Desserts

Pecan Pie Bites

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This is a new recipe for me and I love these bites!! The bit of flour in the filling makes a slightly crispy topping!  I started thinking about making a pecan pie for Thanksgiving and I remembered the bakery I worked at as a teen used to sell pecan bars.  My mom was already making  pumpkin pie so I thought why don’t I make little pecan bites instead?!  My family and Friends really like them and they are easy to make too! I fiddled around with a few different recipes and this is what I came up with. I hope you like them as much as we do!

 

Tools

  • 13 x 9 in pan
  • large bowl

Ingredients

CRUST

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup of unsalted butter*
  • 1/3 cup of  granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup of chopped pecans

FILLING

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups of dark corn syrup
  • 2/3 cup of packed dark brown sugar
  • 4 eggs-lightly beaten
  • 6 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the crust ingredients well and press into the 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake 18-20  minutes until light golden brown on the edges. While crust is baking, mix all the other ingredients together,saving the pecans for last.  Spread the mixture onto the hot crust, spreading it evenly. Bake again, uncovered about 35 minutes. The middle will be a little more gooey than the sides.  Cool completely and then refrigerate. Cut into desired size. I cut mine into 1/2 inch bites and put them into bon-bon liners for gifts as well!

 

DELISH TIP 1–You HAVE to use REAL butter in this recipe; unsalted.

No Bake Key Lime Icebox Cake

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imageI am in love with Icebox cakes this summer! They are so easy to prepare too. My  12 year old daughter and I came up with this recipe and she put it together all by herself. The key to icebox cakes is that they have to sit in the fridge for several hours or overnight so the flavors meld and the graham crackers soften up.  This is not a precise recipe which is why I love it! Its great for beginner cooks and for the more experienced cook too! It has been in the high 90s this August in Michigan and SO HUMID I wanted a dessert but did NOT want to turn on the oven! This dessert is SO refreshing and not too sweet. I found a pre-made key lime filling in the baking aisle of my local grocery store so that’s why it was SO EASY! Lemon Curd, or a high quality jam would be delicious too!

Tools

  • Hand Mixer                                                              image
  • large bowl
  • 9 X 13″ pan
  • rasp or grater

Ingredients

  • 16 oz of whipped topping, thawed
  • 8 oz of plain whipped cream cheese
  • one box of graham crackers
  • 23 oz of key lime fruit filling
  • zest of one lime

Recipe

In a large bowl combine most of your whipped topping (save about a cup or so) with your whipped cream cheese and blend with your hand mixer until combined. Zest half of your lime and add to the cream cheese mixture. You should have enough ingredients for 3-4 layers. Spread a small amount of your cream cheese mixture on the bottom of your pan so the graham crackers don’t slide around. Layer graham crackers, breaking the pieces as needed to fit into your container. Next, spread some of  the key lime filling over the graham crackers and then spread the whipped cream cheese mixture on top of that. Repeat with the graham crackers, key lime filling and cream cheese mixture until you reach the top. Use your reserved whipped topping to spread on the top. Garnish with more lime zest and graham cracker crumbles if desired. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

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No Bake Raspberry Icebox Cake

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imageEveryone likes dessert but in the summer I HATE turning on the oven as my home is a little cottage that gets warm in these 95 degree days in Michigan. So I started looking into icebox cakes and here is a recipe I made that helps me use up the million raspberries that grow in my garden July. So Delish!  Creamy, cold, and tangy from the fresh fruit this is a refreshing dessert that only uses the refrigerator!

Tools

  • handmixer
  • large bowl
  • large spoon
  • 9 X 13 pan
  • refrigerator

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of fresh raspberries or other fruit
  • 3 and 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp of vanilla
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar*
  • 1 box of honey graham crackers
  • 1/2 cup of toasted nuts (optional)

Recipe

Pour the heavy cream, vanilla and sugar into a large bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form. Put a dollop of cream into the bottom of your pan. start layering graham crackers into a single layer. Top with whipped cream spreading easily with a spoon. layer berries all over the whipped cream. Repeat three more times with Graham crackers, creme and berries. The top layer put graham crackers on top of berries and spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and garnish with some berries and toasted nuts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

*DELISH TIP 1–If you don’t have powdered sugar put a half cup of granulated white sugar in a food processor and blitz it. Voila, powdered sugar!!

DELISH TIP 2– if you don’t want to whip fresh cream then use the frozen stuff in the tub!!

 

Caramel Swirl Brownies

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I created this brownie recipe because I prefer a dense fudge brownie not a cakey one. This recipe yields a dark, deep,

fudge brownie. It is not overly sweet and the caramel swirl puts this brownie over the top!! I made a fresh batch today as we stayed in our jammies and watched movies all day. I highly recommend a big glass of milk to drink with these!! IMG_0882

Tools:

8×8 pan

parchment paper

glass bowl

microwave

wooden spoon

spatula

skewer

Ingredients:

  • 10 TBSP of unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups of white sugar
  • 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa                           IMG_0874
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs- cold
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 18 caramels
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup of chocolate chips*

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Also, butter the bottom of your glass pan and press your parchment paper into it. Heat the caramels and cream over medium heat until melted, stirring often. Set aside to cool a bit.  Put the butter in  the microwave until just melted (NOT boiling), then  stir in the sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla. Add one egg at a time stirring each one into the batter completely. The batter should be looking shiny, then add your flour and stir that for about 40 strokes. Add the chocolate chips and spread into your 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Take your cooled caramel and pour it in rows across the brownie batter. Take a skewer or a small knife and swirl the caramel lightly through the top of the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

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DELISH TIP:

I toss the chips into a little bit of flour before adding into the batter. They won’t sink to the bottom that way.

My family likes dark chocolate so I added bittersweet chips to the batter. If you’d like a sweeter brownie you could add milk chocolate chips instead.