Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie is one of the hubby's favorites, and I've been promising to make him one for a while.  (I thought about it, and the last one I made was about 7 years ago!)  So, for his birthday, I finally made him his pie!

I'm not sure what recipe I used the first time, but I found this recipe over on AllRecipes.com. 

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

• 1 C white sugar
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 C water
• 2 lemons, juiced and zested
• 2 T butter
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (9-inch) pie crust, baked
• 4 egg whites
• 6 T white sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. To make lemon filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 C sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt.  Stir in water, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil.  (Or at least a simmer - I think a simmer was the best I could do.)  Stir in butter.  Place yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 C of hot sugar mixture. (This helps get the eggs up to temperature without turning them into scrambled eggs.)  Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture.  Bring to a boil (again, at least a simmer) and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick.  Remove from heat, pour filling into baked pastry shell.
3. To make meringue: In a large mixing bowl (glass or metal), whip eggs until white and foamy.  Add the 6 T of sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.  Spread meringue over hot lemon filling in pie, sealing the edges at the crust.  
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue begins to turn golden brown.
5. Let cool completely at room temperature (about an hour).  Chill in refrigerator for at least a few hours (about 3) before serving.  Do not cover.

At the hubby's request, I actually left the zest out of the filling, and based on recipe reviews I added a little bit of lemon extract.  (Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact amount...maybe 1 tsp?  This is why I should be writing these reviews right away!  Otherwise, I can't remember details like that.)  I simply spread the meringue on top, and had a little bit of a hard time trying to get it to look good.  I should have just piped on the meringue, it would have been so simple and looked so much better!    Also, if the meringue were piped, you would see it start to turn golden brown on the peaks, and it wouldn't have gotten the cooked brown film-like layer on top (you can kind of see it in the picture above).  Next time I will keep that in mind.

The comments on the original recipe gave me some tips about meringue that I didn't know before.   For starters, the meringue needs to be whipped into stiff peaks to give it the proper texture, otherwise it may end up kind of gummy or rubbery.  (I already knew this.)  In case you didn't know, "stiff peaks" means when you lift the beater/whisk out of the bowl, it leaves "peaks" behind that stay in place and keep their shape.  "Soft peaks" means that it will leave "peaks", but those peaks will droop and fall.  The longer you whip the egg whites, the stiffer the peaks will get.  When the meringue is added on top of the pie, it should be done while the lemon filling is still hot.  (You might even want to make the meringue first, and then add it straight onto the hot filling as soon as the filling is poured into the pie.)  This will help cook the meringue on the bottom.  If the meringue is not cooked on the bottom, this will cause a liquidy layer to form in between the meringue and the lemon filling.  Another thing that can cause the pie to get a watery layer is covering it with plastic wrap.  I made this mistake the first time I made lemon meringue pie, and I had no idea.  This is why the recipe has you refrigerate the pie uncovered.  So there's a little baking lesson for today.

The Verdict

Very good lemon filling, but the meringue could use some work.  It may have just been my technique, or gotten a little overbaked.  The filling set up just right (giving the pie time to sit and solidify is important) and I had no watery layer, oozing, or seepage.  The meringue isn't meant to sit in the fridge for several days, but at that point I would eat just the filling out of the pie because it was so good!  It could use more filling to meringue ratio, though...maybe 1.5 or 2 times more filling than is called for.  I would give this recipe another shot next time the hubby really wants lemon meringue pie.  Or....this would be a great recipe to modify into mini pies or tarts!

White Chocolate Buttercream

I was in a 2-week training class for work, and when we introduced ourselves, my personal fun fact was that I like to bake, especially cupcakes.  When the others in the class heard this, they asked me to make some for the class one day.  Luckily, I had enough time to squeeze in some cupcake baking before the last day.  I decided to try another new frosting recipe, and this white chocolate buttercream sounded interesting.  There is an excellent detailed tutorial with pictures here.  I recommend checking out the original blog and reading the details and notes there before making this frosting.

Dark chocolate cupcake with white chocolate buttercream

White Chocolate Buttercream

Makes ~3-4 cups (will frost 2 dozen cupcakes, piped)

Ingredients

• 1 C unsalted butter, softened
• ~2 1/2 C confectioner's sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)
• 6 oz good quality white chocolate, chopped (NOT chocolate chips or candy melts!  I used Cadbury white chocolate bars.)
• 1/4 C heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.  Heat in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time at 60% power, stirring in between, until chocolate is fully melted.  Set aside to cool.
2. Once chocolate has cooled, cream together butter, salt, and powdered sugar until fluffy.
3. Gradually add the vanilla extract and whipping cream.
4. Fold in melted and cooled chocolate.
5. Turn mixer up to medium-high and mix for about 3 more minutes.

I beat the butter a little before adding the sugar, and then added the sugar slowly as I creamed them together (a good idea to avoid the powder "explosion" of adding it all at once).  The original recipe calls for sifting the sugar and the salt together, but I typically skip sifting when I bake things, partially because I'm impatient and partially because I don't have a sifter.  In my experience, it hasn't really made a difference.  Also, the recipe has you add the vanilla to the cream before adding to the bowl, but that's really not necessary if you are mixing well and scraping the sides.  Additionally, I used a whisk attachment when making this frosting, and whipped on a high-ish speed for at least 3 minutes at the end.  This gave the frosting a nice fluffy, whipped texture and it was the perfect consistency for piping onto cupcakes.

Piped on top with a large star tip

The Verdict

Wow!  I'm not a big fan of white chocolate by itself, but this was excellent paired with dark chocolate cupcakes.  This frosting was so good by itself though, and I found myself licking the spatulas, the whisk, the bowl, and finding excuses to stick my fingers in leftover frosting.  It's not overly white chocolatey, but you can tell it's there.  Everyone loved it, and I will keep this recipe to use again! 

Mini Cheesecakes (light)

I volunteered to make dessert for Sunday dinner when we were celebrating both Mother's Day and my brother's birthday.  I had a request to make Pennsylvania Dutch Lutheran Crumb Cake, aka "PDLCC" (probably a future "Favorites Friday" recipe), but I knew it was probably loaded with calories so I also wanted to have a lighter dessert option.  Most of our family loves cheesecake, and I have been eying some mini cheesecake recipes on Pinterest for quite a while now.  I found this particular recipe on Skinnytaste, which focuses on lighter "skinny" versions of recipes.

Mini Cheesecakes

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
• 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 oz vanilla greek yogurt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 T all-purpose flour
• Sliced strawberries or other fruit for garnishing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line cupcake tin with liners.  Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.
3. Gently beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth in a mixer.  Gradually beat in yogurt, egg whites, and flour.  Do not over beat.  Pour into cupcake liners, filling about halfway.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is almost set.
5. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

With a candle for the birthday boy

The Verdict

Very good!  And it actually tasted like real cheesecake, and not some icky fake cheesecake imposter.  Hard to believe these came in at just under 100 calories each!  The vanilla wafers as the crust was perfect.  Don't let them sit for more than a day in the fridge, though, or the wafers get soggy.  In the future, the cups could probably be filled a little more, since cheesecake doesn't rise very much.  This is a cheesecake recipe I will make again, when I want to indulge without the guilt of normal cheesecake calories. 

Fluffernutter Frosting

In case you don't know, fluffernutter = marshmallow fluff + peanut butter.  I had to explain this to one of my younger brothers the other day, and I kind of felt like a failure as a big sister because he had never heard of a fluffernutter sandwich!  

I offered to make cupcakes for my sister's birthday party, and she requested "something with peanut butter and chocolate".  I had made a chocolate peanut butter cupcake before, but it was very dense and rich, so I wanted to try making something lighter.  (Not a "diet" version or anything...just lighter.)  I thought of using marshmallow fluff to lighten up the frosting, and after a little bit of searching I came across this recipe.   I paired it with Devil's Food Cake cupcakes from a box mix, but replaced the oil with melted butter and the water with milk.  You can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Fluffernutter Frosting

Frosts ~16 cupcakes, piped

Ingredients

•  1/2 C creamy peanut butter (the cheap kind with all that added sugar and stuff works best for things like this)
• 1/2 C marshmallow fluff
• 1/3 C butter, softened
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ~1 C confectioner's sugar (might be able to cut this down a little)
• 1-2 T milk

Instructions

1. Combine marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, butter, salt, and vanilla in mixer on low speed.
2. Add confectioner's sugar, beat until blended, and add enough milk to reach desired consistency.

I used the whisk attachment on my mixer to help get the frosting nice and fluffy.  I put the frosting in a piping bag and used a large star tip to decorate the cupcakes.  I didn't have quite enough to frost all the cupcakes I made when I piped on the frosting, so next time I would probably make 1.5x this recipe amount.  

  

Cupcakes on the cupcake tree that my sister gave me for Christmas

 

The Verdict

Awesome!  Light and fluffy, sweet, but not too rich.  (The flavor kind of reminded me of Reece's Pieces.)  The cupcakes were a hit at the party, and went like...well, cupcakes!  Will keep this one to use again!

Favorites Friday - Tuna Noodle Casserole

I had this recipe ready to post over a month ago, but apparently I never clicked the "publish" button.  Oops.

This is one of our favorite recipes, and comes from the hubby's side of the family.  (Originally from his grandmother, I think.)  It is great for feeding a crowd on a budget, and the crowd loves it!  It also makes good leftovers, reheated with a splash of milk so it's not too dry.  We tend to make an entire casserole for just the two of us, because we know we'll eat it all up within a few days.

This recipe is also easily adjustable for your personal taste, and I have noted some of our optional variations below.  Last time I made it I tried it with some pepper jack cheese, and I thought it added some good flavor.  Note that neither of us like mushrooms, but we don't mind cream of mushroom soup.  If you REALLY don't like mushrooms, you could substitute something like cream of celery instead.  (Or if you're one of those strange people who really loves mushrooms, you could add some.)  

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Makes: 13x9 casserole, ~8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb bag extra wide egg noodles
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 2 cans tuna, well drained
• 1 lb shredded cheddar, 1 or 2 handfuls reserved
• 1/2 can peas (drained)
• 1 can milk

Optional:

• remaining 1/2 can peas
• 1/2 can to 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• swap half the cheddar for pepper jack cheese
• crushed potato chips (cheesy chips are best) or bread crumbs sprinkled on top
• canned chicken instead of tuna

Instructions

Boil the noodles, but do not overcook (they will bake more in the oven).  While noodles are boiling, mix remaining ingredients in a 13x9 casserole dish.  Add cooked noodles and mix again.  (If noodles cannot be mixed, add a little more milk.)  Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.  Sprinkle reserved cheddar cheese evenly over the top and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.

This is about what it should look like before adding the noodles

(I forgot to take a picture once it came out of the oven.  I think I was distracted watching Sherlock at the time.)

Well, it's been a while...

...sorry for the lack of posts lately.  Life just got busy.  I do have pictures and recipes lined up to post, so I plan to do a little catching up and get back to regular weekly postings.

In the meantime, have a cupcake.  (Well, not a real cupcake...just a picture of one.)

Drooling yet?