Homemade Apple Pie

I have been working on perfecting this recipe for about a year and I finally figured it out! It is best served warm and goes great with vanilla bean ice cream.

Crust:

1 c melted butter

1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c sugar

Apple filling:

4 apples (sliced and peeled)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c sugar

Creamcheese topping:

1 egg

1/2 c sugar

8 oz cream cheese

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar to make graham cracker crust. After mixed well, press into a 9 inch pie pan. Make sure the crust comes up the side of the pan. Chill for a half hour.

While the crust is chilling make the filling and topping. Cut and peal the apples (about 1 inch thick). Toss the apples in the lemon juice and then add the flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Make sure the apples are covered.

In a seperate bowl mix the egg, cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon until combined. This will be the topping.

Take the crust out and spread the apples evenly in the pie pan. Spoon the cream cheese topping on top of the apples. Bake the pie at 375F for 30-40 min.

Blueberry Lemon Friendship Muffins

These muffins definitely calls for a cup of coffee or glass of milk. They are wonderful but very sweet and dense. Also this recipes requires some pre-planning as the starter for these muffins takes 10 days, but it is well worth the wait!

Frienship Bread Starter Recipe

1 (.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast

1/4 c warm water (110 F)

3 c flour, divided

3 c sugar, divided

3 c milk, divided

In a small bowl dissolve yeast in the warm water. Let stand for 10 mins. In a 2 qt or larger container, combine 1 c flour, 1 c sugar, 1 c milk and yeast mixture. Mix and cover loosely (I just used string to hold a towel on top of the bowl). Let stand at room tempature (through the whole process). This is day 1 of the 10 day process. Day 2-4 stir the mixture and recover loosely. On day 5 add 1 c flour, 1 c sugar, 1 cup milk, mix throughly, and recover loosely. Day 6-9 stir the mixture and recover loosely. Day 10 add 1 c flour, 1 c sugar, 1 c milk and mix throughly. Remove 1 cup to make the muffin recipe. With the remaining 2 cups either divide for friends or keep 1 cup for yourself to make more breads or muffins. The cup of starter you share should be considered day 1 in the process. Just repeat the steps above to get to day 10.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

2 c flour

1 c sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 (3.4 oz) box lemon instant pudding

1 (3.4 oz) box vanilla instant pudding

1 c Friendship starter

1 c vegetable oil

1/2 milk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c blueberries

Preheat oven to 365 F. Prepare muffin pans (makes 24 muffins). In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add friendship starter, vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix throughly. Add in blueberries. Use a ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 min.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I decided to change the traditional Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe slightly today. I wanted something sweet, but also with a little bit of salty and what is better than peanut butter and chocolate to get both a sweet and salty treat.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F
Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time. Gradually add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Once everything is mixed well add in the cup of chocolate chips.
Drop a spoonful of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes

Enjoy with a nice a glass of milk or a bowl of ice cream!

Dairy Free Bridal Sugar Cookies

My sister is getting married so I wanted to make decorated sugar cookies for her shower. One of the girls that would be attending the shower couldn't have dairy so I found this wonderful dairy free sugar cookie recipe that is actually better than the normal sugar cookie recipe I use.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup of shortening (generic store brand works well)
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/4 cup of flour

Cream the shortening and sugar in the mixture. Add in the egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Next add in the juice. After mixed well, add in the flour a cup at a time. You may have to mix the last of the flour in by hand.

Flour your rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out to 1/3 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters in any fun shape (for these I did wedding dresses and wedding cakes).

Bake at 400F for 6-7 minutes. Makes about 36 cookies

Dairy Free Buttercream Icing

1 cup of shortening (use the generic store brand, it works the best)

1 lb powdered sugar

4 Tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp butter flavoring (I use the one made by Wilton)

Cream the shortening, water, vanilla, and butter flavoring. After creamed add in the powder sugar a cup at a time. If the icing seems to think add a tsp of water at a time until you get the icing to your desired thickness.

For these cookies, I used the clear vanilla extract so I could get a white buttercream icing for the wedding dress and piping. For the cakes I added pink food coloring gel.

Divine Chocolate Cheesecake

I found a recipe for a wonderful chocolate cheesecake and decided to modify it to be even chocolatier and richer. Here is the recipe:

Divine Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 package devil food cake mix (1 cup reserved)
1/2 cup melted butter

Cheesecake:
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 cup of reserved cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup half and half

Topping: (makes enough for one cheesecake)
Whipped cream
10 oz. bag of frozen berries in syrup (thawed)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water

Combine devil food cake mix (minus one cupped reserved for later) and melted butter. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of 2 well greased 9 inch pie plates or springform pans.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and Godiva Chocolate Liqueur. Beat in one cup of reserved cake mix. Mix until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended. Gradually beat in half and half. Pour mixture into crusts.
Bake cheesecakes at 300F for 50 to 60 min. Cool and then chill.
While cheesecake is cooling begin preparing the topping. Heat the berries (with the syrup), cornstarch, sugar, and water. Stir until the mixture starts to thicken (approximately 5-7 min). Chill berry topping.
After cheesecake and berry topping have complete cooled, spread berry topping one top of cheesecake. Chill again for at least 10-15 minutes. Addd whipped cream on the edge prior to serving. Enjoy!