Three-Berry Pie with Crumb Topping

Recipe Courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients
-1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
- 1 unbaked pastry shell
Topping:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cold butter

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle berries with lemon juice. Combine sugar and tapioca. Add to berries; toss gently to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon into pastry shell.
2. For topping, combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

The Best Sugar Cookies

The Best Sugar Cookies
Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients

Cookies:

- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. cream of tartar

White Glaze:

- 2 cups icing sugar

- 2 tbsp. milk

- 1/4 tsp. almond extract

1. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups icing sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in vanilla, 1/2 tsp. almond extract and the egg. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
2. Heat oven to 375 F. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cookies 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
4. In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth and desired spreading consistency, adding a few extra drops of milk if needed. Spread glaze over cookies.

Enjoy!

Easter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baker's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy of Kraft Foods "What's Cooking"

Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 pkg. (300g) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chips (Doesn't matter what brand you use)
- mini eggs

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking soda; mix well.
2. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. Press 3 pieces of Cadbury Mini Eggs into each ball of dough before baking. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool.

Tip: For easy cleanup, use a parchment covered baking sheet.

*Tomorrow I will post the recipe for my sugar cookies.*

Enjoy!

Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie

Courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 6 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 cups water
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 3 tbsp butter, cubed
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp. white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 pastry shell, baked

Meringue:
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 6 tbsp. sugar

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstartch. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir 1 cup of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in butter. Gently stir in lemon juice, vinegar and extract. Pour hot filling into pastry shell.
2. For meringue, combine water and cornstarch in a saucepan until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened and clear, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually add cornstarch mixture, beating well on high. Immediately spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
3. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

*For this pie, I used a frozen pie shell and baked it according to the package.

Chocolate Treats

I just wanted to share what I found in the States.  These Reese's Dessert Bars were delicious, and extremely easy to make.  What a great idea for a quick and easy mix to whip up for a little get together.  I am hoping this comes to Canada sometime in the future :)

Peanut Noodle Clusters

Courtesy of Company's Coming 

Ingredients

- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

- 1 cup butterscotch chips

- 1/4 cup butter or margarine

- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

- 1 cup peanuts

- 2 cups dry chinese noodles (I use chow mein)

1. Melt first 4 ingredients in large saucepan over low heat. Stir often. Remove from heat.

2. Mix in peanuts and noodles. Spoon onto mounds on waxed paper. Mixture will seem soft but it will firm upon standing. May be chilled to hasten hardening.

Enjoy!

Easter Cupcakes

Courtesy of Kraft Canada "What's Cooking"

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
- 1 pkg. cake mix (I used a strawberry cake mix that I found in the States)
- 1 can vanilla frosting
- 72 mini eggs
- shredded chocolate (I used one Aero bar)

1. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package.
2. Once the cupcakes have cooled down, you can frost them.
3. Shred chocolate, and sprinkle onto cupcake.  Arrange the chocolate so that it looks like a nest, and then add 3 mini eggs on top of each cupcake.

Enjoy!

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Serves: 5

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
- 1 package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large skillet cook beef until brown. Drain fat; discard. Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, and olives (if using). Heat through. Transfer meat mixture to a rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
2. Flatten each biscuit with your hands. Arrange biscuits on top of cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 17 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie

I made my first pie from scratch, the pastry and filling, everything is homemade.

Pastry for Two-Crust Pie
Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. shortening
- 4 to 6 tbsp. cold water

1. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender, until particles are size of small peas.  Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 tsp. more water can be added if necessary).
2. Gather pastry into 2 balls.  Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface.  Wrap the flattened rounds of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold.
3. Roll pastry on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9 inch glass pie plate or 3 inches larger than 10 inch tart pan. Fold pastry into fourths and place in pie plate; or roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate.  Unfold or unroll pastry and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked.

Apple Pie
Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients
- pastry for two-crust pie
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- dash of salt
- 6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (6 medium)
- 2 tbsp. firm butter or margarine, if desired
- 2 tsp. water
- 1 tbsp. sugar

1. Heat oven to 425F. Make pastry.
2. In large bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in apples. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over apples. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut un it; seal and flute.
3. Brush top crust with 2 tsp. water; sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar. Cover edge with 2 to 3 inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking.
4. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool on wire rack at least 2 hours.

Enjoy!