This recipe came from the KitchenAid cookbook, but I altered it since there were too many apples. It’s got a very homemade look and feel, and the recipe doesn’t use much sugar. If you want even less sugar, Splenda brand granulated sweetener is a great option and the Splenda brown sugar blend is also great to use for the crumbly topping. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs tart green apples, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (can also use whole-wheat flour if you prefer)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened

1 (9-inch) pie shell (I use Pillsbury pie crusts)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss together the sliced apples, lemon juice, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Place all remaining ingredients, except the pie shell, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Attach the paddle attachment to the mixer. Turn on low and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

3. Lightly coat a large plastic or wood board with flour. Roll out the pastry shell with a rolling pin into a 13-inch circle. Transfer the shell to a large baking sheet using the rolling pin. It’s OK if the shell hangs over the edge of the baking sheet.

4. Gently mound the apple mixture in the center of the pastry, leaving a 2 inch border of dough on all sides. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon-sugar mixture (you may not want to use all of it, but I suggest you do if you’re not trying to cut calories). Fold pastry over filling, pleating as necessary to fit snugly around the base of the apples. Gently press the dough to the filling, reinforcing the shape of the pleats.

5. Bake until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender, for about 30-38 minutes. Cool the tart on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve warm. If eating later, just heat it up a little before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream (a la mode!) if desired.

These are almost like brownies because they’re dense and have very dark chocolate (while remaining fairly sweet), but the walnuts provide a nice crunch. Apparently this is Payard’s recipe. Payard truffles are delicious, so I could only assume their cookies would be, too (and they are!).

Ingredients:

Parchment paper

2 1/2 cups walnut halves

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup plus 3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg whites

1 tbs vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (may have to cut paper to fit pan).

2. Place walnuts on a large chopping board and finely chop them. Transfer to a separate large baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil) and toast in the heated oven until fragrant, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool.

3. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer by hand. Add the walnuts and stir by hand, then add the paddle attachment to the mixer and add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat with the paddle attachment on low-medium until the batter is JUST moistened. (Do not over-beat batter or it will stiffen).

4. Drop batter by the spoonful (teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on how small or large you want them to be) onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds.

5. Baked cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes. Repeat (do another batch) with the remaining batter.

6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This pasta dish is easy and incredibly satisfying. Half of it consists of green vegetables, and the cream and Parmesan are actually quite light.

Depending on the thickness of your asparagus, you may have to sautée it for a little longer than recommended, but be careful not to overcook it or the other vegetables.

Ingredients:

12 ounces fettucine pasta

3 ounces pancetta, chopped

1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw beforehand)

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tbs finely grated lemon peel

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water according to directions on package. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

2. Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of drippings from the skillet.

3. Add asparagus to the drippings in the skillet and sauté for for 3+ minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

4. Add the vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of the parsley, and half of the basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by the tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Transfer pasta to a large bowl, then sprinkle the pancetta and the remaining parsley and basil on top. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

From Bon Appetit, May 2010

by The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen

This is a recipe that I found in KitchenAid Recipe Collection cookbook. It was originally Blueberry Poppy Seed Coffee Cake, but I made a few changes to customize it to my personal taste. The result was incredible. The lemon and blueberries are a perfect combination, and the brown sugar adds a little extra flavor.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp finely grated lemon peel

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed then dried on a paper towel

3 tbs brown sugar, light or dark

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease (with butter) a 9-inch round cake pan (I only like to use nonstick pans) and set aside.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with high sides, or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cut in butter using 2 knives or the paddle attachment of the electric mixer, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.

3. Whisk milk, egg, vanilla, and lemon peel in a separate bowl until blended well. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture with a large spoon or rubber spatula just until flour mixture is moistened (it should still be a bit chunky).

4. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan with the rubber spatula. Top with all of the blueberries. Drop remaining batter in 6-8 dollops onto the blueberries, leaving some berries uncovered. Lastly, sprinkle the brown sugar on top of everything with a spoon or your fingers.

5. Bake for 32-35 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Use a wooden toothpick to make sure it is done (it will come out clean, but there may be a little blueberry on it). 

6. Cool 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Serve warm.

I just made this pie last night and it was delicious. My mom, the family pie and tart maker, said she liked this recipe better than any pie or tart she’s ever made. The berries I used were purchased the day before from two organic berry farms in Central California.

This recipe is jam-packed with fiber (berries, oats) and antioxidants.

Makes one 9-inch pie. Serve warm alone or with vanilla ice cream.

Pie Dough:

I just used Pillsbury Pie Crust.

Filling Ingredients:

3 cups each of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries (9 cups fruit total)

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Crumble Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole oats (I used Quaker quick-cooking oats)

2/3 cup golden brown sugar

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. On a lightly floured board, roll our the dough into a 12 inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch (and deep) pie pan, trim any ends hanging over the side, and flute the edge with your thumb. Chill the pie dough in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. For the filling, wash the strawberries and cut off the stems. Wash the blueberries and blackberries, strain, and pat dry with a paper towel to get rid of extra water. Cut the strawberries in half or quarters, depending on their size. Place all clean berries together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Add to the berries and gently toss.

4. For the topping, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, walnuts, and butter in the bowl of a food processor (like a Cuisinart). Pulse until the mixture has formed into small, pea-size crumbs.

5. Take the pie dough out of the fridge and fill with the berry mixture, then using your hands cover the surface entirely with the crumble topping.

6. Bake for 1 hour until it is golden brown on top and the berries are bubbling underneath.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

ground cinnamon (however much you like)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup lowfat milk

6-8 slices of bread, depending on how soaked you like each slice to be (I like Orowheat Oatnut bread, but any soft bread will do)

butter

confectioner’s sugar

maple syrup, honey, blueberry jam, strawberry jam, etc. (whatever you like)

Preparation:

1. Whisk the eggs until well-blended in a regular bowl, then pour into a large shallow bowl. Add milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Mix ingredients well with whisk.

2. Heat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat, melt a pad of butter in the pan. Soak the slices of bread (both sides) for a few seconds in the egg mixture RIGHT before placing in the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, cook 1-3 slices of toast at a time using a large spatula (bread is fragile when wet). Cook the slices on both sides until golden brown. Make sure there’s fresh butter in the pan each time you cook a batch.

3. In between batches, place the cooked French toast on a plate and cover with another plate or bowl to keep it hot. (Preferably you should use a ceramic plate and bowl, which hold heat well).

4. Use a sifter or lightly tap a spoonful of confectioner’s sugar on each stack of toast. Serve with pure maple syrup, honey, or fruit jam to taste. Top with fresh berries if desired.