Good Eats

Applesauce Puffs

These little bites of delight are super easy to make and are so light and airy they simply melt in your mouth. A huge hit around my house, and made with ingredients usually kept within the house, this is a win-win situation all around. I made these for one of my dinner nights with my dad and lets just say I kept getting requests for seconds and thirds. Great for Fall and they taste like a cinnamon sugar donut! What's not to love?

Ingredients:

• 2 c. Bisquick
• 3/4 c. sugar (divided)
• 3 t. cinnamon (divided)
• 1/2 c. applesauce
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 2 T. oil
• 5 T. melted butter

Directions:

1. Combine Bisquick, 1/4c. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon.
2. Stir in applesauce, milk, egg and oil until well mixed.
3. Fill greases muffin pan 2/3 full.
4. Back at 400 for 10 min.
5. In a bowl mix 1/2 c. sugar with 2 t. cinnamon.
6. Dip hot puffs in bowl of melted butter and then in bowl of cinnamon sugar.

Blueberry Cream Pie

Refreshing Delight

One tradition my dad and I have is every week he comes over our house and I make a nice big dinner with all of the trimmings. Everything is home made from scratch, something I'm very happy to do since I want to be like the lovely ladies in my family who knew how to do things right the old fashioned way. My mom and my grandma Kretchmer have always been two of my biggest inspirations, and these two women knew how to cook a homemade meal and delectable dessert all without batting an eye lash.

When my dad was over one night finishing up dinner, I gave him my retro baking book to flip through and pick out a dessert for next weeks dinner party. My dad has always been a pie type of guy so it came as little surprise when he choose the Blueberry Cream Pie. I have never made a pie before, so I was a bit apprehensive, but knew I could complete it with little mishap. The great thing about this pie is how refreshing it is with the blueberries and homemade whipped cream. Talk about a delectable dessert. Now on to the party!

What You'll Need:

For the pie crust:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup butter (or coconut oil!)
• glass of ice water

For the filling:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsps cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used fresh)
• 2 tbsps butter (or coconut oil)
• 1 1/2 tbsps lemon juice
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

To make the pastry:

• Mix flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Use pastry cutter to blend in butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add 3 to 4 tbsps of ice water one at a time until dough is moist enough to form into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2 inch thickness, smooth rough edges, and roll out onto a floured surface. Dough should form an even circle 1 1/2 inches longer than a 8 or 9 inch pie pan. Place crust loosely in pan, pat out air pockets, fold and flute edge to form even rim. Prick crust generously with form and bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

To make filling:

• In a saucepan blend together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water and 1 cup of blueberries. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook until very thick. Add butter and lemon juice; mix well and let cool. Gently stir in remaining 2 cups of blueberries and refrigerate about 1 hour. In a small mixing bowl beat whipping cream until thick. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Cover bottom of pie shell with half the whipped cream. Pour blueberry filling over whipped cream. Chill about 2 hours. Top pie with remaining whipped cream.

I also made another batch of the whipped cream to keep on hand for any little desserts or fruit cups I decided to make. During our dinner, I always make a cup of fresh mixed fruits and usually drizzle with honey. This week, I topped it off with the whipped cream much to my dads delight. Some tips for making the whipped cream are to put the metal bowl and beater attachment in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before stirring. I used my kitchen aid mixer for this. Do not over beat either. About 5 minutes is plenty.