Sunny's Kitchen (37 page)

1
Prep the crust.
Unroll 1 pie dough round and press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Using your pointer finger, press the dough flat and up the sides, letting the excess hang over. Using a fork, press the dough down on the lip of the pie pan all around. Use a knife to remove the excess crust around the edges and discard any scraps. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2
Make the filling.
In a large bowl, combine the apples, blueberries, raisins, cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, lemon zest, flour, and a tiny pinch of salt. Stir to coat.

3
Mix the topping.
Put the granola, lemon juice, butter, brown sugar, and a tiny pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse just once or twice to break up the granola and combine the ingredients.

4
Bake the pie.
Fill the prepared crust with the fruit filling. Level with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon and evenly sprinkle with the topping. Use aluminum foil strips to tent the edges of the crust and prevent overbrowning. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. and put the pie in right away. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the granola is golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

i
bought a baking tin at a kitchen store because I thought the size and shape of the cups were perfect for mini loaves. I love to give food as gifts, so I thought about what my first mini loaf would be. I settled on espresso cakes because I’ve long loved the idea of a coffee cake actually tasting like coffee. I now use that baking tin only for this recipe, like my grandma’s biscuit-only mixing bowl. These are dense cakes that stay moist and go perfectly with a tall glass of ice-cold milk.
MAKES 12 (4 BY 2-INCH) MINI LOAVES

1
Prepare the baking tin.
Butter and flour the mini loaf tins, shaking out excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2
Mix the batter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another small bowl, mix together the sour cream and espresso powder until the granules dissolve. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla and mix until combined. On low speed, add half the flour mixture, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula between additions. Mix until just combined. Add half the sour cream mixture and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream.

3
Bake the cakes.
Spoon batter into each recess to fill it halfway, then smooth the top with the back of the spoon. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool on racks.

4
Make the frosting.
In a stand mixer, blend the butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt, then blend again to incorporate. Taste again (cook’s treats!); there should be a slight hint of salt. Spread or pipe the frosting over the loaves.

 

tips!
If you’re giving these cakes as presents, put the frosting in a container and wrap it with a piping bag or a plastic bag with instructions for how to squeeze out the love.
•
If you like the idea of salty and sweet together, find some flaky sea salt and sprinkle it over the frosting.

i
always wondered what the statistics were on ice cream shops in the winter, and how much business they do. When a craving for ice cream arrives during a New York winter, leaving the house for it is torture and the wooden crank we had when I was younger took too long. Homemade ice cream has been unnecessarily complicated. I admit, I have an ice cream maker, but I never use it because I don’t want to clean it. Save yourself the money and just use a sealed plastic bag and a plastic container. Then all you have to do is shake it a few minutes. It makes a loud rattle, but in a few minutes it’s time to scoop. This is pretty simple. Below is my base and a few ideas of where to go with it.
SERVES 4 TO 6

1
Make the base.
In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, buttermilk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Add the filling (any combination adding up to 2 cups).

2
Prepare the ice cream.
Put 2 cups ice and ½ cup coarse sea salt in a large plastic storage container with a lid (1 or 2 gallon works well). Pour the base mixture into a heavy-duty 1-gallon resealable plastic bag and seal, squeezing out as much air as possible (double-bag if you like). Place this bag in the plastic storage container and cover with the lid.

3
Shake and serve.
Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes. Pass it around at the picnic or party and in no time, you’ll have homemade ice cream. If the ice completely melts while shaking, add a bit more ice and salt, and continue shaking. When your ice cream has the right texture, take the bag out of the container and rinse it off quickly in cold water to remove the salt. Scoop out the ice cream, or cut a hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze it out. Store in the freezer in the plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible.

f
resh berries and homemade whipped cream are the basics for this classic dessert, called a fool. No one really knows why it was named a fool in the first place. One thing is for sure, it’s foolproof, and you’d be a fool not to give it a try in your kitchen! I love a bit of texture, so I crumble Italian amaretti cookies and sprinkle them over the top. Amaretti are tiny macaroon-sized cookies made with sweet and bitter almonds, but I’ve used graham crackers, vanilla wafers, and even granola as a topping in a pinch. And ladies, don’t let the dainty look of this dessert make you feel like the guys won’t like it. I left these in a room of guys watching a game once and came back in five minutes to empty glasses.
SERVES 6 TO 8

1
Soak the berries.
In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, orange juice, and sugar. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, tossing a few times.

2
Whip the cream.
In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the honey, sugar, and almond extract. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

3
Fold the fools.
Remove the berries from the bowl with a slotted spoon and add to the whipped cream. Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to gently fold the berries into the cream. Pour into serving glasses or dishes and serve with amaretti cookies crumbled over the top.

r
ecipes like this make me crazy in a good way. They materialize from my pantry and stick around in my repertoire for the long haul. It had never occurred to me to use croissants and raisin bread in bread pudding until I desperately wanted some and those were the two breads I had in my kitchen. As if the buttery, flaky, raisin-studded base weren’t enough, I decided chocolate syrup and a crunchy topping along with a spiked whipped cream would be even better. Editing when dessert is involved is tough! Eat this with a tall glass of water to balance out the calories, or just throw all caution to the wind and pour a frosty glass of whole milk.
SERVES 12 TO 14