The Perfect Summer Treat: Blueberry Crumb Pie

Last Saturday morning, my parents drove out to The Berry Patch to handpick pounds of juicy plump blueberries. They called me to let me know they had a little treat to drop by, and brought over a huge bag of berries that were bigger than grapes and so sweet. We couldn't stop popping berry after berry into our mouths - they were so ripe and sweeter than sugar.

We decided to invite over some company for dinner that night, so when I was scrambling to make a nice dessert full of summer flavor, I knew those blueberries were my perfect inspiration.

I whipped together this delicious pie in no time (seriously, it was so easy peasy), and I knew by sighs and the taste bud inspired groans that this was a home run. The melt-in-your-mouth crumb topping perfectly enhances the fresh berries. A must try this summer!

{ Blueberry Crumb Pie }

{altered from allrecipes.com}

Ingredients:

- pie crust shell (I love this recipe)

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1/3 cup flour

- 21/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

- 5 cups fresh blueberries

- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

- 1/2 cup rolled oats

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

- 6 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Lay prepared pie crust shell over a 9 inch pie pan, and gently press dough into the bottom and sides until it is formed to the plate.

3) In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour until combined. Slowly stir in the grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Once blended, gently stir in the blueberries until they are coated in flour mixture. Pour into the pie crust.

4) In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oats, flour and cinnamon. Next, cut better into small pea sized pieces and mix in with forks or hands until mixture is crumbly. Lightly sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the pie filling until top is covered.

5) Place the pie in the middle of the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until crumb topping is lightly toasted and golden. Remove the pie and place it on top of a wire rack to allow to cool. Serve pie warm and top with vanilla bean ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

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Once this pie was in the oven the whole house was filled with scents of cinnamon and fresh, plump blueberries. Our mouths were watering, and I could barely keep my husband from picking at the pie before it cooled. 

A nice warm piece of blueberry magic with a little scoop of ice cream on top will make those summer nights even sweeter. You have to give it a shot, you can thank me later! ;)

Bon Appetit!

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Coming Soon... Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off!

Back in the summer of 2008, when I was living in the heart of San Francisco for an internship, I set out to find THE perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I scoured the internet, recipe books, and blogs for hours, and baked every newly found reputable recipe under the sun.

I can't even begin to tell you how many pounds of flour or ounces of chocolate chips I used (or ate!), but I did find some incredible recipes that are still my go to favorites today. I think I also found 5 extra pounds in the process (totally worth it!). But there are so many great recipes out there waiting to be discovered.

So discover them, I will.

 In case you didn't already have it penciled on your calendars, next Thursday, May 15th, is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Practically a holy holiday at the Evans bungalow. So I have invited our Monday Night Dinner friends over next week to be taste testers for The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Throwdown.

My friends lead a rough life...

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So this is where YOU come in!

If you would like to submit a recipe to The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Throwndown, I would love to look it over and consider it for the final round of the bake-off.

Upon receiving all the recipes, I will select a handful of recipes to add to the bake-off list. If selected, you and your recipe will be highlighted when I announce the finalists and the winning recipe on Thursday, May 8th (National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day... remember?).

To enter, please e-mail the following information to lifeofmegblog {at} gmail {dot} com by  Sunday, May 11th at Noon (CST):

- Full Name

- Blog URL (if applicable)

- Your Cookie Recipe (and link to recipe online if applicable)

- A short blurb of why you love it!

Can't wait to hear from you little bakers!

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Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Looking for a super simple dessert that you can whip together on a whim and impress the masses?
This Easy Skillet Apple Pie is definitely the one for you, trust me!

The apples are perfectly plump and juicy, sugars all caramelize to form the most delicious flavor, and the flaky sugared crust tops this off for a culinary home run. A definite must try. In fact, my husband said it's the best thing I've baked in the last 6 months... and I bake a lot of things!

I was home all curled up on a chilly day last week, and I thought I would be score some wife points by making a warm baked treat for my hubs. I knew I had some apples that were going to go bad in the next few days, and a package of pie crust leftover from a quiche recipe I never attempted. Voila, my inspiration.

So I set out to find something easy, that had amazing reviews, and that I could tinker with slightly... and here's what I came up with! It's a must make, so be sure to save this one for a party crowd pleaser or just a rainy day.

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{ Easy Skillet Apple Pie }

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Granny Smith apples
• 5-6 Honeycrisp (or other sweet varieties) apples
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning or nutmeg
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch or two of salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 package of refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 egg white 
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Caramel ice cream

Directions:

1. 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. 
   
3. 2) Peel apples, and cut into thin slices of 1/2 inch pieces. Mix sugar, cinnamon, spice, and pinch or two of salt together in a small bowl. Toss apples with mixture until well coated.
4. 
   
5. 3) Heat cast iron skillet (10 inch works well!) over medium heat and melt butter. Once butter is melted, immediately add brown sugar to the skillet while stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Sugar will dissolved and the mixture will begin to thicken. 
6. 
   
7. 4) Remove the skillet from heat and lay 1 piecrust in the skillet over the brown sugar mixture. 
8. 
   
9. 5) Spoon apple mixture into skillet on top of piecrust and then top the apples with the remaining piecrust. 
10. 
    
11. 6) Whisk egg white until it becomes foamy and light. Using a pastry brush, paint on egg white on top of piecrust and then lightly sprinkle the tablespoons of sugar on top. Cut 6 slits in the top piecrust for steam to escape during baking
12. 
    
13. 7) Place skillet in the oven for 1 hour and then carefully place a loose sheet of aluminum foil on top of the piecrust to shield from over browning, and let cook for 8-10 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Serve the apple pie warm from the skillet with a scoop of caramel ice cream on top (our fave!).

Bon Appetit!

PS - Don't forget to link-up and gain new readers (OPEN ALL WEEK) at my Mingle Monday Link-Up!



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Guinness Chocolate Ganache-Filled Cupcakes

This recipe is for all of my Twitter friends out there who were oooh'ing and aaahh'ing over this weekend's Super Bowl baking photos! Well, like I promised, here is the recipe that you all need to try ASAP. I could tell by my empty cupcake tray after the Super Bowl that everyone just hated them! ;)

Well it all started when Adam's sister, Meredith, gave me the perfect Christmas present... large bakery-style frosting tips! She knows me too well! So needless to say I've been dying to use them since I unwrapped these little gems! Thanks, Mere! xo

I was pretty nervous when I started this recipe for several reasons...


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1) New recipes.
Both the cupcake and buttercream recipes I had never tried before.

2) I've never made ganache.
Doesn't it just sound fancy? Ganache. Woah.
I did not go to culinary school, so something that sounds this fancy just seems hard.

3) I'm not a cupcake baker.
I typically stick to cookies (my specialty), so I think the idea of filled cupcakes was twice as terrifying

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...but I've learned that cupcakes recipes are easy, ganache sounds fancy but is totally doable, and apparently I am a cupcake baker! Now I want to experiment even more with these things!!



{ Guiness Double Chocolate Ganache-Filled Cupcakes }
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker's Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes


{ Footballs = piped melted chocolate! }


Ingredients:

- 1 cup Guinness stout
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup sour cream


Ganache Filling:

- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature


Buttercream:
- Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream Recipe


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Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line 24 cupcake cups with liners.

2. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined.

3. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine.

4. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined.

5. Pour 2/3 full into cupcake liners and bake about 17 minutes. Toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.


Ganache:

1. Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl.

2. Heat the cream until simmering on stove and pour it over the chocolate.

3. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth.

4. Add the butter and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.


How to Fill:

1) Using the bottom of a large decorating tip, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down.

2) Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.




{ Filling photo via Brown Eyed Baker }


Frost Cupcakes:

Whip up a batch of the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream (in the Meg Cooks section) that I used, or top with any favorite frosting recipe! Instant hit!


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...and voila! Such a tasty, decadent recipe! The cake part is super moist and delicious, the ganache is smooth, and the buttercream adds the perfect flavor combo to this delight!

this recipe would be great for Valentine's Day, and super rich if topped with a chocolate buttercream! Think about it...


Bon Appetit!

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Buttercream

Always on the hunt for the best buttercream, I think I might have found a top contender with Magnolia Bakery's vanilla buttercream. The texture is light and fluffy, smooth on your tongue, with a delicious vanilla velvety taste... what a dream! Definitely a must try for cakes, cupcakes, sandwich cookies and anything your little heart desires.


Now, I'm a frosting lover, so it would be hard to find a frosting I don't like. Adam, on the other hand, is not... but he LOVED this recipe - I was completely shocked! So there you have it, folks. If I can convince the frosting despiser... you can convince anyone it's the world's best buttercream!


{ Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Buttercream }
via: Martha Stewart





Ingredients:

- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

- 6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

- 1/2 cup milk

- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, 4 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla.

2. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition, until icing reaches desired consistency.

** You may not need to add all the sugar. I use approx. 6 - 6.5 cups. **

4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.






Bon Appetit!

DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies

Start your ovens, ladies!
Boy have I got a recipe for you! So, I'm not sure how many of you have actually been a guest at the DoubleTree hotel, but perhaps you've heard of their legendary cookies?

Well, we have a partnership with the DoubleTree here in Kansas City, and when we had a meeting with them in the office, they brought us a ton of yummy chocolate chip cookies!

Naturally, I had to try one... duh. As soon as that delectible cookie hit my taste buds, I knew I had to find the recipe STAT. After doing some research, this is the recipe that I've found on several sites. Apparently it use to be on the Top Secret Recipes web site, which is now charging a small fee for it.

So, here ya go! I can't wait to test it out too, and be another one of the thousand people who say it's spot on the money!


{ DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies }

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Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet, chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts


Instructions

1) Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine.

2) Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3) Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth.

4) Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.

** For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies. **

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon rounded 1/4 cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake for 16 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle.

** They may look underdone, but this is normal and the secret to perfectly soft bakery-style cookies. They will continue baking on the sheet after you take them out of the oven. **

6) Remove from the baking sheet after they cool for 4-5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!


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Is anyone else in love with DoubleTree cookies too?! Can't wait to get baking!


Bon Appetit!





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PS - In case you missed the Mingle Monday blog hop yesterday, go check it out! Get your blog some exposure and find some other great blogs!

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Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Sunday, Y'all!
I hope you're having a relaxing weekend so far, I know I am! We've cooked out delicious burgers and brats, have football going on the big screen, and I have one sleepy/handsome man beside me on the couch. Great fall day if you ask me!

I love spending time over at BF's house. He has 3 wonderful friends who live with him that we both adore - they bring a lot of joy into my life! As per the usual, I've already received baked goods requests within the first hour of being here {silly boys!}, and one of the top requested is my new Toasted Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

I came up with this recipe a few weeks ago using a few of my go to cookie dough recipes as the base. Adam is the biggest coconut lover, so I thought it would be fun to throw in a nice twist on a great American classic... the chocolate chip cookie.

I loved the way this recipe turned out on the first try - definitely a keeper! The cookies have soft, chewy centers with perfectly browned edges. The toasted coconut added a nice texture and a subtle nutty flavor. And of course, melty chocolate chips were the perfect way to top off a delicious cookie.

This recipe has not only been approved, but thumbs'd up by 4 hungry boys, countless co-workers, and my cookie-loving brother. Try it out, you won't be disappointed!


{ Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies }





Ingredients:

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or I love using chocolate chunks!)
2 cups toasted sweetened coconut


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Directions:


1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Measure 2 cups of sweetened, flaked coconut and spread it evenly on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove baking sheet and stir coconut halfway through to ensure consistently toasted coconut.

When you remove from the oven after the 5 minutes is up, coconut should be a nice golden honey brown color.

3) In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until fluffy and blended.

4) Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

5) Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture.

6) Mix in chocolate chips and toasted coconut by hand. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

7) Bake for 8 minutes - cookies may look undercooked, but they are done. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.


Bon Appetit!








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Holy Cake Heaven!

Warning: if you are hungry or hate delicious cake, stop reading ASAP.
This cake recipe will completely blow your mind... and your diet. Which is my soul motivator for my lunch date with the eliptical machine today.

So my little broski, Kelly, has been in town since Sunday and I've enjoyed every ounce of time spent with him.

Well, last night was our usual Monday "family dinner". Like every Monday evening, BF, a handful of our best friends, and I meet at BF's house for an amazing dinner. Each week one person makes the main dish and everyone else brings a side.


{ Kelly and I in Hawaii on our family trip }

{ Sibling surfing lessons! }

By far one of the highlights of my week. Well last night BF made his famous AMAZING turkey chili, so Kell and I decided to take on a dessert. After our sibling brainstorm sesh, we went to one of my favorite go to experts... Pioneer Woman!

Now, if you haven't visited her amazing site, you are missing out. I have tried so many of her recipes and not one has been less than incredible. Not to mention her step by step food photos are amazing and oh-so-helpful!

Anyway, we tried her decadent Strawberry Shortcake Cake last night and it was complete and utter sprintime heaven. Dense layers of strawberry infused moisture-rich shortcake, topped with creamy creamcheese frosting pallooza.

Have a special birthday or holiday coming up? Bake this sucker and wait to here to Mmmmm's and Oh la la's! So. stinking. good.

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Strawberry Shortcake Cake
{ Pioneer Woman }


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Ingredients

Cake
1 & 1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 whole Large Eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla


Icing

1/2 pound cream Cheese, room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 & 1/2 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound strawberries

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Preparation Instructions


IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.


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Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!

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Looks amazing right?!
Well it is. I know the recipe looks long, but I promise it is super easy, especially with the step by step picture how-to's!

This is the perfect springtime cake, and I highly recommend it. I wish I could have shown you the looks on our friends' faces last night... that alone would sell itself.

Kelly and I had a blast being creative together - he's such a fun brother! :) I'm planning to file this recipe away to break out on Easter!


{ Who else LOVES Pioneer Woman? What's your fave recipe? }


Bon Appetit!





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PS- Looking for new followers or fun new blogs? Don't forget that the Mingle Monday blog hop is open until Wednesday at midnight.
Stop by and get your blog some exposure!
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World's Best Cookie Recipe

That's right... world's best!
If you haven't visited Brown Eyed Baker, it's one of my very favorite tried-and-true baking blogs. This girl is ambitious (check out her "My 100" list of goodies to be baked), inspirational, and a darn good baker!

So naturally I clicked over to Brown Eyed Baker when I had quite the little baking conundrum last week. I was trying to figure out what goodie to bring to our weekly gathering of dinner friends, which is lovingly referred to as Family Dinner Monday, and I knew she would have some great options.

It didn't take long to search through her amazing recipe archives before I found the glorious Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Holy sugar, this one's definitely a keeper!



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Thy were SO easy to whip up and made a little over a baker's dozen. I wish you could have seen how quickly they were gobbled up... as soon as I set the piled high cookie plate down on the table, everyone was licking gooey melted chocolate off their fingers!

The perfect cookie, fo' sho'...

Browned edges, chewy middles, creamy peanut butter, and melty chocolate chips.
Whether you are trying to find a recipe to bring to your next barbecue or cookie swap, this one is for you! Every single time I make it I have dozens of people begging for the recipe... it's that yummy!

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{ Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies }

via: Brown Eyed Baker

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Makes about 16 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden (don't ever bake - that's the trick!). Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and move to wire racks to cool completely. After cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

{via}

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.:: Thanks for the inspiration, Brown Eyed Baker! ::.

Bon Appetit!

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