Sunday, November 30, 2014

Pecan Pie

So, Thanksgiving is over and my obsession with pie making is becoming less acceptable, but I still had to share one of my favorite Thanksgiving dessert traditions with you: Pecan Pie. It is nutty, sugary goodness and it is perfect in every way. My family and I cook and bake tons of food for Thanksgiving and sharing that time together is one of my favorite parts of the holiday.This pie recipe is super simple and won't disappoint if you have to make something for your family for Thanksgiving and what to show off. Nuts are the perfect fall treat in desserts. They bring an earthiness to counteract the sweetness, and of course the base is my favorite homemade buttery crust.
Pie Crust: 
1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 tsp of salt
8 tbs of cold butter cut into tiny pieces
4 tbs of ice water
First, mix together the salt and the flour. 
Cut the butter into tiny pieces. Then, with your fingers mix it into the flour until it is yellowish in color. 

Next, add the water and with your fingers, mix until combined. Do not over mix!
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 
Then, prepare the pie pan with the crust. 
Now onto the filling! :) 
Pecan Pie Filling:
3 eggs (beaten)
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of dark corn syrup 
1 tsp of vanilla extract
6 tbs of butter, melted, then cooled
1 cup of pecans
First, beat the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, and butter and preheat your oven to 350.
Then, stir in the pecans. (You can add more pecans if you want)
Then, pour the mixture into the pie crust.
Bake the pie for about 50 minutes until a knife can come out clean. Let it cool on a wire rack. 
Enjoy!! :)












Saturday, November 22, 2014

Nutella Cookies

I am about to share with you the easiest cookie recipe ever. It only requires three ingredients and very little time. These cookies are delicious and have that yummy hazelnut goodness that we all love about Nutella. These cookies are great for when you need to bake something in a hurry, yet don't want to buy box cookies. All you need is Nutella (or any creamy hazelnut spread), an egg, and flour. That is it!
Nutella Cookies Recipe: Makes about 17 cookies
1 egg
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of Nutella (or any creamy hazelnut spread)
First, preheat your oven to 350.
Then, mix all of the ingredients together until they are well combined. 

Then, make 1 inch size balls out of the dough and place them on a cookie/baking sheet. 
Then, using a glass cup press the balls of dough to flatten them slightly. 
Then, bake them for about 8 minutes. 
Then, let them cool and harden up. 



Then, Enjoy!! :) 







Monday, November 17, 2014

Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

It is finally that time of year, it is snowing, the weather is cold, and holiday cheer is everywhere. Christmas time is upon us. With Christmas coming, that also means Christmas baking is coming. To me baking at Christmas time means COOKIES :) I love cookies, and I really love to bake holiday inspired cookies, and  I love baking cookies with family. My sister helped me out with this recipe and it was a blast. This recipe is super simple and very delicious. Gingerbread is one of my all time favorite flavors, and it just makes the holidays even better.
Gingerbread Crinkle Cookie recipe: Makes about 17 cookies
1 egg
1/2 cup of brown sugar 
4 tbs of olive oil
1 and 1/8 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder 
2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of cinnamon 
1/4 cup of powdered sugar 
Mix together the egg and the brown sugar. 
Then, add the olive oil and mix until well combined.
Then, add the flour, the baking powder, the ginger, and the cinnamon, and mix until well combined.

Then, refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it more workable. 
Then, preheat your oven to 325 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, using a tablespoon measure scoop the dough and then using your hands roll the dough into a ball shape. 


Then, roll the ball into the powdered sugar. Make sure it is covered. 

Then place the cookies on the baking sheet and press them down slightly to flatten them a little bit. 
Then, bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then, let them rest for about 10 minutes. 

I refrigerated mine overnight. Enjoy! 









Monday, November 10, 2014

Apple Pie

In my book, pies are my favorite part about Thanksgiving season. They are the best part of a Thanksgiving dinner and there are so many different kinds to make. I wanted to make an Apple Pie, because that is one of my dad's favorite desserts. The aroma of cinnamon fills the whole kitchen when you bake this pie. This pie was delicious, with a homemade buttery and flaky crust, and delicious cinnamon apples. The recipe is pretty simple and easy and it is a recipe that any pie lover will enjoy. Here is another recipe that truly shows my love of baking and fall.
First, you need to make pie crust for a double crusted pie. You will need to make the recipe below twice since this pie has a crust on the bottom and the top.
Pie Crust: 
1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 tsp of salt
8 tbs of cold butter (cut up into tiny pieces)
4 tbs of ice water
First, mix together the flour and the salt. 
Next, cut up the butter into tiny pieces. 
Next, with your fingers cut the butter into the flour mixture. Mix it together until it becomes yellow in color and the pieces are pea sized. 
Next, add the water to the flour mixture and mix until it is combined. Do not over mix! 
Then, form the mixture into a disk sized piece. Then, warp it in plastic wrap.

Put it in the fridge and keep it in there for at least 30 minutes. 
You need to repeat this process 1 more time to make the top crust. You will end up with two disk size pieces of pie crust. 
Next, prepare the pie pan with the bottom layer of crust. 
Next, you will make the apple pie filling. This filling is the perfect combination of apple and cinnamon sugar goodness. 
Apple Pie Filling:
6 large Gala apples
1 cup of sugar 
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
a pinch of cloves
2 tbs of all purpose flour 
1/4 cup of butter (half a stick)
lemon juice
First. preheat your oven to 350 and then, cut the apples into slices and peel the skins off of them. 
Next, cut the peeled apples into pieces and place half of the apples into the prepared pie pan. 


Next. sprinkle 1/2 a cup of sugar, cinnamon, and cloves on top. 
Then, add the rest of the apples on top, and add more cinnamon and cloves. Then, add the 2 tablespoons of flour and the cut up butter. Make sure all of it is spread out evenly. Then, top it off with lemon juice. 
Then, add the top layer of crust on top. Use a rolling pin to spread it out. Then, using a fork poke steam vent holes in the crust and crimp the edges. 
Then, sprinkle more sugar on top of the crust. 

Next, put the pie pan on a baking sheet before you put it into the oven, because while baking the pie there will be some spillage. 
Next, bake the pie for an hour. You may need to bake it a little longer, it just depends on the crust. 
Then, enjoy this yummy fall treat!