Crack on a Cracker

Active: 15 minutes; Total: 30 minutes plus 6 hours refrigeration; Serves: 8

Saltine crackers, crushed	3 cups
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons
Butter, unsalted; room temperature, cubed	½ cup
Cream cheese, whipped, room temperature	12 ounces
Peanut butter, creamy	1 cup
Honey, warmed to liquid state but not hot to touch	½ cup
Cream, heavy whipping	1 cup
Sugar, powdered	2 tablespoons

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the crackers and sugar. 
3. Add the butter; knead with your hands until the mixture holds together. 
4. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan; chill 15 minutes. 
5. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. 
6. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, honey, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
7. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until thick and light; add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. 
8. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. 
9. Pour into the pie shell, and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours. 

Note: I’m still deciding if a peanut butter-honey drizzle is needed… Stay tuned!

This is what my brother and I called the gooey mixture of peanut butter and honey that we spread on saltine crackers. Our parents taught us the recipe but we perfected the peanut butter to honey ratio. This pie is my attempt to create the flavor but in a funner form. In a chat with my aunt, it seems the recipe came by way of my mother's side. My grandfather kept bees, and they grew peanuts. Thus the perfect combination was formed.

First attempt: The filling is perfect, but the crust needs more butter, like 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Lemon pistachio cake with mascarpone frosting

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 8

Pistachios, roasted, shelled	¾ cup
Lemon zest	2 lemons
Flour, cake	1 ½ cups
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda	¼ teaspoon
Sour cream	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Milk, whole	1/3 cup
Butter, unsalted, softened	½ cup
Sugar	1 cup
Salt, kosher	¾ teaspoon
Eggs	3 large
Frosting
Mascarpone, softened	¾ cup
Sugar, powdered	¾ cup
Cream, heavy	1 tablespoon
Lemon zest	1 teaspoon
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	1/8 teaspoon

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
2. Line the bottom of a buttered 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, then butter the paper. 
3. Place the pistachios and zest into a food processor bowl; pulse until finely ground (but not buttered). 
4. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. 
5. Whisk together the sour cream, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl; set aside. 
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt, about 3 minutes. 
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. 
8. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients (in three additions) and the wet ingredients (in two additions), starting and ending with the dry. 
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. 
10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
11. Cool 10 minutes. 
12. Carefully remove the cake from the pan, peel off and discard the paper, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
13. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl. 
14. Mix until just smooth, being careful not to overman. 
15. Frost the cake, then sprinkle on extra crushed pistachios. 

Recipe from the Costco Connection magazine.

Pistachio cookies

Active: 10 minutes; Total 30 minutes; Cookies: 16

Pistachios, toasted, unsalted	2 cups (280 grams)
Sugar, granulated	1 cup (200 grams)
Sugar, confectioners’	3/4 cup (75 grams)
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Cardamom, ground	¼ teaspoon
Egg whites	2 large
Vanilla extract	1 tablespoon

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F; set two oven racks at the upper and lower middle positions; line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment, combine the pistachios, sugars, salt, and cardamom; process until the nuts are the texture of fine sand, about 60 to 90 seconds. 
3. Transfer to a large bowl, add the egg whites and vanilla, and mix with a rubber spatula until a thick, paste-like dough forms. 
4. Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out the dough and roll into balls. 
5. Place the dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (eight per a sheet). 
6. Bake, swapping and rotating the top and the bottom sheets midway, for 12 to 14 minutes. (Don’t over bake!) 
7. Let the cookies cool completely. 

Recipe from Cookies, by Jesse Szewczyk.

Blackberry tart with coconut cream

Shortbread

Butter, unsalted, softened	¾ cup
Sugar, powdered	½ cup
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon
Flour	1 ½ cups

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. 
2. Lightly grease a shortbread pan. 
3. Cream the butter until light. 
4. Beat in the sugar, then vanilla. 
5. Gradually work in the flour. 
6. Knead dough in the bowl until smooth. 
7. Firmly press the dough into the pan. 
8. Prick the surface with a fork, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. 
9. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 
10. Loosen the edges with a pastry knife, and invert onto a cutting board. 
11. Cut into serving pieces while still warm.

Reesie's squares

Butter, melted	1 cup
Graham cracker crumbs	1 ½ cups
Powdered sugar	16 ounces
Peanut butter	1 cup
Shortening	2 tablespoons
Chocolate chips, semi-sweet	12 ounces

1. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, crackers, sugar, and peanut butter; mix well.
2. Press into 9x13-inch (smaller pan for thicker portions).
3. In a saucepan or double boiler over low heat, mix chocolate and shortening, stirring constantly.
4. Pour melted chocolate mixture evenly over the peanut butter mixture.
5. Cool completely; cut into squares, and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Tammy, neighbor extraordinaire to my aunt Kay.