Peach Pie

I tried to make my first peach pie ever. It was delicious and not helpful in my weight loss goals!!!
Thank you "Southern Living" magazine for this gem:

Brown Sugar -Cinnamon Peach Pie
(I made my own crust)
8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (about 4 pounds)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg-beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 425
peel peaches and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and cut slices in half
Stir together: brown sugar, granulated sugar, Cinnamon, salt, butter and 1/4 cup flour
Add Peaches.
Stir to coat peaches.
Immediately spoon peach mixture into piecrust in pie plate.
Carefully place top layer of piecrust on top and seal edges.
Brush top with eggs and sprinkle with sugar
Freeze pie for 15 mins. Meanwhile, heat a jelly-roll pan in oven 10 mins
Place pie on hot jelly-roll pan.
Bake at 425 on lower oven rack for 15 mins
Bake at 375 for 40 mins
Cover loosely with aluminum foil (to not over brown pie) and bake 25 more mins
Transfer to wire rack and cool 2 hours before serving (if you can wait that long!)

Baked Alaska

Well now this is a fun little tidbit. When I was in Jr. High School my Mom had me enrolled in Summer School for some fun classes along with some of my siblings. One of those classes was a cooking class. I still STILL have all of the recipes from that class. I know crazy. BUT I have used a couple of them over the years. One of them is the Baked Alaska.Michael really loves this one and asked that I make it for him for a special dinner he was going to make for his girlfriend. Just for fun, I agreed and it was just yummy, as usual.
Thanks Ms. Wilson for a)putting up with our class and b) for teaching some really good recipes!

And here is the recipe:

Baked Alaska- Thanks to Huntington Jr. High School Summer School Cooking

one layer chocolate cake
1 qt your favorite ice cream (we like mint choc chip)
6 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cups powdered sugar

Place layer cake on cookie sheet or piece of foil. Freeze.
Line a bowl that is the same size or a little smaller than the size of the layer of cake. Line the bowl with plastic wrap. Place softened ice cream in a bowl on top of the plastic wrap and put back into freezer.
Now work on the meringue topping.
Add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat until foamy. Add sugar two tablespoons at a time and beat until stiff and shiny.
Time to assemble.
Take the cake and ice cream out of the freezer. Take the ice cream and lay it flat side on top of the cake (looks like a dome). Then spread the meringue covering all of the cake, ice cream, and any edges. You don't want any openings anywhere so that the oven can't get in to the ice cream while baking.
Bake for 3-5 minutes at 500 degrees until golden tan.
Best if served immediately. Can be frozen and served/saved for later.

A Little more Canning

I LOVE applesauce but never eat it and have never, in my adult life, made it myself. Well, give me a canning class, a sale on apples and voila! I made applesauce! I'm so proud of myself :) Here are a couple picture to prove it. Love the fall!

The recipe that I used is:

Here is a recipe I used and modified for our family:
Makes about 8 (16 oz) pintsYou will need:

12 lbs apples, peeled, cored, quartered, treated to prevent browning* and drained (about 36 medium)

Water

3 cups granulated sugar, optional

4 Tbsp lemon juice

8 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

2.) COMBINE apples with just enough water to prevent sticking in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 20 minutes, until apples are tender (time will depend upon the variety of apple and their maturity). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

3.) TRANSFER apples, working in batches, to a food mill or a food processor fitted with a metal blade and purée until smooth.

4.) RETURN apple purée to saucepan. Add sugar, if using, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Maintain a gentle boil over low heat while filing jars.

5.) LADLE hot applesauce into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

6.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. *To treat apple slices to prevent browning, apply Ball® Fruit-Fresh® Produce Protector according to the manufacturer\'s instructions or submerge cut apples in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups water.