RECIPE: S'MORES SKILLET PIE

National S’mores Day! It is the perfect day to make this recipe which has all the components of backyard s’mores complete with homemade graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. If you want to make this recipe faster- just use store bought graham crackers— but let me assure you that these graham crackers are worth the work and you might want to ;make them on their own.

SKILLET S’MORES PIE

For the homemade graham crackers:

2 cups whole wheat flour plus more for dusting (not stoneground or white whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons butter -softened

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tablespoons whole milk

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 For the pie:  

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg (room temperature)

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/3 cups milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

2 full-sheets homemade graham crackers

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar together.

Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until incorporated and a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.

Add the milk, honey and vanilla extract. The dough should be sticky and soft.

Divide the dough in two discs and wrap both in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

To roll and bake the dough:

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and place one ball of dough in the center.

Pat into a 5-by-6-inch rectangle, sprinkle with flour, flip, and dust again, Working from the center out and adding more flour as needed, roll the dough until roughly 15-by-11 inches and very thin.

Slide onto am aluminum baking sheet and brush away excess flour. Repeat with remaining dough.

For grocery store look-alike, score each sheet of dough into twelve 2 1/4-by-4 3/4-inch rectangles and dock with a bamboo skewer or the narrow end of a chopstick. Otherwise leave the dough uncut.

Bake until crackers and firm and darkened, about 10-12 minutes. Immediately cut along the prescored lines with a knife or cut into free-form shapes using a pizza wheel. Cool to room temperature directly on the baking sheets.

In an 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

Remove from heat and allow the skillet to cool for 5 minutes.

Add in the vanilla and egg. Mix until combined. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Smooth around the skillet making the center higher than the edges.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and crumble the graham cracker sheets into crumbs and place on top. Add the reserved 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Press the miniature marshmallows into the cookie. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cooked through and golden around the edges (it should still be soft and slightly under-baked in the center).

Remove and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and loosen the pie from the skillet. Remove to a platter or cake plate. Slice and serve warm.

RECIPE: EASY NO KNEAD HOMEMADE BREAD A LA JACQUES PEPIN

Everyone learned to bake bread during the pandemic—- except me. The main reason I did not is because I will typically make biscuits, cornbread, or yeast rolls if I want to make a bread so I just never got into it. That is, until I saw Jacques Pepin make it on social media… then I just had to try it.

This is Jacques’ No-Knead Bread recipe— with a slight change. I wrote the recipe while he was talking viewers through it in a video… the first time I made it, I followed his ingredients and instructions to the letter. The second time- and since then, I dissolved a teaspoon of honey in the water before adding it to the flour. I think it adds a nice, subtle flavor and gives the yeast a friend to play with.

I am absolutely addicted to this bread and the people I have gifted with it call it “that bread” as in - “when can we get some more of that bread?” I think you will like it and it is super easy. I might allow the dough to rise overnight in the fridge as Jacques often does but more often, I’ll bake it during the day so I’ll have leftovers to toast for breakfast.

Note- it has a beautifully crunchy top. If you wrap it (even hours later) with plastic wrap, the top will lose its crunch.

JACQUES PEPIN NO-KNEAD BREAD

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS:

In a glass bowl add flour, salt, and yeast. Whisk together to combine.

Add honey to warm water and stir to dissolve. Add to the flour mixture, combining with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for 2 hours in a warm spot in your kitchen.

After 2 hours, the dough will have doubled and have some bubbles on the top. Use a spoon to punch down the dough.  

Oil bottom, top, and sides of a 4-quart oven proof pan with a lid. (or you can line it with a piece of parchment paper- which is what I did)

Add the dough to the pan. Cover and allow to proof for 3 more hours at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator).

Preheat oven to 425 F˚ degrees.

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for 30 minutes with the lid off.

Notes: Chef let his rest in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting. I did not as I wanted a hot slice right out of the oven. Also, this dough does not rise a lot and perhaps is not as beautiful as those domed sourdough loaves we all have seen on social media- it’s more like a peasant bread but it is so very good.

RECIPE: DARK CHERRY CLAFOUTIS (Fluffy french dessert)

Clafoutis (pronounced kla fou TEE) is a rustic dessert, traditionally made with black cherries, eggs, milk, sugar, and flour. Clafoutis is French, but don't be intimidated. It's simple and rustic, but can be very elegant. I've made it for a dinner party and also when camping! The batter puffs up around the fruit and the edges get browned and a little crusty; it's delicious. It rises and puffs up as it bakes; much like a Dutch Baby, if you are familiar with that. The taste is a bit like a custard but it isn't as creamy. Clafoutis, served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of heavy cream is one of my very favorite desserts... and once you taste it, you'll add it into your regular dessert rotation. Serve it in the skillet for an impressive presentation. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can also bake this dessert in a buttered baking dish but youneed to watch it carefully if you do because the timing may be different.

You can also make Clafoutis with different fruit. I like it with pears or apples, too.

DARK CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 eggs

6 tablespoons sugar

1 ¼ cup milk

Pinch salt

¾ cups of all-purpose flour

3 cups pitted cherries (don't get the canned cherries in heavy syrup. Use the 24.7 ozbottle of Dark Morello Cherries in light syrup, if you can find them. Drain them well. Or you can use fresh*)

Confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a large cast iron skillet or baking dish.

Combine vanilla, eggs, sugar, milk, and salt in a food processor or blender. Blend for a few seconds until combined and then add the flour and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. (if you don't have a blender, you can just whisk until well combined, the sugar is dissolved, and batter is smooth. Whip it really well.)

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Cover the top evenly with the well-drained cherries. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Don't be tempted to open the oven during baking or the Clafoutis may fall. Serve warm. Dust the top with powdered sugar or serve with a drizzle of heavy cream.

NOTE: When using fresh fruit, put the butter in the skillet and let it melt. Once it has, add about a pound of  fresh, pitted Bing cherries to the butter and let them cook to soften for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and stir until the juice thickens into a syrup. Pour the batter over the fruit and bake as directed above.