Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

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.

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.

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.

Cinnamon rolls with reduced fat.

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: Makes 9 rolls

This recipe, reprinted courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, is from “The Best Light Recipe.”

Note: Be sure to knead the dough for a full 30 seconds, which makes the dough easier to work with and gives the finished rolls a better rise and great texture. Also, don’t be afraid to use a little extra flour on the counter when shaping the buns, if the dough seems a little sticky. The rolls are best eaten as soon as they are iced, but they hold up well at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil spray

For the filling

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the dough

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1¼ teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1¼ cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided use

For the icing

2 tablespoons light cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons buttermilk

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8-inch-square baking pan and a wire rack with the vegetable oil spray; set aside.

For the filling: Mix all the ingredients together; set aside.

For the dough: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.

Pat the dough with your hands into a 12-by-9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border of plain dough around the edges. Press the filling firmly into the dough. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at the long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and cut it evenly into 9 pieces with dental floss. With your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place.

Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish (3 rows of 3 rolls). Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the rolls are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes longer.

Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the rolls from the pan. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the pan and invert the rolls onto the plate. Place a greased wire rack over the plate and flip the rolls onto the rack. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes before icing.

To ice the rolls: While the rolls are cooling, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Set the rack of cooling rolls over the baking sheet. Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together in a large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture; whisk until a smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon the glaze evenly over the rolls.

Per roll: 268 cal.; 5 g pro.; 52 g carb.; 4 g fat (3 sat., 1 monounsat., 0 polyunsat.); 13 mg chol.; 319 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 27 g sugar; 13 percent calories from fat.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 5

In Indonesia, spicy peanut sauce is the traditional accompaniment to satay. These beef skewers are paired with a sweet and salty tamarind-based glaze. The ingredient list may be long, but nearly all the work is done by the food processor.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

one 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 anchovy, mashed

1 scallion, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

2 eggs

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 pound ground beef

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

In a shallow bowl filled with water, soak 10 bamboo skewers.

In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, ginger, anchovy, scallion, cumin, cardamom, curry powder, cloves, chili powder, peanuts, cilantro, eggs and flour until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Add the beef, then use your hands to knead the mixture until well combined. Form the mixture into logs roughly 4 inches long and 1 inch around. Gently insert a skewer into each log. Alternatively, the logs can be formed around each skewer. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind concentrate and water. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine the soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the tamarind mixture and simmer until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat a grill to medium. Brush the grill grates with olive oil. Grill the skewers until one side is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the skewers and let cook for another minute, basting with the glaze. Repeat until the beef is cooked fully, about 1 to 2 more turns.

Per serving: 403 cal.; 27 g pro.; 22 g carb.; 23 g fat (6 sat., 11 monounsat., 6 polyunsat.); 119 mg chol.; 1423 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 51 percent calories from fat.

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes about 3 dozen

Madeleine Mullins of Sacramento was looking for a carrot cake cookie recipe that was in The Bee years ago. Clair Dougherty of Citrus Heights was also looking for a carrot cookie recipe.

Janice Thornton of Merced shares this recipe.

Note: The cook time includes the time to cook the carrots before mashing.

INGREDIENTS

Cookies

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup cooked, mashed carrots

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Orange icing

Juice of 1/2 orange (3 to 4 tablespoons)

Grated peel of 1 orange

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1¼ cups sifted powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cookies: In a large bowl, beat shortening. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, carrots and vanilla, beating well after each addition.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to carrot mixture and mix well. Stir in chopped nuts, if using. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool. Frost cookies with orange frosting while still warm.

For icing: Combine orange juice and orange peel with butter. Stir in sifted powdered sugar until desired spreading consistency is reached. Add more juice or powdered sugar as needed.

Per cookie: 113 cal.; 1 g pro.; 14 g carb.; 6 g fat (2 sat., 2 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 7 mg chol.; 61 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 49 percent calories from fat.