Hurricane Alex and Blackberry Crumble

I just pulled a Blackberry Crumble out of the oven, because, really, what's a Girl to do when faced with a Hurricane approaching? Today's weather has given me an excuse to snuggle in sweats, watch movies with my precious three year old, and BAKE! Hurricane Alex is set to make landfall tonight as a Category 2 Hurricane, but we have been feeling it's effects since last night. Today, we have received torrential rains, and the next two days will only get worse.

I love rainy days, comfy pjs, and baking. So, today, I decided to "PRAISE God in this Storm" and dance with my three year old. All this dancing worked up an appetite, so I got some frozen blackberries out of the freezer and whipped up a Hot Blackberry Crumble. I wish I could capture the smell of this dessert on camera because it would totally win a photography award :). My house smells heavenly, and our tummies will be satisfied. So, tonight after my hubby gets home from Mexico (Please pray for his safety as the storm is hitting hard there), we will have a Hurricane Party, and for dessert we will enjoy hot blackberry crumble with Blue Bell Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. And, if the power goes out, I guess we just have to eat all of the Ice Cream in the Freezer so as not to waste food ;).

So, have yourself a Hurricane Party in honor of us, and make this DELISH Crumble. I bet it would taste yummy with any type of berry you have on hand. Try Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, or a combo of berries.

Psalm 107:29
"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed."

~~~

Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:

5 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch oval baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine blackberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Pour into prepared dish. In another bowl mix oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. You could also use a food processor to do this if you like. I prefer a good old-fashioned fork :). Sprinkle oat mixture over blackberries. Bake until lightly browned and bubbly (about 45-50 minutes). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. This is best served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

My Kindred Spirit's Hummingbird Cake

My Kindred Spirit and otherwise Bestest Friend in the World, is an AWESOME Baker. I have featured several of her yummy recipes in my blog before. She TOTALLY needs her own blog, but until she starts sharing her AWESOMENESS with the world, I will just have to do it for her :).

I made 10 of her Hummingbird Cakes at Easter Time for my Baking Business. They were such a big hit that I was asked to make more for Father's Day. At Easter Time, you can decorate them with PEEPS Chicks, Whoppers Easter Eggs, and Toasted Coconut for the Birdy's Nest. Otherwise, I just top them with Toasted Coconut and Pecans. ENJOY!

Thanks, Charity, Love you Bushels and Pecks!

If memory serves me correctly, one of my BFF's Favorite Bible Verses is Jeremiah 29:11. Please remember, my dear friends, God's plans for you are ALWAYS good-in Him you have a Future and HOPE. You are prayed for and loved dearly!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

You can find Charity's other recipes here:

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/carolina-blue-birthday-wishes-pumpkin.html

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/muffin-madnessblueberry-cream-streusel.html

Apple Bread & Buttermilk Pancakes:

http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/03/carolina-apple-bread-cinnamon-apple.html

Monkey Bread Muffins:

http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/03/monkey-bread-muffins-you-will-go.html

~~~

Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1¼ cups oil
3 eggs (beaten)
1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups diced bananas
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions: For the Cake

Grease a bundt pan or three 9 inch cake pans.
Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir instead of beating. Stir in pineapple with juice, bananas, and pecans.
Bake at 350°F in bundt pan for about 70 minutes. Bake in round pans for about 35 minutes. Test with toothpick to verify cake is done.


For the Cream Cheese Icing

Cool cake and ice with cream cheese icing. Mix together 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese and 1 stick butter. Then add ½ to 1 whole box of confectioners’ sugar, along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Father's Day Craft-WFMW

My hubby is an AMAZING Father. Jaythan just adores him and I think he is pretty special myself. Darin truly is an example of a Godly Man in our son's life (Ephesians 6:4). So, this year for Father's Day, I decided to get a little crafty and make something super secretive and super cute for Dad.

I bought the frame and letters at Michaels for about $15 total, and the cute kid in the picture is PRICELESS :). I am no photographer, but I think the pictures came out pretty good. I captured our son's joyful, silly self as he held the "D" and "A" for Dad.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads. Your Heavenly Father Loves You Immensely!

Making Memories for Dad totally Works For Me! For more "Works for Me Wednesday" tips, be sure to check out www.wearethatfamily.com

Carribean Bread

I made this bread for our Sunday School Class last week, and it was declared "super tasty". As I stood in front of my pantry looking at the staples on the shelves my eyes spotted some coconut, and I started reminiscing about our recent Carribean trip. I decided to throw some bananas and fresh pineapple (that I picked up at Wally World for $1) into the mix for a truly tropical flair. Enjoy!

Carribean Loaf

(makes one 9x5 inch loaf)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup crushed pineapple (I used fresh, but you could use canned, just be sure and drain the juice first)

2 large "almost rotten" (very ripe) bananas, smooshed
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or use Bakers Joy Cooking Spray. Smoosh your bananas to a pulp in a large bowl. Add the sugar, pineapple, and oil and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture using a wooden spoon. Gently fold in the coconut. Your batter will be thick.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with cinnamon-sugar to give it a crunchy topping. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top of the loaf is lightly brown and crusty.

Notes: Enjoy with a glass of cold milk. This bread would taste great slathered in peanut butter.

Triple the Berries, Triple the Bliss~Triple Berry Pie

Ok, this Pie was voted "MOST DELISH" out of the Pie Varieties that I made for the Wedding Reception last weekend. Because it looked so absolutely amazing after it baked and it smelled so insanely good, I had to make one for us this week. YUMMY!

This recipe is one of my own creations, and it always makes me happy when something I create actually tastes yummy (believe me, some of my creations have not won the "yummy" distinction :)). I encourage you to give this pie a try-you won't be disappointed. It tastes good room temperature or hot from the oven. But, I must warn you, you may want another piece ;).

Have a truly BLESSED weekend! You are Prayed for and Loved Dearly! Thanks for stopping by!

Psalm 33:20-22

"We're depending on God;
he's everything we need.
What's more, our hearts brim with joy
since we've taken for our own his holy name.
Love us, God, with all you've got—
that's what we're depending on."

~~~~~

Triple Berry Bliss Pie
Ingredients:

1 double crust pie recipe(see below)

(or use two deep dish pie crusts from the store-I won't tell ;-))
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups blueberries
2 cup strawberries
1 1/2 cup blackberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (for brushing over the top lattice crust)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for dusting the top of the crust)

Directions:
Mix sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in all three varieties of berries to coat. Sprinkle lemon juice over mixture in the bowl and toss to coat. Turn the berry filling into the prepared pie crust. Take the remaining pie crust and cut into one inch strips. Weave the strips across the top of the pie to create a lattice pattern. Brush the top lattice-weaved crust with a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream and dust with granulated sugar. Place the Pie crust on a foil lined cookie sheet to prevent spillovers from making a mess of your oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Cover the edges with foil to prevent burning if necessary but remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Allow pie to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

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Pie Crust for Triple Berry Pie:
Makes 1 double crust

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
1.In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse briefly. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.

2.Divide dough in half, and turn out onto two large pieces of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over each portion of dough; press to shape into two 3/4-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days); dough can also be frozen up to 3 months (thaw before using).

3.On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll one disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Wrap dough around rolling pin; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and sides of plate (do not stretch dough). Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang all around; refrigerate until ready to use. Reserve and refrigerate remaining disk of dough for top crust.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Craving something sweet? Happen to live near a Cherry Tree? Then today's recipe is sure to please! I have fond memories of picking cherries out of my Grandaddy's Cherry tree. More than half of the cherries my brother and I picked ended up in our mouths instead of the bucket. Unfortunately, I do not have access to a Cherry Tree here in South TX, but my local grocery store provided the needed Cherries for the pies I made last weekend. Hope you enjoy the recipe below, and hope that you take some time to see how SWEET God's Word is to your Soul.

Psalm 119:103

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Pie Crust for Sweet Cherry Pie:

Makes 1 double crust

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
1.In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse briefly. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.

2.Divide dough in half, and turn out onto two large pieces of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over each portion of dough; press to shape into two 3/4-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days); dough can also be frozen up to 3 months (thaw before using).

3.On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll one disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Wrap dough around rolling pin; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and sides of plate (do not stretch dough). Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang all around; refrigerate until ready to use. Reserve and refrigerate remaining disk of dough for top crust.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Ingredients:
2 pounds Bing cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Basic Pie Dough for Sweet Cherry Pie

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lowest position. On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll one disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Wrap dough around rolling pin; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and sides of plate (do not stretch dough). Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim dough to a 1-inch overhand all around. In a large bowl, combine cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; toss until cherries are coated. Pour into prepared bottom crust.

2.On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll second disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Cut into eight 1 1/2-inch-wide strips; discard the shortest two. Weave strips over filling to form a lattice top. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim strips so they hang over rim by 1 inch. Tuck strips under rim of bottom crust; press to seal. Crimp with a fork all around the edge.

3.Using a pastry brush, lightly brush lattice with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

4.Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is bubbling rapidly all over, 60 to 70 minutes (tent with aluminum foil when crust starts to brown, about 40 minutes). Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours.

If you give a Girl an Apple...She's going to make an Apple Pie

I was asked to bake 10 pies this weekend for a wedding reception. I made four apple, two cherry, one strawberry, one blueberry, one blackberry/blueberry, and one triple berry. Nothing makes your house smell yummier than fresh, hot fruit-filled pies. I had so much fun making the pie dough and mixing the fruit fillings. Making apple pies is truly a labor of love as it does take time to prepare the crust and peel, slice, and core the apples. But, the end result makes it truly worth your effort. So, take some time this weekend, buy some apples, and get to work. Your tummy will thank you :).

Below you will find the recipes I use for pie crusts and for the apple pie. I am sure the pie would turn out yummy even if you "cheat" and use store-bought crusts (just smile real pretty and no one will know the difference-I promise not to tell ;-)) Oh, and don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

I will post the Cherry and Berry Pie recipes soon.

You are Prayed for my dear friends! Have a Beautiful Day worshipping our Lord tomorrow!

~~~~~~~~~

Perfect Pie Crust-Makes two 8- to 10-inch crusts

Ingredients:

1 cup (about 2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pie plate
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
1.Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces, and refrigerate until needed. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.

2.Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.

3.Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you’ve added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.

4.Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

5.Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Place the chilled dough in the center of the work surface, and dust the dough as well as the rolling pin with flour. Position the rolling pin on the center of the disk, and begin rolling the dough away from you. Give the disk a quarter turn, and roll again. Continue turning and rolling until you have an even 1/8-inch thickness. Turning the dough as you roll will prevent it from sticking to the work surface. A dry pastry brush is handy to remove any excess flour during and after the rolling process.

6.Lightly butter the pie plate. To minimize stretching when moving the dough, roll it around the pin, lift up, and unroll over the buttered pie plate. Using your fingers, gently pat the dough into place. Trim any excess dough with a paring knife or kitchen shears, leaving a 1-inch overhang; then fold dough under to reinforce the edge.

Amazing Apple Pie

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
One Recipe Perfect Pie Crust (see above recipe)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
3 pounds assorted apples (I always use a mixture of Granny Smith and Gala)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter,, cut into small pieces
Blue Bell Vanilla Bean ice cream (optional)

Directions:
1.On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of piecrust to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer pan to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes.

2.Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream; set aside.

3.In a large bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; place in chilled bottom crust. Dot with butter.

4.Roll out the remaining disk of piecrust as in step one. Brush the rim of the bottom crust with the egg wash. Place second piece of dough on top, and trim so 1 inch overhangs. Tuck the dough under, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer pie to the refrigerator, and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

5.Remove pie from the refrigerator, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle generously with sugar. Cut four vents in the top, allowing the steam to escape. I cut out small hearts with a cookie cutter as my vents (be creative).

6.Bake until crust begins to turn light brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve pie warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Buttermilk Spice Loaf & Cookoo for Cookbooks

Okay, I am a little obsessed...with cookbooks. I am seriously running out of room in my kitchen to store them. My absolute favorite cookbooks are Gooseberry Patch. You can order them here: http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/

I read them like novels...seriously, my hubby thinks I am little crazy ;-). But, they are just SO GOOD...I want to make every recipe in them. I would love to own them all-but there are 100s and that might seriously cause me to add on to my kitchen. Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are filled with simple, southern, good-for-you, yummy-in-your-tummy, made-by-real-gals, recipes. My current favorite in my Gooseberry Patch collection is the "Country Baking" cookbook given to me by my BFF in Carolina. She totally respects my love of cookbooks, and she could rival me in having an insane amount of cookbooks :-).

I made the Buttermilk Spice Loaf this past weekend and took it to our Sunday School Class to enjoy. They absolutely loved it. When I pulled it out of the oven, it almost made me cry tears of joy. It looked perfectly brown, nice and tall, and it filled our house with the most amazing aroma. When sliced it had two beautiful cinnamon sugar rings inside. You seriously have to make this bread. I promise you will love it. Cut a slice of this right after it gets out of the oven. Slather it with butter, and just wait for the party in your tummy to begin. I bet thick slices of this bread would also be super delicious as French Toast.

One way that I make sure I have quick access to my favorite tried-and-true recipes in a cookbook is to take a small colorful post-it-note and post it at the top of the page with the title of the recipe written on the part that sticks out from the closed book. So, I can quickly pick up my "Country Baking" cookbook and turn automatically to this winner of a recipe :-). Tagging my cookbooks TOTALLY WORKS FOR ME! For more WFMW tips, visit http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

If you are new to my blog, welcome! My blog is a mixture of yummy and simple bbaking recipes, musings from my heart about God and my family, and words of encouragment for this journey as mothers, friends, and women. My prayer is that each of you will take time daily, "Taste and See that the Lord is GOOD!" Psalm 34:8

Buttermilk Spice Bread

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:
Cream butter, sugar, and egg with a hand mixer. Add buttermilk, baking soda, flour, and salt; mix well. Combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In greased 9"x5" loaft pan, place, in order, 1/3 of batter, 1/2 of cinnamon-sugar mixture, 1/3 of batter, remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture then remaining batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. ENJOY!!!!!