Lemon Bars

Dear Chase:


I know you are too young to know this but there is an old saying that I have heard my whole life and it is "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...well in my case, I decided to make Lemon Bars, ha! This  phrase means that life is going to toss all sorts of challenges and obstacles your way but it is what you make of it that matters and what will make the ultimate difference in the final outcome. So, no matter what life throws at you, take it all in and make the very best of every situation and everything will be just fine.


Now, back to these amazingly delicious,  super fast and easy to make -lemon bar or sometimes they are called lemon squares too. These bars have the perfect combination of a buttery, tender shortbread crust and it is filled with a tangy lemon filling that makes them so so good! I love how the shortbread crust hold the lemon filling and separates as it bakes for a gooey and moist texture.


Follow this recipe and enjoy!


Shortbread Crust:
1/2 c. Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/4 c. Powered Sugar or icing sugar
1 c. All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt


Lemon Filling:
1 c. Sugar Cane Sugar
2 Large Eggs, plus (1) yolk
1/3 c. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tbsp. Lemon Zest
2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour


Start off by pre-heating our oven to 350 degrees and spray your pan with a non-stick vegetable spray.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add all of the flour and salt at once and beat on medium speed until the dough starts to come together. Take the dough and press it into your prepared pan and bake for 18 mins or until the edges are lightly brown. Remove form the oven and allow to cool while you make the lemon filling.


Lemon Filling: Beat the sugar and eggs together until smooth. (I just use a whisk and a bowl for this step). Then, add the lemon juice, zest and stir to combine. Fold in the flour and pour the filling over the cooled shortbread and bake for 18-19 minutes or until the filling is set. Do not over bake, the center should still be quite soft. 


I must warn you that these are very addictive...I should know I had three in one sitting, ha! Enjoy!

What a Peach!

Dear Chase:


You are probably thinking that this is just another pie recipe and what makes this pie so different or special. Well, I have to start with the super ripe peaches that I bought over two weeks ago and if I didn't use them today, then I would have to throw them out...what a waste! So, I decided to make this pie using homemade pie dough from the freezer and 8 white peaches that were just ripe for the baking.


One of my favorite ways to have peaches is in the form of a pie. I combine two layers of pastry with fresh peaches, a little sugar for sweetness, a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, cinnamon and ginger plus 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken juices.  What could be more perfect on a warm summer's night or any night for that matter, ha!


Here is the easiest recipe for a dessert that will satisfy the masses.



Follow my recipe for a perfect pie crust with the peach filling recipe below:


8 Medium Peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
1/4 c. Brown Sugar
1/8 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Ground Cardamon


Fill your pie and bake for 45-50 mins at 350 degrees until you have a nice golden brown crust and the fruit is soft when you test it with a fork or knife.


Tip: To ensure that you get a nice golden brown crust, brush the top of your pie with egg whites prior to baking. 

Chocolate, Pecans and Coconut- OH MY!

Dear Chase:

German Chocolate Cake is an impressive looking cake not to mention one of my favorites. You start off with layers of moist chocolate cake that are stacked, one on top of another, with a sweet and gooey caramel like frosting , rolled with toasted coconut and pecans. This is not your typical chocolate cake with a semi-sweet chocolate frosting that usually covers the entire cake. A German Chocolate Cake leaves its sides bare so you can see both the frosting and the cake. For this particular recipe, I decided to make German Chocolate cupcakes with a decadent coconut, pecan frosting scooped on top. I always like a bit of history or trivia to go along with my desserts so the name "German" Chocolate Cake seems to suggest a tie to Germany but in fact the name refers to the type of chocolate used to make the cake.  Walter Baker & Company employee, Samuel German is the one who developed the chocolate back in 1852.

For this recipe, I did not use the "German" chocolate that is traditionally used for this cake but instead I opted for a less sweet option; unsweetened cocoa powder. I think it tastes much better but let's be honest, the coconut- pecan frosting is what makes this cake or so good!


Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe:

2 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Baking Soda
2 Eggs  plus (1) egg yolk 

1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2  C. Heavy Cream

1/2 C. Whole Milk
1 C. Canola Oil
1 tsp Vanilla
1 C. Hot Water

Pecan- Coconut Frosting:

1 C. Heavy Cream
1/2 C. Butter, softened
1/2 C. Sugar
3 Egg Yolks
1 C. Shredded Coconut
1 C. Chopped Pecans

You can't eat just one or at least I didn't, ha! Enjoy!

Perfect Pie Crust

Dear Chase: 

My newest and latest obsession is making, baking and of course eating pie crust. I don't know what it is but whether it is savory or sweet, I have been making pies of all kinds as my dessert of choice. I just hope all of my friends and family aren't getting tired of all my different pie recipes. Ha! You know I heard someone once tell me, that the mark of a good baker is whether you can pull a pie crust from out of your back pocket. I must say that until recently I felt making your own pie dough was a bit daunting and not necessary if you can buy it in your near by frozen food isle. I mean with all that flour and making sure the dough isn't too tough, too thick or thin or heaven forbid not flaky enough. But after tasting my first homemade pie crust and learning how to make it from the Ultimate teacher (my mom), I am no longer afraid of making my own pastry dough. This Pie Crust recipe, also known as Pate Brisee (pronounced paht bree-ZAY), which make a deliciously rich and buttery flavored pastry with a crisp and flaky texture. In my many tested recipes, I prefer using half butter and half shortening. The butter will add flavor to your pie dough and the shortening will give it that flaky and tender texture that you are looking for in a pie crust. 

This dough is great for savory pies such as chicken or turkey pot pie and for the sweet pies, well the list goes on and on but I have to say that my new favorites are coconut pie, banana cream pie and blueberry. I still love the all American Apple pie but I do like to keep things interesting and mix it up a bit. 

My next pie to make is a caramel apple pie for a family dinner coming up soon and with peaches and so many other fruits in season, I am thinking of a peach/raspberry pie is worth a try. 

Stay tuned.... and check out the recipe below

Follow this recipe below and starting making your very own pie crust at home. 

Pie Crust Recipe:

2 1/2 cups  All-purpose flour

1 teaspoon  salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into small cubes 

1/2 cup All Vegetable Shortening or Butter Flavored

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl (chill the blow for 15 mins in the refrigerator, if possible)  Add 1/2 c. Butter (cut into pieces and chilled) and 1/2 c. shortening (cut into pieces and chilled). Using a pastry blender or even your fingers, blend the fats into your flour mixture. The mixture should resemble coarse meal with a crumbly texture. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of ice water in slowly and start to blend using a fork or even your hand until the dough starts to clump together when pinched. If the dough is dry, add the remaining water. 

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, flatten each portion into a 5 inch  cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes, or until firm enough to roll out. (This will chill the butter and allow the gluten in the flour to relax).

Cheesecake Factory

Dear Chase:

For anyone who knows me knows that I am not really a fan of many cheese based products  but these mini cheesecakes are one of the few exceptions to my many rules. I didn't really like cheesecake growing up as a child and I always turned down anything I was offered if there was any form of cheese in it. But cheesecake is very different in my book. This particular recipe is very similar to a New York style cheesecake, smooth, full of flavor and texture with just a hit of lemon and a tang of sour cream. I made these to serve at our monthly family gatherings and they are a huge hit!