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This dessert is super buttery, rich, and so delicious. It's also pretty shelf stable, and can last on the counter or in the fridge for 1-2 weeks! I would recommend fridging it after 1 week.
Tips:
I wouldn't recommend making the phyllo dough as it is time-consuming and a bit tedious, and messy, BUT it is also extremely satisfying to peel your super thin layers apart. However, if you feel adventurous, or just can't find the dough anywhere, feel free to try it! I've tried both ways, it's always delicious.
You can buy phyllo dough in the freezer section near frozen pies. Just be sure to get it ahead of time, and place it in your fridge a day before you are ready to use it.
You can use any kind of nuts in this treat! I used walnuts and pecans, and although it didn't taste exactly like authentic Baklava, it was close enough, and it's what I had on hand That's the beauty of baking and cooking, using what you have in new ways that taste delicious.
When making the nut mixture, you are welcome to add a couple tablespoons of granulated sugar, if you want it a bit sweeter, but it doesn't need it.
I didn't have any flower oil, so I left that out. It still tasted amazing!
Right before serving, you may want to warm it up again, and you can put the pieces into cupcake paper cups to serve to multiple people at once!
This recipe is delicious, and it's super quick and easy to put together, BUT, if you want to make the best whipped cream for this recipe, make your own, takes a bit more time, but it's worth it.
Tips:
I HIGHLY recommend using this recipe for whipped cream. I usually add sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. (in that order) in a food processor. You can use a whisk or immersion blender, but I find it's a little cleaner in a processor.
There is no wrong way to layer your banana pudding, honestly, but if you like a more "pudding centric" pudding, instead of a "cookie centric" pudding, you should use more bananas and fewer cookies. Cookies add a great texture, though, and they soften incredibly when layered in the pudding.
The banana pudding recipe recommends 5-7 bananas. If they are big, 5 is fine, if they are small, use 7.
Berry Compote
Berry Compote
Below are instructions for my Berry Compote!
Topping Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups berries
1-2 tbsp water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
splash of vanilla
splash of basalmic vinegar
Tips & Tricks:
Start cooking the topping (berries) on the stove, add everything in the beginning
Cook until they are thickened to your desired consistency, (thicker=longer cooking time, thinner=shorter)
While cooking the berries, start cooking your pancakes, and if you want them warm & soft, put them in a tortilla warmer or the oven covered with foil, they will soften quite a bit. If you want them crispy, leave them in the oven uncovered.
If the mixture is a little thick. Add some milk.. but be careful, as you don't want it super thinned out, just thin enough!
I was lazy, and used coolwhip, but nothing compares to mixing your own whipped cream, Chef john has a great recipe for that too!
Pair this with my recipe for my Cream Cheese Frosting and you have a carrot cake to beat all other carrot cakes!
Tips:
Add raisins for more flavor
Nuts are not required, but add so much, so if you don't have an allergy, add them in! I like to use pecans inside the cake mix, and walnuts to decorate.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting (My Recipe):
Ingredients:
8oz Cream Cheese (softened)
⅛ cup unsalted butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 - 1½ cups powdered sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
3 tbsp granulated sugar
⅛ tsp salt
Directions:
Mix the (softened) cream cheese, melted butter, and vanilla.
Mix in the powdered sugar, granulated sugar, & salt (if you used salted butter, DO NOT salt. It won't taste exactly the same, and I wouldn't recommend using salted, BUT, if it's all you have on hand, it will still work just fine!)
Let it cool in the fridge for about 1-2hrs
Once cooled a bit, if you want a thicker consistency add some cornstarch (about 1-2 tbsp depending on how "thick" you want it)
Tips:
As you hopefully know by now, if there is an easier way to do something, I am very likely to do it. That being said, I don't have the patience to wait for anything to "soften" (I usually melt my butter for about 30 seconds, and "soften" my cream cheese for about 1 - 1½ minutes in the microwave).
This cream cheese frosting will not work as a thin icing, but it is great for these pretzel bites, cupcakes, strawberries & cream and so much more! If you want a sweeter icing, add more sugar, but this is a fairly mild icing, not super sickly sweet, but not tart by any means, either.
This recipe will make enough frosting for 1 9x13 cake.
Creme Brulee
Creme Brulee
This recipe is my own, and is honestly so delicious. You just have to try it for yourself. I'd recommend investing in a "culinary torch" (they are just fun)
Recipe:
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
4 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp white sugar (for topping)
2 & 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions:
Set your oven to 300°F
Pour the heavy cream into a small pot and bring to a "light" simmer
While waiting for the cream to simmer, Mix the eggs, vanilla, & 4 tbsps sugar in a medium-sized bowl
Temper the eggs by adding about a half cup of the heavy cream to your eggs. Stir immediately, and stir well
Add the rest of the cream to the eggs
Fill your ramekins, Don't overfill! Leave about 1/2 inch from the top
Use a large deep baking dish to set the ramekins in alongside some water (I did ice too, but it's not really necessary)
Bake at 300°F for about 30-45 minutes or until set. It should jiggle similarly to "set" jello (not much, just enough)
Use the 2 tbsps of sugar to top your creme brulee
Broil under your oven broiler or use a baking torch
Tips "Do's & Don'ts:
DON'T: Overcook the heavy cream. Let it warm, but NEVER let it boil. Get it to JUST simmering, and then turn off, immediately.
DON'T: Worry if it comes out jiggly (A little jiggle is fine, but if it's cooled on the counter for about 30 minutes and still has an intense inner "ripple" pop it back in for about 5-15 minutes, but be prepared to watch it like a hawk, and test the jiggle every 3-5 minutes, you don't want it to burn or overcook, it can start to get a grainy texture.
DON'T: Make the sugar crust too far ahead of time. If it's refrigerated for too long, the crust will become moist and lose its "glass-like" texture (10 minutes in the fridge is long enough)
DO: Feel free to eat it even if it's a little loose and not quite set. If you tempered the eggs with hot heavy cream before baking AND it's been in the oven for at least 30 minutes, it's safe to eat.
DO: Let this rest in the fridge for 6-8hrs or overnight before topping with sugar
Frozen custard is one of my favorite desserts.. but it can be so difficult to find. Try making this awesome treat at home. Using the resources below! It's easy, and only a smidge time consuming, BUT you get to have any flavor you are craving!
Click the link for --> Methods to make the Ice-Cream (without machine):
Tips:
I used the "How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag" method.
I didn't use the ice, because that seemed wasteful, but I stuck it "flat" in the freezer, and every 30 minutes I took it out to mix the bag (shook and squeezed).
Once I thought it was ready, I put my ice cream in a different container. You will want to wait until the ice cream has had some time to firm up in the bag, but don't let it get too firm, otherwise it will be difficult to pipe into a container (I used a flat glass pyrex dish with a lid). You want the mixture squishy, but not too liquidy, when it goes for the long freeze.
To get a quicker "even freeze" cover with cling wrap and make sure cling wrap is touching the mixture, you don't want air bubbles in between.
Tips:
I use salted butter in the shortbread crust (and I don't add any additional salt as the recipe calls for)
I typically use a tad extra lemon zest
Tips:
Pro-tip, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar for a sweeter scone.
In 2022, I was a scrub at making scones, but they are so easy to perfect with a little love and patience.
Tips:
Use cold butter
Whip up eggs and vanilla together (before adding to butter/sugar mixture)
Once mixed, keep dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before taking out to shape into balls
Try not to over-handle these cookies. You want the butter to be as cold as possible all the way through
See the recipe for my berry compote above! This pancake recipe is *perfect*.
If you want to make a delicious fluffy cobbler, I recommend the recipe above.
....Another type of cobbler recipe is coming soon! 💫
Tips:
Don't have self-rising flour? Neither do I. Use 2 tsps baking powder to every 1 cup of flour used.
With this cobbler, you can use any fruit. So long as you make a syrup to go along with the fruit added, this will make for a delicious cobbler of any flavor. (Usually, I will add 1 ½ cups of fruit, and about ¼ cup sugar (granulated) and ¼ cup water in order to make a heavy syrup for various fruits. I use fruit syrup and ALL!)
This cobbler is fluffy and bready. It is not very crispy, and is not very dense.
If you are cooking this cobbler, the outside tends to cook faster than the inside, I would recommend covering it with foil (after cutting out a whole in the middle of the foil, to allow it to continue cooking and crisp up normally.
Remember, if you have a convection oven, you will want to turn it down about 25 degrees.
The only change I make to this recipe is using the shortbread crust recipe from the "Lemon Bars" recipe above. I prefer it because it's easier, and I really love the flavor.
Shortbread crust:
➡️ Link to Chef John's lemon bar recipe (shortbread only)
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Tips & Changes:
I doubled the recipe (shortbread & filling) to fill a 9x13 pan, but I probably only needed to double the shortbread, these were some thiccc boiiiis.
The filling doesn't need so much corn syrup, so I only used about 1/4 cup (for a doubled recipe).
I also lightly chopped the pecans (I only had 3 cups on hand #noragrets), and I didn't bother roasting them (still tasted amazing, just one less step).
I don't use the bourbon, either.
Convection cooking should be done 325° for about 35-40 minutes.
...and DO NOT CUT THESE BARS UNTIL THEY ARE COLD. Just trust me. 🥲
Tips:
I would recommend using "dark" brown sugar (only)
If using a convection oven, cook for 35-40 minutes or until the cake starts to visibly peel away from the side of the pan all the way around. Happy baking!
{Auntie Anne's Copycat}
Although this pretzel bites recipe has a frosting recipe, I like mine better and find it to be thicker with more emphasis on the "cream cheese" flavor. See the recipe for my "cream cheese frosting for a delicious
Tips:
Don't have bread flour? No problem, neither do I! It won't hurt anything to use regular flour, so long as it is "unbleached"! It may just be a bit less fluffy in the end. The bread flour helps the yeast rise a bit more.
This Pumpkin Pie couldn't be more delicious, and it's so simple to make!!! Have a piece of fall a little early this year!
Tips:
I always use frozen pie crusts. And put in the pumpkin mix (using crust straight from freezer) Always turns out great and it's so much less work. You are welcome to make your own too!
Whipped Cream
Never buy store bought "whipped cream" again! This is so good and too easy!
Recipe:
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
4 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp white sugar (for topping)
2 & 1/2 cups heavy cream
Tips:
Never use store bough whipped cream, when you can just as easily make your own that tastes 100x better!
Put it into a plastic bag, and snip the tip of the bag to pipe it onto your pie, pancakes or other favorite dessert. (:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until thick and dreamy... I mean creamy.
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