I know we were promising you “experimental Thursday’s” where the Main Street Inn crew brought fun, unique, and classically twisted recipes directly to this blog for your convenience. The goal was to relinquish the worry of not having all the ingredients and just go with what you think is right, no strict recipe required.

Forget about all that for just one day.

I was given a chance to review an Italian dessert book called Grace’s Sweet Life before it hit the shelves. If you know anything about the Corrado family from which Pam the Innkeeper, Shena, and myself belong to (strongly accented, off the boat Italians) then for me to turn down the opportunity would be quite preposterous. Plus, it was homemade Italian desserts and some of the best around. How could you say no to Cannoli’s, Panna Cotta to Torte, Pizzelle and Struffoli?

Flipping through the 200 pages of exquisite drool worthy photographs, I tried to keep in mind that it was 95 degrees out at the time. Although a piece of rich chocolatey seven-layer cake is rarely turned down by my taste buds, I searched for something with a Summer flare to it. Maybe fruity?

Baked Peaches with Amaretti and Walnut Filling was the final decision. Can you blame me? A combination of the enticing picture, simple ingredients and peach inventory already in my refrigerator sealed the deal. I was happy to abandon my usual tradition of substituting recipe ingredients to “make it work” and journeyed to the grocery store.

Unfortunately for our readers, I’ve decided not to share the detailed recipe to a tee. In an effort to give Grace the credit she deserves, I suggest you purchase the book for yourself at Amazon or visit her personal blog for other tempting treats. If you’re looking for authentic Italian desserts without the expensive “tour of Italy” cooking class, Grace’s book is the way to go!

I’ll admit, at first I was worried when flipping through. So many ingredients were not already in my usual inventory. However, I found after everything was said and done (and eaten) that just because I didn’t have it, didn’t mean the recipe would be complicated. The Baked Peaches with Amaretti and Walnut Filling was a simple dry ingredients/wet ingredients mix, hollowing out peaches and baking at 350 degrees.The result was sooooo worth the quick trip to the grocery store.

Cooking later in the hot, hot day, I enjoyed the finished product with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Grace suggests mascarpone or sweetened whip cream as well, and with those additions, I’m thinking the Main Street Inn may have to incorporate this treat into our specialty breakfast items. What do you think?

The Main Street Inn crew has decided that people who say “the messier the better” when it comes to meal preparation, probably just don’t know how to prepare a meal properly. We’ve reached this conclusion because of my lack of talent when it comes to baking.

Pam, Shena and Meghan run a tight ship around here to ensure their guests receive the best biscotti, french toast, gourmet bread, cookies and more. They’re ingredients are measured, recipes are followed, mixed in a strategic fashion, and timed ever so perfectly. Much is by memory now since the baking bunch has been in action for nearly 4 years! Rest assured, though, not one step is miscalculated and they wouldn’t have it any other way…

…which is why I’ve been banned from the kitchen.

As you know from one of last week’s posts, measuring ingredients and following recipes has never been my thing. Despite the fact that I know how absolutely crucial it is when executing baked goods, my impatience wears the pants on that one. Plus, it’s just fun not knowing what’s going to come out of the oven. More often than not, it tastes delicious anyway!

This week’s “personal experience” recipe started off on the wrong foot. Due to a camping trip luring in the future, my fridge’s contents were measly. There were, however, a package of won ton wrappers screaming my name from shelf two. A few ideas raced through my mind but seeing Homemade Pop Tarts on a recent Pinterest binge, made them stick out among the rest.

Any time I decide to make something new, the first thing I do is contemplate how I think it would be done. Other than my big brain wheels turning out cooking thoughts and a few quick glances at finished product photos, that’s about all the preparation I take. So off to the the pop tart making I went.

I started by pre-heating the oven at 350, lining a baking sheet with wax paper and picking apart a few won ton wrappers. Since I would be baking them, I also got butter out so it was nice and melted when I wanted to coat the tops for that finished, toasty brown look.

After laying the wrappers on the sheet, I painted them with egg yolk. I chose this step due to previous readings about won ton wrappers. I knew it would help them stick together and assist in the baking process.

Examining my hodgepodge of ingredients, I went with a plain Red Raspberry Preserve filling first. PLEASE NOTE: had my fridge not been completely sucked dry of fruit/produce in fear of wasting, I would have used fresh ingredients for this step i.e. chopped strawberries, mashed blueberries, etc. I recommend anyone trying this to make sure they put in a little extra work to keep the taste deliciously natural!

The remaining tarts were filled with spontaneous combinations. I stuck with jam and peanut butter as my basic fillings and then substituted in different extras for each wrapper. Raisins, oats, sun flower seeds, and dried cranberries made the cut. Apple jacks snuck in there somehow and they were so excited to “get in the game” I couldn’t resist. In the end, the mix of apple jacks and peanut butter ended up being one of my favorites.

I laid a second wrapper on each soon to be tarty goodness and used the pointy handle of a fork to press the edges together, then poked the tops with a toothpick. After a quick brushing with the butter, into the oven they went. I kept them in the oven for an uncertain amount of time, checking on their progress now and then. This is where it gets interesting.

Although I can honestly say we enjoyed the Homemade Pop Tarts, it was definitely a learning process. What was learned? Take it easy on the jam! Don’t add more than a teaspoon to the wrapper or these babies come out looking like a character from the 1958 American horror, The Blob.

I would also recommend making some type of glaze for the top, just to sweeten things up a bit. If you’re really interested in giving this recipe a go and would rather not throw caution to the wind, check out Smitten Kitchen’s blog post. I kindly ask that you don’t look too long at the finished products because they put mine to shame.

If you’ve already tried to create Homemade Pop Tarts of your own and have some pointers for the impatient baker, they are happily accepted! Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

The Messy Maker