Category: Dessert

Posted in Dessert

Dessert: Pecan Apple Tart

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Thanks to my husband and son we have lots of apples for lovely tasty treats!

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Pecan Apple Tart

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1 1/3 cups flour, more for rolling
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk plus 3 large eggs
2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped, for serving

Prep Day: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour, baking soda, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse to blend. Dice 8 tablespoons butter, place in food processor and give it about 20 quick pulses, until butter is in tiny lumps. Beat egg yolk with 4 tablespoons ice water. Open cover of machine and sprinkle in egg mixture. Pulse briefly. Ingredients should start to clump together to form a dough; do not allow a ball of dough to form. If dough is too dry to hold together, add another teaspoon or two of water and pulse again.

Transfer dough mixture to lightly floured work surface and gather together to form into a flat, smooth disk. Roll to a circle about 13 inches in diameter and fit into a 10-inch fluted tart pan. Line with foil, weight with pastry weights and bake 10 minutes, until dry-looking.

NOTE: The pastry in this recipe can be mixed, formed into a disk, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance of using. Let it come to room temperature 1 hour before rolling. Prebaked pastry, cooled, not filled, can also be frozen in pan, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 week.

Remove foil and weights, prick bottom of pastry in a few places and bake until golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven.

While pastry is baking melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add apples and sauté over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Stir in brown sugar, then add pecans. Sauté another minute. Remove from heat and spread in baked pastry. Beat eggs, stir in syrup and vanilla and pour over apples and pecans.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until set and browned on top, about 25 minutes more; let cool completely. Wrap pan and all in plastic, then foil. Freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw 2 hours, then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and allow to cool 30 minutes before serving with whipped cream.

Posted in Dessert, Holiday Good Eats

Secret Family Recipe…My Grandma’s Flaky Pie Crust

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

SYLVIA’S SECRET PIE CRUST

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Sylvia shared her secret ingredient to making homemade pie crusts to the Facebook world. The crusts are unfailingly flaky and light, so I thought everyone enjoy!

Click here to watch my aunt make this delightful pie crust!

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder (Sylvia’s secret ingredient)
1 cup shortening, chilled
4, 5, or more Tablespoons ice water

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 4-5 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a teaspoonful at a time until the dough comes together.

Gently gather dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 20 minutes before rolling. Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate and finish your pie according to directions. For a baked shell: bake in the preheated oven approximately 8 minutes or until just turning golden around edges.

Makes 2 pie crusts.

Posted in Dessert

Minnesota Delights: Cafe Latte Turtle Cake

Posted on by Northerly Nosh

Cafe’ Latte is celebrating their 30th anniversary and last week they shared their Turtle Cake recipe on Kare 11. It’s to die for!!!!

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(Photo: Nancy Bundt)

Cake –
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup good quality cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 cup hot coffee

Frosting –
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter
2 cups good-quality semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans

Directions – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cover each bottom with disk of parchment paper.

In bowl, combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In large separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry until well mixed. Gradually add hot coffee. Scrape batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cake rest in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.

To Make Frosting – Mix sugar and milk in saucepan. Add butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to pan. Using wire whisk, mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons hot coffee.

To Assemble Cake – Place one cooled cake layer, top-side down, on cake plate. Spread with one-third of frosting, pushing it out gently from edges to make a petal effect. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans, Drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add next layer, again top-side down. Repeat frosting and sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. And final layer top-side up, frost with petal effect and finish with remaining pecans and caramel.