The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (132 page)

3)
     
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4)
     
Unfold puff pastry sheets and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Roll out slightly on a well-floured surface into a trim square. Cut each square into 4 smaller squares or 6 smaller squares if you desire smaller pastries. Spoon apple mixture into the center of each square. Fold over from the corner to corner into a triangle shape and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.

5)
     
Bake for about 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven until turnovers are puffed and browned. Cool completely before glazing.

6)
     
To make the glaze: mix 1-cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 TBLS. milk and 1 TBLS. vanilla extract. Adjust the thickness by adding more milk or sugar if necessary.

Granny Winnie’s Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ok, so I will admit that I might have made a slight, sarcastic comment to my grandmother when we first met that she was not going to be the type of grandma to bake me cookies. After I had come back from my rescue mission in London, Granny Winnie surprised me with some pretty amazing cookies.

I had to sneak around to get this recipe because the old witch is clever about keeping this under wraps. Hopefully, she won’t be too mad when she sees that it’s in the book!

2-¼ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup of butter

1-cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. organic vanilla nut extract

2 large eggs

1 cup of chocolate chunk pieces

1-½ cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1)
      
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2)
     
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and eggs one at a time until incorporated. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chunks and chips.

3)
     
Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased baking sheets.

4)
     
Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for two minutes before placing them on wire racks to cool completely.

Oh my God, chocolate cookies and Andes candy? Holla!

Double Chocolate Andes Candy Cookies

2 ¼ cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1-cup sugar

1-cup brown sugar

1-cup butter or margarine

2 large eggs

½ cup good cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups chopped Andes Candy pieces

1 cup Nestle Tollhouse mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1)
      
Sift together flour, salt and baking soda; Set aside

2)
     
In a large bowl or mixer, cream together sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa powder. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in Andes candy and mini chocolate chips.

3)
     
On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop a heaping 1 TBLS. of cookie mixture.

4)
     
Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Take the baking sheet out and be sure to cool cookies on a wire rack.

Nectarine Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup of butter, softened

2 cups of sugar

6 large eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TBLS.
peach brandy

½ cup sour cream

4 cups peeled and diced nectarines, about 5 large

*Fresh lemon Glaze, recipe follows*

Directions:

1)
      
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch flute pan.

2)
     
Combine flour, baking soda and salt; Set aside

3)
     
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

4)
     
Beat eggs in one at a time. Stir in extracts and brandy.

5)
     
Gradually add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed.

6)
     
Fold in nectarines. Pour into prepared pan.

7)
     
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before inverting pan.

8)
     
Drizzle glaze over cake and add fresh nectarine slices for garnish if desired

9)
     
Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup milk, 2 TBLS. lemon juice. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Cecily’s Ultimate 3 Layer Chocolate Ganache Cake

Non-stick cooking spray

Vegetable shortening

½ cup (4oz.) semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

½ cup (4oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

½ cup butter, softened

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-¼ cups cake flour

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

½ cup buttermilk

1-cup boiling water

Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing * recipe follows*

Mocha- Chocolate Cream filling * recipe follows*

Garnish, dark chocolate curls

Directions:

1)
      
Coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of the pan with wax paper; grease wax paper with shortening and set aside

2)
     
Melt chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth

3)
     
Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.

4)
     
Stir together cake flour, and next three ingredients; add to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in one cup of boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

5)
     
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for ten minutes and remove from pans to cool completely.

6)
     
Place one layer on a serving plate and spread top with 4 TBLS. of Coffee Liqueur Ganache icing and half of the Mocha-Chocolate Cream filling. Repeat with the second layer. Top last layer with remaining icing and garnish with chocolate curls.

Coffee Liqueur Icing

3 squares (3oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped

1 ¼ cup whipping cream

1 TBLS.
butter

2 TBLS.
Coffee Liqueur

Directions

1)
      
Place the chocolate in a large bowl.

2)
     
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until cream just begins to boil. Pour over chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let mixture stand for 45 minutes or until spreadable consistency.

Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling

5 TBLS.
all-purpose flour

2 TBLS.
unsweetened cocoa

2 TBLS.
instant coffee granules

1-cup half-half

1-cup butter, softened

1-cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1)
      
Whisk together first four ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, constantly whisking  for five minutes or until mixture is thickened. Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto surface and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.

2)
     
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1TBLS. at a time until just blended after each addition. Add the vanilla, beating until mixture is the consistency of whipped cream.

So when I mentioned to my fairy grandmother that I was writing a cookbook, she gave me her recipe for tea cakes.