Strawberry Rhubarb pie

Paul doesn't especially care for double crust pies especially when using storebought crusts. So this is significantly adapted and combined from several places but he especially likes Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - Sally's Baking Addiction (sallysbakingaddiction.com) Emily really liked this recipe, had several pieces.

 Ingredients:

• Pie crust (homemade or storebought, but could use extra filling if using deep dish pie crust)
• 3 cups (about 300g) sliced rhubarb
• 2 and 1/2 cups (about 380g) chopped strawberries
• 1/3 cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar (with frozen fruit this was good, but with fresh sweet berries, I'd use less sugar, maybe 1/4 c each)
• 1/4 cup (32g) cornstarch
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• recipe for crumble for top (I just used the same one from my rhubarb crumble recipe)

Combine all the ingredients for the filling. 

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). 

Spoon the filling into the thawed crust, leaving excess liquid in the bowl. Top with crumble. 

Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, consider a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.

Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Scotcharoo Cookies

 Ingredients:

- 1 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup

- 3.5 cups flour
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup Rice Krispies, plus additional for sprinkling

- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease two cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, beat together the shortening, butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter, until smooth. Beat in the eggs and corn syrup.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in Rice Krispies.

Shape dough into balls and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Press tops of balls to flatten slightly. Bake until tops appear dry, 15-20 minutes. Let cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together. Stir until smooth. Spread over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with additional Rice Krispies. Let stand until chocolate is set. 

Caramel Chocolate Candy

 This tastes like a cross between a Snickers bar and a Nut Goodie. It makes a LOT, so be prepared to share.

Ingredients:

- 2 teaspoons butter

- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1.5 cups marshmallow creme
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups chopped salted peanuts

- 1 package (14 oz) caramels
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Line a 13x9" pan with foil. Grease foil with 2 butter and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and milk. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook while stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallow creme, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in peanuts. Spread over first layer. Refrigerate until set.

In a small saucepan, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cook while stirring for 4 minutes. Spread over the filling. Refrigerate until set.

In another saucepan, combine 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over caramel layer.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cutting. Remove from pan and cut into 1" squares. 

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes with Kale)

•  2 lbs Yukon Gold (or russet) potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch think (traditionally peeled, but I like the skins)
• 1 1/4 t salt, plus for cooking potatoes
• 8 oz curly kale (I just used kale from my garden)
• 8 T butter
• 1/4 t pepper
• 8 scallions, sliced thin (3/4 c)
• 1 1/2 c whole milk

1. Place potatoes and 1 T salt in large saucepan, add water to cover by 1 inch and boil on high. Reduce to medium and simmer until tender, 18-22 minutes. 

2. Stem kale and slice stems thinly. Cut leaves into 1 inch pieces. Melt 6 T butter over medium and add stems, salt, and pepper, cooking about 6-8 minutes until stems soften. Add leaves and scallions and cook about 1-2 minutes (leaves wilted and scallions softened). Add milk and increase to high heat to simmer. Remove from heat. 

3. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan and mash. Gently fold in kale mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and create a depression in the center with remaining 2 T butter. Serve. 

Kale Au Gratin

Ingredients (were originally doubled):

onion

2-3 garlic cloves

1 cup heavy cream

1 rosemary sprig

3/4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 3/8 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus seasoning to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus seasoning to taste

2 large bunches of Tuscan kale and/or Swiss chard (1–1 1/4 lb. total)

1/2 lemon

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

3 oz. high-quality sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko or I like Schar GF)

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1 (Cream sauce): 

In a large pot, add a few T diced onion (or more if you like), 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, heavy cream, rosemary sprig, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are very soft, 15–20 minutes.

2. While cream cooks, remove ribs from 4 medium bunches of (Tuscan) kale (I actually like cutting up the ribs and including them with my thousand head kale). Tear leaves into big pieces and wash. It’s okay if some water still clings to the leaves—this will help them wilt later. If you don’t have a bowl big enough to hold all of your greens, pile them on a baking sheet instead.

3. When cream is ready, pluck out rosemary sprig and discard. Finely grate zest of ½ lemon into cream and stir in ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. 

4. Either heat a large (as large as possible—12" is the goal) ovenproof skillet over medium OR just add the Kale to the cream sauce and transfer to a small baking dish (7x11 is what I used). Add some of the greens, cover skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid), and cook until wilted, 3–4 minutes. Scoot wilted greens to one side of pan. Keep adding until all in the pan, covering pan, and cook to wilt, 3–4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cream sauce if you cooked the kale separately from the sauce. Remove from heat and place skillet on a rimmed baking sheet or transfer to oven safe pan.

5. Cut sharp cheddar cheese into ¼"-thick slices (or just used shredded). Combine bread crumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and add on top of kale. Bake at 350 until cheese is browned and bubbling and panko is toasted, 50–55 minutes. 

GF apple pie muffins

 These were really good, with adaptations but original was a gluten free version to begin with from Baked to Perfection by Katarina Cermelj. Author says cold ingredients help create domed top. 

Ingredients

Crumble 

• 70 g (too much, try 50g?) gluten free flour blend (many options, I included some almond flour)
• 25 g brown sugar (original said 50g)
• 1/2 t cinammon
• 40 g (2-3 T depending on how much dry it goes with) butter

Muffins

• 2 apples (I used pink lady, granny smith is another recommendation)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 150g (original 175g) brown sugar, divided
• 1.5 t cinammon
• 250g gluten free flour blend (I mostly use Bob's red mill 1-1 but also included some of the Artisan Whole Grain bread flour recipe, maybe 10%)
• 80 g almond flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t xanthum gum (this is already in the Bob's red mill mix so not needed here)
• 1/2 t ginger
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c oil (original was 130 g butter, could be interesting to try applesauce but would also then need less sugar, could try 1/4 oil and 1/4 applesauce and 50g less brown sugar)
• 1/2 c (140g) milk, cold
• 1/2 c (140g) yogurt, cold
• 2 eggs, cold
• 100g pecans, chopped and divided

1. Mix crumble ingredients, working in butter until crumbly but holds its shape when pressed together. Author says to put in fridge for 30 minutes to help it hold its shape, but I keep my gf flours in the freezer so probably could have done this last and added right away. I didn't have success getting it to hold its shape, but still worked ok, just some topping falling off after baking. 

2. Spray muffin tins (made 18 muffins for me). Preheat to 375 degrees (370 on mine). 

3. Peel and cube apples to size of peas. Add lemon, 25g brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

4. Original recipe suggests mixing in a certain order, but I prefer oil to butter and gf flours don't have issue with overmixing the gluten, so flours and dry ingredients can really be added to remaining sugar, oil, milk, yogurt, and eggs in any order. Fold in apples and 75g pecans. Put into muffin tins. 

5. Add remaining 25g pecans to crumble and top muffins, mound it mostly in the center. 

6. Bake 22-24 minutes until set. Can try toothpick but doesn't always help with gf. 

Shrimp and Kale alfredo

 This has some similarities with our basic alfredo recipe but acid from wine and lemon as well as additions of fresh produce added interesting layers of complexity and nutrition. 

Ingredients

• 12-16oz pasta (spaghetti or fettuccini)
• 1 tbsp. 

  extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 lb. 

  shrimp, peeled and deveined (could try chicken?)

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3-4 tbsp. 

  butter

• 3 

  cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp. 

  crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

• 2 1/2 c. 

  grape tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 c. 

  white wine

• 1 c. 

  heavy cream

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 5 oz. 

  baby kale (about 6 c.) or if regular kale, needs to be chopped and cooked longer

• 1/2 c. 

  freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Directions

• 1. 1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to the package directions until al dente, reserving some pasta water.
  2. 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp is pink and cooked through, 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve on a plate.
  3. 3. Add butter to skillet then add garlic (add kale here if it's full grown) and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook until beginning to soften, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and cook until mostly reduced, 5 minutes. 
  4. 4. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Let simmer until sauce is thickened, 5 minutes. Add pasta, shrimp, and baby kale and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add additional pasta water.