Guest Post- Peach Pie

Sarah here!

Elisabeth was so sweet to offer me a position at Guest Blogger on her blog, I mean she practically begged me... 

This morning we were planning our menu to cook at the lake for the 4th of July and I ran across a cute recipe for a 4th of July pie. I decided I'd give it a try as a practice round. 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays and we love going all out!

For the crust: 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

6 tablespoons ice water

In a mixing bowl, (you can use food processor too, but I didn't want to have to clean two bowls) mix the flour, salt, and sugar for a few minutes, then add the butter cubes and mix until butter bits are very small. Then add in the tablespoons of water and use your hands to warm the butter and gently form the dough. You might need to add more water if the dough doesn't form right away. 

After the dough is finished, divide the dough in half and store one half in the refrigerator. Form a round ball with the remaining dough and, on a floured surface, roll it out into a symmetrical circle (large enough to fit in your baking dish and to the tips of the sides.) Transfer it into dish

and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

For the filling:

I usually don't follow a recipe for my peach pie/cobbler because its such an easy dish, and it's hard to mess up!

This is a basic recipe of what I use:

Aleast 5 medium sized peaches, pealed and sliced

Half a lemon 

1 1/2 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of all purpose flour

3/4 cup of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Drizzle of honey

Half a stick of cold butter, cubed

In a medium bowl, add sliced peaches, squeeze lemon juice over them to keep from browning. Add sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and butter and stir until the mixture is thickened to a paste. Add to pie crust and baked for 18-20 minutes, or until the topping is golden.

Topping: 

Use the other half of the dough and do a fun design! I did stars and stripes to celebrate the 4th!

Hope you enjoy, and hopefully I'll be invited back! :)

Party cookies and more butterflies

A good family friend recently had a Stella & Dot jewelry party at their house and I made the cookies for it. I love Stella & Dot jewelry and was excited to make the cookies.

I also made butterflies and dragonflies for a friend that is moving away.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

(1/3 cup of milk)

1 cup or more of fresh blueberries

Streusel topping

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. and 2 tsp. of flour

2 Tbsp. of butter (cubed)

3/4 tsp. of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with 8 muffin liners.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup. Then add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup full. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into lined muffin tins and fill to the top (I always use a large ice cream scoop).

3. For the streusel topping, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until it is crumbly. Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

Going to the chapel..

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Everyone loves a good old fashioned oatmeal cream pie. The other night I really wanted to make my own, so I found a great recipe online. I made them and let me tell you, these give the store bought one's a run for their money. The oatmeal cookie is so moist and the cream inside makes it perfect. I woke up this morning and there was an article in the newspaper about oatmeal cream pies for fathers day! What a coincidence.

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

2 sticks of softened butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. dark corn syrup

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups old fashioned oats

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine butter and both sugars and beat until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and corn syrup and beat well. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat until thoroughly combined. Add oats and stir using a large spatula or spoon. 

2. Use a medium size ice cream scoop to get even cookies and drop on the baking sheet. If you want your cookies flatter, press them down a little with your hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely before filling them.

For the filling: 

2 egg whites

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Using a double boiler, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk continuously until the mixtures reaches 160 degrees (I didn't use a thermometer and just took it off when it was really hot to touch). Transfer mixture to a large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and beat until combined. 

Once the filling is ready, transfer to a piping bag or a large ziplock bag with the tip cut off and pipe onto half the cookies. Top with the other cookies and press down lightly. 

Recipe adapted from Homeade By Holman.

Berry Crostatas

These crostatas may seem hard to make but they are so simple and super delicious! These are my new favorite dessert because they are so easy but a always a crowd pleaser. Make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to make them. Its the perfect summer dessert.

Berry Crostatas

1/2 cup of sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks of cold butter, cut into small pieces

4 Tbsp. cold ice water

1-1 1/2 cups of fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)

1 large egg yoke, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp. of milk

1. To make the dough, combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl and beat together just until incorporated. Add the pieces of cold butter and beat on low speed until the butter is the size of peas and the rest is like crumbs. Add the ice water 1 Tbsp. at a time, until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or more.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and form eat part into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into 1/4 inch rounds. Move the 4 rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add about 1/4 cup of berries to each round and leave 1 1/2 inch of the dough on the sides. Fold the dough over the berries and press firmly to seal. Generously sprinkle the crostatas with sugar and then evenly brush the edges with the egg wash.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then serve.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.