Cherry Apple Pie

Cherry Apple Pie is one of my best creations. My stepfather loves cherry pie and I make a great apple pie (courtesy Martha Stewart), so to appease everyone, I embarked on the great Cherry Apple Pie adventure. Taking what I know about apple pie basics and a quick read of several cherry pie recipes, I came up with a delectable, crowd-pleasing dessert.

I use Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee pie crust recipe and I must tell you, do not follow the pictures in the Martha Stewart Baking Book. It's true that you don't want to pulse the dough for very long, but for the best-tasting crust ever, you need to remove the dough while its still sandy and barely holds together. The mandatory freeze time makes it easier to roll out the dough and bring all the components together. This method is messier and harder, but the taste is worth it. Additionally, if you have a dough cutter, it takes longer, but works better than the food processor.

I don't have an exact recipe for my Cherry Apple Pie. I'm experienced enough with pies that I can just feel my way about it. Basically, I use about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of frozen cherries. I cook a little less than half down in a pot with some sugar. Once the cherries have popped, I add the remaining cherries until just warm. I cut up 2 to 3 apples and mix in a bowl with some flour (about 2 tablespoons), cinnamon, a little sugar, maybe some brown sugar and some lemon juice. Basic apple pie. I combine the cherry and apple mixture, dot with butter, assemble lattice top and cook until bubbly and golden brown.

The pie comes out delicious. The apples soak up all the cherry flavor and adds a much-needed thickness to the filling. Sanding sugar sprinkled on top before baking adds a crunch, if that's what you're into. For smaller gatherings, I have two small pie dishes that I use. Truthfully, one pie is big enough for two people, especially if ice cream is involved.



I plan to attempt this recipe this weekend with fresh cherries (last week of cherries at the Farmer's Market), IF I can get my hands on a cherry pitter.

Wine

So, we're into wine. Really into wine. Not in the snobby way either. More in the way that wine is a treasured part of our lives. We love to frequent the local wineries and recently embarked on several wine tasting trips/vacations! We've been buying and tasting pretty hardcore since November and, as you can see, have amassed quite the collection.

For the most part, we prefer to drink locally-produced wines with wineries or tasting rooms in Clarksburg, CA. We're also close to some great wineries in Placerville/Apple Hill, Suisun Valley and, of course, Disneyland for Adults (Napa). (See pic for proof.
That's taken from the gondola ride at Sterling Vineyards.)

Staples include Duck Pond dpc Merlot (WA), Bogel Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet and Phantom, Scribner Bend Pinot Grigio, Black Hat Tempernio, Castle Rock Pinot Noir and Folie a Deux Menage a Trois. (Currently about $7 at Costco, plus they have a $1 off coupon.)

Perhaps the greatest place on earth, Old Sugar Mill http://oldsugarmill.com in Clarksburg, is home to several fantastic local wineries. The Todd Taylors (red only) are an expensive, but special treat. I personally love the Petite Syrah from French Hill and Carvalho's Chenin Blanc.

Up the road, you'll find Bogel, who's Reserve tastings are impressive and sadly Bandwagon (wine club) members only. Across the road, Scribner Bend sits getting more lavish each and every day. In addition to great wine, the Scribner Family introduced us to our favorite cracker, Vinta by Dare. No cheese plate of mine is complete without.

Roasted Fall Veggie Pizza

This recipe from Martha Stewart led me to embark on a pizza making adventure. We've used this recipe many times, amending it each time to come up with the perfect combination of ingredients. I am a butternut squash fanatic and love caramelized onions, thus this is the pizza for me. We like to use Jack cheese, skip the potatoes, use minimal carrots (if any) and toss on whatever herbs are in the fridge. Martha's Fall Vegetable recipe is way more veggies than you will ever need. I usually use a whole medium butternut squash, half a red onion, two carrots, and four or five garlic cloves.

Roasted Fall Veggie Pizza
From MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

Serves 4

• Olive oil, for baking sheet and drizzling
• Flour, for dusting surface
• 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, fresh, or thawed if frozen
• 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 6 cups (about 1/2 recipe) Roasted Fall Vegetables, drained and coarsely cut
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Brush a large baking sheet (preferably rimless) with oil, or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch dough into a 12-by-16-inch oval (or as large as will fit on baking sheet); transfer to sheet.
3. Sprinkle dough with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables on top, and dollop with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and, if using, rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

Roasted Fall Vegetables
from MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

Serves 8; Makes about 12 cups

• 2 pounds (about 1 medium) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 pounds red new potatoes (12 to 14), well scrubbed and quartered
• 1 pound medium red onions (about 2 to 3), peeled and quartered
• 1 pound carrots (6 to 8 medium), halved lengthwise, if thick, and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide vegetables and garlic between two rimmed baking sheets (or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup); dividing evenly, toss with oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Helpful Hint

Use shallow pans (such as baking sheets) and don't overcrowd vegetables. This allows vegetables to brown rather than steam.

Perfect Party Cake

It was Robbie's 26th birthday and I needed to find a recipe for a party cake. The Internet led me to the Daring Baker's Blogroll. That month's challenge was the Perfect Party Cake. The recipe is pretty basic, although the techniques new to me. The cake and buttercream are made with egg whites. The finished product is light, fluffy and reliable. Rob's b-day cake turned out so well, I decided to make my mother a cake in honor of Mother's Day. The recipe can be amended to any fruit/flavor you desire. Rob's cake was layered with blueberries and the cake and frosting was lemon. For my mother's cake, I went with strawberries and used whipped cream in the layers instead of buttercream.

For the Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed
gently until spreadable
1 container strawberries
1 1/2 small containers blueberries

For the whipped cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Gran Marnier

Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan
with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a
baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and
rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and
fragrant.
Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or
with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until
the butter and sugar are very light.
Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still
beating on medium speed.
Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the
remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.
Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is
homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is
thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a
rubber spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy
to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out
clean
Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then
run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off
the paper liners.
Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake
layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature
overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large
heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk
constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to
the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny
marshmallow cream.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the
meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a
stick at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high
speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.
During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep
beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each
addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.
You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream.
Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and
set aside briefly.

To make the whipped cream
With a whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream in the bowl of
an electric mixer until peaks begin to form. Add the sugar, vanilla,
and GM, and beat until stiff peaks form.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each
layer horizontally in half.
Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate
protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
Spread it with one third of the preserves.
Cover the jam evenly with about one third of the whipped cream.
Top the whipped cream with thin slices of strawberries.
Top with another cake layer, spread with preserves and whipped cream
and layer with strawberries, and then do the same with a third layer.
Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the
buttercream to frost the sides and top.
Toss the blueberries in some sugar and cover the top of the cake with
the blueberries. Line the bottom of the cake with strawberries, tops
cut off and then cut in half.

Roses

I was blessed with huge, gorgeous blooms this year. Plenty to keep my house full of fresh roses for several weeks. Lately, I've had much smaller blooms that the heat are killing instantly, but I'm hopeful for more.

Firecracker Prawns

These shrimps are the bomb. Yup, the bomb. Great as an appetizer or tossed with wheat noodles for a meal. Quick, easy and delicious.

From Jane Hammon Events, via yumsugar.com

1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely diced
1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped, plus 1-2 tablespoons chopped for garnish
1 bunch green onion, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs prawns, peeled and deveined (tail on)

1. Mix the hoisin sauce, orange juice, chile, cilantro, onion, and oil in a large 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Add the prawns and toss to coat.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. If the shrimp are frozen, refrigerate overnight to thaw shrimp.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove shrimp from dish, place on a baking sheet, and discard marinade. Bake for 11 minutes until shrimp is cooked through. Alternately cook the shrimp in a large skillet over medium high heat until pink and plump, 8-10 minutes.
4. Trasfer to a serving platter and garnish with more cilantro and green onion, if desired.

Serves 8.

Make ahead: Cool the cooked shrimp and cover. Reheat in a 350°F oven for five minutes and serve.

Cocktail Party

A while back, I threw a cocktail party for a good friend who was moving to the bay area. I found this recipe on yumsugar.com and it is delightful. Definitely a keeper.

Pom Lime Vodka Cocktail
Modified from Cooking Light

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup club soda
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice

3/4 cup vodka
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
Ice
Lime slices (optional)

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in small saucepan; bring to boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or just until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat; cool.
Combine sugar syrup, club soda, pomegranate juice, vodka, and lime juice.
Place ice in a martini shaker; add 3/4 cup pomegranate mixture.
Cover and shake. Strain into glass.
Garnish with lime slices.
Serves 4.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Unfortunately, I had to play nurse maid to sick Maxine all day Wednesday. Fortunately, I caught the cookie episode of Martha Stewart Living. She suggested packaging all the ingredients for Kitchen Sink Cookies into a nice cookie jar and bringing them as a hostess gift. I was hooked immediately, but had to try the recipe out myself first. I amended the recipe to my liking and nixed the raisins and walnuts, while substituting sliced almonds. We also didn't have oats, but I think adding those could be yummy as well. These cookies taste like really good chocolate chip cookies. The coconut flavor is minimal and the almonds just add texture. My favorite part about these cookies is that they don't require a mixer. Cookies come out crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle--just like Martha likes!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

These cookies are so basic you can mix everything by hand; this helps to avoid overbeating, which may toughen the dough.

Ingredients

Makes 4 about 4 dozen.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened flake coconut
• 1 cup coarsely sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add chips, coconut, and almonds, and stir until well blended.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons or with a 1 ounce ice-cream scoop onto silpat about 2 inches apart. Press tops down with the bottom of a glass to flatten cookies evenly. Bake until golden, about 16 to 18 minutes. Cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and finish cooling completely on wire rack.