Category: Desserts

This is my all-time favorite dessert. Ever. I love creme brulees and I love any kind of citrus dessert, but this dessert combines the best of both: tangy lemon flavor AND a crunchy broiled sugar topping. Mmmmmm……

The recipe was adapted from a Betty Crocker “back of the box” recipe.

If you’re serving this dessert for a dinner party, it is crucial to prepare your “mise en place” ahead of time. The puddings take a while to bake, once they’re prepared. You don’t want to have to be grating lemon peel and squeezing lemons while your guests are waiting for dessert.

Saucy Lemon Pudding
serves 6

1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon rind
(Having the lemon peel finely grated is important – I didn’t do a great job last time and they were little chunky bits of lemon in it. Chop it up a little with a knife after grating, if you need to.)
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
Optional: 6 – 8 Tbsp. superfine (caster) sugar

Cream butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in egg yolks, lemon juice and rind. Add flour; mix well. Stir in milk. Beat egg whites (separately) until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks fork. Fold into batter; pour into 6 ramekins (6 to 8 ounce size). Set custard cups in baking pan; pour in boiling water to 1/2 inch depth. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

From here you have two options:
The original recipe says to invert on a small plate and serve.

I prefer, instead, to sprinkle the superfine sugar, liberally and evenly, over the surface of each pudding (while it’s still in the ramekin) and then broil it lightly and evenly with a kitchen torch (a regular hardware-store blowtorch will work fine, too, if you buy a small adapter to go on the end) until the sugar has caramelized into a smooth, crunchy layer. In the past, I have used turbinado sugar, but I’ve decided that it’s too crunchy and I prefer the superfine, since it melts better into one, thin, smooth crunchy layer. Place the completed puddings (still in the ramekins) on a saucer, small plate or shallow bowl and serve. Warn your guests that the ramekins will be hot.

These are very, very yummy.

These have been a family favorite since I was a little kid. Now, Boy and Girl LOVE to help make these and they are SO yummy. They have a wonderful, moist texture (because of the vinegar) and rich flavor (because of the coffee).

1/2 cup high quality unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. instant coffee
2 tsp. soda
2 cups water
2/3 cups oil (I use canola)
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
24 chocolate candy “kisses”, unwrapped
24 aluminum foil muffin tin liners

NOTE: You don’t HAVE to use foil liners, but I think they’re fun, because the foil makes the cupcakes look like foil-wrapped kiss candies. I think that they also (unlike the paper ones) make the cupcakes less likely to burn on the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a foil liner in each of 24 muffin cups. Mix all dry ingredients together until uniformly blended. In a batter bowl or small pitcher, stir together liquid ingredients. Pour liquid into dry ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Place a chocolate candy into batter in each cup, point end down. Pour remaining batter over candies to completely cover them. Bake at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes, or until top is slightly “springy” to the touch.

These are VERY good, just as they are, but you may frost them if you’d like. I never have, but I think vanilla frosting would be better on these than chocolate, and go easy, because these are already VERY rich.

My favorite desserts are ones that have fruit in them, especially citrus. I will bypass ANYTHING made of chocolate for a good, homemade lemon square or lemon meringue pie. I know that makes me a bit of an oddity amongst most chocolate-crazed females, but I am definitely partial to citrus. I will post my ALL TIME FAVORITE dessert sometime soon (Saucy individual Lemon Puddings – with a crunchy “brulee” topping). My best friend (I love you, Eileen!) made those for me for my birthday one year and I’ve never been happier! So, as unique and citrusy as these cookies are, they are a really nice change from all of the gingerbread and sugar cookies that are around at this time of year, or are a great cookie to round out the assortment on a cookie tray or in a cookie gift box. This recipe was torn out of a magazine that I found so many years ago that I don’t even remember which one it was. The copy of the page that I have is so torn up that I can’t even read the name anymore, so I will apologize now to whichever publication I am about to blatantly plagiarize. This recipe is SO good and the finished cookies are so pretty – these are a sure-fire winner. the powdered sugar in the dough gives them a nice, crispy texture, almost like a “sandie” cookie. I only make these at Christmas, so every year I have to go and hunt to find the recipe. I am thrilled that I will now (thanks to this blog) be able to effortlessly find the recipe every year from now on.

Orange Slice Cookies

Makes about 80.
Prep. time: about 20 minutes
Freezing time: at least 30 minutes
Baking time: about 13 minutes

Dough:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. freshly grated orange peel
(I always end up using clementine tangerines, because that’s what we have around at this time of year)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. freshly grated orange (or clementine) peel
(For the icing, I grate the orange peel and then chop it finely, so that it doesn’t get clogged in the tip of my pastry bag. This is not necessary for the peel that goes in the cookie dough.)
3 Tbsp. fresh orange (or clementine) juice
1 cup orange-colored sugar
(check a craft store or cake decorating store if your supermarket doesn’t have this)

For the dough:
1. With mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, orange peel, vanilla and baking powder until fluffly. Beat in egg. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour, beating just until blended.
2. Divide dough in half.

Shape each half into a 10-inch log. Press down on each log to flatten 1 side completely. Wrap and freeze at least 30 minutes, until firm enough to slice.
3. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
4. Cut 1 log at a time into forty 1/4 inch thick slices; place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet (I usually line the sheets with parchment paper).

5. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until very lightly browned. (I find that these usually take the whole 13 minutes to be lightly browned on the bottoms, and sometimes more.) Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

For the icing:
6. In medium bowl, whisk ingredients, until thick and smooth. Place in quart sized ziptop bag (or you may use a pastry bag with a small, round tip, like an Ateco #5). Pour colored sugar into a bowl. Snip tip off 1 corner of ziptop bag; pipe icing on cookies to resemble orange slices.

Gently press cookies, icing side down, in colored sugar. Shake off excess.

Update:  I found a link to the recipe online:

http://www.grouprecipes.com/63830/fancy-orange-slice-cookies.html/print

This icing can be adapted to be used for almost anything. It’s great for cakes, cupcakes and even cookies, if they don’t need to be stacked or wrapped (this icing really won’t “harden” enough for that). I made this batch of icing to go with the cookies for Girl’s school Christmas party tomorrow (see previous post – I made the cookies a few days ago and froze them). I thought that it would be easier for the kids to grab icing and decorate their own cookies if the icing was already portioned out, so I used these handy plastic portion cups. Even though they are not as environmentally friendly as I would like, I know that it will make it much easier at the party (and more hygienic), instead of having to scoop out enough icing for each kid and hoping that there will be enough left for the last kid.

Basic Buttercream Icing

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into chunky cubes
1 pound (1 box) powdered sugar (sifted, if there are any visible lumps)
1 tsp. extract of your choice
about 1/4 cup liquid of your choice
(more about extract and liquid choices later)
pinch of salt, optional
1 Tbsp. Meringue powder (I like Wilton brand, but any powdered egg whites will do. This is also optional, but does help the icing maintain it’s consistency.)

Cream butter lightly in a stand mixer until it is slightly softened and not lumpy. Add extract, meringue powder and salt, if desired. With mixer on low, pour powdered sugar in slowly until blended (mixture will be sort of coarse and crumbly). Add liquid gradually (1 Tbsp. at a time), until icing reaches the consistency that you want.

One batch makes a little more than 2 cups. You probably need a double batch of icing to frost one round two-layer cake or one batch of cookies. For a batch (24) of cupcakes, you could maybe get by with a single batch if you frost them lightly (my preference, anyway). If you are using this to frost cookies, keep in mind that the icing will stay soft, so the cookies cannot be stacked or easily stored, but it’s great for parties where the cookies will be eaten as soon as they are frosted and it’s much tastier than most typical cookie frosting.

A note on flavoring (extracts and liquids) choices:
I usually start with 1 tsp. vanilla extract and add just a touch (1/4 tsp.) of almond extract, too, but you can use any extract that you like (peppermint, lemon, etc.). For the holidays, mixing vanilla and peppermint extracts together is a festive flavor. If you want your icing to stay super WHITE, you can buy special clear extracts at a cake store or craft store. REAL vanilla extract tastes MUCH better, though, and I don’t think that having your icing stay WHITE WHITE matters, unless you’re making a wedding cake! If you really want WHITE icing, you have to use shortening, anyway, instead of the butter (ICK!). As far as liquid goes, I usually use milk, but if you want a really rich icing, you can use half-and-half or even whipping cream. If using cream, the icing will need to be refrigerated afterwards; if you use milk, the frosted cake/cupcakes can sit out for a day or two (covered) without you having to worry. If it will not be consumed before then, I would refrigerate it, just to be safe. This icing can also be easily adapted to make chocolate frosting – just add about 1/4 cup melted chocolate before adding the liquid. I usually use chocolate chips just to make it easy. To make a nice “grown-up” mocha-flavored icing, you can make chocolate icing, using strongly brewed, black coffee as your liquid in the icing, instead of milk.

Just in case any of you are wondering what I did to help with Boy’s Christmas party, it was yesterday and I was there, helping make pancakes on an electric skillet and serving them to the kids. They have been studying Jamestown and had a Colonial-themed party. They dressed in pseudo-Colonial garb (this was much more exciting to the girls than the boys), made clove-studded orange pomanders, practiced calligraphy, made yarn dolls and played Colonial games. We called the pancakes “johnny cakes”. It was very festive and fun.

What’s really funny is that Boy is now fascinated with making more yarn dolls. He put together a couple more after school today. When Girl was in 3rd grade (and they did this same EXACT party), she made lots more yarn dolls, too. She made little beds for them and experimented with creating different ways to make their hair. Boy, on the other hand, is creating elaborate yarn trapezes in his room for them to swing from to catch their little yarn adversaries. Amazing how different the genders can be, even with the same toy. When Boy was very small, I didn’t believe in these gender stereotypes and bought both of the kids little doll strollers. It seems pretty silly now, but I was convinced that he should be allowed to play with dolls, too, if he wanted to. I needn’t have bothered – he was absolutely NOT interested. Girl used her doll stroller to push her baby dolls around, lovingly covering them with teeny little blankets. Boy used his stroller, too – to make it easier to cart his toy cars around from to room.

Some of Boy’s friends, eating pancakes

Boy (in the green sweater vest) playing “Colonial games”

Girl’s class at school is having a Christmas party this week and they requested some cookies for the kids to decorate with frosting and sprinkles during the event. This recipe is JUST the thing.

All-Purpose Sugar Cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 beaten eggs
6 cups flour
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. McCormick’s Vanilla Butter & Nut extract (if you can find it), optional
tiny pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut sticks of butter into chunky cubes. Cream together butter and sugar in large bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs, soda, and extracts. Mix until just barely blended. Blend in half of flour until just barely mixed. Repeat with remaining flour. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.

Decorate, if desired, with M & Ms, Red Hots, raisins, etc. If you are planning to serve them as “plain” sugar cookies, you may sprinkle them with a bit of coarse sugar (raw sugar or sanding sugar – you could even use plain white sugar if you don’t have either of these on hand) at this point. Bake about 10 minutes, depending upon size of cut-outs.

Watch carefully, because these will become overdone very quickly. Makes about 5 dozen cookies that are about 3 and 1/2 inches across (plus one small little ball of dough to make one special mini-cookie for Boy).

Other ideas to use dough:

Chocolate Chip cookies:
Mix chocolate chips into dough before baking for a lighter cookie (no brown sugar).

Snickerdoodles:
Form dough into small balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar before baking.

Decorative Edge cookies:
Roll dough into a log about 2 inches across. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm. Cut log into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Roll edge of slices in decorative sprinkles (jimmies, colored sugar, etc.) and bake as usual.

Kiss cookies:
Roll dough into small balls and then press an unwrapped Hershey Kiss candy into each ball before baking.

Iced, decorated cookies:
Decorate with your favorite icing and/or sprinkles after baking. I will post spreadable icing and poured fondant icing recipes soon. I am planning to make another batch of these soon, for the Christmas holidays and will likely pipe designs in multiple colors on them. Look for another entry soon. Here is a photo of some angel cookies that I made like this last year:

This fudge recipe is SUPER rich and delicious – very sinful. It’s VERY easy to make and makes a great holiday gift. My dad is absolutely powerless to resist this stuff. It was his mother’s recipe, but she passed away 11 years ago, so I make it for him every once in a while now. It can be frozen for surprisingly periods of time without much ill effect. This should not be made on a rainy or very humid day – it won’t “set” properly.

I made this batch without nuts, at the special request of Girl, who is not a fan of most nuts. The nuts are optional, but it’s really much better with pecans in it. If you do add the nuts, though, make SOME effort to secure decent ones – the Planters in the bag from the supermarket will absolutely NOT do. Get good ones, even if you have to special-order them. There are lots of things that I do NOT like about living in Texas, but one of the good things is that we are able to secure really good pecans. My grandparents (on my mom’s side) are my “suppliers” and always seem to know a great local source. Thanks, Granny and Pappaw! I love you!

Grandma Louise’s Fudge

1/3 cup butter
1 can evaporated milk
(The original recipe says a 14 1/2 ounce can, but they don’t make those anymore, so I just use one 12 ounce can, plus a couple of ounces from another can to make 14 1/2 ounces. Any milk that you have left over is really yummy whisked into scrambled eggs before cooking – about 1 Tbsp. per egg.)
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups sugar
13 ounces German’s brand sweet baking (green box) chocolate
(Again, 13 ounces is an odd amount. That’s 3 boxes, plus one or two extra squares. The recipe would probable be fine if you just used 12 ounces, but I haven’t tried it myself.)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups chopped pecans (optional, but recommended)
1 cup marshmallow cream (in a jar)

Butter a 13 X 9 inch (preferably glass) baking pan. Combine sugar, salt, butter and milk in a large pan sauce pan. Bring to a boil over low to medium heat and boil for 5 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat if necessary, to keep mixture from scorching. Remove from heat and add all other ingredients, except nuts. Beat/stir until well mixed. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour into buttered pan. Let cool until solid, then cut into small square (about 1 1/2 inches on a side) pieces. Can be microwaved for a short time in a small container (coffee cup?) until melted to use for hot fudge ice cream sauce, if desired. Mmmmm……