Tag: #peaches

Raise your hand if you don’t like to make desserts!

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Ask Leslie, breads & pastas, Buy the Book, desserts, The Parties
You can do this.

Those who know me well know I don’t love to make desserts. Baking is more of an exact science, and I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal. In fact, I am prone to hand that course off to the first guest who offers—so heads up. But when I do decide to make a dessert, I actually enjoy it—well that is, if it turns out!

When I was growing up in Mayfield, Kentucky, my mother always had a delicious, homemade sweet sitting on the counter. My grandmother, Mama Lil, lived a few houses away, and she did the same.

“I was surrounded by goodness.”

Dessert was a popular topic between these two. They discussed it A LOT! I remember when Mama Lil ate a bite of any dessert, she would always say “This is larruping.”

larruping  lar-uh-ping

  1. Very; exceedingly. That was a larruping good meal.

With a December 26th birthday, I would often ask for a pie instead of a cake. It didn’t matter what kind of pie, as long as it was made with a homemade piecrust.

One recipe will make enough for a bottom crust and decorative top for a 9-inch pie.

So today we are going to rehash my homemade piecrust recipe that is in Leslie’s Party Diaries (page 213) and use it in a couple different ways. You probably have all the ingredients on hand. It is so simple and can be done in advance. I’d rather make a homemade crust than drive to the store to buy a store-bought one. It’s that easy.

Even the little scraps are worth baking. Don’t waste a single bite. You can substitute vanilla ice cream for whipped cream if you prefer. I sometimes do both!

If you master this four-ingredient recipe the options are endless. Last-minute company will be a piece of “pie.”

It can be as casual as you want it to be. It all tastes the same. Delicious!

Homemade Piecrust

Makes 12 to 14 squares for shortcake or 1 (9-inch) pie

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chilled shortening, such as Crisco

Ice water

I prefer to use Crisco shortening that comes in a block. It is so easy to cut off the exact measurement and cube for quick blending.
Once the Crisco is worked evenly into the flour mixture,  add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time.

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until ingredients are moistened (about 5 to 6 tablespoons); gently shape dough into a flat disk.

Roll disk to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

Yields 12-14 Shortcake Squares or 1 9-inch Pie

Homemade Piecrust
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup chilled shortening (such as Crisco)
  • Ice water

Instructions

  1. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.
  3. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until ingredients are moistened (about 5 to 6 tablespoons)
  4. Gently shape dough into a flat disk.
  5. Roll disk to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
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https://dearpartydiary.com/raise-your-hand-if-you-dont-like-to-make-desserts/

Using a ruler and fluted pastry wheel makes a pretty decorative lattice for any kind of pie.
It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. I promise, no one will complain.
One recipe makes about 12 to 14 (3-inch) squares for shortcake with a few extra scraps for tasting. It’s perfectly acceptable to freely cut the squares, but I used a ruler to get an exact count to go with the recipe.

Baking Shortcake Squares: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to cool on a wire rack before storing in an air tight tin. These can be made several days in advance and frozen if desired.

Learn from Leslie: For a 9-inch pie with decorative crust, divide dough into two equal portions, using one for the bottom crust and the other for the top.

For this Peach Shortcake: Simply peel 1 peach per person (to be safe), and place in a bowl with 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and a dash of fresh nutmeg. Allow sugar to dissolve and become syrupy, about 5 minutes. Layer piecrust, peaches, and whipped cream; repeat twice. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a larger crowd.
Follow any recipe baking instructions for the homemade piecrust.

Gift Ideas for Your Foodie Friends

I’ve made a lot of friends on Instagram from all over the world. It truly is a social media. One of my favorites to follow is simplybeautifuleating. Why? Well, it’s Simply Beautiful Eating™. Debi Traub is a professional blogger and recipe developer. She is a contributor to Martha Stewart, to name one of her many accomplishments. I could go on and on. Her newest endeavor is a collaboration with Ravensburger puzzles. Her “simply beautiful” images are now on several of their 500-piece puzzles. This is food porn in puzzle form. Order one or two now for the perfect hostess or happy for your foodie friends. Available at Target for $8.50, target.com
I’ve got mine ready for Thanksgiving weekend—if I can wait that long!

“Sweet—air-conditioned, bug-free grilling!”

With all of the late-afternoon summer showers, I can’t think of a better time to pull out a Lodge Cast Iron Grill Skillet. I love this square shape. It’s the ideal size for 4 filets or a quick, tasty lunch for one. I’ve used mine three nights in a row! I may never light the grill again! Available wherever Lodge is sold, $32, or lodgemfg.com (For local Birmingham folks, I bought mine at Little Hardware in English Village.)
For your organized foodie friends, print out a stack of weekly menu planning forms from The Dinner Shift (thedinnershift.com). Carolyn Hodges shares weeknight recipes, meal planning tips, and lots of prepping helpful hints to make your cooking week a breeze. Simply sign up and you will receive the form to print out at home. I’m sending a stack to my mother. She has a helper gathering her groceries now. I thought it would be a great way for her to see the weekly menu at a glance. And, I’m keeping a stack for myself too!
I still have a few books left in the basement. If you need a gift or two go to Buy the Book on this post, or to my website at lesliespartydiaries.com

Toaster Oven Blues

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, appetizers4 Comments

Shortly after I mastered the Easy Bake Oven—or the lightbulb burned out, I’m not sure which happened first—I moved my culinary training to the toaster oven. At age seven or eight, I would whip up English muffin pizzas, Mr. Magoo toasted sandwiches (bread, American cheese, and topped with thin slices of bologna), and of course, my specialty, cinnamon toast. Boy, those were the days.

“Where have all the toaster ovens gone?”

Are clean countertops really worth it? I know it is the trend to appear as if you are not cooking in your kitchen—I too am a victim of this sometimes. And the thought of a greasy, boxy, tarnished apparatus taking up 2 cubic feet of counterspace is definitely a sacrifice. But not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could toast my turkey sandwich, melting the cheese and all, without preheating my big oven. And the cleanup of the 5-inch by 8-inch tray was a snap—and who ever cleaned them anyway? They were permanently lined with foil.

I think we are doing our children a disservice by eliminating toaster ovens from our kitchens.

“How are they ever going to learn how to cook?”

The recipes in this week’s post are for the children in our lives. Let’s get them back in the kitchen and out of the drive-thru lines.

The Doll Salad

The Doll Salad is a fun activity for young spend-the-night company.

The first salad I ever ate was in the shape of a doll—my mother was good. This is an easy way to sneak a few healthy bites into your child’s tummy, and a fun activity for spend-the-night company too. Order a pizza and ask the kids to make their own salad. Cut up their favorite fruits and vegetables, and let them go to town.

Form a ruffle-like skirt by overlapping the strawberry slices.

I used a small stainless cup for the head and to hold the salad dressing. The hair is made from strips of American cheese slices, and I used half of a fresh peach for the body, sliced strawberries for the tutu/skirt, and carrots and celery for the arms and legs. Grapes and blueberries are used for the buttons, shoes, and eyes. Anything your child likes that you have on hand will work. Get creative!

“Children want charcuterie too!”

Tic-Tac-Toe to My Tummy

Fix a children’s charcuterie platter at your next family gathering. Not only is this an activity for the kids, but also it will hold them over until dinner is on the table. I call this Tic-Tac-Toe to My Tummy.

Edible playing pieces make each game different and delicious.
Saltines and a slice of American cheese, quartered, make the tic-tac-toe board. Replace as needed!

On a small cutting board, arrange saltines and cheese to make a tic-tac-toe board. In small bowls around the board, place some of your child’s favorite fruits, nuts, cheeses, crackers, and deli meats. Anything that fits on the playing board is fair game. Well, you know the rest. The winner eats!

And, how about a homemade trick-or-treat for those special ones in your life? These quick and easy blond brownies are also the perfect sweet bite to end any casual meal. You’ll be surprised how moist and yummy they are!

“Yum” is the first word out of everyone’s mouth once they try these.

I’m not the biggest fan of making desserts, so when I find one that is foolproof and quick, I’ll make it over and over.

I use my KitchenAid mixer for this recipe (because it is sitting there), but you can use a hand mixer too—or your arm. I do believe the power of the mixer may give it an extra whip that makes them super yummy.

Yum Yum Bars

Makes 24 (2-inch) squares

2/3 cup butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

1 pound brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ¾ cup flour, sifted

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed in a heavy-duty mixer until thoroughly combined; add eggs and vanilla, blending after each addition.

Combine sifted flour and salt in a medium-size bowl. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture; beat at medium speed until combined, scraping down sides once.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, and with a wooden spoon stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

In the preheated oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-x-13-inch glass baking dish.

After the butter has melted, remove from the oven and tilt the dish to coat the bottom of the pan completely.
Spoon mixture into the pan, and spread out evenly. (Don’t worry if the mixture does not cover the bottom of the pan entirely; it will spread out while baking.)

Bake for 30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Learn from Leslie: For perfectly cut bars, place pan in freezer for a few minutes to chill before cutting.

Yields 24 (2-inch) Squares

Yum Yum Bars
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Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 ¾ cup flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Combine sifted flour and salt in a medium-size bowl. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture; beat at medium speed until combined, scraping down sides once.
  3. In the preheated oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-x-13-inch glass baking dish.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
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For those special neighbors or family trick-or-treaters, package Yum Yum Bars in cute little boxes. It will be the first thing they grab when they dump out their candy bag. Who doesn’t love a present?
Throw in a few candy corn in the box for color.
Pedestal from The Cupboard, Decatur, Alabama, at shopthecupboard.com