Fruit Pizza

For our Fourth of July celebration!  

**I doubled the sugar cookie recipe and baked it for 15-17 minutes, so it was slightly undercooked which gave it a delicious chewy texture.**

Sugar Cookie Crust:

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

Cream Cheese Frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Fruit Toppings:

7-10 strawberries, sliced

5-6 kiwi's, sliced

1 mango, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1 small bunch of grapes, halves

Make the Sugar Cookie Crust: 

Mix the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well combined.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix until combined.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 14-inch pizza pan or round baking stone, or line with parchment. (I lined my pan with parchment for easy release on to my serving platter which is silicone pizza serving round).   Roll the chilled dough onto it, leaving some space around the edge.  Bake for 12 minutes (using single cookie dough recipe).   Allow it to cool.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Spread over the cooled cookie crust and chill again to firm up the frosting.

Top with fruit!  

Adapted from www.pinchofyum.com

Creme Brulee

Christmas Eve 2019 Dessert from Ina Garten.  Quinn did the torching!

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined.  

Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiling.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs.  Add the vanilla and Grand Marnier and pour into 6 - 8-ounce creme brulee ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken.  Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly.  

Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the sugar hardens.

Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Kerry made these recently for a dessert at a baby shower and they were a huge hit.

Crust and Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup flour
3/4 cup old fashioned whole rolled oats (NOT QUICK)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
pinch salt, optional and to taste

Blueberry Layer:

12 ounces (2 cups) blueberries (fresh or frozen) 
         Kerry used frozen and didn't thaw.
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. 

Topping:  In a large bowl melt the butter in the microwave.  Add the flour, oats, sugars, optional salt and stir to combine.  Set 1 heaping cup of crumbly mixture aside to be sprinkled on later.

Place rest of mixture into prepared pan and press to create an even, smooth, flat crust; set aside.

Blueberries:  In a large bowl add all ingredients and toss to combine.
Evenly distribute blueberry mixture over the crust.  Evenly sprinkle with reserved 1 cup crumble topping mixture. 

Bake for 55 minutes or until edges are set and center has just set. 

Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Store in refrigerator. 

Dad's Birthday Special Apple Dumplings

Another delicious entry for the 2016 Bakeoff made by Kerry especially for Dad's birthday.  His favorite fruit dessert is anything made with apples.  

Ingredients:

2 whole Granny Smith apples
2 cans (8 ounce cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon, to tate
1 can (12 ounce) Mountain Dew soda

Instructions:

Peel and core apples.  

Cut each apple into 8 slices each.  

Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.  Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir.  Add vanilla, stir and pour entire mixture over apples.

Pour Mountain Dew around edges the pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 4 minutes.  Serve with ice cream and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Churro Cheesecake Bars

Christine wins the 2016 Bakeoff trophy with this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

2 - 8 ounce packs of Pillsbury crescent rolls

2 - 8 ounce packs of cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

4 Tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Press a can of the crescent rolls to the bottom of the dish, making sure to reach edges and keep together.

Bake the first layer of crescent roll dough till just done, 5-8 minutes.

Combine softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Spread mixture over crescent rolls.  Rol the remaining crescent roll over the top and stretch to the edges and seal.

Brush across the entire top of the crescent roll with the melted butter.  Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let cool and chill for several hours before serving.  Slice into bars and serve.

Profiteroles aka Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs are a nice alternative to eclairs.  These are especially good because the filling is a layer of homemade vanilla custard topped with sweetened whipped cream.  

Cream Puff Shells:
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring water and butter to a boil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.  Reduce heat to low and add flour, stirring until mixture forms a ball.  Remove from heat.  Stir in eggs, one at a time, beating until dough is smooth.

Using a generous tablespoon full, drop dough onto parchment lined baking sheet leaving 3 inches in between.   I use Silpat sheets on my baking pans. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes  minutes or until puffed and golden brown. (I baked them for 30 minutes).  Let cool on rack.

Custard Cream Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix sugar, flour and salt in saucepan.  Stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Mixture will thicken and bubble, boil for one minute only while stirring.  Remove from heat.  Stir about half of the mixture into the beaten egg yolks.  Blend this back into remaining hot mixture in the saucepan.  Bring just to a boil.  Add vanilla and stir until combined.  Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Sweetened whipped cream:
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the cream using electric beaters and add sugar and vanilla.  

Assembling the cream puffs:

Cut off shell tops and scoop out the insides to make room for the custard and whipped cream.   I used a tiny spoon.  Fill puffs 2/3 full with Custard Cream Filling.  Top generously with the sweetened whipped cream.  Replace top of puff.

Store in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

Cover with sifted powdered sugar just before serving.

Great Grandma Louise Voigt's Rice Pudding