Sunday With A Lemon Pie....

There's no other dessert than... Lemon Meringue Pie.

My grandmother use to make the best Lemon Meringue Pie.  I use to smell her baking from a cross the street as a kid on our small farm in Indiana.  Then wonder over to see her (and see if I could get some pie!)  :D  Love grandma!!  She past away some years ago, but I still remember her pie.  I never found the recipe she used, except for the meringue recipe, which looks like it's from a very old newspaper (not sure which one).  So I decided to try and make one.  Now, I've never made Lemon Meringue Pie before, ever.  I would always just wait for grandma to make it or buy it from the store.  I always worried it wouldn't come out like her pie.  So even though I don't have the recipe I decided to go by the Jell-O box one, and just use her meringue one with it.  It's funny as I made the pie I thought of how proud grandma would be that I'm trying to bake like her.  It made me miss her... I will always miss her, but never forget her.  So in honor of her, I made my first Lemon Meringue Pie.  It's not grandma's, but it's the memory of her that the pie brings to me.  And I love that most of all....  Enjoy!

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

Prep: 25 mins Serves:8 (Jell-O Cook & Serve Pudding & Pie Filling - Lemon)

• Stir pudding mix, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and 2 beaten egg yolks in medium saucepan.
• Stir in 2 cups water.
• Bring to full boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Cool 5 mins, stirring twice.
• Pour into cooled baked 9-inch pastry crust. (I used pre-made pie dough, and baked it in a 9-inch pie pan as per directions on pie dough box.  Then let cool.) 

Never-Fail Meringue
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
3 egg whites
6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

• Blend cornstarch and cold water in a saucepan. 
• Add boiling water and cook, stirring until clear and tickened.
• Let stand until completely cold.
• With electric beater at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy.
• Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, but not dry.
• Turn mixer to low speed, add salt and vanilla.
• Gradually beat in cold cornstarch mixture.
• Turn mixer again to high speed and beat well.
• Spread meringue over cooled pie filling.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Images by Me; Recipes from Jell-O; Anonymous - Never-Fail Meringue Recipe

Lobster Dinner For Two...

What's for dinner?  Lobster!!  LOL...Well, I've been wanting to attempt to cook lobster for a long time now.  But like most people, I've been really nervous about trying to do it.  Cause they cost too much and it looks hard to do.  Well, we were the store the other day, and I saw them on sale.  So I was like...what the hack!  Let's try it!  So we picked up two lobster tails.  (Thought we'd try doing the tails first before killing a live one...haha...)  Enjoy!!

 Steaming Lobster Tails
- 1 streamer pot
- 2 lobster tails
- 1 kitchen shears

Marinade:
- melted butter
- dash of paprika
- dash of garlic powder
- squirt of lemon juice
- dash of white pepper (or regular black pepper)

1. Begin the cut right under the shell. Only cut the shell and not the meat. 
2. Continue to cut down the center all the way to the base of the tale; cutting to base of tail. 
3. Grab each side of the shell and gently pry away the shell away from the meat.  Continue to pry the shell away from the meat but keep the back of the meat connected to the shell. This will make it easier to eat the lobster once it's cooked.
4. Prepare lobster marinade of melted butter, a dash of paprika, a dash of garlic powder, a squirt of lemon juice and a dash of white pepper.  Drizzle lobster tail with marinade.  (I didn’t use the paprika, and it was still good.)
5. Place steamer inside a pan and fill with water so that the base of the steamer is resting in the water. Bring the water to a boil.
6. Once the water has reached a boil, place lobster tails in the middle and cover.
7. Cook the lobster tails by the cooking time from the weight. (Note the change from opaque to white means it’s cooked) 

Lobster Cooking Times

For steaming a lobster tail

Lobster Tail Weight	Cooking Time
2 Oz.	10 minutes
4 Oz.	12 minutes
6 Oz.	15 minutes
8 Oz.	20 minutes
12 Oz.	25 minutes
14 Oz. +	30 minutes

Images from Me; Recipe from Lobster Help.com

A Chocolate Hazelnut Jubilee....

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee starts tomorrow.  So in honor of the Jubilee, I decided to make another cupcake from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook.  Nothing like tea and cupcakes for your afternoon tea.  Enjoy!

Hazelnut & Chocolate Cupcakes 

(Makes 12)

Ingredients: 
Cupcake:
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
a scant 3/4 cup sugar (just put a little less in the third 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
3 tablespoons room temperature butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/2 cup nutella hazelnut spread
36 whole shelled hazelnuts for decoration

Hazelnut & Chocolate Frosting:
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup nutella hazelnut spread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Put flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Spoon batter into the paper cupcakes holder up to two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when touched. The let the cupcakes cool completely.
5. When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the center of each one and fill with a dollop of hazelnut and chocolate spread.

For the hazelnut & chocolate frosting:

1. Beat the confectioners sugar and butter together in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
2. Turn mixer down to a slower speed. Slowly pour in the milk, then when it is all incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. 
3. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
4. Stir in the hazelnut and chocolate spread by hand until evenly mixed into the frosting. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the frosting on top and finish with about 3 hazelnuts per cupcake.

Images by me; Recipe from the hummingbird bakery cookbook

Holiday Entertaining - Sugar Cookies....

So I was having trouble with making sugar cookies. I know, I know. It's sugar cookies how hard could it be. Well, let's just say I couldn't find a good one until now. This recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Holiday Entertaining book. Great book! However, I did have to modify the recipe a little. It had NO vanilla in the recipe! Who doesn't that?! My hubby said, "It's not a sugar cookie without vanilla in it." I have to agree with him. The vanilla made the cookie. Also, I didn't want a cookie that was made with shortening. (Yuck!) But these cookies were just what I was looking for. So I had to share. Happy baking! Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma HolidayEntertaining book

Make about 36 cookies (depends on the size of cookie)

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (plain)

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Have ready 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or ungreased.

In a food processor, combine the butter and granulated sugar and pulse until creamy.

Add the egg and vanilla and pulse 5 or 6 times until fluffy and blended.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add one-third of the flour mixture to the food processor and process until blended, about 45 seconds.

Add the remaining flour in two batches, processing after each addition, until dough is smooth.

Note: It doesn’t have this in the original recipe, but you should refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes or so. This way the dough will be easier to work with and not so sticky cause it’s too warm. So after the dough is smooth, turn out the dough onto some paste wrap and separate the dough into two disks. Then refrigerate.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, shape into a ball, and then roll out 1/8 inch think.

Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes.

Then, using a spatula, transfer the cutouts to the baking sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and repeat the process to make more cookie cutouts to add to the baking sheets.

Bake until lightly browned on the bottom and pale golden on top, 6-8 minutes.

Transfer to wire racks and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer to the racks to cool completely.

Note: Remember to decorate with sprinkles before going into the oven. Or decorate the cooled cookies with Royal Icing.

Image from Me; Recipe from Williams-Sononma cookbooks at Barns & Noble

Chocolate-Peppermint Heaven....

So I was thinking about what types of Christmas cookies to make this year.  I'll still make gingerbread, but I wanted to try something new.  I remembered there was a cookie in the Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie magazine last year that I wanted to try.  It looks just like a Thin Mint cookie but covered with white chocolate.  Lets just say that after making this cookie tonight, I have finally found the recipe for making Thin Mint cookies!!  The only thing is I didn't have any white/dark chocolate to cover the cookie.  So it's plain, but it tastes so good!!  And... I've already eaten a big hand full.  Oh well, enjoy!!

Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

Yield Makes 6 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Optional:

• 8 large candy canes or 30 peppermint candies, crushed
• 2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. 

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. 

Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. 

Beat in peppermint extract. 

Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. 

Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Place dough on baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. (NOTE: I skipped this part, and it didn't seem to matter.)

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. 

Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.

Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. 

Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool. (Undecorated cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.)

Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. 

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. 

Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. 

Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. 

Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours. Decorated cookies are best served the same day.

 

Images from me; Martha Stewart; Recipe from Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2010 Magazine