Peach-and-Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

August is National Peach Month! Believe it or not, peaches are part of the rose family! And while Georgia may be known as the Peach State, the most peaches are actually grown in California (producing about half of the US crop).

Peaches are not only juicy and tasty but they are packed with nutrition! One large peach has only 68 calories but provides 19% of an adult’s daily value for vitamin C, 11% for vitamin A and 10% or potassium. It contains close to 3 grams of dietary fiber which is approx. 10% of your daily dietary fiber recommendation.

What a great and enjoyable snack!!!

Now have I got a treat for you - homemade ice cream that’s basically a cross between peach ice cream and butter pecan.

Salty-sweet ice cream, serve in a dish or on waffle cones, as shown.

Ingredients

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3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon table salt

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste*

1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped peaches

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and whipping cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk egg yolk until slightly thickened. Gradually whisk about 1 cup hot cream mixture into yolk. Add yolk mixture to remaining cream mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in vanilla bean paste. Cool 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, cook peaches and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 4 to 

5 minutes. Coarsely mash, and let cool 30 minutes. Stir peach mixture into cooled cream mixture.

4. Place plastic wrap directly on cream mixture, and chill 8 to 24 hours.

5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; add pecans, and cook, stirring constantly, 8 to 9 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Cool completely (about 30 minutes).

6. Pour chilled cream mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and time may vary.) Before transferring ice cream to an airtight container for further freezing, stir in pecan mixture.

*Vanilla extract may be substituted.

Stephanie 

Granny Smith Apple Pie 

Granny Smith Apple Pie 

July is the 7th month of the year, which calls for a warm pie to treat your taste buds. Granny Smith is iconic for its luscious green juicy apples, perfect for this months dessert. Granny Smith apples have been chosen to give the best possible flavour for the pie. Perfect warm dessert for this winters coldest nights.

Ingredients:

• 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp water
• 8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
• 165 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
• 50 g (¼ cup) plain flour
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 48 g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature

Method:

1. To make pastry, using a food processor, process flour, sugar, butter and ½ tsp salt until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 

2. Add 60ml ice-cold water and process until mixture forms a ball. Shape two-thirds of dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining one-third dough.

3. Refrigerate both discs for 30 minutes, to rest.Preheat oven to 200°C. 

4. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out larger disc between two sheets of baking paper to a 30cm round. Line a greased deep 26cm pie dish with pastry. Roll out remaining pastry disc to a 26cm round, and refrigerate until needed.

5. To make filling, combine all ingredients except beaten egg mixture in a large bowl. 

6. Place in pastry case, brush edges of pastry with egg wash, top with remaining pastry round then seal by pressing edges together using your thumb and index finger. 

7. Using a small sharp knife, make 3 small incisions in pastry top to allow steam to escape, then brush top with beaten egg mixture. 

8. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and juices begin to bubble through incisions in crust.

9. Serve while still warm and soft.

By Hovig

The Royal dessert

it’s the long weekend month! And that’s all thanks to the almighty queen herself, she celebrates her birthday on the second Monday of this month so we shall be dedicating this month’s dessert to the royal family- this month’s recipe serves up to 12 people so you can feast just like the royal family would on Queen Elizabeth’s born day… why not try the one and only “ENGLISH TRIFLE”, this dessert is a cold dessert made with sponge cake spread with jam or fruit, soaked in wine or sherry sauce , covered with a custard sauce and cream, and decorated. 

Ingredients

·       1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin

·       1 cup boiling water

·       1 cup cold water

·       1 cup mashed strawberries

·       1 teaspoon sugar

·       1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks

·       1 cup sliced firm bananas

·       1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes

·       2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

·       2 cups cold fat-free milk

·       1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

·       1 carton (8 ounces) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

·       1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin powder in boiling water. Stir in cold water. Transfer half of the gelatin mixture to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until slightly thickened. Reserve remaining gelatin mixture; let stand at room temperature.

2. In a small bowl, combine mashed strawberries and sugar; set aside. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice; cut pineapple chunks in half and set aside. Toss banana slices with reserved pineapple juice; set aside.

3. In a 3-qt. trifle bowl, layer half of each of the following: cake cubes, mashed strawberries, pineapple, banana mixture and sliced strawberries. Pour refrigerated gelatin over top. Set aside remaining cake and fruit. Place trifle and reserved gelatin in refrigerator for 20 minutes or until gelatin is slightly thickened.

4. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread half over trifle. Repeat layers with remaining cake, fruit, reserved gelatin and pudding. Top with whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 12 servings.

By Mary Luluga 

MOTHER'S DAY SPRITZ COOKIES

 To All The Beautiful Mothers Out There.

Thank You For All You Do!

One relationship which is always with us is the one we share with our mothers. They are our guiding force and are responsible for making us who we are. Mothers also shape our lives and our personalities and crediting them for the same is something one should do at every opportunity. We might have our own individualistic approach in paying tribute to these amazing people in our lives, our mothers.

So to satisfy Mum's sweet tooth this Mother’s day why use your cookie press only at Christmas? The Cookie Pro ULTRA II Cookie Press includes disc shapes that are perfect for pressing Mother's Day cookies. Decorate them with Candy Melts candy and decorative sugars or nonpareils for a treat she'll treasure.

INGREDIENTS

WILTON COLOR RIGHT PERFORMANCE COLOR SYSTEM

$24.99 or Pink food colouring

WHITE NONPAREILS

$2.29 or Small white ball shape sprinkles

12 ounces White Candy Melts® Candy

Instructions

Step 1

Cookie Dough Colors Tinted

Use Color Right base colors and QuickCount color formula to tint cookie dough in the following shade:

--Pink: 1/2 spritz dough recipe + 3 P

--Yellow: 1/2 spritz dough recipe + 3 Y

OR a drop or two of pink food colouring

Step 2

Make cookies. Prepare dough and tint as directed above. Use cookie press to press cookies on cookie sheet. Bake and cool cookies.

Step 3

Decorate flower cookies. Use melted white Candy Melts candy in a cut parchment bag to outline petals. Chill until firm, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pipe dot center and sprinkle with white nonpareils. Chill until firm, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 4

Decorate ornament cookies. Use melted white Candy Melts candy in a cut parchment bag to drizzle cookies. Chill until firm, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Steph

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

We have reached the month of April and the month of Easter, what better way to celebrate than with the traditional hot cross bun. Chocolate hot cross buns are best served warm for the full mouth watering experience.

Ingredients:

• 600g plain flour

• 2 tsp dry yeast

• 60g brown sugar

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1/4 cup cocoa

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• 250ml milk, lukewarm

• 2 tbsp orange marmalade, chopped

• 40g unsalted butter, softened

• ½ cup currants

• ½ cup small chocolate chips or chopped chocolate buttons

• 1 tbsp mixed peel, optional

• Crosses Plain flour

• Water

• Glaze ½ cup caster sugar

• ½ cup water

Method:

1. Mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, cocoa and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, add milk, eggs and marmalade.
3. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet or, if using a stand mixer with a dough-hook, wet mixture to the dry.
4. When mixed through, knead in the softened butter, then the choc-chips and currants/mixed peel. Knead for 5 more minutes.
5. Spray a large bowl with canola oil, put dough in, and cover with cling film. Allow to prove until it doubles in size (mine took about 1 hour).
6. Re-knead for 3 minutes and then divide into 15 rolls, place them on a greased baking tray about 2cm apart, re-cover with cling wrap and leave to prove a second time until they double in size.
7. Preheat oven to 190°C.
8. Put the crosses on the buns by mixing some flour and water in a zip lock bag until it makes a runny-ish paste. Cut the corner off the zip lock bag and pipe on the crosses.
9. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until they start to brown on top.
10. Whilst hot, make the glaze by boiling the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved. Brush on with a pastry brush.
    
    
    
    By Hovig

St Patrick's Shamrock Cookies

MARCH: We are one quarter into the year and I ask all of our readers to put on your leprechaun hats to celebrate the All green St Patrick's Day that falls on March 17, so this month’s dessert will be dedicated to the love of desserts and celebrating the traditional and religious event that marks the day of Saint Patrick's Death known as the apostle of Ireland, observed by the catholic church in the early 17^th century. In accordance to what the history of St Patrick’s is all about. Let’s talk about how we are going to fill our tummies for this joyous celebration. This month’s desserts are a quick and easy recipe:

 “ST PATRICKS SHAMROCK COOKIES” – we all know what cookies taste like, but just in case you don’t- Cookies have a unique irresistible taste. Cookies are creamy, and ooze with a delicious buttery taste; the crunchy, golden texture compliments the smooth, yet sweet chocolate chips (if added), and almost melts in your mouth… Cookies… Heaven.

Recipe

INGREDIENTS

·        1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar

·        1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        1 cup flour

·        1⁄4 teaspoon salt

·        1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine, softened

·        Check Out Our Top Rolled Recipe

·        Check Out Our Top Rolled Recipe

DIRECTIONS

-          Preheat oven to 325°F

-          In a medium bowl, beat butter or margarine and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

-          Stir in vanilla.

-          Add flour and salt to the butter and blend well.

-          With a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4-inch thick.

-          Cut out cookies using a 3 inch Shamrock cookie cutter and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

-          Re-roll scraps.

-          Sprinkle green sugar crystals on each cookie.

-          Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until cookies are pale golden, not brown.

-          Let stand 2 minutes.

-          Remove to a rack and let cool completely.

By Mary Luluga 

Valentine’s Day Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake for Two

 Can you believe it’s almost Christmas Day ? and in the month of Feb Valentines Day is just around the corner. So to add to our monthly desserts learn how to make Chocolate Lava Cake for the perfect treat to share with a special someone (or yourself) this 

Valentine’s Day!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.

2.    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.)

3.   Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with sugar; serve immediately.

 Stephanie