Caramel Apple-Pecan Pie (Yes, we're still baking)

So, I'm sure a lot of you thought we had dropped off the face of the earth, or at least the Interwebs. Truthfully, we've all been really busy lately, but we shouldn't have neglected baking and blogging for so long. Krissy just graduated from pastry school, Katie's busy with her new job, and I just want to go on a diet.

I picked this pie because Ben's mom bought me a beautiful Emile Henri pie plate for Christmas, and I was dying to use it. And everyone loves an apple pie; I just wanted to make mine with a little flair. This one is definitely a crowd-pleaser, especially if you're looking for a way to spice up your apple pie.

Caramel Apple-Pecan Pie

Adapted from "Pie"

Single pie crust recipe of your choice

10 caramels, each cut into 4 pieces

Filling

7 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Golden Delicious apples

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Pecan Crumb Topping

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Caramel and Garnish

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 tbsp water

30 caramels

Large handful of pecan halves or pieces

1/2 chopped pecans

Prepare the single pie crust according to the recipe of your choice. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge. Scatter the caramel pieces in the pie shell and place in the freezer while you make the filling. Preheat the over to 400 degrees.

Combine the apples, brown sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix well, then set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to juice. Mix the granulated sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the fruit along with the cinnamon and vanilla. Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell, smoothing the fruit with your hands leaving as little space as possible. (If the fruit mounds over the crust, that's ok because it will bake down). Put the pie on the center oven rack and back for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crumb topping by combining the flour, pecans, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse several times, copping the nuts coarsely. Scatter the butter over the dry mixture and pulse the machine again until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and rub the mixture between your fingers to make damp, gravelly crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Carefully dump the crumbs in the center of the pie, spreading them evenly over the surface with your hands. Push them down lightly in the apples. Return the pie to oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Slide a large aluminum foil-lined sheet onto the rack below to catch any drips (seriously, don't skip this step). Bake until the juices bubble thickly around the edges, 30-40 minutes (mine went for a little longer). If necessary, cover the pie with loosely tented foil for the last 15 minutes to keep the top from getting too dark.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for about 1 hour. While the pie is still warm - approaching the 1 hour mark - prepare the caramel. Combine the butter, water and caramels in the top of a double boiler (I don't have one of these so I just use a glass mixing bowl - works like a charm). Melt the caramels over, not in, barely simmering water. This may take 10 minutes or more. To facilitate the melting, press down on them as they start to soften and melt. When melted, whisk the mixture until is smooth, then drizzle the caramel over the entire surface of the pie. Immediately press the pecan halves into the caramel in a random fashion, then sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top as well. Let cool for another hour before serving.

Mini Reindeer Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes specifically for my coworker's son Mason and his class. Mason is four-years-old, so I wanted to make something fun, but not too sugary (I can't even imagine a class full of children on a chocolate high). Of course, all of the reindeers are Rudolph, because he's the most famous reindeer of all.

Mini Reindeer Cupcakes

24 mini vanilla cupcakes

Chocolate buttercream frosting

8 ounces milk chocolate

24 Red Hots (or cinnamon dots)

Make at least 24 mini vanilla cupcakes and a batch of chocolate buttercream frosting, using your favorite recipes. Cool the cupcakes and frost.

Spread parchment paper over a cookie sheet. Melt 8 ounces of milk chocolate and pour into a piping bag with a skinny tip (#2), or pour into a plastic ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners of the bag. Pipe two chocolate dots for eyes onto each cupcake. Then, pipe the chocolate into pairs of antler shapes, but be sure to make extra because these guys are fragile! Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer to let the chocolate set. Once set, arrange the antlers on each cupcake. Then finish Rudolph by placing a cinnamon dot on each cupcake for a nose.

Peppermint Oreos

Reading directions is apparently not my thing today. I misread the directions for the cookies and started mixing the butter and egg before I realized I was supposed to mix the sugar and egg. In an attempt to salvage the butter, I rinsed off the egg in a colander. This was such a ghetto thing to do, but I didn't want to be late for a painting class that Ashley and I were on our way to this afternoon.

I also misread the directions for the icing and put in 3 1/2 teaspoons of milk, instead of the tablespoons the recipe called for. I realized something was up when the mixture was still solid and then compensated. The icing turns out as more of a cream/glaze than true icing.

I choose this recipe today because I've been in such the holiday spirit! I'm going to visit Katie and Julie in NYC tomorrow for work, and we are going to see the Rockettes. Our tree is decorated at the house, and even Bacci can't wait for Santa.

After all of the ridiculous screw-ups, these cookies turned out great! The chocolate wafers were crunchy and tasty and the icing provided just the right amount of peppermint. If you want to get creative, you could tint the frosting green or red or crush up some peppermints and rolls the sides of the cookies in them.

Peppermint Oreos

adapted from a Whole Foods recipe

For the cookies:

1 2/3 cups flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspooons vanilla extract

3/4 cup butter, softened

For the icing:

3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring or extract

Pinch of fine salt

For the cookies:

Whisk together flour, cocoa and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In a second large bow, beat sugar and egg together with an electric mixer (I used the paddle attachment) until pale and thickened, about two minutes; beat in vanilla. Add butter and beat again until smooth, about one minute more (side note: here's where my batter wasn't as smooth as I thought it should be. I had some tiny beads of butter that just wouldn't disperse, probably because my butter was rinsed with water, and at the risk of overbeating, I let it go. If this happens to you, don't fret, the cookies still turned out fine). Add flour mixture in two parts and beat until combined. Shape dough into two logs that are uniformly round and about 8 inches long then wrap each snugly in parchment paper or saran wrap, twisting the sides of the paper/wrap. Chill for two hours.

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices and place on baking sheets about one inch apart. Bake until puffed and just cooked through, nine to ten minutes. Set aside to let cool completely.

For the icing:

Put sugar, milk, butter, peppermint flavoring and salt into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for one minute. Spread the flat side of half of the cookies with a dollop of icing, then sandwich with remaining cookies. Serve immediately or store cookies in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Yields about 40

Bridal Shower Cupcakes

Katie and all of the bridesmaids

I have been scared out of my mind for the past month, wondering if the bridal shower I was helping to plan would turn out how we all imagined. All of the bridesmaids helped to plan my best friend Katie's bridal shower, and I was in charge of the desserts (and the favors). At first I wanted to make petit fours, then I decided against it in favor of cupcakes. But then the search for the perfect bridal shower cupcake went into effect. I wanted something that Katie would love and would also tie in with the other food and decor. Katie loves red velvet, so I made a batch of red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. But I had to make another type of cupcake, so I went with lemon poppyseed cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and lemon zest. Sims came up with the great idea to use lemons as card-holders to designate what each item was, so everything went well together. I was so excited that everything turned out beautifully, and here's a few pictures of the brunch. We were so lucky that Michelle offered up her gorgeous home to host the shower, and Katie got so many great kitchen items that I think I'm going to have to start cooking at her house when they move in at the end of the month!

The spread

Parfaits

Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat your over to 350 degrees, and line cupcake or muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the eggs, lemon zest and lemon extract, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream and beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with your favorite buttercream recipe and garnish with lemon zest.

Boston Creme Pie - Cake Wreck

I've been eying this recipe for a few months now. The picture in the book looks absolutely mouthwatering, and while my treats never seem to turn out pretty enough, I thought I could at least come close on this one.

Baking in my new kitchen is now such a treat for me. I have plenty of counter space to work on and cabinets to store the ridiculous amounts of supplies I accumulate. My oven even works how it's supposed to and doesn't burn the edge of everything to a crisp while leaving the center completely raw. With all of these kitchen advantages, I still managed to completely ruin this recipe.

Instead of waiting for the creme patissiere to cool completely, I assembled the finished product to transport it to my parents' for dinner. I carefully braced the plate in a cake carrier, which I also braced in the trunk (to compensate for my erratic driving). When I got there, the plate and the carrier hadn't moved - but the cake slid off the top and all of the filling had oozed out. Shocking, right?

We ended up just standing around the cake wreck and eating it. The flavors were great, but this recipe is obviously not meant to travel! I'll share the recipe next time I actually manage to make a proper Boston Creme Pie.

Monster Cookies

Monster cookies seemed appropriate for my new monster kitchen. Ok, well maybe it's not monstrous, but it's definitely a huge upgrade from my last kitchen. It's bright, with big windows, a functioning stove and an inordinate amount of cabinetry. I even have a pantry! (Can you tell I'm excited?) Either way, these cookies were the perfect experiment to learn my way around my new kitchen. Also, apologies for my lack of posting, as Krissy has reminded me, over the last seven weeks. But now I'm all settled in, ready to bake.

These cookies are adapted from the illustrious Paula Deen, and they combine everyone's favorite parts about standard cookies: chocolate and peanut butter. These are super easy to make (I never even broke out the mixer) and are sure to please everyone.

Monster Cookies

Adapted from here

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar (light or dark both work fine)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 ounces creamy peanut butter

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup M&Ms

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup raisins (optional, I omitted these)

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 cups quick oats (NOT instant)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or your handy Silpat (which I love and comes in real handy if you just want to keep using the same cookie sheet for baking each batch. Krissy - best birthday present ever!).

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugars (Confession: I mixed everything by hand with a wooden spoon and it turned out great. No need to dirty beaters for this recipe). Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter and butter. Mix well. Stir in the baking soda. Mix well. Then add the M&Ms, chocolate chips, raisins (if using) and oats. Mix until oats are completely covered.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. These cookies will spread out. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (I would err on the side of 10 minutes), but do not overbake. Let cookies rest for 3 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.

Makes about 5 dozen.

The Girard Cake Challenge

As some of you know, I was interested in taking a cake decorating class to improve my much-lacking skills in this area. My mom was kind enough to take the class with me, so I wouldn't have to go it alone. When my dad, the artist, got wind of this class, he went into put up or shut up mode and challenged us that his decorations would be far and away better than ours. So, that's how all three of us ended up in a store in the middle of the ghetto in Atlanta for four Monday nights, taking a cake decorating class.

While all of the other students were busy concentrating, we were the class clowns in the back, laughing at each others' heinous decorations and poor technique. Somehow, though, they let us graduate (we even have diplomas!), and we proudly present to you our final assignment for your judging pleasure. We were required to have the following elements: at least one rose, stems, sweet pea flowers, leaves, a bow, and a shell border.

I won't tell you which cake is which, but please comment and leave your vote for the best Girard family cake! Some voted earlier this weekend while we were in Kansas City for Mary Beth's graduation (congrats MB, go K State!), so I can tell you that my dad's cake is in the lead right now by three votes. There will be some sort of yet to be determined prize for the winner.

Vote early, vote often.

Cake #1

Cake #2

Cake #3

Sunday Fun Day

What a great day, Sunday fun day. I baked for most of the day, then went to the boys' house for dinner. Pete whipped up his famous pizzas, and I provided dessert. My only direction was that it include chocolate, so I did a little digging on Smitten Kitchen. These cookies looked delicious and easy, and they were! Everyone loved them.

Photo credits go to Mr. Ryan Anderson, who has been trying to help me take better pictures to post on the blog. He even sent me an article with tips on how to take pictures of food. Hopefully these turned out better than the usual!

Pete Zambri, "the cookie monster"

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces chocolate chips or any diced chocolate of your choosing

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, try toasting them first

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla and beat until it holds soft peaks. Add the sugar, gradually, beating the batter until stiff. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Note: the batter doesn't spread while cooking, so you can play around with the size of your batter to increase or decrease the yield.) Bake for 25 minutes. Underside of cookie should be golden or lightly tanned. Yields approximately two dozen.

Angel Food Cake - A 90th Birthday Celebration

We'd like to take this moment, we have one thing to say, the best of health and happiness on this important day! Hey!

As many of you know, those are the words to my family's version of "Happy Birthday." We celebrated Grandma Wanda's 90th birthday this past Sunday. Instead of a gift, she wanted me to bake her a cake, and she picked angel food. (Of course, I got her another gift too. What kind of grandchild would I be?!)

The cake is designed to be light and fluffy, and it definitely was. This is a great recipe for those of you who love angel food cake but think that there are better versions out there than the grocery store bakery or boxed mixes. I've got to give some credit to Ben Allen, who graciously played sous chef. Bake this for anyone you want to impress with a homebaked treat.

Angel Food Cake

From Baking Illustrated

1 cup sifted plain cake flour

1 1/2 cups sifted sugar

12 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Adjust an oven rack tot he lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Have ready an ungreased large tube pan ( 9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity), preferably with a removable bottom. If the pan bottom is not removable, line it with parchment paper or waxed paper.

Sift both the cake flour and sugar before measuring to eliminate any lumps and ensure the lightest possible texture. Whisk the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a small bowl. Place the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in another small bowl next to the mixer.

Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer at low speed until just broken up and beginning to froth. Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat at medium speed until the whites form very soft, billowy mounds. With the mixer still at medium speed, beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is added and the whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract and beat until just blended.

Place the flour-sugar mixture in a sifter set over waxed paper. Sift the flour-sugar mixture over the whites, about 3 tablespoons at a time, and gently fold in, using a large rubber spatula. Sift any of the mixture that falls onto the paper back into the bowl with the whites. (Tip: be sure to fold all the way down to the bottom of the bowl, or you might end up with dry ingredients not incorporated into the mixture).

Gently scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and give the pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, about 50 to 60 minutes.

If the cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert the pan onto them. If the pan doesn't have prongs, invert the pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Let the cake cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the pan, being careful not to separate the golden crust from the cake. Slide the cake out of the pan and cut the same way around the removable bottom to release or peel off the parchment paper. Place the cake, bottom-side up on a platter. (Tip: The cake may appear as though it is a little wet still, but just leave it out to dry a little. Don't worry, the cake is fully cooked.) Cut slices by sawing gently with a large, serrated knife. Serve the cake the day it is made; we like serving ours with homemade whipped cream and strawberries.

Blueberry Boy Bait - A Cake Wreck

Thinking I was being cute and clever, I wanted to whip up dessert for a date. He was making dinner, and I was going to bring the baked goods. All was going according to plan: the batter was poured into the pan, pan safely in the oven, and me cleaning up the kitchen. I sat down to finish up watching American Idol, when my mom noticed the smell of scorching sugar wafting in from the kitchen. I was horrified to find that I had accidentally bumped the oven up to 500 degrees while I was cleaning, a stark difference from the 325 degrees it is supposed to bake at.

Once I scraped/cut off all the burnt parts, it tasted like normal, but I'm not going to post the recipe until I can successfully make these again.

Princess Cake

Once upon a time, in a neighborhood not too far away from Piedmont Park, there was a girl under the impression that baking was glamorous. That she would be able to whip up the most delectable dessert in under an hour. I know you're surprised to learn that I am this girl and that I was seriously mistaken. Even with this realization, I am still in love with baking. I even had my first paid gig the same weekend Krissy had hers.

I was so worried that I would embarrass myself with a horrific-looking birthday cake, that I made a practice cake for my coworkers to criticize (and also for my coworker, Dita, who ordered the cake, to approve).I spent hours toiling at something that probably should have looked a whole lot better, but since this was my first attempt at such a grand undertaking, I think it turned out pretty well. When I delivered the cake, the birthday girl, Aaleyah, seemed very pleased so that was good enough for me. Her only instructions on what she wanted was that it be pink. Behold a pink velvet cake with princess pink frosting, the fairest cake in all the land.

Blueberry Banana Snack Cakes

Vacation is just lovely, especially when you spend it baking in the sun. Until, of course, you realize you're 26 years old and still can't manage to apply enough sunscreen to avoid a wicked sunburn. God help my future offspring.

It's been a relaxing few days in Florida. It went from freezing to beautiful while I've been here. When I woke up this morning, I figured it was my day to bake because Nani Bird had cut out a recipe and left all the ingredients and utensils on the counter for me.

The cakes turned out really moist, and I think that they would also turn out really well as mini loaves. While I could not live without my KitchenAid stand mixer, I think that this recipe is probably best made with a hand mixer. While they look just like the blueberry muffins that Katie made, they really do taste more like banana bread with a dash of blueberry.

Blueberry Banana Snack Cake

1 1/4 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teapoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Add bananas; continue beating until well mixed (1 minute). Add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat at low speed until moistened (1 to 2 minutes). By hand, stir in blueberries. Fill paper-lined cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Nikki Did It - Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Typically, when the phrase "Nikki did it" is uttered, it's because someone has done something wrong, and I'm getting blamed for it. The practice of blaming me for everything started on a trip to Minnesota one summer and has been holding strong ever since. I, in fact, get blamed for things that go wrong even when I'm in another state.

But tonight, I'm going to say Nikki did it because I made some pretty fantastic red velvet whoopie pies. These babies were pictured in the trash in Krissy's last post, "Love Stinks." Me and my friend Ashley decided to make these today because love does stink, and we thought that these would make it a little more palatable. I couldn't have made these work without her; she did an awesome job piping these into the heart-shaped pattern. One tip: the batter doesn't spread, so pipe to the very edge of your stencil. We started out leaving some room for expansion, but the cookies that were bigger were much tastier. Also, once you pipe the batter, take a knife and try to evenly spread the batter, otherwise they will look like they've been piped and resemble an organ that will remain unnamed. Of course, my pictures are never as good as Krissy's and pretty blurry, but that's all I've got.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, unsalted, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 ounce red food coloring

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

5 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Create a heart template, and trace evenly spaced hearts onto pieces of parchment paper about one inch apart. Make enough for two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on the cookies sheets so that the side you have drawn is facing down, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of the dry ingredients. Do not overbeat. Blend in the food coloring.

Transfer the batter to the pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the heart tracings as a guide. Bake 8-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and beat until smooth.

Spread frosting over the bottom of one cookie, then sandwich another cookie on top (we overfilled ours because you can never have too much cream cheese frosting). To store, refrigerate in an airtight container.

In Loving Memory - Lemon Meringue Pie

The past two weeks have been extremely emotional for me and my parents. Last week, we lost Billy "B" Miret, one of my parent's best friends. B was a best friend to so many, and I've always looked up to him. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to say goodbye to him and let him know how much I loved him, even though he wasn't able to respond back. That night I told him that I know that his love and support made me into the person I am today. He watched me grow up, and it's hard to imagine life without him. That being said, B would never want us to be sad; in fact, he'd only want us to remember all of the great times that we had together (having a bad time just wasn't possible if he was around).

Since baking clears my head, I tried to bake something the day after B passed. B and his lovely wife George Ann (whom I consider my "other mother") have spent almost every Thanksgiving with us since we've lived in Georgia. Grandma Wanda makes B's favorite dessert each year - Lemon Meringue Pie. So, just for B, I made the pie. I'll admit I was scared that it would fall, weep, not set, etc., just like Grandma Wanda warns that it could. While I was making the pie though, I had a great sense of calm; if it didn't turn out, I would just toss it. No big deal. But I didn't have to throw it out. It was a perfect pie. The lemon was perfectly sweet yet tart, the meringue whipped into perfectly browned peaks. My only explanation is that B was looking over my shoulder helping me bake the pie. I think he would have been proud of it. He may not have been great at making pie, but he sure was great at eating it.

I'll miss you, B.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Adapted from Baking Illustrated

Lemon Filling:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cold water

6 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon grated zest and 1/2 cup lemon juice (I actually used 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part lime juice)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue:

1 tablespoon cornstartch

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 cup sugar

4 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 pie crust recipe, baked for ten minutes and cooled (Let me suggest Grandma Wanda's recipe, or Pillsbury Pie Crust, which you can find in the refrigerated section near the biscuits/rolls)

For the Filling: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water in a large, nonreactive saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at the beginning of the process and more frequently as the mixture begins to thicken. When the mixture starts to simmer and turns translucent, whisk in the egg yolks, two at a time. Whisk in the zest, then the lemon juice, and finally the butter. Bring the mixture to a good simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat; place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to keep it hot and prevent a skin from forming.

For the Meringue: Mix the cornstarch with the water in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally at the beginning and more frequently as the mixture thickens. When the mixture starts to simmer and turns translucent, remove form the heat.

Adjust an over rack tot he middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat the egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Beat in the sugar mixture, one tablespoon at a time, until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the cornstarch mixture one tablespoon at a time; continue to beat the meringue to stiff peaks. Remove the plastic from the lemon filling and return to very low heat during last minute or so of beating the meringue (to ensure that the filling is hot).

Pour the hot filling in to the pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, immediately distribute the meringue evenly around the edge and then push to the center of the pie to keep it from sinking into the filling. Make sure to push the meringue to the edges of the piecrust to prevent shrinking. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks all over the meringue. Bake the pie until the meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

How NOT to Be a Domestic Goddess

Every time I bake, it makes me feel differently. Sometimes I bake when I’m angry, and it helps to calm me down. Sometimes I bake when I have a special occasion coming up, and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m finished. There are those select times, however, that baking leaves me with a sense of utter frustration and failure – much like what I experienced last week.

This was a cake wreck by all accounts. I carefully read the recipe (or so I thought) before heading to the store to pick up the ingredients I was lacking. I was attempting to make Night and Day Cupcakes from what is quickly becoming my favorite cookbook, “How to Be a Domestic Goddess.” It seemed simple enough: a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese-ish frosting. Well, that’s where I was wrong. Not only did I manage to leave out an ingredient altogether (I’m blaming this on my sous chef, who clearly wasn’t paying attention), but I also didn’t read the recipe carefully enough. It called for SELF-RISING cake flour, and I just had the all-purpose variety on hand. In order to counteract the lack of leavener, I added about a teaspoon of baking powder. There wasn’t even enough batter to pour into a whole cupcake sheet.

When I took them out of the oven, the cupcakes had risen only slightly, and that’s when I also realized that we had left out the vanilla. I tried to cover up my mistake by making some delicious frosting, but it was too late; the cupcakes were already a disaster. I find myself to be a complete failure after this debacle, but I’m going to put that behind me and bake something even better this week (because quite frankly, I can only go up from here)! No pictures this time around - they just weren't worth it.

Night and Day Cupcakes

Courtesy of Nigella Lawson - How to Be a Domestic Goddess

Cupcakes:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (scant)0

2 tablespoons boiling water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (scant)

3/4 cup self-rising cake flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup very soft unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups

Frosting:

1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

4 ounces cream cheese

Juice of ½ lime or tablespoon of lemon juice

Baking the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the cocoa to a paste with the boiling water and set aside while you make the cupcake mixture.

This couldn’t be easier (that’s a little encouragement from Nigella, not me): Just put the sugars, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla in a food processor and blitz to combine smoothly. Scrape the mixture from the sides and then pulse while you add the cocoa past and milk down the funnel. You should have a batter with a soft dropping consistency. If not, add a little more milk.

Dollop into the paper baking cups in the pan (about 1/2 to 3/4 full) and bake for 20 minutes, until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Leave in the pan for five minutes, then remove, in the paper baking cups to a wire rack.

Making the frosting:

When the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting by beating together the sifted confectioners’ sugar and cream cheese until soft. Add lime or lemon juice to taste and then spread roughly over the waiting cupcakes. Stud each one with a chocolate-coated coffee bean or shave over some bittersweet chocolate.

Baking for My Life - Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Apologies for the terrible picture quality, but apparently my camera, kitchen and life in general prevent me from taking decent pictures.

I made up my mind to bake tonight for a couple reasons. 1) I was threatened by Katie and Krissy that if I didn't post this week, I would be kicked off the blog for good. My face would be blacked out, and Atlanta would be stricken from the site. 2) One of our favorite partners is visiting from the DC office and residing on our hall for the week. Hopefully these treats will continue to endear him to us.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, I paged through one of the cookbooks I got for Christmas (which I love) and tried to find a recipe that I had most of the ingredients for. Brownies won the battle as I was only missing one egg and an ounce of chocolate. As I was making them, I remembered my last visit to NYC during Katie's first stint living there. We went to Fat Witch Brownies in some market that I can't remember the name of. They were some of the tastiest brownies I've ever had, and I spent the majority of my time crossing my fingers that these brownies would turn out even half as good. Turns out they are at least half as good. Bake these simple to make treats if you want to impress your friends with something that didn't come from a box.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Adapted from How To Be A Domestic Goddess

1 2/3 cups unsalted butter, softened

13 ounces best bittersweet chocolate

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 bag mini peanut butter cups (you can add more depending on your taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil or parchment. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large pan. In a bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and sugar. Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.

When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating it into the eggs and sugar. Add flour in parts and beat until smooth. Coarse chop the mini peanut butter cups and fold into the batter. Pour into the lined pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes. When it's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey. You may think they're not done yet, but they'll continue to cook as they cool. And who doesn't like brownies that might not be completely cooked? Makes a maximum of 48.

Cookie Eight: Fried Crullers

Watching Grandma Wanda in the kitchen is like watching an artist. Even though she thinks she's lost her touch, she's mistaken. She moves through the kitchen like she's been doing this every day of her life. The technique for her is second nature, and I was truly grateful to learn this old family recipe from her. After some debate, my dad and I decided that the recipe was a family secret, but we also wanted to share it with others. Our compromise was that I would only post what was written on the recipe card. I'm convinced that you couldn't follow the recipe and come out with the same finished product because most of the technique is absent. For instance, Grandma Wanda uses a 70-year-old cast iron skillet that I'm positive produces the most delicious Crullers on the planet. Any other pan just won't do. If you can produce an equally amazing Cruller by just following the recipe, please let me know. I'll have to send you a prize.

Fried Crullers
From the kitchen of Wanda Girard

1/2 tsp salt
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of mace
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp cream
2 cups sifted flour
Powdered sugar for topping

Add salt to eggs & beat lightly. Stir in sugar, mace and butter. Add cream and flour, then mix until smooth. Knead dough on floured surface until dough no longer sticks to your hands. Chill thoroughly. Separate dough in half. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut in 7x1 inch strips, cutting ends diagonally. Make a lengthwise slit in center of each strip and pull one end through slit.


Fry in lard at 370 degrees F until delicately brown.


Drain on absorbent paper.


Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar after cooled and serve. Makes about 45 Crullers.

Cookie Seven: Spritz Cookies

Even though Spritz cookies aren't my absolute favorite, they are a holiday must. They're very easy to make and a lot of fun to decorate. If you have more time than I did, you could get very creative with your decorations. We have a Wilton Spritz Cookie Press, but you can use any cookie press you can find at a baking supply store. I'm sorry I don't have more commentary tonight, but I'm busy packing for Christmas in Chicago. Cross your fingers for snow!

Spritz Cookies

From Wilton

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill. Roll dough into a long, skinny piece to easily slide the dough into Spritz cookie press. Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Decorate with colored sprinkles or add food coloring to dough before it is baked. Makes about 6-7 dozen.

Cookie Five: Peppermint Bark

In the spirit of the busy holiday season, my mom suggested that I make a treat that is extremely easy to make and doesn't take much time at all. These also make great gifts, if you bundle them up in a festive candy bag and tie with a cute ribbon. My gift to my coworkers this year is five extra pounds of insulation since it's been so cold in Atlanta (better them than me!), so I brought bags and bags of Peppermint Bark to work. We picked a few of our favorite allstar coworkers from different departments and went forth spreading holiday cheer. Nothing says we appreciate all you do for us like a minty fresh delectable.

Peppermint Bark

1 lb. white chocolate, in bricks/blocks/discs

1/4 lb. green and red peppermint chips

Spread a large sheet of aluminum foil across your counter. Melt 1 lb. white chocolate over a double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until completely melted. Mix in about 1/4 lb. green and red peppermint chips until chips are covered in chocolate (you can edit this amount to your liking, depending on how pepperminty you want your bark). Remove from heat and pour the mixture over the foil. Use your wooden spoon to spread the mixture out to create a thin layer. Allow the mixture to harden, then break into large pieces to serve.

Clean-up hint: When cleaning the white chocolate out of the pan, use a paper towel to completely wipe out all of the chocolate first. This will take a few paper towels, but it's well worth it! Otherwise, the instant the water hits the chocolate, it will harden and take much longer to clean.

Cookie Three: Kringles

One thing that I love most about my family is our ability to take everyday things, normal things, and put our family spin on them. I discovered just how good we really were at this while I was researching my next cookie assignment.

Kringles are my absolute favorite Christmas cookies, and my Aunt Judy serves them each year to her anxious guests busily brushing up on their talent for Santa. My Uncle Ernie has an in with Santa, so he pays us a special visit on Christmas Eve with a sack full of presents. In order to receive your presents though, Santa requires a kind of toll; you must perform for the rest of the family. If you are humorous/good/young enough, there's a possibility you may not get heckled. Only the lucky few (and by lucky, I mean worst) get last year's leftover ribbons and bows thrown at them. Clearly, we are a loving family.

So loving, in fact, that we have given our own name to Kringles. Indeed, as I was rummaging through a cookbook last week, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I was highly confused because these cookies looked like Kringles, but they just couldn't be. We've been calling these cookies Kringles for thirty-plus years; they couldn't possibly have another name! But the recipe was just too similar and yielded too many Google hits for it not to be true. So, I offer up my family's version of this classic recipe. You may know it by a different name, but I guarantee ours tastes better.

Kringles

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 squares Baker's chocolate, unsweetened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Melt 4 squares Baker's chocolate according to the directions on the box. In a large bowl, mix vegetable oil, melted chocolate and sugar with a wooden spoon until combined. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and mix well. Add flour, baking powder and mix well. (I found the dough difficult to stir at this point, but just give it a little elbow grease). Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate overnight.

After ample refrigeration, roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball, and then roll in the powdered sugar until the entire ball of dough is covered. Place on cookie sheet about two inches apart, and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until cookies have expanded and look like the powdered sugar has crinkled. Yields approximately four dozen cookies, depending on how big you roll the dough balls and how much batter you eat while you're rolling the dough in powdered sugar.