How To: Lattice Top on a Pie Crust

Here is an article with instructions and good pictures of how to construct the lattice top on a pie. It's the most similar method to what Taralee demonstrated last night.

Pie Crust

2 C. All-purpose or pastry flour

1/2 t. Salt

1 C. Crisco Shortening

Ice water to make a soft dough

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, to the size of peas. Gradually add ice water (mixing very gently with hands) to form a soft dough. Divide into two disks, refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface or pastry cloth. Bake single pie shells at 400*F. Bake double crust pie according to filling instructions.

Yield: 1 double crust pie or two single crust pie shells.

-Taralee Cooper

Apple Pie Filling

3 1/2 C. blanched, fresh apples in 1/4” slices

3/4 C. Sugar

1/2 t. Cinnamon

1/8 t. Nutmeg (optional)

1/2 C. Cold Water

1/2 C. Apple Juice

2 T. Lemon Juice

Peel, core, and slice apples into a medium bowl. To blanch the apples cover bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave for 5 minutes. Shake bowl to stir apple slices, and microwave until tender. Combine dry ingredients in medium saucepan. Add water, lemon juice, and apple juice and cook on medium heat until thick and bubbly. Fold in drained apple slices. Turn into unbaked pie crust. Cover with the top crust and seal edges well. Prick and decorate as desired. Brush lightly with milk, avoiding crimped edges, and sprinkle lightly with coarse sugar.

Bake at 400*F for 20 Minutes, reducing heat to 350*F and bake for 30-40 more minutes until crust is golden brown.

-Taralee Cooper

Cherry Pie Filling

3 1/3 C. Sour cherries (fresh or canned)

1 C. Sugar

1/4 C. & 1 T. cornstarch

1 1/3 C. water or juice from cherries

1 T. & 1 t. lemon juice

Combine sugar and cornstarch on a large saucepan with water or juice from cherries. Stir mixture and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in cherries. Cool completely and turn into unbaked pie crust. Cover with the top crust and seal edges well. Prick and decorate as desired. Brush lightly with milk, avoiding crimped edges, and sprinkle lightly with coarse sugar.

Bake at 400*F for 20 Minutes, reducing heat to 350*F and bake for 30-40 more minutes until crust is golden brown.

-Taralee Cooper

Chocolate Chip Meringues

3 egg whites

 ¼ tsp. Cream of tartar

 Pinch of sea salt

 ¾ cup sugar

 3 tbsp. Unsweetened or Dutch process cocoa

 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

 ¾ tsp. Peppermint extract

 5 very finely crushed peppermint candies (or 2 ½ candy canes)

Preheat the oven to 250*F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with an electric mixer on high until foamy. In a separate bowl combine the sugar and cocoa. Gradually add the cocoa mixture to the egg whites, and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and crushed candies. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. Pipe 30 cookies, ¼ inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 1½ hours. Don't peek! Opening the oven door can cause a drastic temperature drop and can result in flat meringues.

Turn the oven off, and let the cookies cool in the oven for 1 hour. Store in a tightly sealed container.

-Adrianna Anderson

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

1 cup cold milk

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

In a large bowl, whisk together cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of milk, and sugar until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread into bottom of crust.

Pour 1 cup of milk into large bowl, and thoroughly mix in pudding mix, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. When thickened, spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours, or until set.

-Nicole Goring

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

Mix all ingredients together and drop in 1 TBS balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 8-9 minutes.

For this recipe, you can use any flavor cake mix and add whatever extra ingredients that you want. Some our favorite combinations are cherry chip cake mix with chocolate chips added in and spice cake mix with a cup of quick oats mixed in. They are easy and don't take very long at all. 

-Beth Lee

Danish Sugar Cookies

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325*. Cream together sugar, butter, egg and vanilla until light. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Make dough balls about the size of walnuts. Bake for about 10 minutes.

**Theses also work well as refrigerator/freezer cookies.

-Brittany Jackson

Hot Orange Drink

12 C Boiling water
1 C Sugar
1/2 C Lemon Juice (squeezed from fresh Lemons)
12 oz. Can of frozen Orange Juice
1 tsp. Almond extract
2 T Vanilla 

Sprinkle with cinnamon on top and serve!

-Lisa Mackrory

Pumpkin Pie Shortbread Bars

2 sticks softened butter (or half margarine and half ground flaxseed meal)

1 Cup granulated sugar (or all brown sugar)

1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar

1 3/4 Cup all purpose flour (or whole wheat)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Cups canned pumpkin

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream (or milk)

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Slowly add in flour and salt until dough forms. Press into the bottom of an 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. To prepare pumpkin layer, mix pumpkin sugar, cream, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixing bowl until well combined. Pour over shortbread layer.

Bake for 45 minutes or until pumpkin layer is golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes then cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

-Jennifer Ricks

Soft Sugar Cookies & Butter Frosting

Soft Sugar Cookies

 3 1/4 c flour

1  tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp  salt

1/2 c butter (softened)

1 c sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C  sour cream (8 oz)

Mix together in a bowl dry ingredients. In a separate bowl cream wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until fully combined. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes until BOTTOM is golden brown.  Frost and store in air tight container.

Butter Frosting

3 c powdered sugar

1/3 c butter (softened)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1-2 tbls milk

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla. Slowly add 1 tbls of milk at a time cream until well blended. Use food coloring to dye and then frost cookies

-Krysta Whitmore

Sticky Buns

(This recipe is to be done at night before you go to bed and baked in the morning.)

24 frozen dinner roll dough balls
1 c brown sugar
1 small box butterscotch cook and serve pudding
1/4 c white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c melted butter

Coat a bundt pan with cooking spray. Mix brown sugar and butter scotch pudding mix in a bowl. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Roll dough balls in both mixtures and then place in the bundt pan. After all the dough balls are done pour the sugar mixtures over the top as well as the melted butter. Set on the counter overnight (don't cover it). In the morning cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Bake over a cookie sheet (it's messy)
-Krysta Whitmore

Hot Cocoa

8 cups dry powdered milk
1 lb. instant hot chocolate mix (any brand will work - Swiss Miss, Nestle, GreatValue,
whatever)
1 cup non dairy coffee creamer (choose any flavor you want)
4 heaping Tablespoons powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large food storage container. To use combine 1/2 cup mix with 1 cup water (or milk, which makes it super rich)
-Jackie Shakespaere

Raspberry Ribbons

(Scandinavian Cookies)

 1 C. butter, room temperature (no substitutes)

 1 egg yolk

 1 C. powdered sugar

 1 t. vanilla

 2 1/2 C. flour

 2 t. lemon juice

 1 t. cream or milk

 1/2 C. raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375*F .  Cream the butter, 1/2 C. sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until light. Add the flour a little at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth.

Divide the dough into 4 parts. Use your palms to roll out each part into a snake about 3/4” thick, and the length of a cookie sheet.  Place the snakes about 2” apart on the cookie sheet. With your finger, make a little groove down the center of each snake.  Bake for 10 minutes. Fill each groove with jam. Bake for 5 more minutes, till golden brown. To decorate mix the remaining powdered sugar with the cream to make a smooth icing. Drizzle across the length of the cookies. Cut the cookies at a 45* angle 1” wide.

-Taralee Cooper

Mint Cookie Cheesecake

Mint Cookie Cheesecake

2 C. Chocolate Graham cracker crumbs (or Oreo cookie crumbs)

 1/4 C. Butter or margarine, melted

 32 oz. (4 pkgs) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

 1 C. Sugar

 1 t. Vanilla

 1 C. Sour cream

 4 eggs

2 1/2 C. coarsely chopped Chocolate Mint Girl Guide cookies, or Chocolate Enrobed Cookies with Mint Cream (sold at Costco)

Preheat oven to 325*F. Combine cracker crumbs with melted butter, and press into a 9x13 baking pan, or a 10” spring form pan to form crust.

 In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Add sour cream and mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Chop up peppermint cookies into course pieces. Remove 1/2 C. of the chunks, and gently stir the remaining pieces into the cream cheese batter. Pour the batter over the crust; sprinkle the top with the 1/2 C. of cookie pieces.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool in a warm place (to prevent cracking temperature must decrease slowly after removing from the oven). Once completely cooled cheesecake must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before serving.

 -Taralee Cooper

Banana Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. mashed ripe banana
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I use sour cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed


Topping:

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 c. rolled oats
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees grease and flour bottoms only of three (6 x 3 1/2 inch) loaf pans ( one 9x5 inch loaf pan can be used). In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. add bananas, yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into greased and floured pans. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over each loaf. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes (60-70 for large loaf pan), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. ** you may need to cover with aluminum foil about half way through so that the topping doesn't burn.** Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely

-Jessi Nelson

Pan Rolls

1 TBSP active dry yeast

½ cup vegetable oil or melted margarine

1 ½ cups lukewarm water

5 to 6 cups hot roll mix (recipe follows)

2 eggs, beaten

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.  Blend in eggs and oil or margarine.  Add 5 cups hot roll mix.  Blend well.  Add additional hot roll mix to make soft, but not too sticky dough.  Knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth.  Lightly butter bowl.  Put dough in bowl and turn to butter top.  Cover dough with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  Grease a 13” x 9” baking pan or two 9”, round pans.  Punch down dough.  Divide dough into 24 to 30 balls of equal size.  Place balls in prepared pans.  Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Makes about 24 rolls.

Hot Roll Mix

20 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp. salt

1¼ cups sugar

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir together to distribute evenly. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 22 cups of hot roll mix.

-Emily Chai

Mama’s Buns/Cinnamon Rolls

2 Cups Warm Water

1 T Yeast

½ Cup Dry Milk
2 T Sugar (double and use brown sugar for cinnamon rolls)

2 eggs

½ Cup melted Butter

1 t salt

About 8 cups of flour

Mix together 1^st 4 ingredients in bowl till smooth.  Add eggs, salt, and enough flour to make thin pancake type batter.  Pour melted butter along sides of bowl as to not cook eggs, mix until glassy looking. Add flour slowly well mixing until sticky dough forms.  Spray bowl with nonstick spray and let raise for about 1 hour or until double.  Punch down, form rolls and let rise to double again before cooking at 350 for 25-30 min, should be golden brown and hollow sounding when done.

For cinnamon rolls punch down and roll out into a thin rectangle. Cover with melted butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and cut with thread set on greased pan and let rise until double.  Cook at that same temp and time as rolls.

-Irene Beyrich

Healthy Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Combine in bowl to start yeast-
5 C hot but touchable water
3 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 C honey
Add
5-6 Cups white wheat flour (fresh ground is great) White Wheat has a lighter texture than the common red wheat and makes for lighter, softer bread.

It should be about the thickness of pancake batter at this point. Let it sit for a few minutes until some bubbles start to form- then you know the yeast is activated and working right.
Add
1/4 C vital wheat gluten
1-2 TBSP lemon juice
2-3 TBSP olive oil (any of your vegetable oils will work I prefer the flavor of the olive with the wheat)
Whip with electric mixer for a few minutes, if you start to notice a stretchy/stringiness to the 'batter' at this point, that is great- it's the gluten starting.
Finally Add
2 TBSP salt (you've waited this long for the salt so it wouldn't interfere with the yeast or gluten production, but don't forget it!)
6-10 more Cups white wheat flour- Just enough so that it forms a non-sticky dough that will pull away from the sides of the bowl, forming a ball in the middle. Don't let it get super stiff, you still have to knead it.

Knead the dough- I use a Bosch mixer on high for 3-5 minutes. A KitchenAid will do a half batch. Otherwise, it's your muscles. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny again. The trick of stretching and seeing if it will spread thin without tearing is very helpful. After kneading, let the dough rest for 15 minutes or so. Then form into loaves- I get 5 of the smaller pans or 3 of the bigger loaf pans. Most pans you find are the bigger. Let raise until double. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. (This is how I used to bake it, but my oven is baking it at a lower temperature, faster lately. I suggest setting the oven at 325-350, a timer for 20 minutes and WATCHING it.) Done when brown and hollow sounding. Remove immediately from pans and cool completely so moisture doesn't condense on it. While still warm, brush tops with oil or butter to keep the crust soft.

-Irene Beyrich

To Die for Brownies

1 Brownie mix

1 jar of marshmallow creme

1 jar of chocolate frosting

(you could probably make these things from scratch, but they're pretty cheap when they go on sale and it makes for a quick dessert when you're in a hurry)

Make the brownies as directed and spread the marshmallow creme on hot brownies straight from the oven. Allow the brownies to cool and then spread the chocoate frosting over the top. That's all, but they're to die for.

-Nicole Goring

Swedish Visiting Cake

1 cup white sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Grated zest of 1 lemon (or a squirt of lemon juice, if you don't happen to have fresh lemons lying around)

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (or imitation, if you're too poor to buy the real thing :)

1 cup all-purpose flour (I use half whole-wheat)

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I use margarine for half and replace the other half with ground flax seed meal)

About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not) (optional--especially if your husband is allergic)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and the extracts.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist.  Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

 
-Jennifer Ricks (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's original in Baking, From My Home to Yours)

Peach Cobbler

5 peaches, peeled and diced    

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp flour     

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 c. flour          

6 Tbsp brown sugar

6 Tbsp margarine         

2 Tbsp pecans, chopped

whipped or vanilla ice cream

Combine peaches, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Place in 11 x 7 in baking dish.  Blend flour, brown sugar, butter and nuts until consistency is similar to oatmeal (nut topping).  Cover the contents of the dish with the nut topping. 

Bake @ 350˚ for 30 to 40 min. or until topping is golden brown.  Serve topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

-Michelle Payne

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg Oreos

1 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

Candi-quik (any flavor)

Take 7 Oreos out of the package; eat them.

Place remainder of Oreos in a food processor or blender. Pulverize them.

Mix cumbs with cream cheese.

Form into balls.

Refrigerate or freeze them until firm.

Dip in melted candi-quik.

-Kate Kmetszch

Molten Lava Cake

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, Spray 2 custard cups w/ cooking spray.

Melt 2 - 1oz. semi-sweet chocolate squares with 1/4 C Butter

Add 1/2 C powdered sugar

Mix in 1 egg and 1egg yolk

Add 3 Tblsp flour

Pour in cups and bake for 14 minutes

Let sit for a few minutes, then take a knife around the edge to loosen. Turn upside & serve with whipped cream or Ice cream.


-Lisa Mackrory

Lemon Lush

1 c. + 1 Tbsp flour                                            
½ c. butter, softened 
--mix & press into 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 20 min.  Let cool.

2 (8 oz) cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar                                         

½ of 12 oz. tub cool whip

--mix until creamy, spread on cooled crust.

2 (3 ½ oz) pkg instant lemon pudding

3 c. milk

--mix 3 min until thick, spread over cream cheese mixture. 

Spread remaining cool whip over pudding and refrigerate 3 hrs.

**Can substitute Lemon pudding for chocolate or banana or whatever you like.

-Michelle Payne