Mammy's Latest Apple Crisp

This is the real thing, folks. Make sure you use good baking apples (I used Golden Delicious). The key is to not melt the butter for the topping.

Makes one 9x13 inch pan.
Normal Servings: 12
Heininge Servings: Hopefully 6, maybe 4

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

FILLING:
9 baking apples
Juice from one lemon
2 TBS flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

TOPPING:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks) chilled and cut into little cubes
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts; I prefer pecans)

FILLING: Peel and core the apples and dice them into 1/2 inch pieces. Or into slices, whatever you prefer. Toss them in a bowl with the sugar, flour and cinnamon and then put them in a baking pan.

TOPPING: Mix the dry ingredients and then cut the little cubes of butter into the mix. It should be crumbly. Mix in the oats and the nuts, and while you put it on top of the filling, squeeze it in your hand so it's clumped together. Scatter the topping all over the apples.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Frozen Margarita Pie

Another spectacular Grandma Lavon creation! Here is a classic Heininge recipe that I did not find in the archives. Anybody who has tried this can tell you it is total perfection, especially after a great Mexican meal in the summer time. It's also an incredibly easy recipe, practically fool-proof. No need to bake, and you can make it the night before for extra ease.

Ingredients
1 cup - Butter
2 & 1/2 cups - Crushed Pretzels (about a 10 oz. package).
2 tablespoons - Sugar
3 quarts - Vanilla Ice Cream
6 oz. - Frozen limeade concentrate, or to taste. I used 12 ounces and it was great!
4 oz. - Tequila (the best you can afford)
1 oz. - Cointreau Liqueur (or Grand Marnier.  As a last resort, Triple Sec.)
2 whole limes - grated and juiced
Extra limes for garnishing/decorating
Whipped Cream (optional)

Directions
1. Melt butter on medium heat on stovetop.
2. Using a food processor, crush pretzels. I prefer a chunkier pretzel crust, but careful not to make it too chunky or it won't mix well with the butter.
3. Once butter is completely melted, stir in pretzels and sugar. Mix until combined.
4. Press pretzel mixture onto the sides and bottom of the pans.
5. In a large bowl or Kitchen-Aid mixer, combine ice cream, limeade, tequila, Cointreau, grated lime peel and juice with a whip attachment. Mix until fully combined.
6. Pile the filling into each pie pan equally. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm.
7. Serve with fresh cut limes and whipped cream.

Here is my version I made. We ate it last night after having Carnitas.

Enjoy!

Lemon & Lavender Scones & An Introduction From Rachel

Let me just start out by saying that all of your posts in this blog have helped me develop my passion for food and cooking. I've been referring to this blog during the last couple years, and I consider it one of my major text books. I wasn't afraid to try any of them, because I knew all the recipes would come out amazing! Joseph, I have made your "Make Your Indian Co-Workers Jealous Lentils" & "Non-dairy Quinotto" countless times. Anna, I couldn't have impressed my friends out on the trail without your "Russian Teacakes" & "Channa Masala" recipe. Those are just a few examples. If I haven't attempted to create all of your recipes, please know I have studied them and have taken note of your awesomeness. Good job, fellow Heininges, and thank you.

Anyway, Mom recently added me as an author for the blog, and I am honored. I see this is the first post since 2012, and I hope this post can end our blog's long hiatus.

I decided to dedicate my first post to my Lemon & Lavender Scones. If you have yet to try one of these, I suggest you get a hold of some lavender buds and get in the kitchen. I don't mean to brag, but they are very delightful and pretty easy to make. I adapted this from a couple recipes I've found on Pinterest. They are a basic lavender flavored quick bread, but what really makes these stand out is the tangy and sweet lemon glaze that is spread over them. These are great to have for breakfast with a fresh cup of coffee.

Makes 8 medium sized scones (can be doubled for 16.)
Total Prep Time: 30-40 minutes.
Oven Temp: 400 degrees.

Kitchen-Aid mixer not recommended. 

Ingredients

1/3 cup - sugar
2 heaping teaspoons - lavender buds
2 cups - all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon - baking powder
1/4 teaspoon - baking soda
1/2 teaspoon - salt
1/2 cup - frozen unsalted butter
1/2 cup - Plain Greek yogurt
1 egg

1 cup - powdered sugar

3 tablespoons - melted unsalted butter

1 teaspoon - vanilla

2 tablespoons - fresh squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine sugar and lavender with your fingers until the buds have opened and split, created a sort of lavender flavored sugar. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until dry ingredients are combined.

3. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate entire stick of butter into flour mixture. Once the grating is complete, stir the butter into the flour until it resembles course meal. This shouldn't take very long at all, because grating the butter makes it easier to to get the consistency you need. 

4. In a small separate bowl, mix the greek yogurt and the egg together until fully combined. Add it to the flour & butter mixture and stir until the dough feels moist and starts to clump together, but do not overmix. Using your hands, begin shaping the dough into one ball, folding in the sides and remaining flour mix. 

5. Once your ball has formed, place it on a lightly floured surface. Flatten your dough with a roller, making about a 7-8" circle, about 3/4-1" thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice your dough into 8 triangles, like a pizza. Place them on your ungreased parchment paper about 2 inches apart, and let them bake for 15 minutes. Once they are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes. 

6. To make your glaze, combine powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread over baked scones, and let them sit until the glaze has settled and hardened. 

7. Scones can be garnished with remaining lavender buds for a lovely presentation. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Rachel

Rainy-day pudding

I'm trapped inside with the dags and sick of eating eggs for breakfast so I made a 7-minute pudding recipe I found on allrecipes. It tastes infinitely better than that boxed stuff, just watch what type of vanilla you use. I made one batch with an old bottle of vanilla extract and it was way too strong and alcoholic tasting. If you're using imitation vanilla you may have to increase the amount to your taste. For a lower calorie pudding I've used fat-free milk, margarine, and splenda with good results.

-2 cups milk
-2 tbsp cornstarch
-2 egg yolks
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/4 cup sugar
-1-2 tbsp butter

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix milk into cornstarch a little at a time to dissolve thoroughly. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until smooth and add to milk/cornstarch mixture.

Microwave on high (if you're like me and don't have a high option on your microwave or don't know how to do that, microwave for 2 minutes at a time, whisking in between until pudding thickens) for five minutes, whisk well, then microwave for another 2 minutes and whisk again. Of course if you don't know what your microwave will do, you can always just put this whole mixture in a sauce pan and stir it on medium heat until it thickens. Take it off as soon as it boils however.

After you have your thick pudding base, add vanilla, sugar or sweetener, and butter until it's all well blended. I like pudding hot (mostly because I can't wait for it to chill), but you can chill it in the fridge for a couple hours if you want it cold.

Enjoy!

Cheater's Key Lime Pie

How many times have you been inspired about the lovely dinner you're making and suddenly realize, 'Crap! I need a dessert!" This recipe is one of my old stand-by's. Best of all, the kids love it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (fresh is best but I'll admit it's a pain to squeeze all those key limes)
1 container of Cool Whip (about 2 cups)
Lime zest
Green food coloring (This is optional. Traditional Key Lime Pie is not green, but the kids get a kick out of green. Just add a dash for fun.)

1 store-bought graham cracker crust
Some more cool whip for the top
A lime, cut up fancy if you wish

Mix the first 5 ingredients together and pour into the crust. Cover and stick in the freezer for as long as you can. When it's time to serve, spread the top with more cool whip and decorate with some lime if you have it. (Once I sprinkled on toasted sweetened flaked coconut which was a hit.)

NOTE: This recipe can be made without fresh ingredients which makes it real handy in a pinch. The Cool Whip and pie crust can be kept in the freezer, and of course the sweetened condensed milk is in a can. I always have this juice on hand which I keep in the fridge:

Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice*

*Goes very well with gin (the juice, not the pie)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh my god, these cookies are good. The batter is ten times better than the cookie itself. My coworkers raved about these cookies. They are very fudgey like brownies. I used butter flavored shortening instead (remember to add 6 Tbs water for every cup of shortening used).

Cookies will puff up like this when they are about done.


Once cooled, they will deflate slightly but should still have a mounded shape.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

*Note: Bake for 10 minutes, or your cookies will not be done on the bottom and they will fall apart when you try to transfer them to a cookie sheet and you will have to eat all the ruined ones. Slightly underbaked, they are still good but will be difficult to handle.
*Note: Try using peanut butter or white chocolate chips, and definitely double the walnuts. I also used 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar because I ran out of white sugar, and I do not regret it.

Russian Tea Cakes

Finished product

Cookies are done when slightly cracked on top

Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

My friend sent this recipe for a 5 minute chocolate cake made in a large coffee mug. It really works! It's rather dense (like brownies), not too sweet and is terrific with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The sweetness can be adjusted.... and the "optional" chocolate chips in the recipe form the "frosting" when you dump the cake out on a plate.


All of a sudden, I can't find any coffee mugs.



5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix
thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate
chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts
(high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be
alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.