Jim’s Desserts
Cherry Muffins
I can not begin to describe how good these are. I don’t like muffins but I LOVE these. They are heavy, creamy, sweet, sour, cherry flavored, almond flavored and sugar flavored.
This recipe came from the Internet and JoAnne mastered it first time.
Ingredients for 12 muffins:
2 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened tart red cherries, pitted,divided
(JoAnne uses a 14 oz. can of pitted, tart red cherries instead)
1/2 cup sweet unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup half-and-half cream, whole milk or 1/2 cup light cream
Directions:
While cherries are still frozen, cut them into halves, then set aside to thaw and drain in a mesh colander over a bowl.
(JoAnne just drains the canned cherries)
Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer.
Add eggs, almond extract, and vanilla and beat well.
Crush 1/2 cup of the thawed cherries with a fork; add the mashed cherries to the batter.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
Fold half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture using a spatula; do not over mix.
Add half of the cream or milk, mixing just enough to combine.
Add remaining flour, then remaining milk; again avoid overmixing.
Fold in the remaining cherry halves.
Fill 12 paper-lined muffin tins with batter.
If desired, you may sprinkle the muffins with some extra sugar.
Bake in a preheated 375 F oven until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
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Sperry's Brandy Alexander Pie
I put this recipe here just to make sure that it does not get lost. This was the incredible pie served at Sperry’s restaurant in the 70’s through the 90’s and since forgotten by them. This recipe was printed in one of the Nashville newspapers when the wife of Sperry’s owner gave it to them. No one could believe that she was this foolish. She was.
Crust:
1 box Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
2 tbs. butter, melted
1 tbs sugar
Crush cookies into fine crumbs. Save one tablespoon for garnish. Combine remaining crumbs with butter and sugar. Spread mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. Press some crumbs up around edges to rim.
Filling:
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. plain gelatin, softened in 2 tbs. cold water
1/4 cup brandy
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla flavoring
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
Whip cream until stiff, set aside. Whip egg yolks until light, then gradually beat in sugar. Heat gelatin slowly on low heat until dissolved. With mixer on low speed, slowly add hot gelatin, brandy, nutmeg and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream and pour mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle reserve crumbs over pie. Allow to set about 30 minutes for gelatin to set. Cover and place in freezer to chill and firm. Can be made several days ahead. Makes 8 servings.
Blackberry Upside/Down Cake
Ingredients
Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh
blackberries
3/4 cup white sugar
Cake:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter,
softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose
flour
2 teaspoons baking
powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter together in a saucepan over medium heat. Add blackberries to brown sugar mixture; cook and stir until mixture bubbles, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir 3/4 cup white sugar into berries, crush berries slightly with a fork, and continue cooking until berries are hot and slightly broken-down, about 5 minutes more; remove from heat and pour into a 9-inch cake pan.
Beat 1 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Alternately stir flour and milk into butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix vanilla into batter.
Pour batter over blackberry mixture in the 9-inch cake pan.
Bake cake in the preheated oven until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool in the pan until warm, but not completely cooled, about 30 minutes. Run a knife along the inside edge of the pan to separate cake from the sides, place a cake plate over the top of the pan, and flip the pan. Lift the pan slowly to release the cake from the pan.
Place a cake plate over the top of the pan, and flip the pan. Lift the pan slowly to release the cake from the pan.
JoAnne and I happen to have a wild blackberry bush growing in our little postage stamp of a backyard. By pruning this thing I’ve gotten it to the point that it’s about 12 feet long and it cranks out about 20 GALLONS of blackberries every summer. This DELICIOUS upside/down cake lets us use several gallons of berries every summer!
This was a total SHOCK! I’m not much of a sweets lover but this pie changed that. It’s light and ‘way too easy to eat!
INGREDIENTS
– 3/4 cup sugar
– 4 eggs
– 1/2 cup melted butter
– 2 cups milk
– 1 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
– 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
– 1 cup coconut flakes
– 1/2 cup flour
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine sugar and eggs.
Whisk together to combine.
2. Add melted butter and milk.
Whisk to combine.
3. Add vanilla extract, lemon juice,
and lemon zest. Whisk.
4. Add coconut flakes and flour.
Whisk to combine.
5. Pour mixture into a bake-safe dish.
Bake at 350 F. for 45-50 minutes.
6. Top with whipped cream and
blueberries or NOTHING !
This LOOKS like it would be an ordinary dessert. It is NOT! It’s so GOOD it’s addicting!
1 - 6 oz. pkg. Orange Jello
4 Bananas, sliced
1 can Mandarin Orange Slices,
drained and cut in half.
Save the juice.
1 Egg, well beaten
1 pkg. Cool Whip
1 pkg. Small Marshmallows
Directions:
Mix Jello according to package directions. Add orange slices and bananas. Put in Pyrex dish then place marshmallows a half inch apart on top of the Jello. Put in refrigerator to congeal the Jello mix.
Topping:
To the drained Orange juice add a well beaten egg. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool the mixture in refrigerator. Fold the mixture into Cool Whip. Spread mixture on top, return to refrigerator.
Orange Jello Salad
JoAnne’s Forbidden Chess Pie
“Forbidden”? Yes. And the reason lies with a strange dream that JoAnne had as she lay in bed and her dreaming brain took her back to the ancient curse that followed the Demontbreun family from their home in France to the tragic and explosive incident that...
..we know you are more interested in the RECIPE than in the incident that changed the world, interrupted the establishment of the United States of American so we will get on with the recipe:.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Cups White Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Cornmeal
1/4 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 Tbsp. distilled white
vinegar
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie
shell
Directions:
-
1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
-
2.In a large cowl, mix the butter, sughar and vanilla together. Mix in the eggs, then stir in the cornmeal, evaporated mid and vinegar until smooth.
-
3. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 300 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool. Cut and top servings with whipped cream. Tast what heaven is all about.
JoAnne’s INCREDIBLE Apple Pie
I cannot tell you how DELICIOUS this pie is! It is the BEST THING I’VE EVER EATEN!
You’ll need:
1 pair Pillsbury pie crusts
1 bag of about 10-12 small
Granny Smith Apples
1/8 lb. Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Lime (juice to be squeezed
on apples)
AND THIS PEELER,
CORER, SLICER
FROM AMAZON:
Directions:
Put one crust in bottom of pie pan. Trim and wave at rim.
Bake bottom crust in 375 oven for 10 minutes (keeps bottom crust from getting soggy )
Peel and remove skin of apples. Sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on each layer as you stack. Stack apple slices so center of pile is 2” or more higher than rim of pan.
Squeeze lime juice on top of apple slices.
Continued:
Lay top crust on top of apples, sprinkle sugar on top.
Put in 375 oven for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and let cool
Coconut Custard Pie