Sam's Place: desserts

Showing posts with label desserts. Show all posts

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie

We are now into the fall season and here in Western New York, we have plenty of beautiful colors all over the trees. It's time to fill the house with those wonderful aromas of cinnamon and spice. Baking this cast iron skillet apple pie did just that.

I love cooking with my cast iron skillet. This iron skillet apple pie is so easy to make, and I'm sure it will be a family favorite.

With pie crust made from scratch and, a layer of brown sugar and melted butter on the bottom of the skillet that bakes into the pie crust, makes this one a fall favorite.

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie: Crust

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Crisco (Cold)

6 to 8 tablespoons of Ice Water

You can make your own pie crust or buy it already made. I made my own by adding the flour, and the Crisco (Cold and cut into small pieces) into my KitchenAid mixing bowl.

Using the flat bar I turned it on low speed and began adding the cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough was formed.

Then, I divided the dough into two equal pieces. I wrapped them and set them in the refrigerator while I prepared the apples.

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie: Filling

4 large Granny Smith Apples (Peeled, cored, and sliced)

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

I mixed all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, placed it in the refrigerator while I prepared my cast iron skillet and the pie crust.

For the bottom of the cast iron skillet:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in and spread the brown sugar until it is absorbed and covers the bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Remove it from the heat and roll out your dough. It's best to roll out the pie crust between wax paper or parchment paper.

Place the bottom pie crust over the brown sugar mixture in the skillet. Fill the skillet with the apple mixture. Then place the top crust and form the edges together.

Cut 4 to 6 slits in the top of the pie crust. I brushed the top with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Then sprinkled some sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

The crust was flakey and tender and the filling was sweet, with a nice buttery, brown sugar bottom. If you like your apple pie on the tart side, cut back on the sugar or eliminate the brown sugar in the filling.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it!

You might also like my Muffin Tin Apple Pies

Muffin Tin Apple Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Peanut Clusters

This simple recipe for these chocolate peanut butter clusters was given to us by a good friend years ago.

We normally make these every Holiday season. This year, we just ran out of time and never got around to making these.

That means I had all the ingredients at home and ready to go. The AFC playoff game this Sunday was so one-sided that I decided to gather everything and check these off my list for some sweet treats.

These little treats are just so easy to make. And what a great idea to make them and keep some in the freezer for those chocolate-and-peanut cravings.

Here are the simple ingredients I used. Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, and Salted Peanuts.

After melting the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips and the Chocolate Chips together, I stirred in the peanuts and dropped them onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Peanut Clusters

Ingredients:

1- 10oz. bag Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups salted peanuts

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler, melt the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. (I used my double boiler on the stovetop)
Stir the chocolate continuously until all is melted and smooth.
Add the peanuts, stir, and mix well.
Drop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper using a tablespoon.
Let them sit for a few minutes and place them in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

I yielded 24 of these little treats but, I used heaping tablespoons. I could have had 30 or more if I used just a little less.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy!

Farberware Classic Stainless Series 2-Quart Covered Double Boiler

Cake Mix Pumpkin Squares

These cake mix pumpkin squares are another one of our Holiday favorites. You really don't have to wait for a Holiday to make this bite-size dessert.

Fran makes these a few times a year mostly for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year I wanted to post and share the pumpkin squares dessert with you. So, I made them under Fran's direction using the recipe that she has been using for years.

I have to tell you, these are so easy to make and so delicious. Bobby just can't get enough of them when we make them.

Cake Mix Pumpkin Squares are made in 3 easy steps

Step 1: Make the Bottom Layer

Step 2: Make the filling

Step 3: Make the Topping

Bottom Layer Ingredients:

1 Box Lemon Cake mix (Remove 1-1/2 cups for topping)
1 stick melted butter (I used salted but you can use unsalted)
1 egg beaten

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together using a fork. Then press and spread into a 9-inch x 13-inch greased glass baking dish. Bake the bottom layer for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then let cool.

Ingredients for the Filing:

1 can pumpkin (29oz.)
3 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons cinnamon

I mixed all of this together using our hand mixer. Then spread this over the top of the cooled bottom layer.

Ingredients for the Topping:

1-1/2 cup Lemon cake mix
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) I didn't use chopped nuts

Mix together with a fork until it is crumbly. Then spread the topping over the pumpkin filling. Bake this at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife comes out of the center clean.

Here are your cake mix pumpkin squares right out of the oven. Set this on a rack and let cool completely before placing in the refrigerator.

We cut these into 1-1/2 inch across the 9-inch width and 2-inches by the length of the baking dish, yielding 36 pumpkin squares.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy

Pyrex 1107101 Basics Clear Oblong Glass Baking Dishes, 2 Piece Value Plus Pack Set

KitchenAid KHM512ER 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer, Empire Red

Libby's, 100% Pure Pumpkin, 15oz Can (Pack of 6)

Quick Cinnamon Swirl Bread

The fall season is fast approaching with cool nights and cool crisp mornings. The leaves on the trees will be beautiful colors very soon, and to me, that means it's time to bake. This Quick Cinnamon Swirl Bread fits the bill.

I found this recipe in our small-town newspaper and just knew that I had to give it a try. Jamie and the boys were on their way home from vacation. I thought, what a nice treat to have one of these ready for them when they got home. It turned out to be a great idea because everybody loved this quick cinnamon swirl bread.

On the way home from Jamie's house I had another great idea. Monday was Giada's first day of kindergarten. Fran and I drove down to see her off with another treat. I made a 2nd loaf that day to take to Sammy's house. And, once again this bread was a hit.

This quick cinnamon swirl bread is so easy to make. The ingredients are simple and I'm sure you already have everything you need in your pantry. The ingredients and instructions are below to make one loaf of this delicious treat.

Prepare the dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. Then add the dry to the wet and mix until you have a nice batter. I used my hand mixer but, you can use a whisk or spoon.

Next, I sprayed my 9-inch x 5-inch bread pan with Baker's Joy. I poured in the bread batter and then spooned in the swirled mixture. I used a knife to swirl it all together.

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and baked the bread for 45 minutes on the center rack. I used a knife in the center to make sure it came out clean. Place the bread on a rack to cool and just before it cools completely add the glaze.

Quick Cinnamon Swirl Bread:

Ingredients for the Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup milk (I used Skim)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)

For the Swirl

1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons water

The Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
In another bowl combine egg, milk, yogurt, and vanilla.
Add the wet and dry ingredients together and mix until batter forms.
Pour the batter into a prepared bread pan.
Mix the swirl ingredients together with a spoon or whisk.
Spoon the swirl mixture on top of the batter and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack to cool.
Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over when the bread is almost cool.

Now cut yourself a slice and enjoy. Try not to eat the whole thing at one time! This bread is a sure-fire winner the next time you're having friends over for coffee.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy!

You might also like my Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Italian Easter Ricotta Rice Pie

This Italian Easter Ricotta Rice Pie is my Mother's recipe. She made these every year for Easter and as you can see these are a little different than your traditional pie.

They are really little hand pies made with sweet dough, ricotta cheese, and rice filling. Anybody who knows me knows that I have a passion for preserving these old family recipes.

I found my mother's recipe for these last year and gave them a try but I failed. You see, my mother's handwritten recipes are short the instructions all she had written down was the ingredients. So I had to figure out the rest on my own. And, this year I did.

Italian Easter Ricotta Rice Pie: Ingredients:

For the Dough:

5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs beaten
1 cup Crisco
1 cup warm water

The Filling:

2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1/4 lb. cooked rice (You'll need 1/2 cup uncooked to get 1/4 lb. cooked)
3/4 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 eggs beaten (You'll need these later to seal the pies and brush before baking)

I first made the rice according to the package instructions. I used Jasmine Rice because it is a long grain and sticky rice. This helps hold the filling together.

While the rice was cooling I mixed the dough. I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer with the dough hook.

I added all the ingredients for the dough except the flour into my mixing bowl. I added the flour last turned it on low speed and mixed until the dough was formed.

If you don't have a stand mixer use a large bowl and mix by hand. Next, I set the dough aside and started to make the filling.

Again, using my stand mixer I added the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, and rice into the mixing bowl. Using the flat bar I mixed this on low speed until everything was mixed together. I put the filling in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

I rolled the dough into about a 14-inch long x 2/12-inch high log

I cut the dough into 3/4-inch slices and rolled them out on a floured surface into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.

I filled the center with 1/4 cup of the filling. Then, I brushed the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. I carefully folded the edges together and then pinched along the seams with a fork.

I placed my little pies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper four pies on a cookie sheet. Then, brush on the beaten egg over the whole surface of each pie.

I baked them at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then place them on a rack to cool. These Italian Easter Ricotta Rice Pies brought back many fond memories for me. With the sweet dough and the sweet ricotta cheese and rice filling, they make a perfect Easter treat.

Italian Easter Ricotta Rice Pie: Traditional Pie

I also made your traditional Italian Ricotta Rice Pie by doubling the filling recipe. I used a 9-inch pie crust and a 9-inch pie plate.

I baked this pie at 350 degrees for 60 minutes let it cool and then placed it in the refrigerator. So, you can make this either way or as I did both of them.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy.

Norpro Wood Pastry/Pizza Roller 4.25in/10.5cm KitchenAid KP26M1XER 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer - Empire Red

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti

Every year my cousin sends me a box of fresh lemons from his backyard lemon trees in Arizona. So, I put them to good use with these Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti.

The lemon and almond are a delicious combination of flavors for biscotti. If you're not a fan of almond flavor you can leave it out. I like lemon so I also made a lemon glaze for my biscotti.

Biscotti is a perfect treat if you're having friends over for coffee or tea. And, biscotti is really not difficult to make.

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti: Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated rind of lemon
2 teaspoons of almond extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/4 cup slivered almonds

In a large mixing bowl, I beat together the sugar, butter, lemon rind, salt, baking powder, and almond extract. I used my hand mixer until the mixture was smooth.

Next, I added the lemon juice, eggs, and almond slicers. I continued mixing until they were combined. Turning the mixer to low speed I added the flour and mixed until a sticky dough formed.

Because the dough is a bit sticky it's best to shape the biscotti log right on a piece of parchment paper. I shaped the log to 14" long x 3" wide x 3/4" high.

Tip: It helps to use a wet spatula to shape the sticky dough.

I placed the log on a large cookie sheet and baked it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then I removed it from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes.

Notice that I had some cracks on top of the log. I can assure you this does not affect the flavor of the biscotti at all.

After the log was cooled I brushed it with lukewarm water and waited for about 5 minutes before slicing it into 1/2" slices. The warm water helps soften it to make it easier to slice.

I turned the oven down to 325 degrees and prepared another cookie sheet with parchment paper. I set the slices on their side and baked them for 12 minutes per side for a total of 24 minutes until they were golden.

Glazed Lemon Almond Biscotti: The Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of milk

I whisked this together in a small bowl and drizzled the glaze over the top and down the sides of the biscotti.

You might also like our Quick and Easy Lemon Bars

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy.

Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

We haven't made these easy chocolate crinkle cookies for a couple of years. So, this year Fran found the recipe and we decided to add this one to our Holiday cookie list.

These are so easy to make and oh-so-good. They're crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Who doesn't love chocolate? The chocolate flavor is to die for.

You can find many recipes to make these easy chocolate crinkle cookies using a cake mix or brownie mix. We prefer this easy-to-make homemade recipe.

Here is what you need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make easy chocolate crinkle cookies:

We always use our KitchenAid Stand Mixer. But, you can mix this in a medium bowl using a hand mixer.

First mix together the cocoa powder, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Then beat in the eggs one at a time then, mix in the vanilla.

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the cocoa mixture. Mix this until a dough is formed. Then cover and refrigerate for four hours.

Roll the dough into one-inch balls and coat with powdered sugar.

Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I'm not so perfect so some of mine were a little bigger.

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and placed them on the center rake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Since I made some a little larger than one inch I baked for about 14 minutes.

Leave these on the cookie sheet for a minute or more then you can move them to a rack to cool.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it.

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - Imperial Black Wilton Stainless Steel Small Cookie Scoop, Silver Baking Sheet Set, 3-Piece Cookie Sheet Set with Silicone Handles, Steel Baking Pans Set, Durable Baking Sheets for Oven, BPA Free Cookie Sheets for Baking Nonstick Set, Sheet Pan - Black Baking Pan

Pineapple Bow Tie Cookies

These pineapple bow-tie cookies have been on our Holiday cookie list since I was a little guy. And, that was a long time ago. I found my mother's old handwritten recipe for these and just had make them this year.

We made the dough according to her recipe but it turned out to be a failure. I just could not work with the dough. So, Fran suggested a cream cheese dough and it worked beautifully.

Pineapple Bow Tie Cookies: Dough

8 oz cream cheese (softened)
8 oz butter (softened)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2-1/2 cups flour

In my KitchenAid stand mixer, I mixed the cream cheese and butter starting at low speed and then switching to high speed to make sure the two ingredients were creamed together.

Turning the mixer to medium speed add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Then, add the flour and mix until the dough is formed. Divide the dough into two equal sections, wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.

Pineapple Bow Tie Cookies: Filling

20 oz can crushed pineapple
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat while stirring until the pineapple thickens. Then remove from heat.

Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thick and cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 teaspoon of pineapple in the middle of each square. Fold opposite corners together and press.

Tip: To make sure the cookies don't open up while baking use some of the pineapple juice or just a little water to hold corners together.

Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle a little sugar over them and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar right out of the oven.

These cookies are fun and easy to make. They're also very versatile because you can use any fruit filling that you like.

We made some with raspberry jam right out of the jar. This recipe yielded us about 60 or more cookies. Perfect to dress up your Holiday table.