Cinnamon Sugar Crisps (Mexican Toast)

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Peg

A little sweetness for your morning or evening. Here’s the perfect little “pick me up” after a long day of errands that is inherent this time of year. And the bonus…your smallest children and grandchildren can participate in the creating. Spread the joy. Share the love.

dessert-mexican-cinnamon-toast-iii

1/2 stick butter
6 7 inch tortillas
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Place oven rack in center position of oven.
Preheat oven to 500°.
Melt butter in shallow baking pan in oven, about 2 minutes.
Spread tortillas in baking pan, overlapping slightly and turning each to coat both sides with butter.
Stir together sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Sprinkle evenly over tortillas.
Bake until golden and puffed in spots, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully! dessert-mexican-cinnamon-toast-iv

Slice into wedges and watch them disappear.

Raspberry Brut Rosé Ice Cream Float

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Peg

Well, bless Pat…whoever that is! That’s what my grandmother Smith used to say back in the day to express shock and awe. So, I give you a “back in the day” treat. Warning, this is an adults only float! Tomorrow is hump-day, so add this to your evening and celebrate making it through the first half of the work week. Just keeping it fresh for you. Dessert Raspberry Rose Ice Cream Float

Here’s the what and how to:

1/2 cup raspberries, plus more for garnish
2 Tbs sugar
4 large scoops vanilla ice cream, softened a few minutes
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
Rosé brut champagne

In blender, purée raspberries and sugar.
Pour in glass.
Rinse blender.
Add ice cream to blender.
Purée until smooth.
Place ice cream in 2 short glasses.
Pour liqueur over ice cream.
Pour raspberry purée over ice cream.
Top with champagne.
Garnish with a few fresh raspberries.
Serve with a straw.

Makes 2 floats.

Strawberry Crumble

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Peg

A word from the kitchen…As guaranteed…here tis the berry best thing you’ll pop in your mouth this weekend. Get your self out to a strawberry field, or just to your local grocery. It is prime berry season and here’s the scoop on a singularly delicious little dessert.

Berries…Sliced, Sugared, and Juiced.

6 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, dried, hulled, and quartered
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 t lemon juice
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 t kosher salt
1 cup quick cooking (not instant) oatmeal
1 1/2 sticks cold cutter, diced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Crumble Mixture…Crumbled, Mixed, and Ready to Top the Berries.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place berries in baking dish.
Sprinkle with 3/4 cup sugar and the lemon.
Toss to combine.

In bowl of electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal.
Add diced butter to mixing bowl.
Mix on low speed until mixture is in crumbles.
Sprinkle topping over berries, covering berries completely.
Bake uncovered 1 hour, until topping is golden brown, and fruit is bubbling.

Out of the Oven, Waiting to be Consumed.

Topped with Ice Cream, Yummy!

Stove Top Cinnamon Apples

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Peg

Simple old fashioned goodness here! The fresh fall apples are abundant and we need a little fruit with our turkey, right?! This recipe is ages old, but some things are just worth passing down. I added fresh Beelicious honey, nod to Judy and Matt, and loved the difference it made. Top it with vanilla bean ice cream and call it dessert. Gobble Gobble good people of the world wide web!

8 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla extract

Place apple chunks in soup pot.
Separately heat sugars, butter, honey, and cinnamon over medium heat 4 minutes until everything is dissolved.
Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
Pour over apples.
Simmer on medium low 30 minutes, until apples are tender.

Granita di Caffè

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Peg

It’s hot out there folks. Here’s a little something to bring on the chill. If this may cause you to dance on the walls, feel free to use decaf! Perhaps they serve a frozen treat at Fenway; just saying ’cause that’s where I’ll be Sunday afternoon. My first ever Red Sox game. Can I hear a WHOOP!!

Here’s what you’ll need:
4 cups freshly brewed coffee
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Frangelico (optional)
8 oz container of fat free Cool Whip
Dash of vanilla extract
Chocolate shavings, if desired for topping

Brew 4 cups of coffee.
Add sugar to coffee while hot.
Stir to dissolve, and let cool to room temperature.
Pour cooled coffee into a freezer proof glass pan and place in freezer.
When edges begin to freeze, after about 30 minutes, stir with a fork and replace in freezer.
Stir again about every half hour until large crystals begin to form.
Then stir more frequently, about every 15 minutes.
The total freezing time is from 2 to 6 hours.

Finished granita should resemble shaved ice, with no liquid visible on the bottom.
*Finished granita to this point can be frozen overnight if desired.
If so, take out of freezer 2 hours prior to serving.

Place Cool Whip in a small bowl.
Gently stir in dash of vanilla.

In parfait glass or coffee mug, layer granita then cool whip and serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Baked Pears with Blue Cheese

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Peg

©PEGhardee

Call it dessert, call it first course, call it whatever, just make it! I never really liked pears growing up. Mother tried her darn best to push them on me and I refused, often tossing them out of the breakfast room window. Well, that was actually Will who did that for both of us. His chair was conveniently in front of the screenless window. Often exasperated, Mom and Dad would retire from the table to enjoy a cocktail and we were left to “clean our plates!” That’s when Will tossed LOTS of food out of that window. Just ask him! He’ll laugh and proudly admit it! Well…I have matured in to this; I know mature is a questionable word for me! But this is DELICIOUSNESS!

2 ripe but firm pears
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup Port wine
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 generous handfuls baby arugula

For dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup basting liquid

Preheat oven to 400°.
Peel pears and slice lengthwise into halves.
Remove core and seeds, leaving small well in center of each half.
Toss pears with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Arrange center side up in baking dish.
Combine blue cheese, cranberries, and walnuts in small bowl.
Toss to combine.
Divide mixture among pear halves, mounding in center.
In same bowl, combine cider, port, and sugar.
Pour mixture over and around pears.
Bake pears 30 minutes, basting occasionally with juices.
Remove from oven and set aside a few minutes.

Combine dressing ingredients.
Toss in arugula.

Spread arugula among 4 plates.
Top with pear.
Serve with a smile!

Thank you, Ina Garten!

Champagne Float

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Peg

Try a little grown up version of the old ice cream float! I’m giving it a solid A+. Mmmmm! Thank you Anne Burrell for sharing the love. (Food Network Magazine, June 2014.)

12 strawberries, quartered
1 Tbs sugar
1 pint Breyers vanilla ice cream
Bottle Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee, chilled

Toss berries and sugar in bowl.
Let sit 30 minutes
Divide berries among 4 flutes.
Place small scoop ice cream in each glass.
Top up with champagne.

Key Lime Pie

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Peg

Ta Da! Who doesn’t love a little lime in the heat of the summer? This little recipe makes enough filling for two pies…’cause you were going to make it for your neighbor, but shucks you knew you’d want one too. Go ahead; Be fabulous!

©PEGhardee

2 graham cracker pie crusts
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
14 oz can sweet condensed milk
Zest of 1 lime
3/4 cup lime juice
1 pint Half and Half
Fresh lime slices for garnish

In large bowl, with electric mixer beat cream until slightly thickened.
Slowly add in sugar and condensed milk.
Beat in zest, lime juice, and Half and Half.
Mix until thickened.
Pour into crusts.
Freeze 4 to 6 hours.

Makes two. One for you and one for me!

Thanks Paula Deen.

Mmmm Rum Cake

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Peg

Well, “Bless Pat”, as the old time Southerners used to say! Webb Simpson won a big one a couple of weeks back. So this is in honor of Webb’s triumph at TPC Summerlin (Shriners Hospital for Children Open) in Las Vegas, and his dear grandmother Nell, who has made these rum cakes renown, by baking them weekly (by the dozens it seems) to share with friends for as long as this here gal can remember. Yep that was one run on sentence, now wasn’t it! Go Webb! Go Nell! PS. As Nell’s recipe is a family held secret, this is my attempt at imitation!

Cake:
4 whole eggs
1/2 cup Bacardi gold rum
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 (18.25oz) box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe yellow cake mix
1 (1 oz) box Jell-O sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease Bundt pan with cooking spray.
Pour all ingredients into bowl of mixer.
Mix gently 2 minutes to 2 1/2 minutes until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared 10” Bundt pan, or 2 small 7” Bundt pans.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes for large size pan, and 30 to 35 for smaller sizes, until cooked throughout.
(Insert a knife into center of cake to test readiness.
If it comes out clean, cake is cooked.)
Allow cake to cool completely in pan.
When cooled, remove from pan.

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water
Place all ingredients in small saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Boil 3 minutes.
When cake is cool, gently prick holes into the cake (while still in pan) with a knife.
Slowly pour half of the glaze over the cake, making sure to fill in all the holes.
Once the cake has soaked up the glaze, turn cake over, removing pan, and place on serving platter.
Gently prick more holes on this side and slowly pour other half of glaze over cake.

*Author’s Note: For chocolate rum cake substitute 1 pkg chocolate cake mix and 3 1/4 oz pkg chocolate pudding mix for the yellow cake mix and vanilla pudding above.

Apple Tart

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Peg

With fresh fall apples abundantly rolling in to the super markets, it’s the perfect time to bake a tart … just a little Southern know how y’all!

You’ll need:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator
2 green apples, peeled, and sliced thinly
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbs butter, cubed
1 1/2 Tbs flour
Raspberry preserves
Parchment paper

How to do it:
Preheat oven to 450º.
Place parchment paper on baking sheet.
Sprinkle 1 Tbs flour on work surface.
Spread puff pastry out, and sprinkle 1/2 Tbs of flour on top.
Use a rolling pin to make pastry 1″ longer and 1″ wider.
Place pastry on top of parchment paper.
Spread apples across entire pastry, slightly overlapping.
Sprinkle entire surface of apples with sugar.
Dot the butter evenly across the apples.
Bake 45 minutes, until edges of pastry are a deep golden brown.

Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter.
Heat the raspberry preserves until warm.
Strain through a strainer, reserving the liquid.
Brush the liquid across the warm tart to glaze.

For Individual Tarts:
Prepare pastry as above.
Using a round pizza/pastry cutter, cut equal sized rounds out of dough.
Place the rounds on parchment paper.
Spread apples across each pastry circle.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Dot butter across the apples.
Bake 25 minutes until slightly browned.

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