Author: helenspencerpantazis

Peach Pie

A little bit fussy, Pie
Nothing tastes like summer more than peach pie. I did a cost-benefit analysis to determine if turning the oven on when it’s 99°F outside is worth the pie, and the pie won.

Double Pie Crust:

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 TBSP sugar
  • 1 stick cold butter (115g), cut into pieces
  • 1/3 cup lard (70g), cup into pieces
  • 1/3 cup ice water

Peach Filling:

  • 5 cups sliced fresh peaches
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 3 TBSP cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 1/2 tsp. almond extract
  • cinnamon sugar for top ( 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, stirred to combine)

Combine flour, salt and sugar in food processor. Add butter and lard and pulse until the butter pieces are no larger than peas. Add ice water and pulse until dough just comes together, about 5 times.

Divide dough in half. Form each half into a disc. Roll out each disc between two pieces of wax paper, peeling the paper and flipping the crust over to make rolling easier and uniform.

Line pie plate with bottom crust. Keep top crust between two pieces of wax paper and refrigerate both until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Dip peaches in boiling water for a few seconds. Peel and slice into bite-sized pieces. Combine peaches with sugars, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice and almond extract.

Pour peaches into prepared pie crust. Top with second crust (either in a lattice pattern or leave plain) and crimp edges. Cut slits in top crust if not using a lattice top.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 450°F for 20 minutes. Place foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch drips and reduce heat to 350°F. Bake for 45 minutes more until the filling is bubbling in the center of the pie. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

My Hero Bread

Bread, Unfussy

I keep making this bread – it’s essentially Jimmy John’s bread and I often hollow out the inside like they do before I build the sandwich for a better bread-to-filling ratio. Anytime I find a bread recipe that calls for making a starter hours before, I just use sourdough starter since it’s already percolating in the refrigerator.

  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 TBSP kosher salt
  • 1 TBSP sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp. yeast
  • 4 TBSP canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups water, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unfed sourdough starter

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low until a rough dough has formed, about 3 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Mix on low for another 7-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into quarters. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

Gently roll the dough into 4 uniform loaves, about 14″ long (or the length of the baking sheet). Place 2 loaves on each baking sheet about 6″ apart. Spray or brush the loaves with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Bake for 30 minutes until light golden brown. Enjoy within 24 hours, or freeze until ready to use for best results.

Iced Lemon Cookies

Cookies, Unfussy
This is my mom’s old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe gussied up with lemon zest and tart lemon icing. It’s just what the doctor ordered.

Cookies:

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • Zest from 2 lemons
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 TBSP milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • sugar for topping

Icing:

  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 TBSP butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Scoop or roll dough into balls about the size of golf balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet and press down with a glass until the cookie is 1/2″ thick.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just starting to brown on the edges.

Let cool completely before icing.

Stir together lemon juice, soft butter and powdered sugar until thick and spreadable. Thin with additional lemon juice, or thicken with additional powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is thin enough to spread without dripping off the cookies.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies

Cookies, Unfussy
This is a great cookie jar cookie that can be enjoyed literally any time of day. I recommend a cookie for breakfast, a cookie for lunch and then a sensible dinner- it’s really working for me. A little coconut oil makes the texture perfect and they stay that way for days.
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Cream butter, coconut oil, sugar and brown sugar together until very light and uniform in color, scraping bowl when necessary. Add peanut butter and mix to combine.

Add eggs, one at a time, and beat to blend well, then vanilla, scraping bowl as needed.

Add flour and baking soda and mix until well blended.

Finally, add oats, coconut and peanuts and stir to combine well.

Scoop or shape into balls (whatever size you like- I like golf-ball size at the very least) and place on prepared baking sheets. Press down with a fork in a criss-cross pattern so they are about 1/2″ thick.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes (or longer, depending on the size), until just starting to brown on the edges. Let cool before removing from cookie sheet.

Oatmeal Goji Berry Muffins

Muffins, Unfussy

I usually don’t stress too much about antioxidants, but I thought these goji berries looked intriguing so I mixed them up in some oatmeal muffins. Each time I eat one it adds a year to my life. Pretty sure that’s how it works.

  • 1 cup goji berries
  • boiling water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 TBSP baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup oil or melted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 TBSP turbinado or other coarse sugar

Measure goji berries in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Pour boiling water over the berries until just covered. Let sit until the berries have softened and cooled to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line 12 regular or 6 large muffin cups with paper or grease each with butter.

Stir together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Drain goji berries, reserving liquid in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup – you should have about a 1/2 cup.

Combine reserved liquid with enough milk to equal 1 cup.

Beat together milk and reserved goji liquid, eggs, oil or butter and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and gently stir, until just moistened. Add goji berries and fold until there are no flour patches remaining.

Divide batter among the muffin cups, filling each 3/4-full. Top each muffin generously with turbinado sugar.

Bake regular sized muffins for 20 minutes, large muffins for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from muffin tin.