Fresh Raspberry Pie

1 (9-inch) double-crust pastry shell
5 C. fresh raspberries
6 T. flour
1/2 C. sugar or more, depending on sweetness of berries
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom crust; reserve top crust.

Rinse berries, drain and dry on paper towels. In a bowl, toss berries with flour and sugar.

Brush inside of bottom crust with egg white to moisture-proof the bottom crust. Spoon filling into shell. Dot with butter.

Moisten rim of bottom pie crust with water and cover with reserved top crust; seal and finish edges; cut steam vents in top.

Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350°F. and continue baking until crust is golden brown (40 to 50 minutes). Cover edges of crust with strips of foil, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning. Serve at room temperature.

6 servings.

Fresh Cherry-Pear Crisp

4 C. thinly sliced Bosc pears
2 C. pitted cherries
1 C. cherry-apple juice or apple juice
1/3 C. honey or sugar, or to taste
juice from one-half lemon
1 T. cornstarch

Crumble topping:
1 C. flour
3/4 C. brown sugar
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, combine pears, cherries, cherry juice, honey or sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Stir well to dissolve cornstarch. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook, stirring frequently, until pears begin to soften, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Lightly oil 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place cherry mixture in baking dish. In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Then sprinkle over cherry mixture. Bake 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Serves 6 to 8.
 

Blueberry Buckle

Makes 1 (10-inch) round cake or 2 (6-inch) round cakes.

Buckle:
1/2 C. butter, plus more for pan
2 C. flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 C. sugar
1 large egg
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. milk
5 C. blueberries

Streusel topping:
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/4 C. packed light brown sugar
1 C. all-purpose flour
6 T. butter, room temperature

To prepare oven, pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour springform baking pan. Set aside.

To make buckle:
In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add egg and vanilla. When combined, alternately add reserved flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Remove from mixer. Gently fold in berries.

To make streusel topping:
In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and flour. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until fine crumbs form. Using hands, squeeze together most of mixture to form large clumps. Sprinkle directly on cake or refrigerate in airtight container.

To bake buckle:
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with topping generously over cake. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove cake from oven. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack. Remove from pan. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Brown Sugar Crisp

1 1/2 lbs. rhubarb, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices (about 6 C.)
2 1/2 C. halved strawberries (quartered if large)
1 T. finely grated orange zest
2/3 C. sugar
2 T. dark rum (or water)
3 1/2 t. quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 t. allspice
Topping (recipe follows)
Vanilla ice cream

Put rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Set aside 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate or baking dish on a cookie sheet (to catch juices).

Put rhubarb, strawberries, orange zest, sugar, rum, tapioca and allspice in large mixing bowl. Use hands to toss until well-mixed, then let rest for 15 minutes while preparing topping.

Transfer fruit to reserved pie plate, slightly mounding in center. Surface will be uneven. Use fingers to evenly arrange small clumps of topping over fruit; gently pat in place.

Bake on cookie sheet until top is well-browned and juices bubble, about 50 to 60 minutes. Crisp needs to rest up to 2 hours before serving. Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

To serve, crisp should be warm. Reheat in 350°F oven until warm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 8 servings.

Topping: Put 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 2/3 cup pecans in food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse on/off to combine. Take 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons softened butter and cut into tablespoon-size pieces, then scatter over mixture. Pulse on/off until mixture starts to clump, about 20 to 25 times.

Grilled Fruit Kebabs with Grand Marnier Sauce

3 fresh, ripe apricots
2 fresh, ripe peaches
3 fresh ripe figs
2 ripe bananas
4 fresh, ripe kiwi fruits
2 fresh, ripe nectarines
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 C. butter
1/2 C. powdered sugar
2 T. Grand Marnier
1 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 t. finely grated orange peel
Mint sprigs for garnish

Prepare the grill.

Cut apricots in half and remove the pits. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits and then cut into quarters. Remove the stalks from the figs, cut into quarters. Peel and slice the bananas into one inch thick sections. Sprinkle the bananas with lemon juice. Peel and slice the kiwi fruits into one inch thick sections. Cut the nectarines in half, remove the pits and cut into quarters.

Alternate the fruit pieces and thread onto skewers. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat, stir in the sugar, Grand Marnier, orange juice and peel. Brush the sauce onto the fruit kebabs and grill over medium coals for six minutes, basting and turning. Arrange on serving plates, pour over any remaining sauce and garnish with mint sprigs.

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble

For the filling:
2-1/2 lbs. ripe but firm nectarines, pitted and sliced
1/4 C. light brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 C. blueberries

For the topping:
1/4 C. pecans
3/4 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
6 T. cold butter
Cream, whipped cream, or vanilla or plain yogurt for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 2  to 2 1/2-quart baking dish or gratin. Toss together the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl, then turn fruit into the prepared dish.

Heat the pecans in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan or stirring the nuts, until they begin to smell toasty. Remove from the skillet at once and chop the nuts coarsely.

Mix together the oats, flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour mixture, either by taking up the mixture in handfuls and rubbing it briskly between your fingers and thumbs, or by using the pulse action in the food processor. The topping should have a crumbly consistency. Stir in the pecans.

Spoon the crumble topping over the fruit in an even layer. Bake until browned, about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6 generously.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix
1 C. chunky peanut butter
1/2 C. butter, melted
2 large eggs
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed on electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes. Press half of mixture into bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350°F.

Remove from oven; sprinkle with chocolate morsels and drizzle with condensed milk. Sprinkle with remaining cake mix mixture. Bake at 350°F. for 30 additional minutes. Let cool, and cut into bars.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Peach and Coconut Macaroon Cake

For the cake:
1 2/3 C. cake flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/3 C. granulated sugar
2/3 C.  oil, plus additional for the pan
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
2/3 C. sour cream
1 1/2 C. peeled, pitted peaches, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

For the topping:
1 C. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
2 T. unbleached flour
1/4 t. salt
2 C. shredded sweetened coconut

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy, thick and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the oil and vanilla and almond extracts. Slowly add the flour mixture; mix just until incorporated. Add the sour cream; mix just until blended. Using a spatula or a spoon, gently fold in the peaches. Scrape the batter into the pan; set aside.

For the topping: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the sugar and egg until thickened and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and almond extracts; mix until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour and salt; mix just until incorporated. Add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut; mix just until combined. Using a small spoon, drop teaspoonfuls of the macaroon mixture over the top of the cake batter in the pan, covering as much of the batter as possible. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup coconut over the batter, being sure to cover any bare spots.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, until the coconut topping is light to medium brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If a toothpick penetrates a piece of peach, test another spot. Transfer the cake to a wire rack; set aside to cool. Serve the cake at room temperature. (May cover and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Sparkling Lemon Picnic Cake

1 3/4 C. flour
3/4 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/4 C. vegetable oil
2 t. grated fresh lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
1 C. sour cream

Glaze:
2 1/4 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In large bowl with mixer on high speed, beat the sugar, butter, oil and lemon zest until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add 2 of the eggs and the egg yolk and beat on high for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl and add remaining 2 eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on high for 4 minutes until light and sugar has dissolved.

To creamed mixture, add half of the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl well. Add remaining dry ingredients and sour cream. Mix on low until smooth. Beat batter on high speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until center just starts to spring back when touched. Top of cake should be a light golden color.

While cake bakes, make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in medium mixing bowl. Whisk or stir until very smooth and opaque.

Remove cake from oven and immediately poke small holes into cake using a toothpick. Slowly pour half of the glaze over cake, spreading slowly to cover entire surface. Let cake absorb glaze, then slowly pour remaining glaze over cake. Allow cake to rest 5 minutes and absorb glaze.

Turn on oven broiler and broil cake until glaze just starts to bubble and cake top is golden brown.

Cool cake for 2 hours before cutting. Dust with additional powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

Divine Truffle Brownies

8 oz. package semisweet or 6 oz. package bittersweet baking chocolate squares
1/4 C. butter
3/4 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 C. flour
2/3 C. heavy or whipping cream

Heat oven to 350°F. (325°F. for glass baking dish). Line an 8-inch baking dish with foil extending over edges to form handle. Grease foil.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, cook 2 squares of the chocolate and the butter on high (100
percent power) for 1 1/2 minutes or until the butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir in 1 egg until well blended. Stir in flour. Spread batter in pan.

Cook remaining chocolate (6 squares if using semisweet, 4 squares if using bittersweet) and cream in microwave-safe bowl on high 1 1/2 minutes; stir until chocolate is melted. Beat remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the remaining 2 eggs in a small bowl with electric mixer on high speed 1 minute until thick and lemonyellow-colored; beat in chocolate/cream mixture. Pour over batter in pan.

Bake 35 minutes to 40 minutes or until the truffle topping is set and edges begin to pull away fromsides of pan. Cool in pan. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen brownies from sides. Lift from pan using foil as handles.

Cut into 16 fudgy brownies.

Recipe from: Baker's Chocolate

Orange Cake To Die For

1 orange cake mix (if unavailable, substitute 1 white cake mix and add 1 to 2 t. orange flavoring, depending on your taste)
1/2 C. sour cream
2 eggs
1 can (21 oz.) peach pie filling
1 box (3 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the crust:
Combine cake mix, sour cream, eggs and peach filling with fork, and pour into an 18-by-13-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 350°F. for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Cool.

For topping:
Beat pudding into cream cheese. Mix in pineapple. Fold in whipped topping. Spread on cake. Keep refrigerated until served.

Coca-Cola Cake

Cake:
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 C. unsalted butter
1 C. cola
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Frosting:
1/2 C. butter, at room temperature
2 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
1 lb. (about 4 C.) powdered sugar
1/4 C. cola
1 t. vanilla extract
1 C. chopped nuts

Set the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and set it aside.

For the cake, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and add to the flour mixture. Bring the butter, cola and cocoa powder to a boil in a saucepan and add to the flour mixture. Mix until everything is well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a cake rack.

Meanwhile, make the frosting by creaming together the butter, cocoa powder, salt and powdered sugar, using an electric mixer. Add the cola and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Stir in the nuts by hand. Frost the cooled cake and serve from the pan.

Makes about 12 servings.

Orange-Glazed Pecan Cake

For the cake:
1 C. (about 4 oz.) chopped pecans
1/2 C. canola or corn oil, plus additional for the pan
3/4 C. cake flour
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
2 T. granulated sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 large egg
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 t. grated orange zest
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. almond extract

For the glaze:
2 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C. confectioners' sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 t. grated orange zest

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a square or round 9-inch cake pan or pie plate with sides at least 2 inches high.

In a food processor or blender, process the pecans and oil until the pecans are finely ground. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, combine the cake and all-purpose flours, brown and granulated sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the pecan mixture, increase the speed to medium and beat just until crumbs form, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix just until incorporated. Add the sour cream, orange zest and the vanilla and almond extracts and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and, using a spatula, smooth the top.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.

For the glaze:
In a small bowl, combine the butter and the confectioners' sugar. The mixture should be crumbly. Add the orange juice and zest and mix until smooth and thick. Set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack. Using a fork, poke rows of holes over the top of the cake, making about 25 holes in all. Pour the glaze over the cake and, using a knife or small spatula, spread it evenly over the top. Some of the glaze will collect at the edge of the pan. Set aside to cool thoroughly. The glaze should become firm as the cake cools.

8 servings