Pear Crisp

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 dash ground nutmeg
6 cups thinly sliced peeled bosc pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Toss to coat. Put into a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, oats, walnuts, and butter to the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle loosely over the fruit mixture.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fruit is bubbling and the topping is brown and crisp.

Best served warm with a small scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream.

NOTE: I love this with fresh pears, but in the middle of winter you can't always find them. This recipe works great for those almost flavourless, late-winter pears.


This recipe is also linked to...

Food on Friday: Pears and Peaches
Sweet Indulgences Sundays
Sweets for a Saturday
Simply Delish Saturday
Seasonal Inspiration Saturday
It's a Blog Party's Fall Fest Recipes 2011

Peaches and Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup peach puree (fresh peaches pureed in the food processor with few drops of lemon juice to keep the peaches from turning brown) **I don't quite puree it because I like having chunks of peaches in my cupcakes. You could also use a peach jam, but you'd need to decrease the sugar.**


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 cup muffin tin with liners.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, or until light and creamy. Add the butter and vanilla and beat on low speed for about 1 minute, or until well blended. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until blended. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth and well blended. Mix in peach puree.

Divide batter evenly among 12 cupcake liners.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean and the tops are firm. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.



Peach Buttercream:

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup peach puree (fresh peaches pureed in the food processor)
A few drops of lemon juice to keep the peaches from turning brown
Vanilla, to taste

Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined. Add peach puree and vanilla and beat again until smooth. I added just a touch of yellow and red food coloring to enhance the color. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate as desired.


This recipe is also linked on...

Everyday Sisters' Sharing Sundays: Cupcakes
This Week's Cravings: Peaches

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Cake:

1/3 cup rum
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line pans with cupcake liners (makes 18 cupcakes).

In a small bowl, combine rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs to the sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add the flour mixture and the rum mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the coconut and pineapple.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.



Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Note: Double this recipe if you like lots of frosting.

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp coconut cream

Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Mix in coconut cream. Pipe or spread on cupcakes. Garnish as desired.


This recipe is also linked on...

Everyday Sisters' Sharing Sundays: Cupcakes
Everyday Sisters' Sharing Sundays: Yellow

Tantalizing Apricot Pie

Ingredients

4 cups sliced fresh apricots
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
recipe for a 9-inch double crust pie


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a bowl, toss apricots, sugar, flour and nutmeg. Sprinkle with lemon juice; mix well.

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; add filling. Roll out remaining pastry top crust. Place over filling; seal and flute edges. Pierce top crust with fork to allow steam to escape while baking.

Bake for approx. 55 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbling. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.


This recipe is also linked to...

Seasonal Sunday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Food on Friday: Apricots and Nectarines 

Perfectly Delicious Plum Pie

Ingredients

4 cups sliced fresh plums
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
recipe for a 9-inch single crust pie

TOPPING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; pour into the pastry shell.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cover edges of crust during the last 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE: the colour of your pie will depend on the type of plum you've used - being in Niagara, we've got a variety of plums available during the summer. You could mix different varieties together and get a whole new taste.


This recipe is also linked to...

Sweet Indulgences Sunday
Seasonal Sunday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
The Knit Wit's Tasty Tuesdays
Cast Party Wednesday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Food on Friday: Plums
Sweets for a Saturday
Simply Delish Saturday
It's a Blog Party's Fall Fest Recipes 2011

Blueberry Pie

1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries
recipe for a 9-inch double crust pie
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over blueberries

Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust, sprinkle with lemon juice, and dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Crimp and flute edges. Pierce top crust with a fork to allow air to escape as pie is baking.

Bake pie on middle shelf of oven for about 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Let sit until room temperature before serving.

Double Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

1 9-inch pie crust, baked
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Directions

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Add chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate. Place over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute (at least that long so that the sugar fully dissolves, otherwise pudding gets a gritty feel).

Place egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually pour half of chocolate mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Whisk egg yolk mixture back into mixture in saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.

Pour mixture into baked pie shell. Press a layer of plastic wrap onto filling. Refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 48 hours. Remove plastic wrap before serving and top with whipped topping.

Irresistible Pecan Pie

Ingredients

3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt
recipe for a 9-inch single crust pie
1/2 cup pecans, finely crushed
1 cup pecans, quartered
1 cup pecan halves


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, light and dark corn syrups, brown sugar, butter, salt and finely crushed pecans. Spread quartered pecans over bottom of refrigerated pie crust. Pour syrup mixture over top of pecans, then arrange pecan halves on top of pie.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for one hour or until firm; let cool for one hour before serving.

Key Lime Pie

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
3 cups sweetened condensed milk (approx 2 cans)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup key lime juice (approx. 20 limes)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.

Rhubarb Meringue Squares

Ingredients

CRUST:
2 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c cold butter

FILLING:
2 c sugar
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 c whipping cream
5 c sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb

MERINGUE:
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract


Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing filling.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Stir in egg yolks and cream. Add rhubarb. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set.

In a bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spread over hot filling.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.