Crème Pâtissière (or Pastry Cream)

What the heck is crème pâtissière, you ask?  It’s a pastry cream used in many of the Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts recipes.  The recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of cream. Ingredients: 1 cup milk 1/2 vanilla bean 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar 3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon corn starch 1 tablespoon flour…

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Blueberry Tart

This recipe comes from the 1985 Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts cookbook.  This recipe can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries. Ingredients: One 7 1/2 x 11 x 1-inch pâte brisée tart shell, baked and cooled 3/4 cup sour cherry jelly 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons grand marnier 2 pints blueberries, washed,…

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Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

This is my grandmother Ruby’s old-fashioned chocolate cake recipe.  My mom and little sister love this recipe.  In the past, I’ve been assigned to make this 3-layer cake for their birthdays.  When mom was growing up, she shared a birthday with my grampa – and it sometimes fell on Thanksgiving, so grama would make this…

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Orange Cake

This is my step-mom Carolyn’s recipe for orange cake.  I like this one, because it starts with a cake mix, making it ultra simple.  This recipe has it’s own frosting recipe, but it’s also great with cream cheese icing. Cake Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix 2 eggs 3/4 cup oil 1 (11 oz) can…

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Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Maple Sauce

This recipe came from a Land O’Lakes seasonal cooking magazine.  Cinnamon raisin bread adds flavor to this easy-to-make bread pudding.  Serve it warm with homemade maple sauce. Ingredients: Pudding: 1/4 cup butter 8 slices (or 4 cups) cinnamon raisin bread, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cups milk 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1…

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Della Robbia Cheesecake

This is the cheesecake recipe that my mom has always made.  It’s my absolute favorite cheesecake ever. Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided 1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco, melted 3 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup dairy sour cream Instructions: Preheat oven to…

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Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake

This Dr. Pepper Chocolate cake, is similar to a chocolate spice cake, using the Dr. Pepper as a replacement for the spices. Ingredients: Cake: 2 cups sifted flour 1 cup sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup Dr Pepper 1/2 cup chocolate chips 2 large…

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Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie

That’s right… the famous recipe on the side of the pumpkin cans.  And you know, I’ve not found a better pumpkin pie recipe. Ingredients: 3/4 c. granulated sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin 1…

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Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients: Cake Powdered Sugar 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp salt 3 large eggs 2/3 c. Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 c. chopped walnuts (optional) Filling 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese 1 c. sifted powdered sugar 6 T…

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