Apricot Tart

This is versatile recipe. It can be changed to adapt to the fruit that's in season. For instance, you could use peaches or apples with crumbled oatmeal cookies or vanilla wafers instead of nectarines and gingersnaps. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream served over top of a warm tart along with a little caramel drizzle is pure and simple perfection. Enjoy.

Makes 2 Tarts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (10 inches square), such as Pepperidge Farm

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons ginger snap crumbs (about 2 cookies)

1 ripe yet firm nectarine, halved, pitted and cut into about 16 very thin slices, each about 1/8 inch wide

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 pinches cinnamon

1 tablespoon apricot jam (without chunks)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

2. Remove the sheet of puff pastry from the freezer. Using a heavy knife cut the pastry in half crosswise and return the remaining half to the freezer for later use. Lay the pastry flat, let thaw, and cut it in half again crosswise, creating two 5-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Fold the sides of each pastry square about 1/2 inch towards the center. Use your index finger to make indentions and lightly squeeze the dough around your finger, creating a fluted effect around the edges. (This forms a “little boat” for the nectarines.) Brush the edges of the tarts with the beaten egg mixture.

4. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs evenly in the center of each pastry. Fan 8 slices of nectarines, slightly overlapping in the center of each pastry. Sprinkle each tart with 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Warm the apricot jam in a microwave until warm and syrupy, about 10 seconds. Drizzle evenly over the nectarines. Dot each tart with 1/2 teaspoon of the butter and bake until the crust is golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Best Ever Chicken Pot Pie

There are a few things that really make this recipe. The mushrooms, the tarragon and making a roux as the base thickening agent for the sauce vs. a condensed soup are what make this pot pie taste unique and give it a little something different. I included a recipe for pie crust that I always use and it works great! This recipe was the result of discovering a chicken sauce similar to this served over cornbread and after making a few minor adjustments and Brad's suggestion, merged it with a pot pie recipe I had liked and used before.

Prepare Pie Dough in Advance.

Pie Crust for a 9’’ Two-Crust Pie:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup + 2 tbsp. shortening

1/2 cup cold water

Filling:

1 cup fresh peas or (9-ounce) package frozen peas

1 large carrot, sliced

1 large leek, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup apple cider

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 tsp. dried tarragon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions for Pie Crust:

Mix flour and salt together. Add Shortening and cut in till well mixed and becomes an even crumble texture. Slowly add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until dough holds together well but is not sticky. Depending on the temperature, climate, etc. you may have to add more water to get dough that holds together well.

Cut dough in half, roll 1^st half out sandwiched between two sheets of wax paper. Remove one side of wax paper and slowly lay dough into bottom of deep dish or pie pan. Remove wax paper. Roll out 2^nd half of dough the same way and keep sandwiched in wax paper until ready to top off pie.

Directions for Filling:

Combine peas, carrots, leaks, mushrooms and broth in a medium saucepan. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Drain, reserving vegetables and broth.

Make a roux by melting butter in saucepan over medium heat, slowly whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved broth, milk and apple cider. Reduce heat.

Cook, whisking continually, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add Chicken, vegetables, tarragon, salt and pepper.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and top with 2^nd crust. Make a few slits on top of crust before baking.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Halfway through baking if the crust is browning too fast, cover with foil to avoid burning.

Tirza Hellyar

Oatmeal Chocolate Delights

Came up with these on FHE night. Oatmeal cookies sounded good but the same recipe I'd been using wasn't cutting it this time. So I threw together what I had and this is what I came up with. Chewy and a little crunchy at the same time but not overly sweet. The chocolate chunks add a little surprise too.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup milk chocolate chunks

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together butter, shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa and mix until well blended. Add Oats and mix well, followed by the chocolate chunks.

Place rounded spoonfulls onto greased cookie sheet and press down tops slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, allowing them to cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar while still warm.

For a little variation on this cookie, consider replacing the unsweetened cocoa with your favorite hot cocoa powder. It would give it a little different chocolate flavor and sweeten it up a little more if you like your cookies to be sweeter!

Tirza Hellyar

Stuffed Manicotti

I always enjoy making this traditional Italian recipe. It's a nice way to fill my craving for something yummy and Italian, but something different than same old spaghetti or lasagna. The tomato sauce mixes with the filling when you eat it and ends up a little like tomato cream. It's very yummy and easy to make. It can even be prepared ahead of time then popped in the oven right before you are ready to eat.

12 Jumbo manicotti shells

2 eggs, beaten

1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook pasta according to package directions for half the time; drain, rinse and drain again. Set aside.

Mix eggs, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning in a bowl.

Stuff pasta with cheese mixture and arrange in a large greased baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix tomato sauce, basil and garlic powder.

Pour sauce over stuffed pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Pasta with Pesto, Shrimp and Sweet 100S

This pasta dish has a great, light pesto flavor throughout. It's a nice, not too flavorful dish, but distinct enough to be served as the main dish. Light garlic sourdough bread compliments this dish nicely.

Serves: 2

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

8 ounces angel hair pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup pesto, homemade or purchased

1 cup halved sweet 100S or other cherry tomatoes

Grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving.

Lemon wedges for garnishing

Fill a large saucepan three fourths full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the kosher salt. (I add 1 -1/2 teaspoons kosher salt per quart of water.) Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, about 4 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Heat the olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and add the garlic. Continue cooking until the shrimp is opaque in the center, about 1 minute more. Add the reserved cooking water and the pesto and stir until incorporated. Add the pasta and tomatoes and toss to combine. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the pasta between two plates and top with cheese. Garnish each with a lemon wedge.

Peanut Butter Pie Sealed with Kisses

I discovered this pie one day while I was in a peanut butter mood. The filling turns out like a peanut butter mouse, really light and not too sweet. The chocolate kisses blend nicely and if you want, you can make your own chocolate sauce to drizzle instead of using Hershey's.

Crust

30 Vanilla or chocolate wafers

1/3 cup lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter at room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 chocolate kisses

Chocolate sauce for drizzling

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

TO MAKE CRUST:

Combine the wafers and peanuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse a few times until incorporated. Using your fingers, press the mixture evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it firmly. Bake until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pie dish to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING:

Put the peanut butter in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on a medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. The cream should slowly fall over foreword when lifted with a whisk. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in about half of the week cream mixture into the peanut butter. Then transfer this mixture into the remaining whip cream mixture and beat on medium-high speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour the filling into the cooled crust and spread evenly. Arrange the chocolate kisses in a circular fashion on the outside edge of the filling, 1/2 inch in from the crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or as long as overnight. Slice and serve with an artful drizzle of chocolate sauce.