PEACH CRISP FOR TWO

This is a perfect amount of dessert for just two people. It is quick, easy and tastes divine over a scoop of ice cream!!

2 medium sized peaches, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon flour
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (see note below)
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix the above ingredients gently, until peaches are well covered, then divide evenly into 2 small (greased) baking dishes and set aside.

In another small bowl, mix:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons oats
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter (or coconut oil)

Using a fork, mix the above ingredients until they are sort of clumpy, for lack of a better description (the butter pieces should be about the size of a small pea). Crumble lightly over the peaches.

Bake in preheated 375° oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Serve over ice cream or let it cool a little and top it with whipped cream.

NOTE: increase cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon if you like a strong cinnamon flavor.

ENJOY !!!

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FOUR INGREDIENT PORK DINNER

It doesn't get any easier than this one folks. Four ingredients thrown into a Crockpot and six hours later, dinner is ready.

2 to 3 pound boneless pork loin (see note below)
1  16 ounce bottle of your favorite flavored barbecue sauce
8  ounce can crushed pineapple (juice and all)
1/2  teaspoon liquid smoke

Stir the barbecue sauce, undrained pineapple and liquid smoke together and pour it over the raw pork loin (in the Crockpot).

Cook on LOW for five to six hours (I cook it for 6 hours). Turning the meat over once or twice during that time.

Just before you are ready to eat. Remove the meat and thicken the sauce (I use a cornstarch slurry), then put the pork back in the sauce to keep it hot till it's time to eat.

This sauce is absolutely delicious. Even my picky-picky husband gave it a thumbs up (twice!!) and it could NOT be easier.

NOTE: I'm sure this would work with a pork tenderloin, but I haven't tried it so I can't recommend a cooking time.

ENJOY !!!

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SUPER EASY PUFF PASTRY DESSERT

This recipe produces a light, flaky and delicious pastry. There are several steps to this, but they are ALL EASY to do and I've included lots of extra photos to (hopefully) convince you to try it.  It really IS tasty and impressive to serve !!

Bottom Layer

1/2  cup of COLD butter cut into cubes
1    cup all purpose flour
1/4  cup COLD water

If you've ever made a pie crust, this step will be a cinch. Using a pastry cutter, cut the COLD butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and you can see small pieces of butter in the flour, like this:

Add the cold water and work it into the flour-butter mixture with a spoon or fork (your hands are too warm for this step). The mixture will all come together, but it will not be smooth. It should look like this:

Divide dough in half and roll into two log shapes. Transfer the logs to a parchment lined cookie sheet, then pat-roll them into 10" x 3" rectangles (I trim mine to the right shape). Make sure you leave plenty of room between these rectangles, since they puff a little while baking. They should look like this:

SECOND LAYER

This second layer will be spread on top of the unbaked rectangles:

1 cup water
1/2  cup butter
1    cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3  large eggs (room temperature)
1  teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium size saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil. Stir until the butter is melted. Add the flour and salt (all at once) and immediately stir like crazy. The mixture will almost instantly thicken and will leave the sides of the pan in a lump. The first time I did this step, I was SURE I had ruined it, but never fear, this is what it is SUPPOSED to do. It will look like this:

Put the HOT mixture into an electric mixer and beat on medium high for about a minute to cool it down a little.

Next, add the three eggs, one at a time, mixing well (on medium high) in between each egg. When you first put the egg in, it will make the dough look sort of "slimy", never fear, that is what is supposed to look like.  Beat it a little longer and the "slime" will disappear (repeat with the other two eggs, mixing in the vanilla with the last egg).  After you beat in all 3 eggs, it will look like this:

Divide the dough in half and using DAMP fingers, press it onto the unbaked rectangles you made earlier. It will look like this:

Bake in a PRE-HEATED 350°F  oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until they are a deep golden color. My electric oven takes 55 minutes and looks like this after it is cooked:

Stir  2/3 cup of jam (your favorite flavor) until it is lump free and spread half of it onto each warm pastry, like this:

Drizzle frosting over jam. Frosting is made of 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + about 4 teaspoons of milk. Sprinkle with your favorite nuts.

I tried to get a good picture of the INSIDE of this pastry, but it is hard to see.  Trust me, it is light as air and flaky!!

NOTE: If you forget to take the eggs out of the fridge (so they can come to room temperature) just put them in a bowl of hot tap water for about 10 minutes.

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