Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

MICHAEL ALLEN JONES mjones@sacbee.com Two words for this pie featuring cream cheese filling and Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough for the crust: Yum, yum.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 16 minutes

Serves 8

Can a pie get any easier? Niesha Lofing developed this recipe after brainstorming ideas on pie shortcuts. The crust is premade peanut butter cookie dough. This was very popular with the office testers.

Note: The prep time does not include the 2-hour cool time for the cookie crust after it is baked or the 30-minute chill time after pie is prepared.

INGREDIENTS

one 16.5-ounce roll Pillsbury Peanut Butter Cookie dough, allowed to soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes

3/4 cup shelled pecans

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

one 24.2-ounce tub Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cheesecake Filling

Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel sauce, for drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat cookie dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish (you likely will not need all of the dough), about the thickness of a typical butter pie dough.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until cookie dough is rising and golden brown on top and sides. Dough will puff up significantly. Remove dish from oven and immediately place on counter, banging it several times to deflate the dough. Allow it to cool completely.

To make the glazed pecans, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt one tablespoon of butter. Add brown sugar and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-durable silicone spatula until sugar is fragrant and starting to spread and thicken in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add pecans and stir constantly for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Continue stirring, making sure the sugar mixture coats all the nuts. Remove pecans to a piece of foil to cool, separating them so they don't stick together.

Spoon the cheesecake filling into the cooled cookie pie shell, spreading to fill evenly. Decorate the edges of the pie with candied pecans. Refrigerate pie for at least 30 minutes. Drizzle with caramel just before serving.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America's "Gourmet Meals in Minutes" cookbook and downloaded from its Web site.

Note: The cook time is for the beef cooked medium-rare.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups beef broth

6 tablespoons Madeira wine

2 1/4 pounds beef tenderloin

1/4 cup bread crumbs

6 tablespoons blue cheese

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup chives

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

1 tablespoon olive oil, (to sear medallions)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour together.

Bring the beef broth and Madeira to a boil. Whisk in the butter and flour until completely dissolved. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is thickened and reduced by half. While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a flat rack of a roasting pan with nonstick spray and place in the pan.

Slice the tenderloin into 6 portions that are approximately 3 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches thick. Tie butcher's twine around the beef medallions so they maintain their shape while cooking, if desired.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, blue cheese, parsley, chives and peppercorns to form a paste.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Sear the medallions until just browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Arrange the medallions on the rack in the roasting pan. Coat the top of each medallion with 3 tablespoons of the blue cheese crust mixture.

Roast until the crust is golden brown and the meat is cooked as desired, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, depending on the size of the medallions. (Be sure to remove the butcher's twine, if it was used, before serving.)

Serve the medallions on a pool of the warm Madeira sauce, with potato gratin (recipe at right) on the side.

Per serving: 459 cal.; 41 g pro.; 9 g carb.; 25 g fat (12 sat., 12 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 135 mg chol.; 830 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 52 percent calories from fat.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves 1

Bob Edwards of Citrus Heights has to go to San Francisco to get a good Irish coffee. He was hoping someone knew of a place in Sacramento to enjoy this special treat.

Connie Batts of Sacramento says that de Vere's Irish Pub (1521 L St., Sacramento) makes the best Irish coffee ever. On de Vere's Web site (www.deverespub. com), they share, "An age-old recipe and our signature drink; Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey, brown sugar and a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream."

Betty Hill of Sacramento and her husband used to go to San Francisco's Buena Vista Cafe for terrific Irish coffee. The world-famous Buena Vista (at the corner of Hyde and Beach, at Fisherman's Wharf) serves about 2,000 cups a day of their signature drink; double that amount on St. Patrick's Day. That recipe came about from a lot of research. In 1952, then-owner Jack Koeppler and international travel writer Stanton Delaplane wanted to create a match for the Irish coffee served at the Shannon Airport in Ireland. After a trip to the airport and consulting with the San Francisco mayor, a prominent dairy farmer (about the problem of sinking cream), they came up with this recipe. Hill sent it in and says that she was happy when she found the recipe; she could relax and enjoy the Buena Vista Irish coffee at home.

INGREDIENTS

Hot coffee

2 cocktail sugar cubes

1 jigger Irish whiskey

Lightly whipped whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a 6-ounce glass with very hot water to preheat it, then empty the water. Pour the hot coffee into the hot glass until is about three-quarters full. Drop in the sugar cubes. Stir until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Add Irish whiskey, stir. Top with a collar of lightly whipped cream by pouring it gently over a spoon. Enjoy it while piping hot.

Per serving: 144 cal.; 0 g pro.; 6 g carb.; 5 g fat (3 sat., 2 monounsat., 0 polyunsat.); 20 mg chol.; 9 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 34 percent calories from fat.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Serves 8

This recipe is from "Everyday Food" and was downloaded from www.marthastewart.com.

Note: Light brown sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar in this recipe and yields a wonderfully rich flavor. The prep time does not include the 20-minute cool time after tart is baked.

– Niesha Lofing

INGREDIENTS

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 unbaked store-bought refrigerated pie crust (7½ ounces)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

6 (about 2¾ pounds) Rome Beauty or McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a floured work surface, unfold store-bought dough. Invert a 9-inch plate on top of dough; trim dough around plate with a sharp paring knife to form a round (discard scraps, or save for another use). Refrigerate until needed.

In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, press softened butter evenly into the bottom, then sprinkle with the sugar. Arrange apple wedges in a circle around edge, then fill in the center with remaining wedges. Place skillet over medium heat, and cook until sugar mixture is light amber in color and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes (syrup might brown unevenly).

Transfer to oven; cook until apples have softened, about 30 minutes. Carefully place dough round on top; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

Let cool, about 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of skillet; invert tart onto a serving platter. Replace any apples that may have stuck to bottom of skillet; drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving: 335 cal.; 1 g pro.; 47 g carb.; 16 g fat (7 sat., 6 monounsat., 3 polyunsat.); 23 mg chol.; 154 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 31 g sugar; 44 percent calories from fat

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America's "Gourmet Meals in Minutes" cookbook and downloaded from its Web site.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the potatoes, milk, heavy cream, garlic, salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Simmer until the potatoes are three- quarters cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Gruyère.

Pour the potatoes into a small, shallow pan. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan, and scatter evenly over the potatoes. Bake in a 350-degree oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow the potatoes to set for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing.

Per serving: 279 cal.; 9 g pro.; 19 g carb.; 20 g fat (13 sat., 6 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 72 mg chol.; 416 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 62 percent calories from fat.

Prep time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 6 to 8

Twenty years ago, Marcy Navarro of Rialto used to buy high top apple pie at a now-closed Mexican restaurant in Ontario. It had a regular crust, top and bottom, and was built up high with apples. She was hoping for the recipe.

John Merlo of Sacramento shares this Better Homes and Gardens recipe that sounds like a match for Navarro. Merlo says that he always gets The Bee on Wednesdays, just for the Food & Wine section.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons butter

2/3 cup superfine sugar (also called 'castor' or 'caster' sugar)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, reserving the white for the glaze

1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1¼ cups self-rising flour, sifted

6 Granny Smith apples

Juice and peel of 1 lemon, divided use

Melted butter for greasing pan

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup superfine sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Keep the ingredients and the utensils cool at all times. (If the butter melts before it's part of the pastry in the oven, you'll end up with an oily, heavy pastry.)

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy and increased in volume. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until well-combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the sifted flours and mix with a wooden spoon until well-combined.

Place onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Knead each gently until mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. (Chilling dough before rolling allows the pastry to relax, firm, makes it easier to roll and prevents it from shrinking during baking.)

Peel apples, cut into quarters and remove seeds. Cut each quarter into thin slices. Place in bowl, cover with cold water and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush an 8-inch loose-bottom fluted flan tin or round cake pan (2 inches deep) with melted butter.

Knead pastry on a lightly floured surface. (Adding too much flour makes the pastry tough, dry and hard to roll out.) Roll out one piece of pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper to fit the base and sides of the pan. Carefully ease the pastry into the pan. Drain apples and dry well in a clean towel. Place the apples in a large bowl, add the grated lemon peel, cinnamon, superfine sugar and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Mix with your hands to combine. Pile the apples onto the pastry base. Apples will sit about 2 inches above the rim of the pastry.

Take the remaining pastry and roll out large enough to cover the apples completely. Place pastry on top and gently press the edges together. Using a sharp knife, trim away the excess edges of the pastry. Place the reserved egg white in a small bowl and beat with a fork until just foamy. Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle with superfine sugar. Cut a cross in the top of the pastry to vent.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce to 350 degrees and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stand on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Per serving based on 8 servings: 496 cal.; 6 g pro.; 74 g carb.; 20 g fat (12 sat., 6 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 102 mg chol.; 267 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 36 g sugar; 36 percent calories from fat.