Welcome to My Kitchen: Paula Deen sets up some recipes for delicious desserts

One of my Christmas presents this year was a copy of “Paula Deen’s Special Collector’s Series” Best Desserts magazine. I confess I am a regular subscriber to the monthly Paula Deen magazine but I try hard to refrain from yielding to the temptation to purchase the Special Collectors issues appearing on magazine racks in the grocery stores.

Best Desserts sort of got lost under those infamous piles of recipes that lie on my kitchen counter so when I uncovered it recently, I yielded to the temptation to start testing. Since Spicer favors pies, the first recipe that we tested was for a Butterscotch Blondie Pie. This is a very easy recipe and I had the ingredients in the pantry and in the freezer to make this right away.

The second recipe I chose, Almond Crusted Butter Cake, was another success story. And I was pleasantly surprised the almonds did indeed stay on the sides of the pan and added interest to the texture. Whether you serve this with a cup of coffee or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is sure to become a favorite.

Chunky Pecan Bars are absolutely wonderful. Paula’s recipe calls for cutting these into just 24 bars but they’re so rich I’d advise 48 squares. You won’t even need to get out your electric mixer to stir these up. The recipe also includes Paula’s hint for baking and freezing these in advance. Don’t miss this treat.

Butterscotch Blondie Pie
1/2 (15-ounce) package of refrigerated piecrusts
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup butterscotch-flavored morsels
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in a shallow pan and toast in the oven for 8 minutes; set aside to cool then chop. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crust. Roll pastry into a 12-inch circle. Press pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping edges if desired. In a medium bowl, beat together sugars and flour just to mix then beat in melted butter, corn syrups and eggs until mixture is smooth. Stir in butterscotch morsels and pecans. Spoon mixture into prepared piecrust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. Cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Almond-Crusted Butter Cake
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (divided usage)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond or coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups cake flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 3 tablespoons of the softened butter over the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle sides of pan with slivered almonds and set aside. In a large bowl, beat remaining 1 1/2 cups butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating quickly after each addition. Beat in extracts and salt. Gradually beat in flour until combined. (You want this well mixed but not overly beaten.) Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Chunky Pecan Bars
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup salted butter
3 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl combine flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, syrup, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chunks and pecans. Pour over hot crust. Continue baking for 25 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before cutting into bars. Cool completely before serving and store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator.

Paula’s Note: For easy freezing, line baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) before baking so that it hangs over sides of pan. After baking and cooling, use foil to remove bars from pan. Do not cut. Wrap bars completely in foil and heavy-duty plastic wrap. Freeze for up to one month. Thaw and cut bars before serving.