Black Boot Snack Bread

An extra spiced, dense gingerbread loaf that's absolutely to die for.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
1 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or oil a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together baking powder, baking soda, flours, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and mace. In a second large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, applesauce, coffee and molasses. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.

Almond Raspberry Coconut Joy Bars

For my gf friends who need a goodie..
 
Ingredients:
1 cup ground hazelnut or almond flour
1/2 cup sorghum
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening or Earth Balance stick, or coconut oil
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla

Topping ingredients:

14 oz. really good raspberry jam or preserves

For the crumble topping:

1/2 cup sorghum or brown rice flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla
5 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening or Earth Balance stick

For the coconut-almond topping:

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2/3 cup sliced almonds
4 tablespoons vegan buttery spread (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Cut a piece large enough to extend up both long sides of the pan- so you can grip it later, after baking, and lift the cookie bars out in one piece.

First, make the bottom cookie crust. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flours, sugar, xanthan gum, salt and spices. Cut in the shortening and vanilla- I use the whisk attachment on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer to cut the shortening into the flour blend. You could also use an old fashioned pastry cutter. The dough should be crumbly, a bit sandy, but moist enough that it sticks together when you pinch it.

Scoop the dough into the prepared baking pan and press it out evenly to form a cookie crust. Bake the crust in the center of a preheated oven for 7 minutes- just to "set" it. Remove from the oven and set aside. Keep the oven heated.

In a bowl, combine the sorghum flour and brown sugar. Drizzle with the vanilla extract and dabs of the shortening. Rub together with the palms of your hands to create crumbles. Set aside.

To make the coconut-almond mixture- gently melt the vegan butter in a saucepan. Add the flaked coconut, sliced almonds and vanilla and stir to coat. Remove from heat and set aside.

While the crust is still a bit warm, spoon on the raspberry jam and using the back of a spoon spread it evenly over the crust, up to the edges- leaving about 1/4-inch bare crust on all sides. Sprinkle on the crumble topping. Spoon on the coconut-almond mixture and spread it evenly all over the top.

Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 22 minutes. The raspberry jam will be bubbling and the crumble topping will be golden and the coconut toasted. The center of the top may still feel a bit soft- that's okay; it will set as as it cools.

Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool. When the cookie bars are completely cool, gently loosen any stuck edges around the sides of the pan. Place a sturdy cutting board next to the pan (at least the same size as the pan). Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper as a grip on each side and move the whole big piece to the cutting board. Place the board in the freezer to chill the bars. Say, twenty minutes or so. Remove the bars and slice with a large sharp knife.

Makes 18 generous bars. You could skimp on size to squeeze more serving pieces out of the recipe. But. Then you'll probably end up eating two, anyway.

Wrap leftover bars, bag and freeze.

Crockpot Cinnamon Almonds

At the movie theatre my one vice is cinnamon almonds or pecans. Here's how to make them at home.

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3 cups almonds
1/4 cup of water

In a medium sized bowl, mix together sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until it’s a little frothy. Add almonds. Make sure the almonds are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture. Add cinnamon mixture to the almonds and toss until coated.

Thoroughly spray with the stoneware of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray and add the mixture of almonds and sugars.

Cook on low ( with the lid on) 3-4 hours stirring every 20 minutes. In the last hour, add the 1/4 C. of water and stir well. This ensures a crunchy yummy coating. (*make sure after you've added the water that you continue to cook the nuts for another 45 minutes to an hour.)

You have to stir really well, especially as it gets later in the cooking process.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the almonds flat to cool. The almonds will be sticky at this point, so make sure you separate them a little and have no large mounds.

Ricotta Cheesecake

My favorite celebri-chef is Robert Irving. This is his recipe. It doesn't have his muscles or his big heart but it tastes wonderful!

Ingredients
2 pounds ricotta cheese
2/3 cup sugar
6 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Mariner
1 teaspoon vanilla pulp
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, blend the ricotta until smooth. Then whisk in the sugar and flour. Next, whisk in the eggs one at a time. Then finish with the orange zest, liqueur, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Once mixed, pour the batter into a sugared springform pan bake until set and golden brown, 1 hour 15 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating. Portion into 9 to 16 slices.

Flavored Simple Syrup Master List

Use it in your coffee, iced tea, cocktails, cake layers, whipped creams, ice cream, baking: you can do so much with flavored syrups! I personally love Italian Cream Sodas and Italian Sodas. They're very refreshing and settle the stomach.

Almond Simple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
almond extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and stir in extract to desired strength, starting with 1/2 teaspoons. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Amaretto Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Amaretto, to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add Amaretto. Cool to room temperature. Will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.

Basil Lime Simple Syrup
handfull of basil leaves
zest and juice of three limes
2 cups prepared Simple Syrup (in list)

Add a handful of basil leaves and the zest and juice of 3 limes to infuse in your warm simple syrup for about 20 minutes. Strain before chilling.

Bay Simple Syrup
5 large bay leaves
3 cups white granulated sugar
3 cups water

Add bay leaves, sugar and water to a pot and place on medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool completely before removing the bay leaves and discarding. Pour syrup into a sterilized bottle and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Blackberry Simple Syrup
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 cups frozen or fresh blackberries

Combine sugar, water, and blackberries in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When mixture boils, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, gently crushing blackberries against side of pan. Remove the pan from heat and let mixture steep for 15 minutes. Strain blackberry syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Refrigerate until cold, and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Blood Orange Simple Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup blood orange juice, strained

Combine sugar and water boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in juice. (To make a thicker syrup, boil again until the sugar begins to expand greatly in volume, then remove from heat and cool.)

Blueberry Simple Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 pint blueberries, washed and stemmed

In a medium sauce pot add sugar and water. Heat the pot over high heat and stir a few times to prevent the sugar from burning. When the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear add the blueberries and reduce the heat to low. Cook the blueberries until a few split open. Turn the heat of and let the syrup cool to room temperature. Transfer to a sealable container and store in the refrigerator.

Blueberry Basil Simple Syrup
2 cups blueberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
6-8 fresh basil leaves
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place blueberries on a nonstick baking sheet with a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until berries start to burst.

While blueberries are roasting, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and add basil leaves. Bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve, then turn off heat and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Combine simple syrup + roasted blueberries in a blender/food processor and blend until combined.

Cantaloupe Simple Syrup
1 small cantaloupe (about 1 pound)
2 cups Simple Syrup (in list)

Seed and peel cantaloupe; cut into chunks. Transfer to a food processor or blender; process until very smooth. In an open airtight container, combine 2 cups cantaloupe puree with the simple syrup. Refrigerate, covered; use syrup within 2 days.

Cardamom Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1/4 cup whole cardamom
1 1/2 cups sugar

Bring water and cardamom to a boil. Stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, then remove the cardamom.

Chai Simple Syrup
12 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350° F / 175° C. Lightly crush the cardamom and black pepper. Place all the spices except the ginger and vanilla on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan, and toast until very aromatic (about five minutes).

Place the spices, ginger, vanilla, sugar and water into a small pot on medium heat. Bring to a boil then simmer gently for five to ten minutes, stirring often. The longer you simmer the mixture, the stronger the spice flavors will become, but be careful not to make the syrup too thick or it will be difficult to use and may crystallize when cool.

Strain the syrup through a fine meshed sieve and pour into a very clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keep refrigerated. Has a shelf life of about six months. To extend the shelf life, mix in about one ounce of vodka as the syrup cools.

Cherry Simple Syrup
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh sweet cherries, halved and pitted

Combine water and sugar in small saucepan; add halved cherries. Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain syrup into container with tight fitting lid; discard cherries. Refrigerate syrup until cold. Store in refrigerator up to one week.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix cinnamon with sugar then add to water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil, stirring often.  Boil for 5-7 minutes, or until all sugar has dissolved.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Cranberry Simple Syrup
2 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (8 ounces)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, and water to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until cranberries are tender but haven't burst, 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard cranberries.

Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ice cubes

Bring sugar, cranberries, orange juice, and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and pour through a wire-mesh strainer, pressing berries with back of a spoon. Discard solids. Stir in ice cubes; freeze 20 minutes.

Eucalyptus Simple Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
5 1/3 tablespoons dried eucalyptus

Mix sugar with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute, add eucalyptus leaves. Put in a bowl and cover in cling film for 15 minutes, then refrigerate. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard pulp.

Ginger Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 oz fresh ginger

 Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add ginger; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard ginger. Refrigerate up to 1 month.

Hazelnut Simple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
hazelnut extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and stir in extract to desired strength, starting with 1/2 teaspoons. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Honey Simple Syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup water

Place honey in a small saucepan along with 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until water and honey are well combined; do not boil. Let cool completely before using.

Honeydew Simple Syrup
2 pounds honeydew melon, seeds and rind removed, cut into medium pieces
2 cups prepped simple syrup (in list)

Place the honeydew pieces in a food processor or a blender. Process until very smooth. Strain the honeydew puree through a medium sieve placed over a glass measure or an open airtight container. Pour in the simple syrup, and stir to combine. Honeydew syrup may be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day before using.

Honey Lavender Simple Syrup
1 cup honey
2 teaspoons dried lavender
1 cup water

In a medium saucepan, combine honey and the water over medium heat. After the honey has dissolved and is still warm, add a handful of fresh lavender or 2 teaspoons dried. Strain and chill before using.

Lemon Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
12 strips lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

Heat sugar, water, and lemon zest in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Let stand until cool, about 20 minutes. Syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Lemongrass Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped lemongrass

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add lemongrass; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lemongrass. Refrigerate up to 1 month.

Lemon Ginger Simple Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger 

Bring all ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat. Stirring often, simmer the mixture for seven to ten minutes, or until the mixture has reduced to about half its original volume. If you prefer a thicker syrup, simmer for more time.
 
Filter through a strainer, discarding the ginger root. (If your syrup is very thick, strain it slowly or use the back of a spoon to press it through the sieve.) Store in a clean jar with a tight lid (such as a Mason jar). Refrigerated, this syrup will keep fresh for up to six months.

Lemon Mint Simple Syrup
zest and juice of two lemons
handful of mint leaves
2 cups Simple Syrup (in list)

Infuse a handful of mint leaves and the zest and juice of 2 lemons in your warm syrup mixture for about 20 minutes. Strain and chill before using.

Lemon Verbena Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add lemon verbena. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Let cool. Strain, discarding lemon verbena. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Orange Simple Syrup
1 whole orange (peeled, rinds roughly chopped, pith and inside added whole)
3 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup real honey

In a medium sauce pan add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer,  and let it simmer for 30 minutes until thickens. Turn off heat and let cool for 1 hour. Remove large orange parts and strain.

Orange Thyme Simple Syrup
2 cups prepared Simple Syrup (in list)
handfull of thyme
zest and juice of one large orange

Add a handful of thyme and the zest and juice of 1 large orange to your warm simple syrup. Let it infuse for 20 minutes. Strain and chill before using.

Orange Vanilla Simple Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 orange
1 vanilla pod or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel of the orange in strips, avoiding the bitter pith. Add to the saucepan. Juice the orange and add to the saucepan. Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod and reserve for another use. Add the pod (or extract) to the syrup, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until reduced by 1/3, or until you reach the desired consistency. Remove the pod and peel, cool syrup to room temperature, and enjoy.

Peach Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

In a medium saucepan, stir together water, sugar and peaches. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let mixture simmer until sugar is completely dissolves. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 25 minutes. Strain peaches from syrup mixture and let cool completely before using. Store in the refrigerator.

Peppermint Simple Syrup
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar
½-1 tsp. peppermint extract

Combine the water, sugar, and candy cane in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium-high, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup.  Stir in the peppermint extract - ½ teaspoon is a good starting point and then you can add an additional ½ teaspoon if you desire. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pomegranate Simple Syrup
4 cups pomegranate juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Stir until sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cook over medium high heat for 20-25 minutes, or until juice is the consistency of syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Raspberry Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
¾ cup raspberries, preferably fresh

Combine the sugar, water and raspberries in a small saucepan.  Heat the mixture over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.  Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the berry solids.  Let cool.  Store in the refrigerator.

Rhubarb Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cup water
1 cup chopped rhubarb

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add rhubarb; bring to a simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, and let steep 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard rhubarb.

Rum Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons light rum
 
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat, and stir in rum. Let cool to room temperature.

Simple Syrup Base
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Put both in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil, stirring often.  Boil for 5-7 minutes, or until all sugar has dissolved.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Spiced Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
4 whole black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 strip (2 1/2 inches) orange zest

Bring sugar, 1 cup water, the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise, and zest to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. For milder flavor, remove star anise, and discard; simmer 10 minutes more. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Pour through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.

Strawberry Balsamic Simple Syrup
1 pint strawberries
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 cups prepared Simple Syrup (in list)

Roast 1 pint of quartered strawberries tossed with white balsamic vinegar in a 350-degree oven until very soft: about 15 minutes. Infuse the fruit mixture in your warm syrup for about 20 minutes. Strain and chill until ready to use.

Tangerine Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
peels of three tangerines

Heat sugar, water, and tangerine zest in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Let stand until cool, about 20 minutes. Syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Vanilla Simple Syrup
 1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and throw in the pod.  Heat the mixture over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.  Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean pod and stir in the vanilla extract.  Let cool.  Store in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Basil Hand Pies

I adore hand pies. They make me feel like I'm visiting some little bit of yeasterday when your meal is completely encased in a little bit of flaky sweet crust, folded in wax paper and stowed in a satchel. This recipe comes to us from Rose and Henry in the Kitchen.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup cold shortening
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3-5 tablespoon ice water

filling:
3 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh basil

glaze:
1 egg
sanding sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut butter and shortening into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Cut in with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beaten egg and toss into flour mixture with a fork.

Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition. Add enough water so that dough sticks together without being crumbly. This dough should be slightly wetter than regular pie dough. Divide dough into two pieces, flatten into disks about one inch thick, wrap well and refrigerate for about two hours.

In a separate large, heavy saucepan, combine all filling ingredients and stir to mix well. Place over medium heat and cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring periodically in the beginning, and constantly for the last few minutes. The filling should take 5-10 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat, cover and chill along with dough.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator one disk at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface a few times. Roll out, using a little flour to prevent sticking, to about a 1/4" thickness. Cut into 3 1/2" rounds with a large biscuit cutter. You should be able to get five or six rounds out of each disk of dough.

Roll each small round out to about 6" in diameter and about 1/8" thick. (In case you are wondering: NO, you do not have to use an exact 3 1/2" biscuit cutter, and YES, you can just roll the dough out to 1/8" thick and cut 6" rounds from it. I suggest the smaller cutter because that is what most people have. Do whatever works for you.)

In a small bowl, beat one egg. Using a pastry brush or your finger, run a line of egg wash along the edge of each piece of dough, going only halfway around.

Mound one generous tablespoonful of filling in the center of each piece of dough. Fold dough in half over the filling, making sure that each pie is "glued" closed by egg wash all the way around. Press with your fingers to seal and then crimp edges with the tines of a fork.

Transfer pies to parchment-lined baking sheets.* Brush the top of each pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Poke a few holes in the top of each pie with a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. The filling will ooze out of the vent holes a little bit. That's okay!

*I recommend making half the pies first, and making the second half while the first batch bakes. These pies are best baked one pan at a time.

Makes about one dozen.

Arroz Doce

This is a super creamy Brazilian rice pudding.

Ingredients: 
4 cup water 
2 cup long grained rice
1 cinnamon stick 
½ qt. milk
1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk 
2 tsp gf baking powder
cinnamon (optional)
grated lime zest (optional)

Pour 4 cups of water over 1 cup long grain rice and 1 cinnamon stick. Cook until the rice absorbs all the water and add water as needed until the rice is well cooked. Remove cinnamon stick. In a separated sauce pan, bring to boil 1/2 qt milk and 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can).

Add the cooked rice to the boiling milk (rice need to be still hot). (To your rice pudding gets creamy, you need to combine the hot milk with hot rice). Cook the rice pudding more five minutes or until it gets a thicker sauce. Pour rice pudding into custard cups and sprinkle with cinnamon or grated lime zest.

NOTE: You have to pour in the milk into the cooked rice. Both should be hot. The milk should be boiling when you pour into the still hot rice.

Fresh Berries with Grand Marnier Cream

This is a wonderfully light adult summer dessert.

Ingredients:
1 pt fresh blueberries   
4 oz. Grand Marnier liqueur
1 pt fresh raspberries  
2 cup sour cream
2 pts fresh strawberries, hulled and halved  
1 ¼ cup white sugar
½ cup butter   

In a sauté pan melt butter and add in Grand Marnier. Cook off the alcohol and pour into a large bowl. Add the sour cream and sugar and beat with a whisk until smooth. Chill. Mix chilled berries together and pour into 2 tall martini glasses. Top with cream mixture.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brulee

I love creme brulee. Any excuse to make it is just fine in my book. Here's an interesting variation on the typical burned sugar custard including lovely raspberries.

Ingredients:
1 lb cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp gf vanilla extract
2 tbsp water
1/2 pint raspberries, washed & patted dry
2-3 tbsp light brown sugar   

325°. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla and water. Blend until smooth.

Divide raspberries between 6-8 small oven-proof dessert dishes. Spoon cheese filling over raspberries. Bake in oven until set, about 15-20 minutes. Remove, cool and refrigerate until needed.

When ready to serve, preheat broiler and sprinkle each dessert cup with 1-1½ t brown sugar. Place under broiler until sugar begins to bubble. Be careful not to burn. Let cool for 2 minutes.

Summer Peaches ala Mode

Nothing is better than sitting on your front porch on a warm and breezy summer day, eating sweet, flavorful peaches and creamy cool ice cream. GF warnings in purple. Vegan/dairy free warnings in green.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter spread
1/4 cup honey
1/8th teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon amaretto liquor
2-3 large peaches, peeled, stoned & sliced
4 scoops vanilla ice cream or gf vanilla or vegan coconut milk ice cream

In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the honey, ginger, extract and liqueur. When the mixture bubbles add the peaches. Continue to cook until the peaches soften in 1-2 minutes. Spoon over ice cream.

Phirni

This is a savory/sweet Indian rice pudding given body and spice by the use of almonds, pistachios, saffron and cardamom.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup long grained rice   
2 cups water
4 cups full cream milk   
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder   
pinch of saffron strands
1/4 cup unsalted almonds, chopped coarsely   
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped coarsely

Wash and drain rice. Put it into a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 2 hours. Drain water away and grind the rice to a coarse paste in a blender or food processor (there should still be large pieces visible), about 10 to 12 one-second pulses.

Combine rice paste, milk, sugar, cardamom, and saffron into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until the rice is completely tender, about 25 minutes. Add half of almonds and pistachios to the mixture. Stir vigorously and turn off the heat. Allow the phirni to cool and serve in individual bowls garnished with the remaining almonds and pistachios.

Cold Raspberry Soup

Just for something different, a cold fruit soup can be great for afternoon lunches or hot summer porch meals.

Ingredients:
2 (10 oz.) pkg of frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup chablis or dry white wine
1 tbsp cornstarch
orange sections
sour cream (optional)

In a blender, puree 1 package of raspberries; strain and remove any seeds. Put orange juice, lemon juice, puree and cornstarch in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Cool. Stir in remaining package of raspberries and Chablis. Add orange pieces and a dollop of sour cream for garnish.

Caramel Dessert Sauce

If I don't put this in the back of the fridge and hide it after it's made, I catch a number of men-folk standing with the fridge door open, eating it with a spoon.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan and warm over medium-low heat until smooth, stirring frequently. Add cream and vanilla, stirring until well mixed. Allow to bubble just a little. Pour into a mason jar and place in the fridge for four hour with no lid or until thickened. Cover.

Honey Creams

An old fashioned Irish dessert that's only for grown ups. As it uses raw eggs, please remember your food safety rules.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons thick honey   
4 medium egg yolks
½ pt whipping cream   
4 tablespoons whiskey
grated chocolate for decoration   

Heat the honey in a pan until it is runny. Beat the egg yolks and slowly add the honey, beating until it has thickened and turned a pale yellow color. Whip the cream and add the whisky, one tablespoon at a time. Fold together the egg yolk mixture and the cream mixture.

Divide into eight ramekins or molds and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Place on a tray, cover and freeze.