Category: Dessert

Lee’s apple pie

Natalie Hanson

A Nissen-Hanson Thanksgiving tradition.

From Lee: “I”m deeply honored to share the apple pie recipe with you, especially because your mom’s apple tarts are such things of beauty and elegance. But there is a certain rustic appeal to a huge pie piled with apples (Don seems to think so anyway).

“I assume you will use the usual pate brise for the crust. I actually always use Julia Child’s recipe … The apple choice is personal. Macintoshes make the pie soft and somewhat creamy, Winesaps make it crisper and tarter. And a mix of various kinds gives a different feel. Use your imagination and go for whatever turns you on. I always try to cram at least 12 apples in the piece to make it really tall, so go for broke.”

12 apples
3/4 cups each if brown and white sugar
A ton of cinnamon – about a 1/4 cup
A pinch of salt

Unsalted butter

  • Mix the peeled, cored, and sliced apples with both brown and white sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Pile the annointed apples in the bottom crust of a nine-inch pan, and dot liberally with butter. Thanksgiving is no time to be worrying about calories!
  • Top with the second crust and cut several vents in the top and sides (very important). I usually use this opportunity to get creative with aspic cutters in the shape of leaves, etc.
  • The pie starts out in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then 350 for 20 minutes, and 250 degrees. Or 450, 400, 350. If you have a convection oven, use that option at 50-degree lower temps for a more evenly browned crust.
  • Make sure you put a large cookie sheet under the pie pan to catch the drips. This pie is an oven destroyer!
  • Unlike your mom, I don’t use an egg wash on my pies, but feel free to do so if you wish. That’s about it.
  • It’s really a matter of experiment to get the desired end. I’m sure you’ll give it the Hanson twist, so let me know how it goes, I’m experimenting myself every year with different apples!

Lavender shortbread cookies

Natalie Hanson

From a bed and breakfast in Santa Fe.

1 cup of butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 cups of flour
1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
1/8 tsp salt

  • Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract.
  • Add flour; mix until dough is smooth.
  • Add salt and lavender to mixture.
  • Dough should be soft and not sticky!
  • Chill until firm.
  • Pre-heat oven to 325F degrees.
  • Place dough onto lightly floured baking sheet and press into pan.
  • Bake up to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  • If needed, place foil around edges of pan to avoid burning.
  • Place on cooling rack.
  • Cut into 1-2 inch rectangles while still slightly warm.

Josette’s famous rum balls

Natalie Hanson

A longstanding Christmas Day indulgence from Josette Carter.

1 cup of vanilla wafers
1 cup of powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1 cup of pecans, finely chopped
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp white corn syrup
1/4 cup bourbon (go slow on this)
2 Tbsp white corn syrup

  • Combine wafers, sugar, pecan, and cocoa in the food processor.
  • Gradually blend in the corn syrup and bourbon.
  • Form into balls, and roll in powdered sugar.

Waffle cones

Natalie Hanson

From My Paleo Patisserie, by Jenni Hulet. Yields about 10 small pizzelle-sized cones.

2 Tbsp palm shortening or ghee
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup (50 g) firmly packed maple sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 g) almond flour
3 Tbsp arrowroot flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

  • Preheat a pizzelle or waffle cone maker.
  • Melt the shortening in a small saucepan and allow to cool slightly.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the whole egg, egg white, sugar, vanilla, and melted shortening until smooth.
  • Add the flours and salt and whisk until smooth again.
  • Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes.
  • Scoop 1 tablespoon of the batter onto the center of the pizzelle / waffle cone maker. Close the lid and cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until the cookie is done.
  • Place the cookie on the countertop and immediately shape it into a cone with a cone roller or by hand. Hold the cone on the roller until it feels like it will hold its shape. It will set quickly as it cools. If it doesn’t crisp up once cooled, then you know it needs to cook longer. If your machine browns the cookie more on one side than the other, flip the cookie halfway through the cooking time for more even browning.
  • The cones are best eaten the day they are made.

Flavor variations:

  • Hazelnut. Replace the almond flour with an equal amount of hazelnut flour.
  • Chocolate. Use just 1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Rosemary shortbread

Natalie Hanson

From The 4-Phase Histamine Reset Plan, by Dr. Becky Campbell.

1/3 cup (48 g) maple sugar
1 tsp preservative-free vanilla
3/4 cup (92 g) cassava flour; I prefer Otto’s because it’s the only unfermented brand
1 tsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup (115 g) cold salted grass-fed butter, cut into chunks

  • Preheat the oven to 325F (163C). Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round pie pan. I occasionally make a double-batch on cookie sheet, instead.
  • Place the sugar, vanilla, flour, rosemary, and butter into a food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds, or just until everything is combined.
  • Remove the dough from the processor and form it into a ball, making sure everything is sticking together well and that it is not flaky.
  • Place the dough into the prepared pie pan and press it into a thin layer.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until the shortbread is golden on the edges.
  • Let the shortbread cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

A batch of these cookies is 137 grams of carbohydrates, a double batch is 274 grams. I divide the cookie sheet into ~36 cookies, which are about 8 grams of carbs per cookie.

Lemon-ginger energy balls

Natalie Hanson

From The Healing Kitchen, by Alaena Haber and Sarah Ballantyne.

2 ounces crunchy apple chips (about 1 cup)
1 cup of dried Turkish figs
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp of ginger powder

  • Place all the ingredients in a food process or high powered blender and blend until all the pieces are of a small, consistent size, and they cling together with the coconut oil.
  • Form 8-10 compact balls (I use a tablespoon for consistently-sized scoops) and roll between your palms until rounded and firm.
  • Enjoy immediately or chill in the refrigerator before serving to set the coconut oil.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Natalie Hanson

1/2 cup of butter or Crisco

Add and cream well

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

Combine and beat until smooth

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp of milk

Sift together and add to the above

1 cup of sifted all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder

When beaten smooth, add

1 cup of rolled oats or wheat flakes

1/2 cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup of raisins or 1 tsp of grated orange rind or 1 can of flaked coconut

Put them 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet, at 325F for 10 minutes.

Lemon blueberry cupcakes

Natalie Hanson

Recipe by Mary Lapp.

3 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut

Zest of one lemon

1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  • Line 8 muffin cups with liners.
  • Place the unsweetened coconut in a food processor, and process for 5 minutes.
  • Let the food processor rest for 5 minutes, so it doesn’t overheat.
  • Scrape if necessary, and turn back on for 5 minutes, or until it is liquidy and you can hear it splash.
  • Add the zest, lemon juice, maple syrup and sea salt. Process until it comes together.
  • Add the baking soda, and process just until incorporated.
  • Divide batter into 8 muffin cups. Top with 1 Tbsp of frozen blueberries on each cupcake.
  • Bake for 25-27 minutes. You want them to be a little toasty.
  • Chill before you serve for best consistency – although they are really good any way!

Zucchini cupcakes

Natalie Hanson

Makes 14 to 16 muffins.

1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
2 large eggs
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 cups firmly packed grated zucchini
Optional: 1/2 cup of raisins

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and walnuts, and whisk to blend.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and oil for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
  • Add the zucchini and beat just until smooth.
  • Add the dry ingredients (and raisins) until completely moistened.
  • Put into muffin tins (3/4 full) and bake 20-25 minutes.
  • Cool briefly in the plan before unmolding.

Chewy Noels

Natalie Hanson

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 eggs

Beat slightly

1 tsp of vanilla

Mix, and add:

1 cup of dark brown sugar

5 Tbsp of flour

1/8 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of salt

1 cup of nut meats

Mix well and pour into pan with melted butter. Bake until firm. Turn onto waxed paper and dust lightly with powdered sugar.