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Desserts

Spice Balls

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 large egg 1/4 cup molasses 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon table salt Makes about 48…

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Dried Plum and Apricot Potstickers

  Servings: 12 potstickers serving 4 Time: 45 minutes 6 large dried pitted plums, cut in half (about 2 ounces) 6 large dried apricots cut in half (about 2 ounces) 12 fresh wonton wrappers, well wrapped Cornstarch for dusting the sheet pan ½ tablespoon vegetable oil ½ tablespoon unsalted butter…

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Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Hand’s-On Time: 30 minutes Total Preparation Time: 1 hour to an hour and a half 12 ounces (about 2 cups) 65% cacao dark chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips 12 ounces (about 2 cups) white chocolate, chopped, or white chocolate chips 35 peppermint candies (about 1 cup crushed) NOTE: PLEASE DO…

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Glazed Roasted Pears with Shortbread Pecan Praline

Serves 4 For the praline: 2/3 cup chopped (cut into about 1/3-inch pieces) Walkers Shortbread cookies 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans ½ cup sugar  For the roasted pears: 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt…

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My July Fourth Recipe in People Magazine !

  And here’s the actual recipe: Red, White and Blue Stuffed StrawberriesServings: 16 stuffed strawberry halves, serving 4 8 large strawberries 2 ounces Neufchatel or one third less fat cream cheese 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 1 ounce white chocolate, finely chopped 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon fresh lemon…

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Three Citrus Flan

1 lime 1 orange 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks Pinch table saltRemove the rinds from the lemon, lime, and orange and cut away the bitter white…

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Berry Rice Pudding

I love rice pudding, as does the husband, but I am certainly not going to make it from scratch on a weeknight. However, there is a good chance you have leftover rice every so often from a take-out meal, and this would be a very tasty way to recycle it.…

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Warm Chocolate Cheesecake

Makes 4 Servings Hands-On Time: 15 Minutes Total Preparation Time: 35 to 40 Minutes One 3.5 oz bar bittersweet chocolate 8 oz full-fat or 1/3 less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flourkosher salt 1 large egg Preheat…

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Three Ingredient Apple Crisp

Photo by Jessica Leibowitz If you don’t count the salt (and you shouldn’t), you might wonder how the heck anyone can make a delicious apple crisp with just three ingredients. The answer is by starting with granola, which comes equipped with oats, nuts, sugar, and dried fruit.  (Is this cheating? …

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Butterscotch Pudding Cake

When I was a kid and we visited Cambridge, my parents used to take me to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in Harvard Square. They served a butterscotch sundae made of coffee ice cream, hot butterscotch sauce, and whipped cream. Boy it was good! This pudding cake reminds me of…

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Skillet Apple Cranberry Pie

Start to finish: 3 hours 15 minutes (45 active) Servings: 6 Pie Dough (recipe below) or 12 1/2 ounces storebought pie dough 2 ½ pounds mixed apples (your choice) peeled cored and sliced ¼-inch thick 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice ¼ teaspoon table salt ¼…

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Nectarine and Plum Upside-down Cake

Makes 9 servings Hands-on time: about 15 minutes Total preparation time: about 55 minutes 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 medium nectarines, each cut into 8 slices 2 large plums, each cut into 8 slices 2/3…

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Blueberry Pot Stickers

I have always been a huge fan of the Chinese dumplings known as pot stickers. They’re wonton wrappers filled with pork or shrimp, crisped up in a pan, steamed, re-crisped, then served with a dipping sauce. Yum! Thinking about pot stickers recently, it occurred to me that if you swapped…

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Extra Moist Loaded Banana Bread from My Friends at Clove and Cumin

Here is another post and recipe from my friends Tareq and Lima, home cooks extraordinaire. I was lucky to sample this very tasty, very moist banana bread which was made with oil, not butter. https://cloveandcumin.com/banana-bread-without-butter/

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Andrea’s Berry Crumble

This delicious dessert was contributed by Andrea Hagan who helped with the testing of Sara Moulton Cooks at Home. A native Seattleite, Andrea was 11 years old when she toured England as a member of the Northwest Girls Choir. Choir members bunked with local citizens in the towns they visited…

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Creamy Butterscotch Pudding Cake

  When I was a kid and we visited Cambridge, my parents used to take me to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in Harvard Square. They served a butterscotch sundae made of coffee ice cream, hot butterscotch sauce, and whipped cream. Boy it was good! This pudding cake reminds me…

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Zabaglione

Photo by Jessica Leibowitz Zabaglione is a hot custard made with wine, usually Marsala. What is “new Wave” about this recipe is the replacement of Marsala with any of today’s new dessert wines. You can eat the zabaglione all by itself or serve it spooned over grapes or fresh berries.…

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Pumpkin Flan with Ginger Whipped Cream

One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants was La Taza de Oro, a great little Puerto Rican spot on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea. The menu always featured five or six entrees, accompanied by your choice of yellow or white rice and several different kinds of beans. (When Ruthie was three and…

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Sticky Buns

Makes 18 Small Buns For the glaze: 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 cup finely chopped lightly toasted pecans For the buns: 1/2 cup dried cherries 2 tablespoons rum or brandy 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1…

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Glazed Roasted Pears with Shortbread Pecan Brittle and Crème Fraiche

Serves 4 For the praline: 2/3 cup chopped (cut into about 1/3-inch pieces) Walkers Shortbread cookies 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans ½ cup sugar  For the roasted pears: 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt…

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Skillet Apple Cranberry Pie with Shortbread Crust

Note: the filling and the crust can be made several days ahead and kept covered and chilled in the fridge. Just assemble and bake the pie about 25 minutes before you want to eat it. The caramel sauce can also be prepared ahead and then reheated. Start to finish: 1…

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Here are some unique and tasty (!) Holiday gifts for your friends and family. 

As the air is getting chilly and holiday gifts are filling store windows, it’s time to think about holiday treats. One of my favorites is shortbread cookies, and @walkersshortbreadUS, one of the sponsors of the new season of #SarasWeeknightMeals, you’ll find a selection of special seasonal packages that will make…

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Dried Plum and Apricot Potstickers

Servings: 12 potstickers serving 4 Time: 45 minutes 6 large dried pitted plums, cut in half (about 2 ounces) 6 large dried apricots cut in half (about 2 ounces) 12 fresh wonton wrappers, well wrapped Cornstarch for dusting the sheet pan ½ tablespoon vegetable oil ½ tablespoon unsalted butter ½…

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Raspberry Almond Rugalach

To get an idea about what rugelach means to a certain generation of Jewish Americans, there’s no better guide than Philip Roth. American Pastoral, his 1997 novel, begins with a reunion of the Weequahic (New Jersey) High School’s 1950 graduating class. At the end of the evening, everyone is given…

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