You will never want to lose this one. The secret is the swiss merginue.
- 2 1/2 cups graham crumbs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter, not margarine
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix the crumbs, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until well blended. Press into a nine inch pie plate. Bake for about seven minutes and remove from the oven. Now, here is where the wonderful smells take over the kitchen.
In a heavy saucepan mix the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt and very slowly, while still whisking, add the milk. Continue until the mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick and smooth. Remove from the stove and pour into the pie shell.
Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and start on the meringue.
Swiss Mergingue
- 7 large egg whites (using the 3 whites from above will help)
- 3/4 cups sugar
- pinch of salt
To make the meringue, combine the ingredients in a heat proof bowl and set bowl in a pan of simmering water. Beat the mixture until warm and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whip into stiff peaks.
Mound this high over the pie and with a flat edged spatula make peaks in the whites, making sure it touches all the edges of the pie. Set in the oven and, watching carefully, bake for approximately eight minutes until lightly golden.
When cooled down, enjoy! This is beyond fabulous. Oh yeah, the cinnamon is the added secret…trust me.
Caramel Sauce
Yummmm……I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t like caramel. Use this sauce for desserts, ice cream, drinks…….
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 tbsp butter
- dash of fresh lemon juice
Combine sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan, cooking without stirring over medium heat until it boils. Wipe down the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush. When sugar begins to brown, swirl CAREFULLY, until dark amber.
Remove from heat and slowly add the cream, stirring with a wooden spoon. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add the pod to the mixture.
Add the butter and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Store in the fridge. When ready to serve, rewarm.
You will love this….I am thinking about a martini that could use this…..
Creme Brulee French Toast
When it is the holiday season and company commands you feed them breakfast, this is another way to show them you are glad they are with you. What a yummy start to the day.
This will feed 6. It is prepared the night before and next morning…Voila!
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. corn syrup
- 6 slices of french bread, sliced thick
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 5 eggs
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 2 tsp. Grand Marnier
- pinch of salt
- grated nutmeg
In the melted butter,, add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish that has been brushed with butter.
Cut off the crusts and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. Whisk together all the ingredients except the grated nutmeg and pour evenly over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator and set on the counter for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered until light, puffy and golden. Before serving, grate some fresh nutmeg over the top (ever so lightly).
Serve with warm syrup. Yummy, yummy and yummy. This is rich and so tasty.
Anise Sugar Cookies
These are a pretty cookie and really nice flavour.
You will need:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. Anise flavouring
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, and flavouring until creamy and fluffy (maybe 2 minutes). Reduce speed to low and add remaining ingredients. Again, beat until well mixed (2 minutes).
Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about two inches apart. Flatten the balls with a buttered glass bottom that has been dipped in sugar.
Bake for 8-9 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Cool one minute before removing to a cooling rack.
Icing
- 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp. Anise flavouring
- 4-6 tsp. water
- sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Beat the ingredients together except almonds. Put a little icing in the center of the cookies and add a few sliced almonds for decoration.
This makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.
Fresh Peach Pie
Living where we do now and it being the season for peaches, here is a recipe I used so many years ago….it is soo good and with peaches so readily available, why not?
You will need:
- pastry for two crusts to fit a 9 inch pie plate
- 8 cups of sliced fresh peaches
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pastry.
Mix peaches lightly with other ingredients in a bowl. Put into pastry lined pan and top with pastry. Press to seal and bake 50 – 60 minutes until browned. That’s it….that’s all it is. Yummy-yummy.
Onion Salad
I add this one this morning to shock my husband. I don’t eat onions BUT for those who do, here is a great recipe (so I am told) from my sister-in-law.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Spanish onions, cut into rings
- 2 tbsp. mayo
- 1 tsp. celery seeds
Boil the first three ingredients one minutes and pour over onion rings, marinating overnight in the fridge. In the morning drain the liquid off and add the mayo and celery seed mixture, mixing well.
You REALLY have to like onions to try this one. Not for the weak of heart.
Either have a plate of parsley on the table or offer breath mints after dinner.