Fig and Rum Squares 'are really great'

Updated on Dec. 21, 2023

They were a hit with my co-workers and my husband’s co-workers.
   They are a delicious combination of finely-ground figs, orange zest and a shortbread-like crust.
   They were easy to make.
   They are perfect treat for the holidays.
   They are Fig and Rum Squares (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit magazine.
   “These are really great, Mandy,” was the general sentiment muttered from people as they ate the squares.
   I agreed with them.
   Not only do these squares have all that I mentioned above going for them, they will keep well for about three days in an airtight container at room temperature.
   The recipe calls for dried black Mission figs, which can be found in some well-stocked supermarkets in the baking aisle (in Canada, I found them at Superstore.)
   Because the recipe called for an 11.5” x 7.5”-inch metal baking pan, a rather unusual size which I don’t have, I converted the recipe ingredient amounts to a 13” x 9” inch baking pan.
Here are the ingredient amounts I used:
- 2.7 cups of flour
- 1.36 cups of butter
- 1.36 cups of golden brown sugar (0.68 cups then 0.68 cups)
- 0.33 tsp. salt
- 1.36 tbsps. dark rum for crust
- 1.36 cups of dough is reserved for the topping
- 12 ounces (340 g) of black Mission figs
- 7 tbsps. of orange juice
- 1.36 tbsps. finely-grated orange peel
- 1.36 tsps. ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsps. dark rum for fig mixture
- 1 cup sliced almonds

   To make the crust, flour, unsalted butter, golden brown sugar and salt are combined in a food processor until a coarse meal forms. Rum is added and the mixture blended until a moist dough forms (it won’t be in a ball; it will just come together into a soft dough mixture lining the processor.)
   Some of the dough is reserved for the topping. The remaining dough is pressed into a baking pan. The food processor is not cleaned (yay!)
   Figs, orange juice, orange peel, cinnamon, golden brown sugar and rum are blended together in a processor to a coarse paste. This filling is spread over the crust.
   Sliced almonds are mixed into the reserved dough, which is then dropped onto the filling in small clumps (pick up some dough, press it together and place it on the filling.)
   The squares are baked, cooled completely, then cut into squares or bars.

A whoopie pie for fall

A whoopie pie for every season. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
   I’ve got one for fall: Whoopie Pumpkin Pies (click for the recipe), created by Pat and Gina Neely, hosts of the Food Network TV show Down Home with the Neelys.
   Canned pure pumpkin lends the slight pumpkin flavor to the creamy middle, sandwiched on either side by a billowy chocolate cookie.
   These cookies would be a fabulous treat for a Halloween party – both young and old will like them.
   Comments on the Food Network website seem to point to an error about the amount of sugar needed in the cookies when the recipe was originally posted, but it has since been corrected. The recipe is exactly the same as the one I used from the October 2011 issue of Food Network magazine.
   The whoopie pies are easy to make.
   Butter, sugar, egg, buttermilk and vanilla are beaten together, then a mixture of dry ingredients is added. The dry ingredients are flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Everything is mixed until just combined (I used an electric hand mixer rather than a stand mixer.)
   The dough is dropped by heaping tablespoons on parchment-lined baking sheets, and baked in the oven for eight minutes. The cookies are transferred to racks and left to cool completely.
   The filling is made by beating together cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar), canned pure pumpkin (don’t use pumpkin pie filling), cinnamon and salt until smooth.
   To assemble a pie, the filling is spread on the flat side of a cookie and sandwiched with another.

Jacques Pepin's apple gallette: Absolutely brilliant

My husband and I have long been fans of super-chef Jacques Pepin.
   Several years ago, we bought a copy of his Simple and Healthy Cooking book, and instantly dug his reliable recipes, which yield delicious results.
   The October 2011 issue of Food & Wine magazine includes some of the recipes from his latest book, Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food.
   I was instantly drawn to the recipe for Country Apple Gallette (click for the recipe). Rux Martin, the writer of the article on Pepin’s new book and the editor of the book itself, said the gallette recipe has officially replaced her apple pie recipe.
   As a person who struggles with pie pastry, I liked Martin’s description of the pastry dough as “foolproof.”
   I set out last weekend to make the gallette. On Friday night, I made the pastry dough, which came together quickly and easily in a food processor, and left it to chill overnight in the refrigerator (although it can be used right away.)
   Saturday morning, I cut the apples for the gallette and rolled out the pastry in a rectangle (it was more like an oval, actually). I followed the easy instructions of layering apples, honey, cinnamon, sugar and butter on the pastry, then pulling up the edge over the apples to create a border.
   After baking the gallette for one hour as the recipe directed, I took it out of the oven.
   It looked as if disaster had struck.
   While the fruit looked fine, the pastry looked too brown on one side and a little burned on the bottom. On the other side, the pastry seam had opened, allowing honey to leak out onto the baking sheet and burn ferociously.
   I left the gallette to cool on the counter and went out for lunch, telling myself that I can’t win ‘em all.
   But when we got home in the afternoon, we were in for a mighty pleasant surprise.
   I cut up the gallette into pieces, and we gave it a try.
   It was delicious, and the pastry had a perfect flaky texture.
   Jacques hadn’t let me down!
   However, that's not to say I won't watch the gallette more closely the next time I make it and likely take it out before the hour is up.
.   The introduction to the recipe says Jacques especially likes the gallette because it’s easy to slice and can be eaten pizza-style, making it ideal for a buffet.
   It was absolutely true – we picked up the pieces with our hands and ate them, savouring the sweet apple taste. Nothing drooped or fell to the ground.
   What piece of apple pie can do that?

Family-style Chewy Chocolate Cookies are seriously good

Just yesterday I tried a new cookie recipe, and after tasting them, I had to report to my personal Facebook pals that the cookies kicked butt in a major way.
   They really did. Chewy Chocolate Cookies (click for the recipe) from America's Test Kitchen are soft and slightly chewy, with just the perfect amount of chocolate taste -- no overload here.
   They're terrific for families and suit all types of occasions that involving all ages of people, from weeknight dinners and weekday lunches to casual family get-togethers. They'll go quickly, and people will ask when you're going to bake the next batch.
   Luckily, they're very easy to make.
   The recipe I linked to above is on a blog, but it's exactly the same as the one I used.
   Butter, sugar, and granulated sugar are beaten together with an electric mixer (I used a hand mixer), then mixtures of corn syrup, egg white and vanilla and flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt are added, along with bittersweet chocolate that has been chopped into 1/2 inches pieces.
   The resulting dough is chilled for not more than 30 minutes.
   The dough is rolled into balls, then tossed in sugar to coat (the recipe said to divide the dough into 16 equal portions, but I just rolled the dough into balls one at a time as I went.)
   The cookies are baked in a 375 F oven for 10-11 minutes (in this case, the recipe said to use two baking sheets and switch them halfway through baking time; I just baked one batch at a time because the cooking time is so short.)
   The cookies are cooled on the pan for five minutes, then transferred to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Grapes, cornmeal and olive oil together? Not a muffin, but a cake

The recipe looked too unusual to pass up: A cake with ingredients that included cornmeal, grapes and olive oil.
   It sounded to me like a cross between a pancake and a muffin. Because it went beyond the boundaries of a usual chocolate or coffee cake, I wanted immediately to try Red Grape, Polenta and Olive Oil Cake (click for the recipe).
   But apparently the cake is unusual only to some eyes and palates such as mine. The creator of the recipe, Lauren Chattman, writes that it’s a “rustic Italian-style cake.”
   I’m glad I tried it – it was terrific. My husband took part of it to his work and it was hit.
   It’s an ideal cake to make and serve now, for two reasons. First, it uses grapes, which are in season in early fall. Second, it makes for a nice transition between the light desserts of summer and the denser desserts of late fall and winter.
   I think the cake will work well as dessert for a dinner party, but it’s equally at home with weeknight dinner.
   It’s very easy to make.
   Eggs and sugar are beat together until light in color and increased in volume. Olive oil, milk, vanilla, lemon zest (finely-grated lemon peel) and a combination of flour, cornmeal and baking powder are added and mixed in. Half of the grapes are stirred in.
   The batter is poured into a greased nine-inch springform pan and baked for 10 minutes. The remaining grapes are then scattered on top, and the cake is baked for another 40 minutes.
   After baking, the pan is left to cool for five minutes before the sides are released. After cooling completely, the cake is dusted with confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar), cut into wedges, and served.

Turning to grape sorbet to fight early fall's heat

As I write this, it’s 34 C (93.2 F) outside.
   This may seem like nothing to those of you in some parts of the world, but where I live, Saskatchewan, at this time of year, early September, that is quite hot.
   I’m actually looking forward to cooler weather so I can start making heartier dishes, soups and stews. If I made them now, I simply wouldn’t enjoy them as much as I would on a crisp, cool evening.
   For now, I’ll have to look to dishes and desserts that attempt to strike a balance between summer and fall, like Fresh Grape and Champagne Sorbet (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit magazine.
   Grapes are at their best right now, in early fall. They’re plump and juicy, just waiting for attention in supermarkets. Sorbet, of course, is a terrific hot weather cooler. The two come together to make a delicious dessert.
   I offer one consider-it-seriously tip for this recipe.
   After the grapes are puréed in a blender, you may want to strain the purée in a fine-mesh sieve, a direction not called for in the recipe.
   No matter how much the grapes are blended, small bits of skin will remain in the purée. My husband and I didn’t mind the skin bits in the finished product, but I guarantee there are those who will be bothered by it.
   Straining the bits of skin out of the purée before proceeding with the recipe should definitely help avoid any fussy complaints later on.
   Four cups of red seedless grapes are puréed in a blender.
   Champagne or sparkling wine, sugar (I used Splenda instead), thawed frozen grape juice concentrate, water and cinnamon are combined in a bowl and 1 1/2 cups of the purée is added. The mixture is stirred until the sugar dissolves.
   The mixture is processed in an ice cream maker. I processed it for 20 minutes, at which point is was an icy liquid. I poured it into an airtight container, and put in the freezer. It needs to freeze for at least four to six hours.
   The sorbet is served, offering a cooling sensation and nod toward fall.

A Giada sorbet again -- this time it's Pomegranate and Mint

In less than two weeks, I’m writing about another recipe from Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis.
   Posting two entries about recipes by the same chef, magazine or cookbook in such a short time frame wouldn’t normally be unusual for me, but this time it is because it’s the second time I’m writing about one of her sorbets.
   Tropical Watermelon Sorbet is what I wrote about on Aug. 12, and now it’s Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet (click for the recipe).
   Giada really knows her sorbets – both of these are very delicious.
   With Tropical Watermelon Sorbet, the lovely taste of watermelon was amplified by dark rum and pineapple juice.
   In Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet, a mint syrup and orange juice are combined with pomegranate juice to produce an elegant, dinner-party worthy dessert that’s truly refreshing and delicious. (It's also the type of sorbet you pull out of the freezer and eat out of the container for a few precious minutes -- I did that a couple of times.)
   One commenter on this recipe on the Food Network website complained that the mint flavor is too overwhelming.
   This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Both my husband and I agreed the mint flavor was absolutely perfect.
   The mint flavor comes from a mint simple syrup, made by boiling and simmering sugar (I used Splenda), fresh mint leaves and water, then letting the mixture cool. It can be refrigerated before using, though it will come out of the fridge much thicker than when it was put in. Stirring it up will get it back to full thick-liquid form again.
   The syrup is then mixed with pomegranate juice (often found in the produce section of the supermarket) and orange juice. Make sure the pomegranate and orange juices are chilled before mixing – it will make the next step, processing it in the ice cream maker, work better.
   I processed the mixture in my ice cream maker for 20 minutes, adding mini semisweet chocolate chips during the last 10 minutes as directed in the recipe.
   After 20 minutes, the mixture was just slush, not a sorbet, but I knew all it needed was to be put in the freezer to become a sorbet. I poured the icy liquid into an airtight container, then put the mixture in the freezer to harden completely, which takes about eight hours.
   A lot of the chocolate chips landed up at the bottom of the ice cream maker in a clump, so I simply scooped them out and stirred them into the mixture in the freezer. However, most of the chocolate chips ended up on the bottom of the container anyway. My advice: Dig deep when serving this sorbet!

Tropical Watermelon Sorbet is latest in a string of delish celeb recipes

This week on Recipes That Worked, it seems I’m a bit celebrity-crazy.
   Monday’s post was about Gwyneth Paltrow's Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce, Wednesday was Bobby Flay's Grilled Corn with Garlic Butter, Fresh Lime and Queso Fresco, and today’s post is Tropical Watermelon Sorbet (click for the recipe) from Giada De Laurentiis.
   I’m not sure why these celebrity recipes have suddenly clumped up like this. But I do know the results of all these famous people recipes are delicious.
   De Laurentiis, a Food Network host, celebrity chef and cookbook author, has created a refreshing, perfectly-sweetened dessert with Tropical Watermelon Sorbet.
   The recipe offers the option of using ginger ale or dark rum. I used dark rum, and I think that was a good choice – it amplified and complimented the fresh watermelon taste.
   Pineapple juice, lime juice and ginger ale round out the sorbet’s complimentary ingredients.
   The recipe says after the sorbet’s ingredients are combined, they are put in an ice cream maker and processed, according to manufacturer’s instructions, for about 35 minutes. It then says the “sorbet” can be served.
   I found 35 minutes only produced watermelon slush, not sorbet. Even at 45 minutes of processing in the ice cream maker, it was still just icy slush.
   Obviously, the slush needed to be frozen to become a sorbet. In fact, all sorbet recipes I’ve ever seen until this one call for freezing a mixture for at least two hours after being processed in an ice cream maker.
   I poured the slushy mixture from the ice cream maker into an airtight plastic container and put it in the freezer. It seemed that at least 10 hours of freezing time was required for this sorbet to reach its perfect icy-yet-creamy stage.
   To make the sorbet, cubes of seedless watermelon with the rind removed are blended with chilled pineapple juice, chilled ginger ale or dark rum, fresh lime juice and grenadine in a blender (I needed to do this in two batches.)
   The mixture is processed in an ice cream maker, frozen, then spooned into bowls and served.

Summer Berry Icebox Pie: A truly sensational summer dessert

I know when my husband really likes something I baked.
   He eats its quickly, concentrating his eyes on it, barely coming up for air.
   That’s what he did when eating Summer Berry Icebox Pie (click for the recipe).*
   I enjoyed this truly sensational summer dessert just as much.
   In fact, most everyone will adore it. Serve it to someone who likes pie and they may act as if they have never truly eaten pie before that moment.
   The pie absolutely delicious, with a jam-like layer that is a perfect bed to sweet summer berries.
   Because of all the berries on top, it’s very pretty to look at, without much work -- very little work, in fact.
   I was amazed with the ease of this recipe, from the graham cracker crust to the jam layer. The fabulous results it gets almost makes you feel like you cheated somehow.
   *The recipe I linked to above is on a blog, but it is nearly exactly the same as the one I used from America’s Test Kitchen.
   Here are the three miniscule differences:
   - The recipe on the blog says to use five tablespoons of melted butter in the graham cracker crust; the recipe I used said to use four tablespoons.
   - The blog recipe said to bake the crust for 13 to 18 minutes; my recipe says 12 to 16 (and I baked it for 12.)
   - The recipe on the blog said to warm and melt the red currant or apple jelly in a saucepan; the recipe I used said to microwave it on high power for about 45 seconds.

   The crust is made by processing graham crackers, melted butter and sugar in a food processor, then pressing the crumbs into a nine-inch pie plate and baking it. Cool the crust completely before using.
   The filling is made by tossing raspberries, blackberries and blueberries together in a large bowl, and puréeing some of the berries in a food processor until very smooth. This is poured into a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan.
   Sugar, cornstarch and salt are mixed together then whisked into the strained purée in the saucepan.
   The next step is key and crucial. The purée is brought to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until it is thick as pudding.
   Just as the recipe states, this process takes about seven minutes. It won’t be obvious to you that the purée is boiling, but sure enough, by about seven minutes after it was put on the stove (and you constantly stir it), it will reach the pudding-like texture. Be sure not to burn it!
   Off heat, fresh lemon juice is stirred into the purée, and the mixture is set aside. After it’s cooled slightly, the purée is poured into the pie crust.
   Red currant or apple jelly is melted on the stove or microwave, then poured over the remaining berries and gently rossed to coat.
   The berries are spread evenly over the purée and slightly pressed into it.
   The pie is chilled until set, as least three hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Icebox Key Lime Pie -- absolutely scrumptious

When you eat a piece of Icebox Key Lime Pie (click for the recipe), it’s hard not to exclaim with joy or sit back, close your eyes and savour the taste.
   My husband and I did these actions alternately each time we ate a piece of this easy-to-make dessert.
   It was absolutely scrumptious, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Make this for a summer family get-together, and people will be convinced you have magic powers. You will be asked for the recipe.
   The recipe is from Cook’s Country magazine, which explains that icebox key lime pie used to be made from eggs that weren’t cooked.
   The magazine’s editors were after a recipe that would have the same smooth, custardy texture as the original without using uncooked eggs.
   The solution the recipe developer devised is a combination of instant vanilla pudding mix, sweetened condensed milk and unflavored gelatin.
   The solution is a stroke of genius. This pie is smooth as silk and not at all runny.
   Plus, because of the vanilla pudding mix aspect, the pie is an absolute snap to make.
   The recipe I linked to above is on a recipe-sharing site. It is exactly the same as the one I used from Cook’s Country.
   The crust is made by pulsing eight whole graham crackers with sugar and melted butter in a food processor, and then pressing the mixture into a nine-inch pie plate and baking it in the oven. The crust needs to cool completely before the filling is poured in it.
   The filling is made by processing sugar, lime zest (grated lime peel), cream cheese, condensed milk and instant vanilla pudding mix in a food processor.
   Unflavored gelatin and lime juice is heated in the microwave for 15 seconds, then stirred until the gelatin is dissolved.
   The gelatin mixture, more lime juice and vanilla is poured through the feed tube of the food processor as the machine is running.
   The filling is poured into the cooled crust, and refrigerated for at least three hours or up to two days. (The two days suggestion is a good one – after that time, the pie starts to lose its delicious lime flavor).
   Let the pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Red Velvet Whoopie Pies - for Canada Day, or any summer celebration

I originally wrote this post suggesting making Red Velvet Whoopie Pies for Canada Day in July, but it recently occurred to me that these would also be a terrific treat to make during the Christmas holiday season, with its red and white colours. - Mandy Higgins, Dec. 1, 2011


With Canada Day coming up on Friday, July 1, my patriotic self thought it was necessary to make a dessert that reflected the colors of the Canadian flag – white and red.
   I turned to a recipe I had my eye on to try ever since I saw it, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from Gourmet Live.*
   These whoopie pies are a variation on the classic version of marshmallow filling sandwiched by chocolate cookies. In this case, puffy red cookies sandwich a white cream cheese filling, so they fit the Canadian flag color requirements perfectly.
   I thanked my patriotic self for stepping forward when we first tried these whoopie pies, because they were absolutely amazing.
   The whole family will love them, guaranteed. They are an absolutely perfect finish to a family backyard barbecue.
   Anyone who has eaten Red Velvet Cake will also appreciate how close these whoopie pies come to the flavor of the cake that inspired them.
   *Unfortunately, I was unable to find online exactly the same recipe I used. The recipe I used is in a Gourmet magazine Grilling special edition, on newsstands now.
   However, I did find a recipe online that was reasonably close to the one I used. Click for the recipe on the blog Tracey's Culinary Adventures. The recipe is for heart-shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. Skip the step of making the cookies heart-shaped to make regular round whoopie pies like I did.
   In the recipe I used, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt are whisked together.
   Butter, vegetable oil, sugar, an egg, vanilla, white vinegar and two tablespoons of red food coloring are mixed together.
   The flour mixture and buttermilk are added alternately and beaten into the red butter and sugar mixture.
   The batter is dropped onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and the cookies baked for eight to 10 minutes.
   The cookies are cooled on wire racks. I let the cookies cool completely, making the application of the filling much easier.
   The filling is made by combining cream cheese, butter, fresh lemon juice, vanilla, salt and confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) with an electric mixer.
   To assemble the whoopie pies, the filling is spread onto the flat side of one cookie, and the flat side of another cookie is placed on top. The two cookies are pressed toward each other gently.
   Because of the cream cheese filling, the whoopie pies need to be stored in the fridge, then brought to room temperature before serving.

What I'm cooking for my husband's birthday and Father's Day

On Saturday, I'll be cooking all day for a party in the evening.
   It’s not a big party, just four of us: Me, my husband, my mom and dad.
   We’re going to be celebrating my husband’s birthday and Father’s Day.
   My husband’s birthday was on Thursday, and Father’s Day is on Sunday, so we decided to combine the two occurrences into one celebration. We have done this in past years as the two occasions fall so close together.
   I’m going to be cooking up a storm of favorites that day.
   Here’s what I plan to serve. All the recipes would work terrifically for your Father’s Day barbecue, too!

Rum Punch with Passion Fruit and Lime - You can do no wrong with this delicious hot-weather cocktail. It’s a snap to make and is easily doubled and tripled.

Ray's Cafe Salmon Burger with Basil Mayonnaise - This is absolutely the best homemade grilled burger we’ve ever made. And it’s so amazingly simple to prepare!

Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad - My husband hates watery cucumber salads, and last summer I found a recipe that solves that icky problem. This is it.

Zucchini pickles - This crunchy, pleasing side is ready in just 10 minutes!

Tunnel of Fudge Cake - This is one of my husband’s favorite dessert recipes. I made it for his birthday last year, and I am again this year. I’m sure my Dad will like it too.

Cherries and raspberries buckle down to flavor in moist, delicious cake

Cherries and raspberries are at their peak right now, and the two have a beautiful friendship in a dessert from Eating Well magazine.
   Cherry-Raspberry Buckle (click for the recipe) is a moist homestyle cake, studded with berries and a crisp sugared top.
   It’s delicious, and would do well with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
   The recipe says it can be made with any fruit combination, such as a suggested blueberries and apricots combo. I’m guessing that would be terrific, too.
   When I first took the cake out of the oven, I worried the top had browned too much.
   My worries were quickly dissipated when we tried the cake. The well-browned top was a sign that the cake had baked to a moist texture, not a soggy one, which is always a danger with fruit-filled cake.
   The recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour. Since I didn’t have the time to look for this, I simply used white flour.
   The recipe also says to use a “nine-inch baking dish or springform pan” – I used a nine-inch square baking pan.
   The cake is very easy to make.
   Flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt are mixed together. In another bowl, milk, applesauce, olive or canola oil, sugar, egg and vanilla are whisked together.
   The wet ingredients are poured into the dry and the two are gently folded together until blended. Raspberries and cherries are added and folded in, then the batter is spooned into a prepared baking dish or pan. The batter is sprinkled with sliced almonds and raw cane sugar.
   The cake is baked until golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes (I baked mine for 45 minutes), then cooled for at least 30 minutes before serving.

If you like to bake, buy this book: Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts

It’s time I told you about a wonderful cookbook I bought recently: Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts.
   Produced by the popular magazine, the book is full of recipes inspired by desserts from years past. But these recipes have been revamped to be refreshing, new and foolproof.
   That’s essentially the mission of Cook’s Country magazine – to find America’s classic, favorite dishes and desserts and retool them for today’s home cooks.
   For those of you who love baking, especially homestyle treats that please the family, I highly recommend the book to you.
   I’ve already made several desserts from the book that are outstanding: Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies, Icebox Strawberry Pie, 7Up Pound Cake, Pecan-Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Tunnel of Fudge Cake and Mississippi Mud Brownies.
   Nearly every recipe has caught my eye to try, for every season of the year.
   This summer, if I have the time, I hope to make Icebox Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Chiffon Pie, Peach Brown Betty and Icebox Oreo Cheesecake.
   Just take a look at some of the recipes you can find in this book, many of which also have an explanation of the interesting history behind the final product:
- Pies: Fresh Blueberry, Lemon Chess, Mile-High Lemon Meringue, Pumpkin-Praline, Jefferson Davis, Millionaire, French Silk Chocolate
- Cakes: Wacky Cake, Wellesley Fudge, Chocolate Blackout, Lady Baltimore, Strawberry Cream (looks like an absolute stunner), Tennessee Stack Cake, Lemon Buttermilk Sheet, Tres Leches Cake, Southern Caramel, Bold and Spicy Gingerbread
- Breakfast, brunch and coffee treats: Blueberry Boy Bait, Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake, St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, Blackberry Roly-Poly, Tick Tock Orange Sticky Rolls
- Cupcakes: Red Velvet, Boston Cream, Chocolate Cream, Black-Bottom
- Cookies and bars: Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes, Peanut Blossom Cookies, Brown Sugar Cookies, Whoopie Pies, Turtle Brownies, Seven-Layer Bars, Raspberry Streusel Bars, Cherry Cheesecake Cookies, Raspberry-Almond Sandwich Cookies, Hazelnut Chewies, Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts at amazon.ca

Press-in crust and brown butter make this raspberry tart a terrific treat

Recently on Recipes That Worked I revelled on the glory of making my first pastry pie crust, a feat I was able to achieve because I could press the pie dough into the pan and not have to roll it.
   This notion of a press-in dough is the reason I’ve always liked making tarts, which typically have a crust made of a soft, pliable press-in dough.
   Brown Butter Raspberry Tart (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit magazine has one of these easy tart crusts.
   This recipe is also the first place I encountered the wonders of browning butter (cooking butter until it’s a deep nutty brown color) to add intense, deep flavor to baked goods. It’s a technique I’ve since seen used in other recipes for baked goods.
   Whenever I’ve made Brown Butter Raspberry Tart, people have loved it. The crust is a comforting cookie-like base to the lovely, slight tartness of the raspberries.
   The tart would be a terrific ending to a summer dinner party, but it also has grab-and-go appeal. The wedges are firm enough to eat with your hands like a cookie, and can be packed into lunches.
   The tart is easy to make, and you don’t even need to use an electric mixer.
   To prepare the crust, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, flour and salt are stirred until incorporated, and the resulting dough is pressed into the bottom and sides of a nine-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom.
   The crust is baked until golden, about 18 minutes.
   For the filling, sugar, eggs, salt, flour and vanilla are whisked together until blended.
   Unsalted butter is cooked in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until a deep nutty brown, about six minutes. The browned butter is poured into a glass measuring cup and gradually whisked into the sugar-egg mixture.
   Raspberries are arranged in the bottom of the cooled crust, and the browned-butter mixture is poured over.
   The tart is baked, then cooled completely on a rack.

Sorbet is sandwiched by soft, delicious gingerbread cookies

I first made Ginger Cookie-Sorbet Sandwiches (click for the recipe) about four years ago after spotting them in Martha Stewart Living magazine.
   Not only was I impressed with the final product – icy sorbet sandwiched between homemade ginger cookies – I was impressed with the cookies themselves.
   They’re the best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever made.
   The cookies are the soft ginger variety – slightly spongy, slighty salty, and all delicious.
   You could absolutely serve them on their own without the sorbet.
   However, the store-bought mango and raspberry sorbet fillings push the cookies right into summertime weather, and make the final product look gorgeous with pastel yellows and pinks.
   Because these sandwiches are assembled right before they’re served, they’re ideal for a quick weeknight treat. Pull out a couple of cookies, spread some sorbet in between and voilà – an ice-cream sandwich.
   The sandwiches are also ideal for a casual backyard party, and in this case they can also be assembled right before serving.
   To make the cookies, flour, ground ginger, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon and ground cloves are mixed together.
   In a different bowl, room temperature butter, sugar, egg, molasses and chopped candied ginger are beaten with an electric mixer, then the flour mixture is gradually mixed in. The resulting dough is refrigerated for a short time.
   Balls of dough are rolled in sugar, dropped on baking sheets, flattened using the bottom of a glass and baked. The cookies are left to cool completely.
   To serve, a scoop of sorbet is put on one cookie, and another put on top of the sorbet to form a sandwich.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies knock it out of the park

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies (click for the recipe), the latest dessert I’ve made from Cook’s Country magazine, are pure pleasure.
   Each brownie is a heavenly combination of rich, spongy chocolate, lined with a cream cheese and raspberry middle. There is also some raspberry jam in the brownie portion, heightening the berry-awesome experience (yes, that was extremely cheeseball of me.)
   The first time I tried a bite of these, I had to stop and savor the taste for a moment, closing my eyes and saying to my husband, “My goodness, these are good.”
   My husband agreed as he munched away on a brownie.
   I found the taste to be best the day the brownies were made and the day after. Although the brownies maintain a rich chocolate flavor and nice soft texture after that time, the taste of the raspberry middle begins to fade.
   But if you serve these to a family, they’ll disappear so quickly you won’t even need to think about a timeline.
   The recipe I linked to above is on a blog, and it is nearly exactly the same as the one I used, with the exception of one mysterious error. The second paragraph of the directions says to add oil, which doesn’t exist in the recipe ingredients, so don’t worry about it!
   The recipe for Raspberry Cream Cheese brownies can also be found in the excellent cookbook Cook's Country Blue Ribbon Desserts.
   The recipe says to microwave the butter and chocolate in a large bowl then add the other ingredients. Rather, I microwaved them in a smaller bowl and added the butter/chocolate combination to the other ingredients.
   A filling is made by processing softened cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg yolk in a food processor.
   The first step in making the brownies is stirring together sugar, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
   Butter and chopped unsweetened chocolate are microwaved until melted, and ¼ cup of raspberry jam is whisked in. After a slight cooling time, this is added to the sugar mixture. A combination of flour, baking powder and and salt is whisked in to create a batter.
   Half of the batter is scraped into an eight-inch square baking plan lined with greased aluminum foil, then the filling is dolloped over and spread into an even layer. Raspberry jam that has been microwaved slightly is dolloped over the filling, and with the tip of a knife, it is swirled in. The remaining batter is spread evenly over the filling.
   The brownies are baked, 50 to 60 minutes, then left to cool for a least two hours before cutting into squares.

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Wondrous Panna Cotta Parfaits with Raspberry Compote

The recipe I’m about telling you about today is absolutely wondrous.
   It’s an extended family favorite that I’ve made dozens of times. It always pleases when it is served.
   It’s easy to make, and works as well for a casual dinner party as it does for a weeknight.
   The recipe is Panna Cotta Parfaits with Raspberry Compote (click for the recipe).
   I made these for the first time four years ago after seeing them in Bon Appetit magazine.
   I remember distinctly my husband’s reaction when he first tasted one.
   “Mmmm, that’s good,” he said with a smile of satisfaction on his face. “They’re so awesome and creamy.”
   That they are. The velvety, creamy bottom is to die for, and it’s topped by a lovely combination of raspberries and balsamic vinegar.
   Fussy steps often seen in other panna cotta recipes, like cooking the panna cotta in a water bath and then flipping them onto a dessert plate, are absent here.
   That’s likely because the recipe was submitted to the magazine by a father and his young daughter, who often cook together.
   It’s imperative that pure vanilla extract is used in this recipe, not imitation. Vanilla provides an essential flavor to the creamy bottom.
   Rather than using champagne flutes as directed in the recipe, I simply use dessert bowls. I also skip the part about putting one raspberry at the bottom of each dessert.
   The bottoms of the parfaits are made by sprinkling gelatin over water in a small saucepan, and letting the gelatin soften, about 10 minutes.
   In a medium saucepan, ½ cup of whipping cream and ½ cup of sugar are combined and stirred over low hit until sugar dissolves. This is poured into a large bowl, and 1 ½ cups cream, sour cream and vanilla are stirred in until just mixed.
   The gelatin mixture is stirred over very low heat until the gelatin dissolves. It’s very important that the gelatin dissolves completely, or the parfaits won’t set. When the water goes from being cloudy to clear again, the gelatin has dissolved properly.
   The gelatin mixture is whisked into the cream mixture, and this is poured into bowls. The parfaits are chilled until they set, about three hours.
   For the topping, fresh raspberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar are combined in a bowl.
   The topping is spooned over the parfaits, and then these beauties are served.

Dr. Mandylove, or how I learned to stop worrying and make a pie crust (for amazing Icebox Strawberry Pie)

I finally did it! I made a homemade pastry pie crust.
   For years I’ve avoided making one, frightened by tales of fussiness: It’s hard to roll. You’ve got to get the ingredient temperatures and measures just right. Flaky can become easily become lardy and tough.
   This past weekend, I decided it was time to face those fears and make a pie crust, and I did so with Cook’s Country magazine's appropriately-titled "No-Fear Pie Crust" (click and scroll down for the recipe).
   It’s a press-in crust (no rolling here!) and for the most part, it was successful. Thanks to the secret ingredient of cream cheese, the dough was easy to press into place. After baking, it looked like a homemade pie crust, and it tasted very good.
   It was a tad overcooked, though, so next time I make it I will watch it more closely while baking.
   I’m glad I made the crust, and will be using the recipe for more pies in the future (lemon, raspberry, chocolate – yummy!)
   However, the true crowning achievement of my first pastry pie-making adventure was not the crust, but the filling and topping.
   I made Icebox Strawberry Pie (click for the recipe) from Cook’s Country magazine, and it was fabulous.
   It’s a luscious, cool pie packed with strawberry flavor that’s dolloped with a cream cheese/heavy cream topping.
   Pie lovers will be impressed – I guarantee it.
   The recipe I linked to above is on a recipe-sharing site, and it contains both the strawberry pie and pie crust recipes. It is exactly the same as the ones I used from Cook’s Country.
   To make the pie filling, two pounds of frozen strawberries are cooked in a large saucepan (I used a soup stock pot), being stirred constantly, for about 25 minutes, until they’ve broken up and become thick and jamlike.
   A combination of unflavored gelatin, lemon juice and water is stirred into the cooked berries along with sugar and salt, and the mixture transferred to a bowl to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
   A pound of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thin, is folded into the filling. The filling is spread into a pie crust that has been baked and cooled, and the pie is refrigerated until set, about four hours.
   To make the topping, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream (I used whipping cream) are beaten together with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
   The topping can be dolloped individually on pieces, or spread over the entire pie.
   The pie is stored in the fridge.

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A recipe for easy-to-make Blender Chocolate Mousse, thanks to a mom

Mom's Blender Chocolate Mousse with Lemon Cream (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit is one of my all-time favorite recipes.
   The intro says the recipe is from the mother of one of the magazine’s food editors, and that makes perfect sense to me.
   The recipe has an air of a mother’s ingenuity – it’s so very easy to make and produces fabulous results.
   The mousse is smooth, creamy and delicious. It works as dessert on a weeknight or for a casual dinner party.
   The dessert is family-friendly, although it’s possible not everyone will go for the lemon cream topping. Just leave this part off if that’s the case.
   You won’t be able to eat instant pudding again after making this mousse, which is practically as simple as preparing pudding from a box but makes a far, far superior product.
   The recipe says to “whisk” whipped cream for the lemon cream topping. Be sure to use an electric mixer to do this work, even though the recipe doesn’t say so – it will make things a lot easier.
   To make the mousse, a mixture of water, sugar, and instant espresso powder or instant coffee is brought to a simmer in a medium saucepan. The mixture is poured over one cup of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips that have been placed in a blender. Egg whites are added and the mixture blended on high for one minute.
   The chocolate mixture is poured into for small bowls and chilled until firm, about two hours.
   Chilled whipping cream, lemon juice, finely-grated lemon peel and sugar are beaten with an electric mixture until soft peaks form. Spoon over the mousse and serve.