Easy Fruit Ladder

I've made this fruit ladder a i grand one thousand times. It is super simple, fast, looks impressive on whatever dinner tabular array together with is delicious. The dough plant beautifully, is real forgiving together with never fails!! You tin brand this ladder amongst whatever pre-cooked fruit filling (home made or commercial).

I cause got had people say me this looks difficult to make, but trust me, it is not. There is simply i picayune trick: whorl the dough out into a rectangle together with thus deed it to your baking canvas BEFORE you lot essay to brand the ladder. You can't deed the ladder (and proceed it's shape) afterward it is filled. This dough is the existent tube to this recipe.

Preheat oven to 350°

1 loving cup butter softened
1 loving cup sour cream
two cups flour

Mix ingredients amongst an electrical mixer (the dough volition live a picayune viscid earlier it is chilled). Divide dough inwards one-half (this recipe makes TWO ladders). Put each ball of dough inwards around plastic twine together with stone oil it into a large disk shape…cover good together with refrigerate 1 lx minutes (extremely important).

After an hour, take from refrigerator and flour your counter locomote past times and rolling pin. Roll i of the disks into a rectangle well-nigh 15” x 10”. Pick upward the crust rectangle (it volition non break) together with pose it on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Now I could describe, at length how to exercise this adjacent step, but a film volition clit it much quicker:

 

Find the centre of your crust rectangle, together with spread your fruit filling inwards a 3” broad strip, long-wise, correct downwards the centre of the rectangle (keep the fruit well-nigh an inch away from each terminate of the ladder). Each ladder volition accept ½ tin of commercial fruit filling.

.

Cut the dough, on both sides of the fruit, into equal strips, but live certain you lot remain well-nigh an inch away from the fruit filling. Pull the strips dorsum over the fruit (one at a time) in a criss-cross fashion (the strips simply pose on locomote past times of each other, don't crimp). The alone business office that is crimped is the real kickoff strip (on each terminate of the ladder), it should live pinched together.

 

Bake the fruit ladder for 30-40 minutes (in a preheated 350 marking oven) or until lightly golden. Run a spatula nether the ladder to brand certain it is loose, together with thus slide it off onto a serving plate. Drizzle it amongst a uncomplicated powdered saccharide glaze together with decorate amongst nuts (I similar candied nuts), sprinkles, or whatever ornamentation you lot like.

 

I cause got tried lots of unlike fruits, cherry, lemon, raspberry, blueberry, apple tree strawberry, blackberry, etc. Commercial pie filling plant too equally dwelling trouble solid made.

Read More

Super Tardily Cherry-Red Strudel

This strudel is made amongst Pepperidge Farm Puff Pasty (from the freezer section) in addition to it couldn't live easier. It slices beautifully in addition to it is delicious served warm amongst a big scoop of vanilla H2O ice cream, but it is also splendid at room temperature. It is a huge hitting at our house!!

 

 

1 canvas of frozen puff pastry (thawed)
(1) 14½ oz. tin ruby-red tart pie cherries packed inwards water
¾ loving cup granulated saccharide (divided)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon corn starch
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 drops ruby-red nutrient coloring (optional)

Drain the cherries (but salve the juice).  Mix ½ loving cup of the juice from the cherries, with one-half of the saccharide and all of the cornstarch in addition to a pinch of salt.

Cook (constantly stirring) the juice mixture on medium estrus for iii or four minutes or until it gets ULTRA thick.  Remove from estrus in addition to stir inwards the remainder of the sugar, the drained cherries in addition to almond extract. Mix good in addition to pose approximately plastic wind on the surface of the hot mixture and chill for an hr (or until actually cold).

CRUST
You tin either let one canvas of puff pastry (a box comes amongst two sheets) thaw inwards the fridge overnight (thats the best) or y'all tin speed thaw on the kitchen counter (I wind it inwards plastic wrap) for nigh an hour. The box says xl minutes, but it actually is a lot easier to travel amongst if y'all allow it sit down for an hour.

Dust your counter amongst a niggling flour in addition to whorl out the dough to a 12" x 16" rectangle.  Spread the cherry filling on 1 half (keep it nigh an inch away from the sides) similar this:

 

 

Starting amongst the fruit end, simply whorl it upward in addition to fold the ends.  Lay it on a parchment newspaper lined baking canvas (or spray amongst vegetable spray). in addition to brush it all over amongst egg launder (1 egg beaten amongst a teaspoon of water). Sprinkle generously amongst granulated saccharide in addition to and thus cutting a few slash marks across the guide house of the strudel (for venting) but don't cutting besides deep.

 

 

Bake inwards preheated 375 oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Makes 1 12" strudel. Enjoy!!

NOTE: For those who aren't familiar amongst it, Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is flora inwards the freezer department of your grocery store, nigh the Cool Whip etc., it comes inwards a 17.3 ounce parcel that contains two sheets.

Read More

Classic Reddish Pie

If you lot follow my weblog regularly, you lot know that I savour combining recipes to larn an destination upshot that suits us. That's what I did amongst this cherry pie recipe.

The outset cherry pie recipe I tried tasted OK, but at that spot was a watery liquid inwards the bottom of the pie that seperated from the filling...not a proficient thing.

Next, I tried a recipe that used flour equally a thickener, but it left a cloudy filling ... non what I wanted.

Next I tried tapioca to thicken the filling as well as it eliminated the cloudy fruit filling problem, but it was difficult to guage only how much tapioca was plenty as well as how much was equally good much; it also produced inconsistent results...not good.

So, equally usual, I took a petty flake of this recipe as well as added it to that recipe as well as thence threw inwards a twosome of my ain ideas as well as came upward amongst todays recipe. I served it on Father's Day as well as picky-picky married adult man truly said  "This is THE best cherry pie I've ever eaten!!"  After I picked myself upward off of the flooring (not literally, lol) , I knew I had a winner!!!

 

 

The filling is sweetness as well as the crust is unbelievably flaky as well as delicious.  Some people freak out amongst a pie crust that uses shortening, however, non solely does shortening create a flakier crust, but it has HALF of the saturated fatty of butter!! NOTE: I ever us butter flavored Crisco inwards my crusts.

CHERRY PIE FILLING

(2) xiv ounce cans unsweetened tart pie cherries
1 1/2  cups granulated sugar     DIVIDED
4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons corn starch
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract  (do non operate out out)
2 teaspoons butter, room temperature

Drain the cherries but SAVE THE LIQUID.  Put 1 loving cup of the liquid into a heavy saucepan amongst the corn starch, common salt as well as HALF OF THE SUGAR, mix well.

Bring this mixture to a boil, piece stirring, as well as develop until it gets VERY THICK (only takes a infinitesimal or thence 1 time it starts to boil (keep stirring fast).

Remove from oestrus as well as stir inwards the butter, almond extract as well as the OTHER HALF of the sugar, mix well.  Gently crimp inwards the drained cherries.  Let cool piece you lot brand the pie crust.

 

This is the all fourth dimension best pie crust I stimulate got EVER made as well as I've made tons of them.  This dough handles beautifully (no take away to chill the dough) as well as makes either iii unmarried crusts or a large 2 crust pie amongst some left over. Everyone I've served this crust to is wild almost it.

PIE CRUST

4 cups all utilisation flour
1 3/4  cups butter flavored Crisco shortening
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup H2O ice mutual depression temperature water

Cut the shortening into the flour amongst a pastry cutter (or a twosome of forks) until the shortening is almost one-half the size of a light-green pea.

Mix the sugar, salt, egg, vanilla as well as H2O ice water together, until good mixed, thence add together it all to the flour-shortening mixture. Work it amongst your hands until everything comes together inwards a big ball. Try to exercise this fairly chop-chop thence that the oestrus of your hands doesn't melt the shortening. No take away to chill this dough.

Roll out a bottom crust, on a floured counter,  to fit a 9" pie pan.  Put the cherry filling into the bottom crust as well as thence brush the edges of the crust amongst a petty egg white that has a few drops of H2O whisked into it (this volition assist "glue" the bottom crust to the come about crust).

Roll out a come about crust, on a floured counter, and lay it over the filled bottom crust.  Cut off the extra dough that hangs over the rim of the pie plate (see note). Pinch the come about as well as bottom crust edges together (or utilisation a fork). 

After you lot stimulate got pinched the ii crusts together, brush the come about pie crust amongst to a greater extent than of the egg white launder (the same that you lot used to "glue" the edges ) as well as thence sprinkle the whole surface, lightly, amongst granulated sugar.

Cut several modest vent holes inwards the come about crust.  Bake inwards 375 preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brownish (I commonly operate out it inwards for 45 minutes). COOL PIE COMPLETELY BEFORE CUTTING.

 

NOTE: When you lot are trimming the excess unbaked crust from roughly the rim of the pie pan, operate out it only a petty long thence that you lot tin tuck nether the border earlier you lot pinch the pie border into a design.

NOTE: I bake all of my pies on a cookie canvass only inwards illustration they fall over.

Read More

Pot Luck Mini Ruddy Pies

These "Grab-and-Go" mini cherry pies are perfect for large gatherings together with identify unit of measurement or church potluck dinners. The dough tin live made days ahead and baked off when y'all accept to a greater extent than or less "extra" time, which is a large help.

Guests (at to the lowest degree mine) appear to appreciate PIE at a potluck, but traditional pie tin live messy to serve, especially for children. These lilliputian "two bite" beauties are perfect. This recipe makes 24 pies, but the recipe doubles easily.

 

 

CRUST

1/2 cup butter  (room temperature)
3 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup flour

Mix amongst electrical mixer (I purpose my stand upward mixer amongst paddle attachment) until y'all instruct a smoothen dough. Wrap it inward plastic together with chill for close an hr (will also driblet dead on good inward refrigerator for several days).

FILLING

(1)  14½ ounce tin tart pie cherries packed inward H2O
3/4 loving cup granulated saccharide (divided)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon corn starch
pinch of tabular array salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (do non move out out)
1 teaspoon butter

Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid. Pulse the cherries inward the nutrient processor until fairly good chopped together with therefore drain ane time again (I fifty-fifty press on the cherries a lilliputian to take excess liquid): ready aside.

 In a saucepan, combine 1/2 loving cup of the reserved cherry juice, HALF of the sugar, the cornstarch together with a pinch of salt. Whisk till smoothen together with convey to a boil. When this mixture gets super thick (it volition occur FAST ane time it starts to thicken), take from estrus together with stir inward the balance of the sugar, the chopped cherries, the almond extract together with butter. Stir until good mixed; allow cool spell y'all shape the crusts.

 Preheat oven to 375°. Cut the chilled dough into 24 pieces together with roll each piece into a ball. Place one ball inward each mini-muffin cup (no request to grease the pan).

Now, y'all accept to purpose your fingers and push the dough across the bottom together with upward the sides of each mini-muffin space.  Better yet, if y'all accept tart tamper or something similar, this measuring volition become MUCH faster (just dip it inward a lilliputian flour betwixt each use).  I purpose the rounded cease of the wooden tool that came amongst my Kitchen Aid meat grinder, it industrial plant absolutely perfectly. Try together with instruct the crust edges only a lilliputian taller than the edges of each muffin loving cup (see s photo).

Fill each mini-crust 2/3 sum of the cherry filling. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes on the TOP RACK of your oven.   When the edges of the crust are low-cal golden brown, they are done. 

IMPORTANT:
Don't drive to take the cooked pies from the pan correct away. The filling stays hot for a while, therefore allow them cool for a adept 25 minutes or so. You tin purpose a butter knife to assistance "lift" the pies out of the pan. 

BETTER YET: work the mini-muffin pan amongst mini-cupcake papers together with that should solve any/all problems.

 

Delicious together with FUN to Serve!!

Read More

Fruit Crumb Bars

This is 1 of those wonderfully versatile recipes that is merely every bit expert alongside apple tree filling, every bit it is alongside cherry filling, or blueberry; any your menage unit of measurement likes the best.

The crumb crust/topping goes together inwards merely a couplet minutes alongside the nutrient processor in addition to if y'all tin hold back long plenty for the bars to cool downward to room temperature, they cutting beautifully. We (obviously) couldn't hold back that long (in the photograph below).

CRUMB CRUST/TOPPING
3 cups all role flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 loving cup COLD butter (cubed)
1 egg, beaten

Put the flour, sugar, baking pulverisation tabular array salt and cubed butter into the nutrient processor in addition to pulse until good mixed.  If y'all don't convey a nutrient processor, practice it alongside a pastry cutter in addition to operate it until the butter is good mixed. Add egg in addition to mix good (it volition expect similar coarse sand).

Press HALF of this mixture into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish.  Top alongside fruit filling in addition to transcend alongside the other one-half of the crumb mixture.

Bake at 375° if y'all are using a metallic baking pan or 350° if y'all are using glass, for forty minutes or until transcend crumbs are calorie-free golden.

If y'all cool the bars completely earlier y'all cutting them,

they volition cutting really neatly (it is non necessary, but it

makes for a prettier presentation.

 

CHERRY FRUIT FILLING (or occupation your favorite filling)
(2) fourteen ounce cans tart pie cherries packed inwards water
1 1/2 cups carbohydrate (DIVIDED)
4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (do non live out out)

Drain the cherries, but salve the juice.  Put one loving cup of the juice inwards a saucepan in addition to add together HALF of the sugar, the cornstarch in addition to salt. Bring to a boil in addition to gear upwards until prissy in addition to thick.

Remove from rut in addition to stir inwards the OTHER HALF of the sugar, the cherries in addition to the almond extract. 

Glaze   (optional)
2 tablespoon butter melted
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (do non live out out)

While bars are however a picayune warm, mix ii tablespoons melted butter alongside ii cups powdered sugar, most three or iv tablespoons of milk in addition to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in addition to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Whisk until smoothen in addition to drizzle over fruit bars.

Read More

Fruit Filled Cookie Bars

I had a difficult fourth dimension coming upwardly amongst a advert for this delicious treat. It is non just a cake, but it's a lilliputian soft to endure a cookie. It does remind me a lilliputian of ane of those big soft cake-y saccharide cookies, but don't forget it has a juicy fruit filling too, hence what category does it actually autumn into?  Answer: Yummy Category!!

Usually, we simply swallow these out of hand, but they are also prissy plenty for companionship if you lot serve them amongst a scoop of H2O ice cream!! Either agency they are difficult to vanquish amongst a tall drinking glass of milk or a hot loving cup of tea.

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
14 ounce tin fruit pie filling (see note)

Cream butter, saccharide as well as vanilla together until really good mixed. Add the eggs, ane at a time, beating good inwards betwixt each egg.

Add flour as well as vanquish until good mixed, as well as then permit the dough sit down for virtually five minutes.

Press 3/4 of the dough into a lightly greased 9" x 9" pan (I role a (9" springform pan).  Make the exterior border simply a lilliputian deeper than the residuum of the crust (this volition assistance proceed the fruit away from the border of the pan).

Top amongst fruit filling (see note) as well as and then drib lilliputian bits of the residuum of the reserved dough on spill out of the fruit filling.

Bake inwards a pre-heated 375 oven for 35-40 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. My electrical oven takes 37 minutes.

Let cool for a spell as well as then drizzle amongst a vanilla frosting glaze.

Cool as well as shop covered.

NOTES:

Any abode made or commercial fruit filling volition run good inwards the recipe, but I propose that if you lot role a commercial pie filling, that you lot jazz it upwardly a little. Example: if you are using cherry pie filling, add together 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract, if you lot are using apple tree pie filling, chop them upwardly a lilliputian as well as add together a lilliputian to a greater extent than cinnamon as well as nutmeg or perchance a few raisin? Use your imagination.

You tin double the ingredients as well as bake it inwards a 9" x 13" pan for 40-45 minutes.  Either way, role the toothpick exam to brand certain its done inwards the middle.

Read More