Noni’s Crostada

This is actually almost Noni’s Crostada. Noni never used a recipe and never measured! Yet, somehow she had consistent quality in her soups, sauces, pastas and sweets. I never took notes when I watched her prepare things in her kitchen, I just sorta took it all in!

It was years after she passed, tasting Olive Garden’s too soft, too sweet, but just reminiscent enough of her crostada that I set out to rediscover my grandmother's sweet treat!

This recipe is a combination of recipes from cookbooks and online with a liberal application of my own memories from my years as her helper in the kitchen. There was a lot of trial and error, and maybe a little intervention from beyond?

The last time I tweaked the recipe, alone in the kitchen, I was sure I heard Noni’s voice say “no so sweet!” as I dipped the measuring cup back in the sugar. It spooked me, so I put the cup down and did not add the addition 1/4 cup I was going to add.

Whether it was a gift from beyond, an over active imagination or my subconscious telling me something I needed to remember, when the baking was done, I had the flavor and texture of Noni’s crostada! Younger family members who’d forgotten her crostada tasted it and said “OH! I remember!!”


Noni’s Crostada

2 1/2 cups flour
5 TBS butter
5 TBS shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1 14-16 oz jar of jam or preserves

To make the pastry:
In a bowl, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. Add the sugar, eggs and salt and knead it quickly until it forms into a dough. Flatten the dough into a disk shape and refrigerate it wrapped in plastic for an hour.

After removing the dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 375º.

Break off about a quarter of the dough and set aside. On a floured surface, roll the dough thin and cover the bottom of a 9” tart pan with it.

Generously spoon the jam on top of the dough.

Roll the remaining dough thin and cut it in strips. Create a lattice pattern on top of the jam. Optional - use whatever dough is left to roll out and make a shape for the center using the cookie cutter of your choice.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool before serving.

Peanut Butter Kissed Baked Apples

The filing in these apples has a taste of old fashioned peanut butter candy kisses with a sweet fruit accent. It makes them a great fall dessert!

I’ve tried this recipe with a few different types of apples. It’s in general just a good recipe for baked apples, but the Macintosh were my favorites.


Peanut Butter Kissed Baked Apples

4 apples
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup raisins and craisins mixed together

Heat oven to 350˚

Cream together butter and brown sugar. add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Mix in peanuts, raisins and craisins

Core the apples, being sure not to hollow them all the way through, so the filling stays in the apple. Fill each apple to the very top with the peanut butter filling.

Place the apples in a small roaster with enough water in it to come up about 3/4” on the apples. Bake the apples for about 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the tops are golden brown.

Serve warm

Raspberry Sauce

Valentine dessert - packaged Ghirardelli brownie made with
raspberry cream cup chips and served with raspberry-chocolate
ice cream on a pool of homemade raspberry sauce

This is a fairly simple sauce to make, The only part that takes any real time is squeezing out the seeds. I used a fine mesh strainer or it. Like I said, a little time consuming but so worth it!!


Raspberry Sauce

12 oz package frozen lightly sweetened raspberries, thawed
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice

In a food processor or blender, combine all sauce ingredients and blend or process until smooth.

Press sauce through sieve with rubber spatula until seeds remain, then discard seeds.

Watermelon Ice

This is a nice and healthy summer teat. It’s also an answer to how a small household can take advantage of the break in cost of buying a whole watermelon as opposed to cut pieces. Yes, they have the mini watermelons now, but they usually cost more than a large watermelon!

It’s VERY simple to make, I mean VERY. You’ll read the instructions once, and then you’ll only come back to this entry if you want to confirm the calorie count!


Watermelon Ice

You need:
A large freezer-safe container
1 whole watermelon (or whatever portion is left after you eat some of it fresh!)

It’s simple to make, cut-freeze-crush! Cut the watermelon into chunks, I’d suggest about the size of a half a deck of cards. Put the chunks in the freezer-safe containers and freeze over night.

The next day, put the frozen watermelon chunks in the blender and crush them. Scoop the crushed watermelon ice back into the container. The Watermelon Ice will keep in the freezer for a couple of months and still taste just great!

Serve in dessert dishes with (optional) a dollop of Cool Whip.

One cup of Watermelon Ice is only 56 calories!

Originally posted at The Chronicles of Nani October 2008

Shortbread Peach Crisp

Papers - Pride by Doreen Stolz, Brackity template by Beth Long

Shortbread Peach Crisp

1 cup sugar
8 medium peaches
6 TBS butter
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Put a lengthwise slice in each peach. Blanche the peaches in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Alternately, put the peaches in water and heat just until steam starts to rise form the pan. Drain the peaches and rinse with cold water. Slip the skins off the peaches.

Put 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bottom of a 2-quart glass or corning ware baking dish. Slice the peaches into 8 pieces each and layer on top of the sugar in the baking dish.

In a medium sized bowl put the butter, sugar, flour and salt. Work ingredients together with fingers until they have a crumby texture. Spread the rumbled dough over the top of the peaches and pat down to smooth the top.

Place baking dish in a 375º oven for 40 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden brown.

Serve warm with a scoop of dulce de leche or butter pecan ice cream.


Originally Posted at The Chronicles of Nani August 2008

Granddaughter Pie

Granddaughter Pie

1 Box Vanilla Wafers
1 box Vanilla instant pudding
1 box Butterscotch instant pudding
4 cups whole milk
Assorted sprinkles and garnishes

Cover the bottom of a 9X13 glass baking dish with a layer of vanilla wafers.

Mix vanilla pudding mix 4th 2 cups of milk and prepare according to package directions. Pour pudding over vanilla wafer and refrigerate until set.

While the first layer is setting use the other two cups of milk to prepare butterscotch pudding according to package directions.

Remove first layer form refrigerator. Cover with an additional layer of vanilla wafers. Pour butterscotch pudding over cookies. Add sprinkles and other garnishes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Originally posted at Simply Davine June 2004

Cinnamon Chips with Chocolate Salsa

A sweet treat with a south of the border accent!


Cinnamon Chips with Chocolate Salsa

Cinnamon Chips

1 package flour tortillas
Oil for deep fryer
Cinnamon sugar

Heat the oil in the deep fryer. You can substitute a deep frying pan filled half way with oil.

Cut the tortillas into triangle sections (about 8 per tortilla). add the tortilla pieces to the hot oil one section at a time so they don't stick. Don't overfill the fryer. When the tortillas just begin to brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a piece of paper towel. The tortillas will crisp and brown a bit more once they are removed. While the tortillas are still hot sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

Repeat until all of the pieces are used.



Chocolate Salsa

1-12 oz jar of chocolate sundae sauce
1 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/ cup flaked coconut

scoop the chocolate sauce into a saucepan over low heat to make it easier to stir. Mix in the remaining ingredients. when the mixture is thoroughly combined, scoop into a dip bowl and enjoy with cinnamon chips.

Originally posted at Simply Davine October 2003

Apple Pasties

A sweet lower peninsula twist on a Michigan Upper Peninsula creation. I like to mix up the apples to create a blend of the tart and sweets. This one works well with a Granny Smith, a Macintosh and a Golden Delicious.


Apple Pasties
Makes 4 pasties

1 tube of ready to bake crescent rolls
3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced medium to thin
1 cup water
1/2 cup caramel apple dip
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to the temperature specified on the crescent rolls can.

Pop open crescent rolls tube and separate the triangle pieces. On the bottom of a cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray, place four of the triangles, set the other four to the side for later.

In a sauce pan bring the apples and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until apple pieces are soft and water has dissolved into a syrup.

When the apples are soft, add the caramel dip and nut pieces. mix well, being careful not to tear the apples apart.

Spoon the filling into the center of the four triangles on the cookie sheet, leaving enough room to pinch the pasties shut. Cover the mixture on each one with another piece of dough, carefully stretching it to cover all the filling. Pinch the top and bottom edges together.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pasties are golden brown.

Serve warm with a glass of apple cider.

Originally posted at Simply Davine September 2003

20-Minute No-Bake Cheese Pie

20-Minute No-Bake Cheese Pie

1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust
1-14oz. jar of marshmallow cream
1-8oz package of softened cream cheese (NOT lite or fat-free)
1 jar cherry pie filling

Blend the marshmallow cream and cream cheese with an electric mixer until the texture is smooth. Spoon mixture into pie crust and chill. Before serving, spoon pie filling on top of pie.

Variations are as plentiful as there are flavors of no-bake pie crust and pie fillings. Enjoy!

Originally posted at Simply Davine December 2002