Let's Talk about Dessert

I got a chance to watch Paula Deen on the food network over the weekend. She made this great, easy pie.
Mae Dawson's Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours Cook Time: 40 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream
3/4 cup milk
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch nutmeg
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine sugar, flour, cream, and milk in a mixing bowl. Pour into pie shell. Dot butter bits all around top of pie. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for approximately 30 more minutes. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled. Serve chilled.
Cook's Note: If using a glass baking dish, lower oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

The strawberries are still looking good. In a week or so we'll start to get blueberries. We have two great berry sources in our part of Virginia, Westmoreland Berry Farm and Belvedere Plantation. When my grandson was small he loved for us to take him to pick berries at the berry farms.

Almond Pastry with Strawberries
This dessert is lovely to look at and luscious to eat!

Pastry Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon almond extract

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 pint (2 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered

Topping Ingredients:
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all pastry ingredients in large bowl. Stir together with fork until fine crumbs form into dough. Press half of dough on bottom of 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick dough several times with fork. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Immediately cut pastry round into 12 wedges. Gently remove bottom from tart pan. With pancake turner gently remove each wedge; cool on wire cooling rack.
Press remaining half of dough on bottom of same 10-inch tart pan. Prick dough several times with fork. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Do not cut second pastry. Cool pastry 5 minutes; gently remove edge of tart pan. With pancake turner gently loosen pastry from bottom of tart pan (do not remove from bottom of tart pan). Cool completely on wire cooling rack.
Meanwhile, beat whipping cream in chilled small mixer bowl at high speed, scraping bowl often, until soft peaks form. Continue beating, gradually adding 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and lemon peel, until stiff peaks form (1 to 2 minutes).
To assemble, gently slide whole pastry round onto flat serving plate. Spread or pipe pastry round with whipped cream mixture. Top with strawberries. Gently stand pastry wedges, on side, on top of whipped cream at a slight angle, gently pressing into whipped cream and between strawberries. Rearrange strawberries, if necessary. Sift 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over top of pastry; sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Makes 12 servings.

Blueberry Roly Poly

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups biscuit mix
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups blueberries

PREPARATION:
Heat 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and 1/2 cup of hot water to boiling. Pour into 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Mix biscuit mix, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, evaporated milk, and three tablespoons water together just until mixture forms a dough. Roll out on floured board in 8x12-inch rectangle. Spread with blueberries then sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up like a jelly roll. Cut in slices about 3/4-inch thick and place slices in the hot syrup. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes.

Red, White and Blue Dessert
This is a must for every summer patriotic holiday. We love it so much! I make a big pan of it in my big glass lasagna pan.

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons sugar
dash of cinnamon (optional)
12 tablespoons melted butter
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well. Firmly press the crumb mixture evenly in your pan. For all other pies, bake crust at 350°F for about 8 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon
Beat ingredients until fluffyand easy to spread. If it isn't soft enough add a bit more lemon juice. Spread the cream cheese mixture over graham cracker crust. Arrange toppings in a flag design or in stripes.

Toppings:
2 Pints fresh blueberries
2 cans cherry pie filling
large container Cool Whip

Makes 12 servings

My grandson is a picky eater, but he'll eat lots and lots of this dessert.