Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Dessert Party





















My roommate, Elise, is known for her dessert parties and this will likely be our last dessert party before she gets married. We had cheesecake, a berry trifle, chocolate cake, apple crisp, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cookies, and brownies. Below are some of the recipes from the night.


Apple Pie Ice Cream Drink
Simmer for 20 min
1 quart apple cider
2 dashes nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
2 T. brown sugar

Put in a cup well hot with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream. (3 gallon served 50 people)


Peach And Raspberry Crisp

4 to 5 pounds apples
Zest of 1 orange
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
½ pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the inside of a 10 x 15 x 2 1/2 –inch oval baking dish.

Immerse the apples in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the apples and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the apples into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

Combine 1 ½ cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the apples. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Pinata

Blow up a large balloon and tie if off. Make a paste of 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water and dip strips of newspaper into the paste. Skim off excess with fingers and drape strips over balloon, repeating until entire balloon is covered, except for a small square section. Allow to dry. When dry, pop balloon, cut open a small hole, and fill ball with candy. Decorate with strips of crepe paper, wrapping around and gluing.