BLOGHUNGRY

Pie Pops

Pie's time has come. More diverse and satisfying than any cupcake or frozen yogurt fad, pie deserves your respect. If you are still caught up in cute packaging and modern presentations, then try these "pie pops" from Scoochmaroo and Lemonie. This recipe uses peach filling, but you could use any filling that would fit in the pie pop.

Peach Pie Pops

2 fresh peaches
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp butter
Fresh nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
Two pie crusts (homemade or rolls of store bought)
1 egg for egg wash on crusts (optional)
Lollipop sticks

To peel peaches and accelerate cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add peaches and boil for 5 minutes. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and immerse immediately in ice water. Now your peaches will peel easily.

Peel, pit and finely chop peaches. Cut together flour, butter and sugar. To the peaches, add dry ingredients. Stir to coat. Season with fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon.

Cover your workspace with plastic wrap or a fine dusting of flour or cornstarch. Roll out pie crusts as thinly as possible - otherwise you'll be eating a mouthful of crust! Cut with a circle cutter or something similar - I used the lid off of a small jar.

Gently press sticks into crust. For added security, you can use a scrap of crust to cover the stick. Add a small dollop of filling to the center. Cover with another circle of dough. and press edges together securely. Using the end of a lollipop stick or a fork, crimp the edges.

Transfer pops to a baking sheet. Mine is covered with a silicone sheet. Brush beaten egg white onto crusts.
Cover the sticks with foil to prevent burning. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Pops are done when they are golden brown.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

I'm a sucker for gimmicky holiday foods. I especially like tasty finger foods that can be eaten in one bite. This genius recipe is from Bakerella.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter

Optional
1/2 cup chocolate morsels
vegetable oil
re-sealable plastic bags

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.

Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.

To decorate, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave on medium. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies.

Note: The cutter used was 3 3/4 inches wide, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps. Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.

Blueberry-Blackberry Purses

I love that fancy people wrap something in pastry twist the top and call it a purse. I am on a mission to start making my own purses full of deliciousness. My first attempt went well, but they ended up a little bigger than I expected. They were more like grandma-sized pocketbooks really. Regardless, they were sweet, zesty, and loved by all. Serve with whipped cream and berries. I also added a white chocolate marshmallow sauce, because it was there, but it's not at all necessary.

Blueberry-Blackberry Purses

Filling:
1/2 cup blackberry preserves
 2 tablespoons cornstarch
 2 tablespoons brown sugar
 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pastry:
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten with 2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For Serving
fresh whipped cream
extra berries

Heat the oven to 375°F. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the blackberry preserves, cornstarch, brown sugar, and lemon zest. Fold in the fresh berries and vanilla.Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the puff pastry sheets into 12-by-12-inch squares. Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 squares.

Lay a pastry square on work surface. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of berry filling in the center of the square. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash and fold up all four corners to meet to form a “purse.” Carefully press edges together to seal. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Top or side with whipped cream and extra berries.

Chess Pie

Chess pie is a traditional southern pie that is like a zesty custard with a slight texture. In the past few months, it has risen through the ranks to become my favorite all time pie (beating out key lime, apple, and pecan). My friend Kelly did the legwork to create the perfect chess pie recipe and it is my duty to share it with the world.

Chess Pie

1 frozen or homemade crust
2 cups white Sugar
3 tbs vinegar
1 stick Butter, melted
4 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
3 TBS Cornmeal
2 TBS Flour
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch salt

Combine sugar, flour and meal. Add melted butter. Add eggs, milk, vinegar, salt and lemon juice. Beat until well mixed. Bake in a pie shell at 400 degrees, for 10 minutes. Then lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

I love traditional pumpkin pie, but when I saw this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, I had to try it. It's layered with an easy graham cracker crust, a rich mousse, and homeade whipped cream. It's practically a no bake pie. which is important when your oven is so in demand. Plus, you can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 ripe banana, finely mashed
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

For the decoration:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.

For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.

Pear Cake with Caramel Sauce and Fresh Whipped Cream

I've eaten a lot of wedding and birthday cakes lately. So now that it's my birthday I decided to take it easy by making a bundt cake. I'm a big fan of pears and caramel so I looked around for some recipes and my birthday cake was born.

Pear Cake

4  ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
1  tablespoon  sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3  large eggs
2  cups  sugar
1 1/4  cups  vegetable oil
3  cups  all-purpose flour
1  teaspoon  salt
1  teaspoon  baking soda
1  cup roasted pecans, coarsely chopped
2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
Caramel Glaze

Toss together pears and 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand 5 minutes.

Beat eggs, 2 cups sugar, and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda, and add to egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in pears, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Sprinkle brown sugar into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan and top with batter.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and drizzle with caramel.

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Watch the mixture very carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla. Don't worry - the cream will bubble violently and the caramel will solidify.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits. Stir and season with salt.

Fresh Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Make sure your cream is nice and cold - it will make it easier to whip. Pour the cream into the bowl.  Begin to whip on medium speed with your electric mixer (this can be done by hand, but it's quite tiring) until it becomes fluffy.  Gently stir in the sugar and vanilla, adjust the sweetness to taste, and keep mixing until the cream has formed soft peaks.

Smores Brownies

This marriage of brownies and smores is so right that even California voters can't deny its union. You must try these brownies. They put all others to shame.

Smores Brownies

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

White Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies

We've eaten a lot of wedding cake and birthday cake at our house lately. So for Popmuse's birthday this year he asked to nix the cake for brownies and blondies. Here is a pretty basic blondies recipe for your own fudgy cookie-like brick of goodness.

White Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped, or 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high. Beat together the sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and butter and beat to mix well. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter mixture, beating until just incorporated. Do not overmix. Using a spoon, stir in the pecans and white chocolate.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and use a flat metal spatula or a butter knife to smooth the top. Bake the blondies for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is dry and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached (not wet, but not perfectly dry). Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut the blondies into 2-inch squares. The blondies can be stored, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days (these seem to get better as they sit) or frozen for up to 2 months (thaw before serving).

DIY Wedding Cupcakes

Several Months ago a good friend of mine asked me to make her wedding cake from the oven of an extended stay hotel room in Nashville, TN. She wanted something very basic with no frills. She asked  for a white cake with a vanilla butter cream. About a week and a half ago her vision came to life. Here's a rundown of how to make hundreds of wedding cupcakes in your own hotel room. See more pics here. Note: This is the best buttercream recipe in the world.

White Chocolate Almond Sour Cream Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
 3/4 cup granulated sugar
 Pinch salt
 1 1/3 cups milk
 1/8-cup vegetable oil
 1 teaspoons real vanilla
 1 teaspoons almond extract
 1 cup sour cream
 3 whole eggs
 6oz white chocolate

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt 8oz white baking chocolate into milk & cool slightly. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. Add the milk mixtures and remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill cupcake papers a little over ½ way and bake for about 20 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch.

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream 

12 oz butter room temp
4 oz shortening
2 eggs
2 boxes powdered sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Slowly add sugar until absorbed. Add vanilla and beat for 3 minutes.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

I got married last night in a small private ceremony in Hollywood. My brother, his girlfriend, and a couple close friends were there and afterwards we came back to our place for a homemade Cranberry White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake and Truffle Brownies with Chocolate Ganache. It was easy, intimate, and perfect. For more pictures and wedding info, see Popmuse.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cups milk
1/8 cup vegetable oil
2 (16oz) cans whole berry cranberry sauce
zest of one medium orange
4oz cup cream cheese
3 whole eggs
1 package vanilla pudding mix
red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. In a medium bowl mix cranberry sauce with orange zest. Add a little over 1/2 cranberry mixture (about 2 1/3 cups) to dry mix reserving the rest for cake filling. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 or 3 greased round cake pans. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 25 to 28 minutes.

Let cakes cool. Spread thin layer of frosting on the top of middle cake layers and cover with remaining cranberry mixture. Stack layers so that cranberry mixture is sandwiched inside the cake and frost with remaining frosting.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

9 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and 2 1⁄2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Add more sugar as needed to make the frosting spreadable. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more.