  I just eyeball a good width, and end up with however many.

5.  Place point side down in the three rows in greased 9x13 pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, about an hour. 

6.  Then bake in moderate oven.  350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Glaze - 

Combine ingredients and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour over rolls when removed from the oven.  

There is a lot of glaze.  I pour it all on, all over the rolls.  It soaks into every crevice, and is SO good!

Sweet Potato Souffle

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving?  I AM!!!  I have my menu all set, printed and posted.  My kids are all excited to sign up for what they will be making.  I make the same exact meal that my mother made all through my growing up years.  Every few years I add or change a side dish.  This is one of those years!!!  I am SO excited about this addition!  

Are you ready for this?  Sweet Potato Souffle is TO DIE FOR!  My friend Holly, in my Gourmet Club made it for us last year as her dessert for the Girlfriend's Christmas Party.  She also did it as one of the side dishes for our Stake Relief Society Dinner in September that our group catered.  Honestly I am posting this recipe for my own easy access, as well as to fulfill the hopes and dreams of many who have asked me for it! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients -
6 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (I use 2 - 29 oz. cans Princella brand)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup melted butter
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk

                                                                                                                                          

 Mix first three ingredients in a mixer, add the next 3 and mix until blended.                                                Pour in a 9x13 casserole dish.

Topping:

2/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour

Melt butter in microwave, add the rest of ingredients and mix well.  It will look like wet sand. I use my hands to sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. Should not be soupy...if the top is browning too much, cover with foil.

*Serving alternative - Bake in ramekins for single servings.  Also, this can be used as a dessert!  It is as good as a crust-less sweet potato pie!

Raspberry Bread Pudding

If you're looking for the most delicious, warm and comforting food out there, look no further!  Here it is!

 What's not to love?  Heavy Cream?  GOOD!  Sugar?  GOOD!  Butter?  GOOD!

This is a copy cat recipe I found on Pinterest from the restaurant Kneaders in Utah.  I love Kneaders and know that their food is so yummy!  Also, my grandma has even worked with them to develop a pie recipe or two.  (I have those in my recipe box :) )  

Back in December I was invited to a Girlfriend's Christmas party and dessert exchange.  I could not decide what to make!  When I don't have the answer, to any of life's many questions, I call my mommy.  Her immediate answer was the Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding she found on Pinterest.  She had made it over General Conference weekend, and my whole family loved it!  It was a huge hit at the dessert exchange.  Since then I've made it for my family over Christmas break for dessert, for book club brunch and for a Relief Society (women's church group) February meeting.  Now that I have shared this delicious dish with friends everyone asks for it.  So here it is.  Also, HERE is the link to where I found it off of Pinterest. 

1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread (I use the French Bread loaves from the bakery in my local grocery store.)
1 qt. heavy cream
3 C. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
5 C. raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. apple juice

In a large bowl mix the cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to cream mixture, coating the bread well.Let stand 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb.Mix the raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Layer a 9×13 inch baking pan 3/4 full with the bread mix and pour fruit filling over the bread mix, spreading evenly.
Top with the remaining bread.Bake 40 minutes at 375.
Serve warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.
(If you want it to cut into nice squares you can chill it and then cut it into squares, then microwave it for 20-25 seconds per piece and top with sauce.)

Vanilla Cream Sauce
1 1/3 C. butter
5 T. flour
3 C. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 C. sugar
Melt butter in medium saucepan and add flour.  Stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown.  Add salt, cream and sugar until mix is thick.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Serve warm over the pudding.

**The first time I made it, for the dessert exchange, I made the Vanilla Cream Sauce.  Since then I have left it off.  It is way less calories, and still extremely delicious!  If using it for breakfast or brunch I would suggest you consider this option.

Blackberry Cobbler

It is August.  I do not really get along with August very well.  It's hot and my kids have been out of school and bored for too long.  However, there is one thing that I have found that I LOVE about August.  Here in the Willamette Valley Blackberries grow wild every where in August.  It is amazing!  It is really special to be on a walk with the kids on our favorite trail, and along the way we are stopping to pick and eat the wild berries.  We are not the only ones doing so, even the most avid runners will stop for a snack mid run.

This morning Jason got up while the rest of us were still sleeping.  He ran down to the corner of our street, and picked 12 cups of Blackberries.  He then came home, and got out the ice cream maker.  I made some cobbler to go along with this two batches of ice cream.  It was so delicious I am looking forward to having some for breakfast tomorrow.  Shhh... don't tell my kids.

 

 I LOVE this recipe from one of my recipe collections.  It is so divine!  I added cinnamon to the recipe myself.  It adds a lot of comfort to the dish.  This tastes best in the summer with fresh berries insides, and ice cream on the side.

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine - 4 cups frozen or fresh blackberries

               - ½ cup sugar

Mix gently and set aside.

In separate bowl combine –

            1 cup flour                    1 cup sugar

            1 t baking powder        ½ t salt

            ½ t cinnamon

Mix and add 1 cup of milk, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Place 1/4 cup of butter or margarine in medium baking dish. (I use the deep round Demarle pan) Place in oven till butter is melted. 

Spoon batter over butter, evenly.  Spoon berries over batter; do not stir.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm or cooled, with ice cream or cool whip.   Yum…

***  Original recipe is Mixed berry cobbler.  It calls for 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries and 2        

cups sliced strawberries. 

Apple Pie Slices

A few years after I was married, my mother in law gave everyone a cookbook, filled with her recipes, for Christmas.  I don't remember which recipe I tried first, but I know this was one of the first.  One of the best parts of visiting "Grandma Ritz" is that she makes yummy treats like this.  I made this once for my side of the family, and my dad wrote in a new title in the cookbook.  He titled it, "A Party in Your Mouth."  He actually wrote it into the book!  

I made this once with cherries.  I used my cherry pie recipe for the filling.  It was delicious!  The only thing was I need to strain the liquid off, this 'slab' pie does not really hold juices so well.  Also, this dough is very sticky and fragile.  Using extra flour to roll it out would dry it out and change the texture.  The bottom crust I roll out between the baking sheet and a piece of Suran Wrap.  The top crust I roll out between 2 large pieces of Suran Wrap, peel the top layer off, lay it down carefully over the apples, then peel off the bottom layer of plastic wrap.

Mix - 2 1/2 cups flour

         1 Tbsp. Sugar

         1 teas. Salt

Cut into flour  - 1 cup shortening

Separate 1 egg. Put egg yolk in measuring cup and add milk enough to make 2/3 cup in all.  Add to flour mixture.  Mix dough just enough to shape into a ball.  Roll out half of dough into a rectangle.  Transfer to a baking sheet - 11x15, jelly roll size.

Cover bottom layer of dough with - 

2/3 cup cornflakes, slightly crushed

5 cups peeled, sliced apples

Mix - 1 1/2 cups sugar

         1 teas. cinnamon

Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon over the apples.  Roll other half of the dough between 2 pieces of Suran Wrap.  Place over the apples, pinch the edges shut.  Beat the egg white until very stiff and spread over the top.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 

While hot, drizzle with a glaze made by mixing - 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Grasshopper Brownies

I found this recipe in High School, and my family loved it.  My own children love it now.  For the brownie layer I either use a box mix or have used my own 'from scratch' recipe.

Bake a pan of brownies, let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Mint layer -

Beat - 1/2 cup margarine (softened)

           3 oz. cream cheese (softened)

Add - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

           2 tsp. peppermint extract

           a few drops of green food coloring

Spread cream cheese layer over cooled brownies.

Melt in a small saucepan, stirring constantly till smooth -

           1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

           1/3 cup margarine

Cool slightly then smooth over the cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.

French Crepes

 Crepes are so easy and delicious!  Every Summer when I get to making jam we make crepes.  My favorite part is that Jason makes them!  Our favorite dessert type fillings are Jam, honey, cinnamon and sugar, blue agave and fruit.  For a more savory meal try my chicken and asparagus crepe filling!  It is super good!

Crepes - 2 cups milk                        6 eggs, well beaten

              1 1/2 cups flour, sifted        2 Tbsp. sugar

              1/2 tsp. salt

Beat milk into eggs.  Sift everything else into it. Beat till smooth.  Heat a 8 inch skillet or omelette pan.  Spray with cooking spray and pour just enough batter on to coat the pan.  Turn over to cook other side.  They cook really fast so watch carefully.

Chicken and Asparagus crepe filling -
3 chicken breasts          1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup water                   6 Tbsp. butter (margarine)
1/3 cup flour                 1 tsp. salt
1 cup half n half             1 pkg. frozen cut asparagus (8-10 oz) - cooked
1/4 cup sliced Almonds    can also use  1 1/2 cups fresh, cooked asparagus

Cook chicken in water with bouillon.  Remove and cool.  Add enough water to the remaining broth to make 1 1/2 cups.  Dice up the chicken.  Melt butter, stir in flour and salt.  Add broth and half n half.  Cook while stirring till it thickens and bubbles.   Take off heat.  Stir in chicken and asparagus and Almonds.

For serving a family dinner I fill the crepes and roll them and put them in a casserole dish.  I bake them about 10 minutes at 350 to make nice and hot.  I add extra sliced Almonds on top for Garnish. 

Berry Cobbler

Berry Cobbler served with Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

This is one of our favorite family recipe's.  I got it from a recipe collection called Easy Everyday Cooking.  I have altered it slightly by adding cinnamon.

4 cups of berries (I use all kinds, sometimes several kinds in one dish)

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine berries with 1/2 cup sugar; mix gently.  Set aside.

2. Combine flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl; mix well.  Add milk; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

3. Place butter in a medium baking dish.  (I use my Demarle deep dish round flexipan.)  Place dish in oven to melt butter, remove from oven.  Spoon batter evenly over melted batter.

4. Spoon berries over batter, do NOT stir.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. (If you are using a shallow, more widespread pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes.)  Or until golden brown.  Serve cobbler warm or at room temperature.  Delicious with ice cream.

*I have frozen this before as a freezer dessert.  I thawed it and baked it for about 10 minutes to warm it up.  It worked great!

Strawberry Dessert

This is a very yummy treat!  I got the recipe from my friend Sharon M.  I make it at least once a year when we pick our strawberries.  It has a crunchy shortbread crust, a creamy cheese layer and then the sweet strawberries on top.  My boys literally lick their plates when I serve this up.

Crust -

Mix together - 1 cup butter

                       2 cups flour

                       1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix and cut together as best as you can, then press into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till lightly brown.  Cool.

Cheese layer -

Mix together - 1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

                       3/4 cup powdered sugar

                       1 1/2 cups cool whip

Spread over cooled crust.  Top with cherry pie filling or Strawberry pie filling.

Strawberry layer -

In a sauce pan heat - 1 cup water

                                 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

                                1/2 cup sugar

Stir till it thickens and clears slightly.  Make sure all sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, and liquid is cooled.  Add in 4 cups sliced or pureed strawberries with juices.  Heat and stir till thick.  Take off heat and let cool, and chill before pouring over the cheese layer.

Chill before serving and store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Dirt Cake

For Easter this has become a tradition for us.  The kids love it!  It is yummy and very fun.

Cream – ½ cube margarine               1 cup powdered sugar

                8 oz. cream cheese             

In another bowl mix - 2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding

     - 3 ½ cups milk

                                     - 12 oz cool whip

Combine the two mixtures.

Chop and crush 2 lbs. of Oreos into crumbs.  Layer cookies and filling into a clean flower pot, beginning and ending with crumbs.  Lay Gummy Worms into the different layers and put a few on top. Plant some silk/fake flowers into the cake on top.