Apple Tart with Brown Sugar Streusel

I know this looks odd. There wasn't a picture in the magazine but I read the directions about 1700 times and I did everything just as it says, so I'm guessing that is what it's supposed to look like. Either way it's delish. It's apple crisp inside pie crust. Seriously... Yum! I put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and ate it with my eyes closed.

I had never made pie crust before, and it came out pretty well so I was happy. I was kinda nervous to do something so... cookish. But it turned out.

Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut up
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup very cold water

Filling
4 apples (2 lbs) such as Fuji or Braeburn, peeled, sliced, halved, cored, sliced crossways. (you will have thin half circle slices)
2 tablespoon sugar

Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut up
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 walnuts (I left these out.)

1. Place all crust ingredients except water in food processor; pulse until butter is broken up but still in larger pieces. Add water; pulse just until combined. (It became a ball of dough)

2. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 13 inch round about 1/8 thick. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

3. Chop slices from 1 apple into 1/4 inch pieces; place in center of dough. Arrange remaining apple slices, rounded side out, overlapping, starting from the outside and working toward the center, leaving a 2 inch border around the edge.

4. Fold dough border over apples, forming pleats every two inches and smoothing dough where cracks or holes form. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over apples and pastry. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400. Bake tart 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, beat all topping ingredients except walnuts in medium bowl at low speed until mixture begins to look moist and butter is almost broken up. Stir in walnuts.

7. Sprinkle topping over apples; bake and additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown on edges and bottom. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.

Ice Cream Cake

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday! Happy Birthday Honey! So I slaved over a cold stove and made him an ice cream cake. Mmmm. Who doesn't love an ice cream cake, but the ice cream shops charge and arm and leg for them. So when I saw this recipe in a magazine last month I knew I had to give it a shot. As you can see my chocolate drizzle was more of a chocolate glop, but hey, chocolate is chocolate right? I doubt anyone will complain. :)

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Filling:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups bitter sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream or 1 1/2 (1.75 quarts) cartons

24 soft chocolate chip cookies, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, divided.

Heat oven to 325. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and cinnamon in medium bowl until crumbs are moistened; stir in mini chocolate chips. Press into bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake 6 minutes until set. Cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot and steamy. Remove from heat; add bittersweet chocolate chips. let stand 1 minute; stir until melted smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temp, about 20 mins.

Place ice cream in fridge for 20 minutes or until slightly soft. Spread half of the ice cream over crust; quickly spread with spatula to level. (Ashley here: I had lots of trouble with this part. I got impatient with the ice cream and didn't wait for it to be soft enough. It has to be pretty soft before you can spread it with a spatula. If this gives you trouble just keep in mind that ice cream and cookies taste good, even if they aren't in perfect layers.) Sprinkles half of the cookies over ice cream. Quickly spoon 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate sauce over cookies and ice cream; spread with spatula to cover. Freeze 15 minutes to firm sauce.

Quickly spread remaining ice cream over sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cookies; drizzle with remaining sauce. (If necessary warm sauce in microwave to loosen)

Freeze 2 hours to firm sauce. Wrap tightly; freeze over night or up to 1 week. Place in fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Cut with warm knife. Store in freezer.

Cheesecake

I don't have a picture of this because it was eaten faster than I could click. Picture spinning spinning pie plates and people lying around with graham cracker crumbs on their chins. But think of the last cheesecake you saw, it looks like that. :)

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.

Filling
2 eggs
2/3 cups sugar
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 sour cream
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1. Heat oven to 325. Spray 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Combine crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon orange peel in medium bowl. Stir in melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Press into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake 6 minutes.

2. Process eggs and 2/3 cups of sugar in food processor 1 minute or until smooth. Ad cream cheese, pulse to break up. Process 15 seconds or until smooth. Add all remaining filling ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into crust.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is firm when gently shaken and outside edge is slightly puffed. Place on wire rack; cover with paper towels. Cool 2 hours. Remove paper towels and cool to room temp. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 5 hours or overnight.

Banana Bread

I made this recipe for my classmates on the last day of class and it was gone in about two minutes. I don't even think everyone got some. It was delicious and super easy.

Banana Nut Bread

• 1 cup sugar
  


• 1/2 cup shortening
  


• 2 eggs
  


• 2 cups flour
  


• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  


• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  


• 3 soft, ripe bananas, mashed
  

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs, flour, soda, bananas, and chopped nuts. Pour banana bread batter into 1 greased and floured loaf pan. I took some extra sugar and nuts and sprinkled them on top before putting it in the oven. Bake at 325° for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. This banana nut bread recipe makes 1 loaf.

Shepards Pie

I got this recipe from my best friend of 20 years. This was a staple at her house when we were growing up. She included the recipe in a cookbook she gave me for Christmas a few years ago. I had to halve it because it was way too much food for us, even cut in half we still have leftovers. It’s just solid down home cookin’.

I’m willing to bet there are about a billion variations of this dish. It’s one of those types of dishes you can really get creative with. Let me know if you make another version, even if it isn’t especially frugal. I’d love to try it.

Shepard’s Pie

2.5 lbs of potatoes

1 can creamed corn

1 can corn

1 lb hamburger

¼ cup milk

¼ cup butter

salt, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

onion powder, to taste

Peel potatoes, chop and put to boil. Cook hamburger, adding garlic powder and onion powder if desired, drain. When potatoes are soft, drain and add salt, milk, and butter. Mash potatoes.

In a 8 x 12 casserole dish layer hamburger, corn, then mashed potatoes on top. Bake at 350 for 25 mins.

Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies

These are a favorite around my house. This recipe was handed down from my husband's grandma. It's written on a piece of notebook paper that is probably as old as I am. What I really love about these cookies is that since the dough is frozen you can keep them on hand and make as many or as few as you want.

Another bonus is the frozen dough is also a great treat, even if you're not in the mood for actual cookies. I made this recipe the other day and when I went to make cookies today most of the dough had mysteriously disappeared.

Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 lb margarine (2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick oatmeal

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine wet and dry mixes together. Fold in oatmeal.

Wrap dough into 3 long rolls using wax paper (saran wrap works too) and freeze overnight. Slice thinly and cook on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 350.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

This is actually a few different recipes in one. I took the things I liked out of each Minestrone Soup recipe I found. Some veggies that were in the other recipes that I chose not to use were cabbage, peas, lima beans, zucchini, kale, chickpeas, white kidney beans, and veggie broth rather than beef broth. So mix and match as you see fit. I'm sure there isn't a veggie that wouldn't be good.

Since this cooks for a really long time I cut up all the veggies before bed. That way I could throw it in the crock pot before I even fed the kids. I would think it would be a great meal to come home from after work. It's really chunky and hearty.


Minestrone Soup

• 3 1/2 cups beef broth
  


• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  


• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
  


• 1/2 cup chopped onion
  


• 1/2 cup chopped celery
  


• 2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
  


• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  


• 16 oz red kidney beans, drained
  


• 1/2 box spiral macaroni (or any kind you like)
  


• 2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
  


• 2 tsp dried basil
  


• 1 tsp dried oregano
  

Combine all ingredients except macaroni in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 10-16 hours, or on high 4-6 hours. Cook macaroni according to directions and add during last 30 mins of cooking.