It's the most wonderful time of the year and nothing says Christmas quite like homemade pies, cookies and cakes. We dipped into our extensive recipe archives from Louisville restaurants and pulled out some of our favorite dishes to hopefully inspire you to do a little baking this holiday season.
So get ready to make your Christmas merry, bright and delicious with these six decadant dessert recipes.Happy baking!
Pumpkin Pie
Courtesy ofAnnie May's Sweet Cafe,3110 Frankfort Ave.
Serves: Your favorite 9-inch unbaked gluten-free pie crust (if using 6-inch gluten-free crusts, this recipe will make two pies).
- 16 ounces pumpkin (canned is fine, if gluten-free)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 1 ½ cups rice milk or non-dairy alternative milk of your choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, except the rice milk. Whisk until eggs are completely incorporated. Slowly add rice milk, while whisking, until all rice milk is blended into pie mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared, unbaked crust. Brush crust edges with rice milk.Bake 45 minutes.
Dutch Apple Pie and Caramel
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes + 3 hours for caramel
Courtesy ofThe Bakery at Sullivan University,3100 Bardstown Road.
Serves 8
Dough:
- 1/2 cup pastry flour
- 1 1/4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dry milk
- 6 tablespoons margarine
- 2 1/4 tablespoons water, chilled
In a medium bowl, combine pastry flour, sugar, salt and dry milk together. Sift dry ingredients twice. Slice margarine and mix into dry ingredients. Pour in majority of the chilled water and mix until dough is formed. Add remaining water if required. Wrap dough and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling:
- 1-14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
- 5 granny smith apples, sliced and peeled
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 1/4 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
In a deep medium saucepan, fill with water and bring to boil over high heat. Remove label from unopened sweetened condensed milk can and submerge in water for 30 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, butter and salt. Add 3/4 of caramel to mixture. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Remove dough from refrigerator. Sprinkle both sides with flour. Cover with plastic and roll into 10- to 11-inch circles. Remove plastic and place dough in 9-inch pie pan, pressing down on edges. Trim ends if necessary. Pour apple mixture into pie shell. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove from ovenand top with remaining caramel.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Courtesy of Pastry Chef Kimberly Beam at 8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen,350 W. Chestnut St.
Serves:Makes 1 10-inch cheesecake
Crust
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 2 ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 ¼ cups steel cut oats
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with a layer of parchment paper. Spread the crust mixture in an even layer in the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Cheesecake
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork. Bake until completely tender, about 50 minutes. Cool completely, then peel. Using a food processor or blender, purée the potatoes.
Decrease oven temperature to 300 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix until combined.Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add spices, cornstarch, cream and sweet potato purée. Mix until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared crust. Place pan in a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it is halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. This will help the custard bake evenly and without curdling the eggs.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes. The edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. Refrigerate at least three hours before serving.
Amaretti cookies
Courtesy of Gina Stipo, At the Italian Table, 2359 Frankfort Ave., andEcco La Cucina
Serves:Makes one dozen cookies
These gluten-free cookies are rich, delicious and simple to make.They can be served alone or on the side of ice cream or a mousse.
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cupalmond flour
- Dash ofcream of tartar
Beat the egg whites witha dash of cream of tartar added until stiff peaks form.Egg whites whip higher when at room temperature.Continue to beat while you gradually add the sugar in a steady stream.Add the almond extract and fold in the almond flour, one half-cup at a time.
Refrigerate one hour.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; roll the dough into even 1-inchballs and toss with granulated sugar, placing on baking sheet 2 inchesapart.Bake at 350 until lightly browned, about nine minutes.
Can be dipped in dark chocolate or served as is.
Triple Chocolate Pâté
Courtesy of Porcini, 2730 Frankfort Ave.
Serves approximately 8, depending on size of slice
Dark chocolate ganache
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
- 1 pound milk chocolate
- 3 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 3 ounces heavy whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1 ounceAmaretto Di Saronno
White chocolate ganache
- 1 pound white chocolate, chopped finely
- 3 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1 ounceAmaretto Di Saronno
Milk chocolate ganache
- 1 pound milk chocolate, chopped finely
- 3 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1 ounce Amaretto Di Saronno
For each ganache, heat the cream to scalding. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. Stir in butter and Amaretto. Pour into the dark chocolate ganache into a mold, lined with plastic wrap for easy removal. Freeze the mold for at least five minutes, allowing the chocolate to fully set and firm. Pour the white chocolate ganache on top of the dark chocolate ganache. Freeze for at least five minutes. Top with the milk chocolate ganache. Refrigerate overnight.
To serve:Remove from the refrigerator one hour before serving. Invert mold onto a cutting board. Remove plastic wrap. Slice layered pâté to desired thickness.
*A standard terrine mold is about 8 inches long by about 3 inches wide and about ½to 3 inches tall. You can also build the pâté in any loaf-size pan.
Serving suggestion:Serve with crème Anglaise and biscotti.
Chocolate Guinness Cake
Courtesy of The Irish Rover,2319 Frankfort Ave.
Serves 12
Guinness cake is a rich, moist cake, usually served warm with whipped cream. At The Irish Rover, it's topped with a chocolate mousse and servedchilled.
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- 11 ounces butter
- 6 eggs
- 1/3 cup Guinness
- cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt together the chocolate and butter. Let cool. Beat eggs, one at a time, into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add Guinness and blend. Pour mixture into a springform pan dusted with cocoa powder.
Bake for 45 minutes to one hour.
The cake may be served warm with whipped cream or ice cream, or, after cooling, can be topped with chocolate mousse or ganache and served chilled.
