Recipes

KNR, p. 319 “Pistachio Muffins and Cupcakes”

Our Irish heritage compels us to chomp on special Irish comfort food recipes all year round, and share them with the crowd this time of year. But this one? It’s not Irish, but it is green and we serve it every year. If someone else is cooking the main dish and sides, we are always asked to bring this to the gathering, sometimes in the cake version. Enjoy!

In case you were wondering, we bought the mug in Ireland at a Bewley’s chain tea shop. Lovely afternoon.

Pistachio Muffins and Cupcakes

Sheila Kerrian *
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6 jumbo muffins

Equipment

  • 1 Standing Mixer, wire whip

Ingredients
  

Crumble Topping (use fork to mix)

  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons pecans, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons softened butter
  • 2 drops green food coloring
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped pistachio kernels (optional)

Whipped Cream Topping (use wire whip on standing mixer to mix)

  • 1 3.4 oz box Jello pistachio instant pudding mix
  • 2 pints heavy cream
  • 1 envelope Dream Whip Topping mix
  • 2 Tablespoons confectioners sugar
  • 2 drops green food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Muffins

  • 1/3 cup sunflower seed oil (or other nut oil)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 3.4 oz box Jello pistachio instant pudding mix
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose unbleached King Arthur flour
  • 1/2 cup sparkling water
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 4 drops green food coloring

Instructions
 

  • Mix ingredients for the topping of choice and refrigerate until needed.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350.  Use standing mixer on lowest speed for muffins.
  • Cream oil and sugar. Add eggs and pudding mix and beat until just mixed.
  • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sparkling water a little at a time and mix until evenly moistened.
  • Add chopped pecans and food coloring and mix until evenly blended.
  • Divide mix evenly among 6 extra large greased, floured, muffin tins (or use jumbo baking cup papers)
    If using the crumble topping, divide equally and sprinkle on top of the muffins, about 2 teaspoons each.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes in center of oven - until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, muffins are springy to the touch, and lightly golden brown.
  • If using the whipped cream topping, completely cool the baked muffins, then pile on the whipped cream to your heart’s content. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
  • There will be extra whipped cream, so put it on (or in) anything you like.

Notes

*Adapted from a cake recipe in a fundraiser cookbook.

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KNR, p. 317 “Blackberry Cobbler”

If there are no paragraph separations in the text, please double-click on the title to create a more readable version.


Everybody in Sheila’s family raved about her grandmother’s cobbler recipe. Grandma never gave up the secret, but did admit it was sooooo easy to make. However, easy to bake doesn’t mean easy to recreate. Sheila tried to duplicate the taste for many years, serving variations to anyone willing to take a chance on yet another attempt. Dessert lovers all, Sheila rarely heard a ‘no,’ whether similar in taste or not. 

BUT, this past week, an historical light clicked on in her brain and she worked on the premise of using ingredients that grandma had available to her at the time. This includes fresh blackberries from her own blackberry patch, and whole milk, because Grandma had cows. Sheila remembered seeing condensed milk in Grandma’s kitchen and asked why. Grandma just smiled and changed the subject, but its use makes a huge difference in flavor.

Sheila’s brother was visiting, tried it with creamy ice cream, whooped between bites, and declared, “She nailed it!”

For your consideration, really easy Blackberry Cobbler:

Blackberry Cobbler

Sheila Kerrian & Grandma
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 & 1/4 cups self-rising flour
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup 1/2 cup milk
  • 6 Tablespoons melted butter
  • 6-8 ounces fresh blackberries, 1/2 cup reserved for garnish
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 325 and grease 13” x 9” baking dish.
  • Place flour, condensed milk, plain milk, and melted butter into large bowl. Mix with large spoon or whisk until blended. Pour into the greased baking dish.
  • Slice blackberries in half, lengthwise. Spread blackberries evenly across top of batter, flat side down, saving a few for garnish.
  • Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top of the blackberries.
  • Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  • Let cool on rack for 10 minutes.
  • Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and a few blackberries. (Whipped cream with vanilla flavoring is shown in the top photo)

Notes

 
 
The cobbler can also be baked in a liberally buttered, oven-proof stoneware pie dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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KNR, p. 313 “Apple Pie with Pecan Crumble Topping”

It’s Autumn and with the cooler temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, also comes an abundance of apples at the grocery and farmer’s markets. Our family is evenly divided between pumpkin and apple pies at Thanksgiving, so we make both.

We have tried several versions of apple pie, but when we tasted one with pecan crumbles on top, we had to recreate it for the holidays. It doesn’t hurt that many schools/churches use pecans as featured items in their Fall Fundraisers, so we always have a healthy supply on hand. Sheila outdid herself with this one, using three kinds of apples for a great flavor. But then, I always show up for pie.  🙂

 

Apple Pie with Pecan Crumble Topping

Sheila Kerrian
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 12" fry pan

Ingredients
  

Topping Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup mashed/rough chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup all purpose unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons softened butter

Filling Ingredients

  • 6 large apples,mixed varieties, about 6 cups sliced apples
  • 2 Tablespoons unbleached flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Pie Crust Prep

  • Pre-heat oven to 375. Pre-bake favorite single pie crust on middle oven rack, 10-15minutes (until light golden brown). Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

Topping Prep

  • Place pecans in plastic bag, seal it, and smash the bag with the back of a spoon until the pecans are in small bits.
  • Using a fork, combine all dry topping ingredients in medium sized bowl.
  • Add softened butter and combine, using the fork to mix and create pea-sized crumbles. Refrigerate until needed.

Filling Prep

  • Peel, core, and slice apples. Place in a large bowl and toss with the flour and sea salt.
  • Using non-stick 12” fry pan, stir together apple juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla until heated through – about 5 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the sliced apples to the fry pan, cover and heat on medium low until crisp tender to taste, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove 1 cup of cooked apples from the pan, smash into chunks, then return to pan and toss together until completely mixed. Heat for additional 5 minutes.
  • Place entire batch of cooked apples into the pre-baked pie crust, leveling with a spoon.
  • Spread the pecan crumble on top of the apples two Tablespoons at a time until apples are completely covered to the edges.
  • Place on middle rack of oven at 375 and bake about 30 minutes, protecting the crust from burning with crust covers if needed. Pie is done when crust is golden brown and filling begins to bubble.
  • Place on cooling rack to ‘set’ for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with ice cream and enjoy.

Notes

Time indicated does NOT include making the pie crust from scratch.

 

KNR, p. 313 “Apple Pie with Pecan Crumble Topping” Read More »

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