Pecan Cream Pie

 

 

   Usually, when I think of a pecan pie, I think of something sticky and syrupy and VERY sweet, usually served around the holidays. But what about a light and fluffy summer pie ?
 This one is creamy and crunchy at the same time, sweet with the tiniest hint of salt, and SO delicious it made me wonder where it has been my entire life. 
  At first, as I was browsing recipes, I couldn’t decide which version to try, because of course, as with all pie recipes, there are a million versions. They’re all very similar, but with slight tweaks here and there. Some have brown sugar, some have maple syrup. I finally decided on this one, from a blog called Grits and Gouda. It’s simple and basic, which leaves you wide open to add whatever tweaks you’d like. Oddly, I didn’t fiddle with it at all. I know, I know.. that’s so unlike me, right? But in this case, it sounded perfect as is, so I went with it. It turned out to be EXACTLY what I wanted! Light and fresh, with a flavor that made me think of butter pecan ice cream. I literally had to stop myself from having a second piece!
  If you like pecans, this might be your new favorite dessert! Actually, I think I might need to add this to the holiday repertoire as well. It’s just that good! Enjoy!
 


1 store bought graham cracker pie crust
1 3oz package cheesecake, white chocolate, or vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk 
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8oz Extra Creamy Cool Whip, divided 
1 1/2 cups toasted and cooled chopped pecans, divided 


Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium size bowl. Using a hand mixer at medium speed or a large whisk, beat the pudding mixture 2 minutes or until thickened. Place in the refrigerator to completely set up while preparing the rest of the pie filling. 

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and vanilla and beat 1 minute or until brown sugar is thoroughly blended. 

Stir in the chilled, thickened pudding and 1 cup of the toasted pecans.
Gently fold in HALF of the Cool Whip until no white streaks show. Spoon the pecan cream pie filling into pie crust. Dollop or pipe remaining Cool Whip in the center and/or around the edges of the pie.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans. Chill at least 2 hours or until firm.


Tips:
Because I prefer to serve my pies in a glass pie plate, I opted to make my own graham cracker crust. I used 2 sleeves of graham crackers (because I like a thicker crust), 2 tbs sugar, and 5 tbs melted butter. ..blitzed them together in a food processor, then pressed the crumbs firmly into a deep dish Pyrex, and baked it for 10 minutes at 350ºF. Then, once it was completely cooled, filled the pie as directed. Perfect!

Feel free to use whipped cream instead of the Cool Whip. Just add 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream to a chilled bowl, and add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then use as directed in the recipe. 
For the best pecan flavor, be sure to toast the pecans. Just place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir and heat them just until you can smell them toasting. It happens very quickly, so stay with them. Then immediately remove them from the pan to cool completely before using. I also like to add a tiny pinch of salt as they’re cooling. That’s all there is to it!

Cherry Pie Gooey Butter Cake

 

 I saw this recipe on TikTok from a chef named Christina Tosi. She’s pretty amazing and I’ve seen her very often on cooking competition shows. She always makes food that I immediately want to eat. This gooey butter cake is no exception! I mean, who doesn’t love a gooey butter cake, right? 
 It comes together SO quickly with basic ingredients that you might already have in your pantry, and you don’t even need a mixer. 

 It's the perfect summer dessert and it was a big hit when I made it for my friends. 

Your friends will love it too! 

 


1 1/2 sticks butter
1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
8oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
1 can cherry pie filling



Heat oven to 350º.
For the crust, melt 1 stick of butter in a mixing bowl. Add the cake mix and one of the eggs. Stir well to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture.
Press dough evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Set Aside.
For the filling, soften the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and cream cheese in the microwave, stir together until well combined. Add powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, the other egg, and the reserved dough. Stir well until combined. Pour over crust layer. Now drop spoonfuls of the pie filling here and there over the filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes. It will still be slightly jiggly in the center. Let cool completely and then chill before serving. For an extra pretty touch, dust it with a tiny sprinkle of powdered sugar over the top. So fancy!


Tip:

When you drop your spoonfuls of pie filling over the top, just do them here and there, as the recipe says. You don't want to completely cover the filling layer. You probably won't use the entire can of pie filling. 
This recipe lends itself to a million different variations. Since we were using cherry pie filling, I added a few drops of almond extract, since those two flavors are a match made in heaven. 

If you'd like to serve it for your 4th of July BBQ, you could add a few fresh blueberries on top for the red-white-and-blue of it all. Mix and match any flavor of cake mix with any flavor of pie filling and it will all work! With the yellow cake mix, I’m thinking peach, strawberry, blueberry,,, With chocolate cake mix, I think it has cherry written all over it. I think I’d even add a few chocolate chips over the top, because why not???? For Fall, it would be amazing to use a spiced cake mix with apple filling. Now THAT sounds heavenly! Do you make home made pie filling? Even better! You do you!

Portuguese Coconut Tarts (Queijadas de Coco)

 

 

   

  Every year, around Easter, I always look forward to all of the usual treats. The Cadbury caramel eggs, my carrot cake decorated with a basket weave design (get it?), and of course, anything and everything to do with coconut. So I was pretty excited when I happened upon this dessert that was completely new to me. 

 Have you ever heard of a Portuguese Coconut Tart? If you can imagine that a coconut custard pie and a coconut cupcake had a baby, it would be this. Caramelized and golden on top and custard-y in the center, it's one of the most delicious coconut somethings I've every tasted. True story! I saw the recipe on a short video from Celia Rego, who makes traditional Portuguese dishes, and immediately wanted to make them (mainly because I've never met a coconut I didn't like.) They're super simple to make too! All it took was a few simple ingredients that I just happened to have on hand, and it came together in no time. You don't even need cupcake liners to bake. SO easy!!

 Full disclosure... I may or may not have tweaked this recipe ever so slightly, because I can never leave well enough alone...but I still listed the original recipe as is. I kid you not when I say I had to stop myself from eating them and I PROMISE I'll be making them again and again!

If you like coconut, this is absolutely something you need to try!!

 

 

8oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick butter, room temperature

6 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tbs flour

14oz sweetened shredded coconut 

 

 

Heat oven to 350ºF. 

Using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix in the sugar, then the flour until smooth. Now stir in the coconut by hand, adding a little at a time so it doesn't clump together. 

  Grease and flour a muffin tin, or spray with baking spray. Fill each cup completely. Tap your pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on top. Cool completely before removing from pan. 

 

 

 

Tips:

There are other versions that have different amounts of sugar and eggs, and there are some that use milk instead of cream cheese. This recipe was so good I don't even feel the need to try any other! 

The only thing I added was a tsp of vanilla extract, and a tsp of coconut extract. I didn't add them to the list of ingredients because I wanted to post it as I first discovered it, but I think the vanilla and coconut extracts were a delicious addition and this is definitely how I'll always make them. Actually....now that I think of it... I wonder how this recipe would turn out if I made them in a mini muffin tin... Hmm.. Only one way to find out!

No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

 

 

  What do you do when you need to come up with a dessert, such as a fabulous light and fluffy pie, but you have neither the time nor the know how? What do you do? You take ALL the shortcuts and you make this recipe, THAT'S what you do! It only takes a few store bought ingredients, and it comes together in minutes. And it's SO delicious!!! You'll be amazed at how big of a pay off you get despite all the shortcuts. 

 Yes, of course, you could make your own crust by crushing the graham crackers, adding sugar, and melted butter and then pressing it into a pie plate... and you could make your own lemon curd or pie filling... and your own fresh sweetened whipped cream....

 But sometimes you just don't have time for all of that! This recipe solves that problem. I promise you I wouldn't recommend something unless it's worth it. And btw, even though we're taking a few shortcuts, this still counts as a homemade. There. I said it. 

 So if you're short on time, or if you're not a baker at all, try this recipe and everyone will love you for it. ENJOY!

 

 

 

1 ready-made 10" graham cracker pie crust

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 

1 22oz can lemon pie filling 

1/2 cup lemon juice

Zest from one lemon

1 8oz container Cool Whip, thawed

 

 

  Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, and zest. Using a rubber spatula, fold in l/2 of the lemon pie filling by hand. Now do the same with half of the Cool Whip.

 Pour the filling into the ready made pie crust, smoothing over the top. Refrigerate for an hour or two. Remove from the fridge and spread the other half of the pie filling over the cream filling. Decorate the top with remaining Cool Whip. Garnish with a fresh lemon slice, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Even better, make it the night before so it'll set up in the fridge overnight. 

 

But for the quickest method, forget the extra chilling time. Just pour the cream mixture into the crust, smooth over the top, then carefully spread the remaining pie filling on top. You could even get fancy and give it a little swirl. Now decorate the top with the remaining Cool Whip. You'll have more of a mousse texture instead of a slice of pie, but it's delicious now matter how you do it. 

 

 

 

Tips:

The only thing I'd change about this recipe (if I were feeling so motivated) is that I'd make my own graham cracker crust. The store bought ones taste great and they're super convenient, but I do like a thicker crust, which also lends itself to serving a slice of pie in one piece without so much crust breakage. But you do you!

Btw, if you're wondering why it's called an "icebox" pie... Before there were today's electric refrigerators, there were iceboxes, which were insulated wooden boxes with a top compartment for large blocks of ice that cooled a lower compartment as the ice melted. So I guess now this pie should be called a Refrigerator Pie, but we don't need to be that technical. 

Tollhouse Cookie Bars

   Here’s a good one to keep in your recipe arsenal. It’s just a simple cookie bar, but it hits all the right notes, and everyone goes crazy for them every time I make them. They’re a great picky-uppy kind of sweet treat and the recipe comes from a blog called Midwestern Homelife. Of course, I tweaked it ever so slightly because I can never leave well enough alone. 

 They just hit the spot whenever you feel like having a little something sweet, and you literally don’t even need an occasion to make them! On the other hand, they’re the perfect thing to make for your special somebody… or as a boost for your nephew who has a crazy 48 hour work shift coming up….   or as a huge thank you to your ANGEL of a next door neighbor who, without asking, cleared your walkways with his snowblower… TWICE. Come to think of it, I think I need to make another batch, just for myself, because why not??? I think you need to make some too!!

 
 

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, (2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups mix-ins (any kind of chips, chopped chocolate or nuts)



Preheat the oven to 350ºF. 
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper with an overhang for easy removal. 
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the butter, brown and white sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one. Gradually add the flour and mix until combined. The dough will be very thick. Add the mix-ins. Set aside some chocolate chips or chocolate chunks for the top. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts on low speed until combined. 
Press or spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips over top of the dough. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set.  
Cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack. 




Tips:

It may seem like overkill to spray the pan and then line it with parchment, but I still like to do both. Just that little quick spray helps the parchment paper stay in place for when you're pressing the cookie dough into the pan. Otherwise, the paper slides all over the place. 

The original recipe only called for 1 tsp salt, but I added the extra half tsp because I think it needed it. I also only ever use salted butter, but you do you. 

The mix-ins I used were chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and white chocolate chips, with mini chocolate chips over the top.  I think I might do peanut butter chips next time. Chopped pecans, walnuts, and/or macadamia nuts would also be awesome. Use anything you like!

Joey's Banana Bread Trifle

 

 

 Here's a little showstopper of a dessert that I recently made for my family's Thanksgiving Dessert Party. It's basically a variation on a banana pudding, but as always, I can't leave well enough alone, and decided to PLUS it. 

 A banana pudding is usually layers of sliced bananas, vanilla pudding, and Nilla wafers. But then I thought, why not make it into a trifle? (Side note, my niece, Natalie, stated that a banana pudding is already a trifle, but one could argue that a trifle has cake in it, or in this case, banana bread.. but that's a debate for another time... )

 Anyway, I still wanted to include the Nilla Wafers, but then decided to guild the lily and push it over the top with crushed Heath Bars as well. BOOM.

 Everyone raved about it! I mean, nothing against all of the other homemade desserts, but this may or may not have been the talk of the dessert table. Just sayin! I'm pretty sure I've just added this to my growing list of "must make" holiday desserts for my family. My nephew, Will, told me I need to post this IMMEDIATELY.. Glad you liked it, William!

 So if you're a fan of banana pudding, you absolutely MUST try it. I PROMISE you'll get rave reviews from your family and friends. It's perfect for your next holiday gathering. Enjoy!

 

  

2 cups cold milk
1 (5oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Crushed Nilla wafers

6-8 ripe bananas, sliced, (or more if needed)

1 homemade or store bought Banana Bread,  cut into cubes

Crushed Heath Bars or Heath Toffee Bits


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until the powder is dissolved and the pudding begins to thicken. 
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 

Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk into whipped cream. 

Now gently fold the sweetened cream into the pudding. 

You’re ready to layer! 
In a tall sided glass bowl, create layers in this order:

pudding

banana bread cubes

banana slices

crushed Nilla wafers

toffee bits 

Finish by ending with pudding on top.

Garnish with more crushed Nilla wafers and Heath bits. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 



Tips:
When you’re whipping the cream, you want to go to soft peaks or just beyond, but you don’t want to over whip it. Otherwise it’ll break and turn into butter, which is great and all, but that’s not what we’re looking for here!
When layering, I like to make pretty layers around the edges by standing the banana slices up against the side of the bowl before adding the other ingredients. You'll use more bananas, but it makes for a nicer presentation! Plus, like I always say, more is more!

The best way to make sure you come out even when layering is to divide the pudding into thirds, and divide the other ingredients in half. 3 layers of pudding, two layers of everything else, got it?
If you don’t have a tall sided glass bowl, just use any pretty serving bowl. You can even make it in a 9x13 casserole dish. 

Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies

  I was recently on the hunt for a really good go-to lemon cookie, and as always I had certain search criteria: Of course I wanted a strong hit of lemon, but then I also wanted the texture to be fabulously crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.... definitely not cakey, but kind of like a sugar cookie, only a perfect lemon version. With me so far?

 Then I found this recipe from a blog called Kroll's Korner. It's literally everything I just described, and I seriously could've eaten the entire batch. Not even kidding. SO GOOD! It was the perfect thing to bring to my friend, Mary, who had requested a batch of lemon cookies. 

 So, now I can add another delicious recipe to my repertoire for all of my friends who are constantly asking me for "anything lemon." Pretty sure this is now my new go-to recipe. Pretty sure it'll be yours too!  

 

 

 

12 tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbs lemon zest
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. lemon extract (or 1 tsp. each lemon and vanilla extract)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling & garnishing

 

 

 Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Pro tip: you can rub the lemon zest and sugars together between your fingertips to help release the natural oils in the lemon and infuse even more lemon flavor into the cookies). Add eggs and extract(s), mix again.
Add the dry ingredients in a mound with baking soda on top.
Add the lemon juice on top of the baking soda, it will foam = activated.
Mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
You can refrigerate the dough now as is or scoop and roll into balls and then refrigerate. Balls will be about ~1 ½-2 tbsp. in size. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Add about 1/4 cup granulated sugar into a bowl and roll the balls in the granulated sugar.
Bake for 10-12 min. DO NOT OVERBAKE. These need to be very soft and chewy.
Swirl a cup around the cookies when they come out of the oven (while they’re still warm) to make them perfect circles.
Sprinkle the tops of cookies with more granulated sugar for a sparkly look and lemon zest if desired.
Rest on a cookie sheet for just 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
They will look puffy out of the oven but settle as they cool.

 

 

Tips:

 The most important thing is to make sure you chill the dough before baking. I opted to mix up the dough, roll it into balls, then in sugar, then refrigerate them on a parchment lined tray. I chilled them for over an hour, and then took the trays right from the fridge to the oven. They turned out perfectly! I know the directions say to swirl a glass over them to make them perfectly round, but there didn't seem to be any need, at least this time.

I used a cookie scoop, and I wound up with about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. If you'd like to double the recipe, I would suggest mixing up two batches instead of doubling the ingredients. It seems to me that some cookie recipes work better when you mix up separate batches instead of doubling. I'm talking to YOU, Snickerdoodles. 

Also I think I'd like to add more lemon zest next time. More is more, right?! I also wondered how it would taste if I used orange and/or lime zest instead of (or in addition to) the lemon. I think I need to make another batch and try it!

Southern Grape Salad

                            

 

 

 This is another easy throw together dessert that is perfect for your next summer event. There are actually many versions of it across the interwebs, but this one from Southern Living seemed to hit all the right notes, so I gave it a try. Omg it's so good!! Who knew?? It was cool, and refreshing, just like a fruit salad should be, but this one was also sweet and creamy, which just ticks all the right boxes. It sort of has an Ambrosia kind of vibe, but thankfully without the marshmallows. (No thank you very much!) Full disclosure, I halved the recipe because I didn't need such a big batch, but you make it to suit your needs. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve, and I promise it'll beat the hottest summer day! 

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 lbs red seedless grapes
2 lbs green seedless grapes
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups toasted chopped pecans

In a large bowl, beat together, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and salt until smooth. Stir in vanilla then fold in grapes. Transfer to a serving dish. 
In a medium bowl, stir together, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over grape salad in serving dish. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve. 


Tips:
I must say my favorite part of this dish is the brown sugar and pecan topping. You think it's gonna be too sweet, but it's not, and the crunch is everything!
If you have more of the cream cheese mixture than you need, use it as a fruit pie topping or for topping for any other fresh fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, or peaches would be fabulous, just sayin'!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars

 

  Whenever my family has an occasion to celebrate, my first question is always "what can I bring?" What can I say..... that's just how I was raised. My Dad used to always say "when you go to a party, you ring the doorbell with your elbow." (meaning your hands are full, carrying whatever you brought to the party). Most times it'll be an easy dessert, or something "picky uppy", which is a highly official term we use to describe party finger food. Sweet or savory, it's always the perfect thing for a party. So when my nephew Gregger and his newly intended, Britny, announced their forthcoming nuptials, I immediately started looking for a picky uppy something to bring to their engagement party. 

  Sometimes, I'll have something specific in mind, which often requires a trip to the store, but in this case, I eyed the fresh blueberries that I already had in my fridge, and that's the direction I went. A few more ingredients from my well stocked pantry, a google search, and this is where I landed. 

 It's my own adaptation of a recipe I found on a blog called Dance Around the Kitchen. Simple. Easy. And best of all, I already had all the ingredients. Perfect!

 So lets talk about the recipe for a minute. I've seen this method before. You make one recipe for the crust, then use half of it for the bottom layer, add a middle filling layer, and then use the rest of the crust crumbled over the top. Great. But here's the thing... it always seems to me that there isn't enough crust dough to go around. I like to make a solid bottom crust, and enough crumble to almost cover the top. So my adaptation was just to bump up the amounts a little to make more crumble crust/topping. I suppose I should have done some math to increase the proportions equally, but I didn't. I just sort of added more to each measure. I guess it's very forgiving because it turned out perfectly. And it had the perfect amount of crust!

   So, congratulations, Gregger and Britny! I'm so thrilled for both of you! And I'm glad the blueberry bars were a hit at your engagement party!

 And the next time you need to "ring the doorbell with your elbow', try this recipe. 

You'll love 'em!

1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 cups quick oats (uncooked)
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or raspberries)

Sprinkle of cinnamon, optional



Preheat oven to 350ºF
Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining with parchment paper or coating with cooking spray.
 In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Stir in the baking soda, salt, flour, and oatmeal until combined. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 13 minutes.
While the bottom layer is baking, make the filling.
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and stir until smooth. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk with a whisk to make sure it's mixed well. Then add the vanilla and egg yolk. 
Once the bottom layer is done baking, (no need to cool), pour the cream cheese mixture over it and carefully spread it out. Add the berries on top of the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal crumble on top and press it down lightly. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, if desired. 
Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. 
Let cool completely, then chill for at least an hour before cutting; store in the refrigerator.

Tips:

When stirring the cream cheese, be sure to get all the lumps out before adding the condensed milk. It'll be harder to get the lumps out if you add them all at once! Don't ask me how I know...

If you're not a fan of blueberries, try something else! Cherries would be great. Pineapple would be amazing. Diced strawberries would be awesome. Or combine whichever fruits you like. Diced peaches and raspberries would be fabulous. You do you!

Btw, I added cinnamon, but you don't have to. It just seemed to me that the crumble is very similar to an oatmeal cookie, so why not? Turned out to be a good decision!

Zucchini "Apple" Pie Filling

 

 

    Do you have so much zucchini that you don't know what to do with it? Or maybe you left your zucchini in the garden too long, and now it's overgrown to the size of a small human?? What do you do?

 You make apple pie, of course! Apple pie out of zucchini? ABSOLUTELY!

  Let me explain. I don't have a garden, but I have friends and relatives who do. Very often, they'll send over their surplus crop of zucchini, and I'm always trying to think of new things to do with it. Side note, if I'm being totally honest, very often, the zucchini is MASSIVE, which is much tougher and isn't as desirable as the smaller more tender zucchini, but hey, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

 Anyway, recently, I was given a large zucchini, several yellow squash, some eggplant, and tomatoes. Naturally, I made a big pot of ratatouille (as one does), and then froze it in containers. Great. But then another zucchini came in.... well, I can't make ratatouille every time....ok.... um... lets try a dessert this time! So, I hollowed out the center of the zucchini, sliced it just as I would slice apples, cooked it until tender and then added sugar, spices, lemon juice, and corn starch. Presto! Apple pie filling! You"ll be absolutely amazed at how much it tastes like sliced apples instead of sliced zucchini. The texture, specifically, is exactly that of an apple or pear.

 So now the doors are wide open! Make a pie! Make a crisp! Make a cobbler! Use it any way you'd use a can of apple pie filling. If you bake it with a buttered bread crumb topping, you have a Brown Betty. If you put it in a pan and lay a pie crust on top and then bake it..well, now you have a Pan Dowdy! And of course, pie, crisp, cobbler, or plain...you MUST serve it with a big scoop of ice cream on top. I'm pretty sure that's a law. 

 Since the amounts of all of your ingredients will depend on the your amount of zucchini, you may have to tweak an amount here or there. But don't panic, it will all turn out fine!

1 giant zucchini, or 2-3 regular ones

1/2 cup water

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tbs corn starch

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp apple pie spice blend

pinch salt

 

 Peel zucchini and slice off the ends. Slice it in half lengthwise. Using a metal spoon, hollow out the seeds, just like you would do with a pumpkin. Slice the zucchini into small dice or slices, just as you would do with apples. Place the zucchini slices in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add water, and cover. Let it steam for a while until it becomes tender. Now add the remaining ingredients. Stir until it thickens. It only takes a minute or two. Now taste it. Is it tart enough? Add more lemon juice. is it sweet enough? Add more sugar. Is it bland? Add another pinch of salt. Want more cinnamon? Go for it. If it still tastes like squash, add more of everything. When it tastes just as you like it, that's all there is to it!

To make the crisp as you see pictured:

1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/3 c rolled oats
4 tbs cold butter (1/2 stick)

 

Use your hands to combine all ingredients until they come together when squeezed in your hand. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the filling in a pan. Bake at 350ºF until bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

 

 

Tips:

The key to success here is the lemon juice. Usually, many people choose Granny Smith apples for baking because they're very tart. So you really need that lemon juice to make up for the zucchini's lack of tartness. 

The other key is the brown sugar. I tried it with regular sugar, and it just wasn't the same.

And be generous with the cinnamon and nutmeg!