Cooking through the seasons for family & friends in my Colorado kitchen
In addition to being beautiful, chocolate sugar cut-out cookies have a smooth, dense chocolate flavor and tender, melt-in-your mouth texture. Rolled and shaped with your favorite cookie cutter, and topped with a sparkle of sugar, they’re the perfect sugar cookies for every chocolate lover in …
Another fruit and chocolate development here, this time a spin on a classic fruit crisp made with raspberries and chocolate streusel. This recipe combines juicy sweetened raspberries with a punch of crisp chocolate streusel, baked to perfection and topped with vanilla ice cream or homemade …
Chock-full of goodies like chocolate, dried cherries, oats, almonds and pumpkin seeds, look no further for an amazing chocolate cherry cookie you’ll feel good about eating any time of day. These chocolate cherry trail mix cookies can pass for an after-school snack since they’re filled …
Whole wheat popovers are the whole-grain version of a traditional popover, made with eggs, milk, whole wheat pastry flour and salt. They “pop” up just as delicious as the original with hollow, airy pockets, just waiting to be buttered and devoured! what are popovers? Popovers …
Raspberry crisp with chocolate streusel, for two! This recipe combines juicy sweetened raspberries with a punch of crisp chocolate streusel, baked to perfection and topped with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Chocolate raspberry crisp is the easiest dessert to throw together. In less than 10 …
Lemon pizzelle cookies are thin and crisp waffle cookies, made with butter, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Often made at Christmas and Easter in Italy, pizzelle cookies are easy and fun to make! If you’ve ever had a pizzelle cookie before, you know how beautiful and delicious they are. This version is even better than the ones you can pick up at the store, infused with a subtle lemon flavor and dusted with powdered sugar. Tie up a bundle of these snowflake-shaped cookies with a bow and impress your loved ones!
Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl. Beat eggs and sugar with a paddle attachment in a stand mixer or beat by hand with a whisk until a little paler in color and creamy. Stir in melted butter, zest, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients (switch to a spatula if stirring by hand) and stir until just combined. The consistency should be like cake batter.
Plug in pizzelle iron or preheat according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Spoon about 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of batter into each of the two sides of your iron. I aim for the back center of each snowflake design as the batter tends to move forward when you close the lid. Some irons have lights to direct when they’re done, but I don’t trust mine. Just open the lid after about 20 seconds to gauge doneness. You want them to be perfectly golden. Remove both cookies from the iron and cool completely on a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Wait to serve cookies until they’ve cooled to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar if desired!
There are countless variations and ways to flavor pizzelle cookies! A few other ideas to try:
Pizzelle cookies keep well and can be stored in a tin or cookie jar for up to one week in a dry climate. If it’s humid where you are, make sure you keep them in a tightly sealed container. Or pizzelles can be frozen up to 2 months in an air-tight container, wrapped well.
If your pizzelles lose their lovely crisp texture, you can “re-crisp” them in a 300-degree oven by arranging them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and baking for 3 to 5 minutes.
Rolled in sparkly sugar, with barely golden edges, orange chocolate French butter cookies (sables) are flecked with dark chocolate and orange zest. French butter cookies are generally a perfect addition to a holiday baking line-up, as they’re sturdy and pack beautifully; these orange & chocolate sables …
Chock-full of goodies like chocolate, dried cherries, oats, almonds and pumpkin seeds, look no further for an amazing chocolate cherry cookie you’ll feel good about eating any time of day. These chocolate cherry trail mix cookies can pass for an after-school snack since they’re filled …
Deep-dish Dutch apple pie. Filled with layer upon layer of soft, cinnamon-scented apples, this pie is, without a doubt, my favorite Thanksgiving pie and the one I make every year. It’s my girls’ favorite, too. The tart-like crust is slightly sweet and the whole thing is crowned with a streusel topping. This beauty bakes for a full two and a half hours and I’ll let you imagine the magic that comes from having a pie in your oven for that length of time. The final result of this deep-dish 14-apple pie is well worth the time it takes to peel and slice 14 apples.
Be sure to use this crust recipe as it accommodates the deeper pie. The egg yolk adds a little structure; the sugar, a little sweetness, almost like a tart crust.
Ideally, plan to start the pie two days before you want to serve. On day 1, make and refrigerate the crust. Bake the pie on day 2. On day 3, you’re ready to reheat the pie in the oven and serve. You can also make the crust and bake the pie on the same day to make it a two-day process, but it must refrigerate overnight after it’s baked, so keep that in mind before you begin. It’s a labor of love, but so worth it!
You’ll need a deep-dish pie pan with a removable bottom. This is the one I use. Most importantly, do not forget to place filled pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet. The filling will leak as it cooks down, and, speaking from experience, you don’t need an oven cleaning “intermission” to take place before the rest of your holiday cooking can resume.
Recipe adapted from McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Cookbook
Makes one 9 by 4-inch pie
Crust:
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, cold & cubed
3-4 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 egg yolk
Filling:
14 medium-Granny Smith apples (about 4 lbs), peeled and sliced to between 1/4 & 1/8-inch
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Streusel Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter
Sift flour, sugar and salt together into a medium bowl and stir well to combine dry ingredients. Cut in cubes of butter with hands or a pastry blender until the majority of the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add first 3 T of ice-cold water and egg yolk and combine just until it begins to form a somewhat shaggy ball. If it still seems crumbly, add the last tablespoon of water. Turn dough out onto square of parchment or plastic wrap and pull corners in from all corners (flipping over if needed), to form a round disc, about 8 inches across. Seal tightly in ziplock or glass-lock container and refrigerate for an hour.*
**If you want to make the dough ahead of time, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to three days (just let sit on counter to soften enough to roll before using) OR freeze in ziplock bag, thawing dough overnight in refrigerator a day before you’re going to use.
Peel, core and slice apples into 1/4 inch slices. Be patient with this part.
In your largest mixing bowl, combine apple slices with sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, flour and water, until apples are coated evenly.
Combine all streusel ingredients until coarse crumbles form. Set aside in refrigerator while you roll out pie dough.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Get lowest oven ready as you’re going to want to bake the pie at the bottom of your oven. Using plenty of flour, roll out chilled pie dough into a circle about 18 inches across. See this tutorial for more pointers. Wrap circle loosely around your rolling pin and place in center of deep-dish (with removable bottom) pie pan. Gently press dough into pie pan to line bottom and sides, as evenly as possible. You’re not going to flute the edge of this crust so just press it right to the edge of the pan like you were lining a tart. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but patch any cracks or holes.
Place lined pie pan on ungreased, rimmed baking sheet. Add apples to lined pie pan, mounding and in the center and gently applying pressure to use up all the filling. It will seem like they’ll never ever fit, but trust me, they will cook down considerably.
Sprinkle streusel topping liberally over filling, pressing and spreading until entire surface is covered. You will have to mound the streusel crumbs in the center and press firmly to get most of them to adhere, especially to the sides.
Bake pie at 300 degrees on lowest oven rack for two and a half hours, until well browned. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on cooling rack for 1-2 hours. Gently press apples down into the bottom of the pie until they are just about to the level of the crust. Once fully cool, cover well (I use my lidded cake platter) and place in the refrigerator overnight. This helps the filling set and the flavors blend.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pie from pie pan and place pie on foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly cover pie with foil so it doesn’t get too brown. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
This pie does not freeze well because of its sheer height as well as the crumble on top, struggling to hold on. The good news is it’s very make-ahead friendly and needs at least one day in the fridge to set up, so you can plan ahead.
I love granny smith apples for pies because they hold their shape and give a nice balance to the sweetness of dutch apple pie; however, you can mix it up and use a combination of apples such as granny smith and jonagold (a sweeter variety). Braeburn apples are also delicious pie apples and they hold up well. If you find them at a decent price, the renowned honey crisp is also a favorite with it’s perfect combination of sweet-tartness and wonderful texture. What have you tried and loved?
Creating delicious and good looking pies is possible! Follow along to roll out pie dough like a pro with these step-by-step instructions. Rolling out pie dough is so much easier than you might think, and with a little practice you’ll be creating beautiful, or darn …
This over-the-top chocolate bourbon pecan pie started as a Thanksgiving tradition for many years, until my mom started requesting it for her birthday dessert. Her birthday is just a few days after Thanksgiving, so, often we make it twice in the span of two weeks! …
No chill time required for these cinnamon-sugar cut-out cookies! Just mix, cut & bake these delicious roll out cookies, made extra special with cinnamon and almond extract.
No cookie plate is complete without a decorated cut-out cookie, like the ones we remember from our childhood. These cinnamon-sugar no-chill cut-out cookies are a must! They are taken over the top with addition of cinnamon, something my mother-in-law introduced me to. The best thing about this dough, besides the addition of cinnamon and almond extract, is that it doesn’t require chilling in the fridge before rolling and cutting out! Skipping this step reduces the patience required for all parties involved (read: tiny helpers!) and brings it back to the realm of a one-day baking project. So, grab your favorite cookie cutter and get rolling!
This recipe makes perfect traditional sugar cookies for decorating, but if you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll definitely want to try these sparkly chocolate sugar cookies as well.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk to fully incorporate the dry ingredients.
Cream room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and incorporate into butter/sugar. Scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula and mix well until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add dry ingredients until just combined and divide dough in half. Do not chill dough.
Roll out first half with a rolling pin onto a floured surface, to about ¼ inch thick, or desired thickness. Dip cookie cutters in flour before pressing into dough and bake cookies on an ungreased baking sheet for 7-9 minutes, until JUST starting to brown on the edges. Keep a close eye on them! Remove cookies from baking sheet and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Use royal icing (recipe below) and all your favorite sprinkles. See this tutorial by Julia Usher for more helpful tips on how to work with royal icing. Alternatively, you can sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles before baking for a glittery, simple icing-less version of these yummy cookies.
And, if you make these, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@lane_bakery). I love seeing everything you create!
Diana’s Christmas Cookie Plate I noticed the arrival of Christmas trees shining through neighbor’s windows earlier than ever this year, as well as an unprecedented extravagance to outside Christmas light displays around town. There’s a definite longing for the joy and hope of the Christmas …
Everyone’s favorite baked pasta! Three-cheese ziti is made with an easy tomato sauce and, you guessed it…three cheeses! This quick baked ziti recipe is easy enough to throw together for a weeknight dinner, but memorable enough to make for a night of entertaining friends and …
Nothing beats the real, homemade version! Heavy cream, vanilla extract and a little powdered sugar. This recipe for homemade whipped cream is the three ingredient staple every home cook needs in their repertoire. It’s so easy and there’s no special equipment needed other than a sturdy whisk and a large mixing bowl.
Looking for the perfect compliment to a homemade crisp or a slice of pie? Give this homemade whipped cream a spin and you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff again! Homemade whipped cream is delicious on top of chocolate raspberry crisp, chocolate bourbon pecan pie, or blueberry streusel pie, or just a simple cup of hot cocoa. Have fun amazing your friends and family while you whisk away, transforming a simple bowl of heavy cream into a beautiful whipped cream. It really is magic!
This is my preferred method. Pour chilled heavy whipping cream into a large bowl, and, with a sturdy whisk (the bigger the better here), start whisking. You’ll get a great arm workout and it’s so satisfying to see it thicken before your eyes. I like to stop whipping when it’s still a little soft in consistency but you may like yours on the thicker/stiffer side. At this point, gently stir in your powdered sugar and vanilla extract. If you’re planning to pipe or make designs with the whipped cream, you’ll want to whip it until it’s stiff.
Pour chilled heavy whipping cream into bowl of stand mixer or large bowl, and, with a whisk attachment or beaters turn your mixer to medium speed. Once the heavy whipping cream begins to thicken, you can turn up to high speed. If the cream splatters out of your bowl, you’ll know you’ve turned it up too high, too soon. Turn mixer off when the whipped cream is still a little soft and add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Continue mixing until it’s between soft peaks and firm peaks, depending on your preference. If you’re planning to pipe or make designs with, you’ll want to whip it until it has formed firm peaks. A word of caution: it’s easy to over whip the cream in an electric mixer and before you know it you’ve ended up with the beginnings of homemade butter, and at this point, there’s no going back.
Once you see how easy it is to make this homemade whipped cream, you’ll be dreaming up all kinds of flavor profiles. Here are some of my favorites. You’ll want to add them once the cream is almost fully-thickened.
Another fruit and chocolate development here, this time a spin on a classic fruit crisp made with raspberries and chocolate streusel. This recipe combines juicy sweetened raspberries with a punch of crisp chocolate streusel, baked to perfection and topped with vanilla ice cream or homemade …
For years, my crust always seemed to slump on me in the oven, especially my once-a-year pumpkin pies! For a long time, I just assumed it was the all-butter dough’s fault. However, this was not the case. I’ve now borrowed a technique from Cook’s Illustrated for …
