Author: pcmscAdmin

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Any 3.5-4-quart baking dish works.
• Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking pan.
• Make the topping: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture becomes super crumbly. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle over filling.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold; plain or with salted caramel and/or vanilla ice cream.
• Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To prepare the muffins:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or cupcake liners with vegetable cooking spray. Be sure to coat the top edge of each muffin cup so the muffins won’t stick. Set aside.
• Reserve 1 tablespoon of flour. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the remaining flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Make a well in the center.
• In a small mixing bowl whisk the eggs until slightly pale. Add the milk, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla and whisk again. Pour the sour cream mixture into the flour. Fold together with a spatula until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Don’t over-mix.
• Toss the reserved flour with the raspberries until coated. Gently fold the raspberries into the batter just until combined.
• Using a large ice cream scoop, portion out a heaping mound of batter and drop into the muffin tin well leaving the batter rounded on top. Repeat with the remaining batter filling all 12 muffins wells. Set the unbaked muffins aside for 15 minutes while preparing the streusel topping.

Prepare the streusel topping:

• Combine the flour, sugars and salt in a bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and the mixture forms large chunks with some pea – sized pieces.
• Divide the streusel in mounds on top of the muffins. Try to keep the bulk of the streusel in the center of the muffin as much as possible.
• Bake at 400°F for 20 to 23 minutes or until just set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter. Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.

Recipe Notes

• Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

The Pastry

• Lightly flour a work surface and cut puff pastry into roughly 12 equal rounds using a 3 ½ inch (roughly 8 ½ to 9 cm) cookie cutter.
• Use cooking spray or melted butter to lightly grease 12 egg tart molds OR a 12-cup regular muffin pan.
• Press each piece of puff pastry down and up onto the sides of the muffin holes until evenly distributed.
• Place the molds or muffin pan with the pastry in the refrigerator while you prepare the syrup and custard. See note 3

Make The syrup

• Add water and sugar to a small pot and place on the stove. Turn the heat up to medium and stir for about 1 minute to dissolve the sugar.
• When you see tiny bubbles appear on the surface of the pot, set a timer to 3 minutes.
• During these 3 minutes, leave the syrup to boil WITHOUT stirring.
• Turn the stove off, take the pot off the stove and set aside while you prepare the custard. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools. This is normal and will be at the perfect consistency when it is time to mix into the custard.

Make the milk and flour mixture

• Pour half of the measured milk into the bowl with the flour. Whisk until smooth and the flour dissolved.
• Pour the remaining milk into a medium sized pot and add in the cinnamon stick, lemon peel.
• Place the pot on to the stove and heat for 1 minute on a medium setting.
• Leave the pot on the heat and slowly pour in the the dissolved flour mixture while whisking continuously.
• Within approximately 1 minute you will notice the mixture thickening. As soon as it starts to thicken, turn off the stove or gas and take the pot off the heat.
• Pour the syrup into the thickened milk mixture and whisk for about 1 minute, until smooth.

The egg yolks

• Pour about a tablespoon of the combined milk/syrup mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk for 10 seconds until combined.
• This is referred to as tempering the eggs. It’s when a little of the hot liquid is added to the eggs. This brings the eggs to approximately the same temperature of the hot mixture. The tempered eggs are now stable enough to be added to the rest of the hot mixture without the risk of it curdling or scrambling.
• Pour the tempered egg yolks into the pot with the milk/syrup mixture. Do not place the pot back on to the stove or heat
• Whisk for 1 minute to form a smooth custard. Don’t worry if the custard doesn’t look very thick now. This is normal and will thicken and set once it has baked.

Strain the custard

• Place a sieve or strainer over a measuring jug or bowl. Pour the custard through the sieve.
• This is so that you are left with a smooth custard as it passes through the sieve. Any bits of flour that might not have dissolved will be caught in the strainer.
• Discard the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and any bits of flour caught in the strainer.

Assemble and bake

• Pre heat the oven to a very hot 470°F (240°C) 220° (fan).
• Get the cold molds or muffin tin lined with the puff pastry out of the refrigerator.
• Fill the puff pastry cases just under ¾ full. The custard will not spill over the cases as it bakes. It will thicken and puff up while baking, then deflate and shrink back down as it cools.
• Immediately after filling, place the filled pastry cases into the very hot preheated oven.
• Bake for between 18 to 25 minutes until the shells are golden brown and crisp. See note 4
• The custards will be set, and the tops scorched with spots. See note 5
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, remove the tarts from the pan or molds and transfer to a wire rack.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon if you prefer. Serve warm.

Storage

• At room temperature: 1 to 2 days in an airtight container
• In the refrigerator: Up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• In the freezer: The texture of the baked custard tarts degrades rapidly the longer they are left in the freezer. I would advise only storing them frozen for up to a month.
• Beyond this point, they’ll become grainy and the custard sometimes splits. As always, make sure you take time to label your frozen tarts so you know when to consume them by.

How to reheat

• Portuguese custard tarts can be eaten cold. If you prefer it warmed, this can be done in the microwave for a few seconds or reheated in the oven:
• To reheat and crisp up your Portuguese egg tart from the refrigerator simply preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 6-8 minutes. If reheating from frozen, then bake for 13-15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• Traditional recipes are made using homemade puff pastry. This recipe is adopted for the pre made puff pastry. If using store bought frozen puff pastry, try to get the best quality pastry and allow it to thaw out, but still be cold before cutting into rounds. DO NOT use short crust pastry. Puff pastry is recommended which produces a flaky baked crust
• It's important that the puff pastry dough be cold in the molds or muffin tin before filling with the warm custard. Refrigerating keeps the butter in the pastry firm and cold. When it's time to fill, the warm custard will not soak into it. This will prevent a soggy crust. You want a flaky crust, not soggy. The filled pastry must then be placed in the preheated oven right after you pour the custard, because if you wait and let them sit, the custard will seep into the shells and the bottoms may get soggy.
• Don't be alarmed if you see the custard puff up while baking. This is normal, they will puff up then deflate and shrink back down as it cools.

Chicken preparation

• Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry. Slice each breast in half lengthwise and then crosswise in quarters to make a total of 8 pieces per breast half.
• In a medium bowl, combine chicken pieces with Cajun Spice Blend, lime juice, and olive oil. Toss to coat well. Cover and marinate 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, or up to 24 hours refrigerated. Soak 16 bamboo skewers in water at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.
• Prepare a hot fire. Thread 2 pieces of chicken onto each skewer and place on an oiled grill set 4 to 6 inches from coals. Grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is white throughout but still moist, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with Fire and Ice Dipping Sauce.

Fire & Ice Dipping SAuce

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
• Season with salt and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a deep-dish 9-inch pie dish, 9-inch square pan, 10-inch cast iron skillet, or any 2–2.5-quart baking dish. Set aside.
• Gently mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, then spread into the baking dish.
• Make the topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in the oats and pecans. Sprinkle evenly over filling.
• Bake for 45–50 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving warm. You can also serve room temperature or cold.
• Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: I do not recommend preparing and refrigerating the crisp, unbaked, because the filling will become extra juicy the longer it sits. You can, however, prepare the topping up to 2 days in advance and cover and refrigerate it until needed. Baked crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
• Special Tools (affiliate links): Vegetable/Fruit Peeler | 9-inch Square Baking Dish, 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet (or similar size) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Pastry Cutter | Cooling Rack
• Update in 2023: After making this peach crisp so often, I made a few slight tweaks to the original 2015 recipe. I reduced the sugar in the filling from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup because it was a little too sweet. I also added some lemon juice to brighten up the flavor.
• Baking Pan: Any baking pan that holds about 2–2.5 quarts is best. You could also divide the filling and oat topping up into individual oven-safe ramekins. Bake them on a baking sheet. The bake time and yield depends on their size, but bake until the topping is lightly browned and peach filling bubbles up around the sides.
• Gluten Free: For a gluten-free crisp, use my recipe for gluten-free apple crisp and replace sliced apples with sliced peaches.
• Can I Use Frozen or Canned Peaches? Fresh peaches are best for peach crisp, but you can get away with unsweetened frozen peaches. If using frozen peaches, thaw, chop, and blot them dry before using. Canned peaches are not ideal because they’re already too soft and mushy.

• Pat shrimp dry with paper towel
• In bowl, add all shrimp ingredients except shrimp
• Mix well dry
• Toss with shrimp
• Heat oil in large pan.
• Fry shrimp quickly on both sides in 2-3 batches
• Remove to paper towel
• Mix sauce
• Briefly fry tortillas and stack on plate
• Place tortilla on board, add slaw, shrimp, chopped cilantro and squeeze of lime.

Crust

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Stir and whisk flour, confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and salt in small bowl
• Melt butter in microwave then pour into dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
• Press dough evenly with fingers into 4” tart pans …. First around outside then bottom.
• Trim off overhang at top. Reuse trim pieces.
• Pierce bottom with fork several places.
• Place pans on baking sheet and set timer for 18 minutes.
• Check at 16 minutes. Probably needs a few more minutes. Check every minute. Best to underbake as it goes back in oven to bake filling.
• Let cool before filling.

Filling

• Reduce oven temperature to 300
• Heat cream in saucepan until just bubbling around outside
• Pour over chocolate in medium bowl
• DO NOT STIR. LET SIT FOR 2 MINUTES THEN STIR
• Whisk in butter first. Then egg then milk. Stir until fully combined.
• Pour into cooled crust.
• Place on cookie sheet and back in oven.
• Bake for 16 minutes and check. Want edges set and center to jiggle.
• Remove to wire rack.
• Top with stabilized whipped cream.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (can also use a hand mixer), combine the cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolk. Beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat again until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Carefully unfold the puff pastry sheets onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sheets, 2 additional inches lengthwise, so the sheets are 9×11-inches in size.
• Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut off the top 2 corners of each sheet. You don’t need these pieces for the Danish braid, but don’t throw them out. You can sprinkle them with a little cinnamon and sugar and bake them on the side.
• Cut 9 or 10 slanting strips (¾ – 1 inch wide each) into both sides of each pastry sheet. Cut off the two remaining flaps at the bottom of each sheet. Set these extra pieces aside to bake with the top scrap pieces.
• Give the cream cheese filling a good stir. Divide the filling in half and spread it down the center each pastry. Spread the raspberry jam on top of the cream cheese filling (2 tablespoons per pastry). Top with fresh raspberries (⅓ cup per pastry).
• Start at the top and fold the strips over the filling, alternating each side to resemble a braid. Fold the bottom end and gently press, sealing the filling inside. Carefully transfer the pastries to a large baking sheet. They should fit on one pan. They will puff up in the oven, but not spread too much.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush the tops of the Danishes with the egg wash, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• While cooling, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, heavy cream or milk, and almond extract.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cooled Danishes. Cut into pieces and serve!

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUMB TOPPING (Make first)

• Stir together brown sugar, rolled oats, sugar, flour and lemon zest.
• Pour into food processor. Add 1/2 cup butter. Pulse until topping is like course crumbs.
• Set aside

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PIE

• Preheat Oven to 375
• In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt
• Add apple slices (thinly sliced and cut in half) and gently toss until coated
• COOK apples in a large skillet with 4 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Medium heat for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
• Transfer apples into pie pan shell bottom and mound slightly. Don’t leave gaps between apple slices
• Sprinkle crumb topping over apples and press lightly to hold in place.
• Wrap aluminum foil over edge of pie
• Place on cookie sheet so drippings don’t drop on the oven
• Bake at 375 for 25 minutes
• Remove aluminum foil and bake for 25 more minutes without foil. 160 to 170 degrees in middle
• Remove from oven.
• Sprinkle chopped pecans over topping and drizzle caramel (warmed in pan of water) over top
• Cool on wire rack.

• In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and milk. Add pudding mix and beat until well combined. Chill for 5 minutes to thicken.
• 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 3.4oz package 4-serving size instant vanilla pudding mix
• Gently fold in the whipped cream until fully combined.
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Begin by placing a layer of vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies at the bottom of the trifle dish. Spoon a layer of the prepared pudding mixture over the cookies, spreading it evenly.
• 36 vanilla wafers
• Arrange a layer of sliced bananas on top of the pudding.
• 3 to 4 medium bananas
• Repeat the layers, starting with cookies, then pudding, and bananas, until you reach the top of the dish. Aim for at least two to three layers, finishing with a layer of pudding.
• Cover the trifle dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until well chilled and set.
• Before serving, top with whipped cream if desired for extra richness and a decorative touch and a sprinkle of crushed wafers or some banana slices! Get creative 🙂
• Spoon the pudding into individual bowls or dishes and enjoy!