Debbie Macomber's Blog, page 6

Creamy Lemon Tart

This Creamy Lemon Tart was inspired by my new book, It's Better This Way!

The combination of creamy lemon filling nestled inside a crisp, buttery crust is a beautiful thing. Top this tart with whipped cream and your favorite berries, and you have a showstopper dessert.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cream and yolk; pulse just until combined. Mixture should hold together when pinched between your fingers. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust for about 20 minutes, until edges are golden. Remove pan from the oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.

Pour filling into hot crust and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until middle jiggles only slightly when shaken.
Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until cold. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and berries.



Creamy Lemon Tart
Serves 6 to 8

Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 egg yolk

Filling:
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
1 egg plus 1 yolk
1 tablespoon packed lemon zest
Pinch kosher salt

Fresh whipped cream, for serving
Berries, for serving


In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cream and yolk; pulse just until combined. Mixture should hold together when pinched between your fingers. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat all filling ingredients together on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust for about 20 minutes, until edges are golden. Remove pan from the oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.

Pour filling into hot crust and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until middle jiggles only slightly when shaken. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until cold. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and berries.

Campfire Cones

Ooey, gooey, summer fun in a cone! Pack these Campfire Cones with your favorite combination of mini sweet treats, then throw them on a campfire or grill to make everything deliciously melty and enjoy.
Fruit, chocolate and marshmallows combine to make a deliciously melty handheld dessert. These are our favorite ingredients to use, but feel free to swap in your favorite fruit, chocolate, or spread. The possibilities are endless!
Put a few marshmallows in the bottom of a waffle cone. Fill the rest of the cone with a combination of fruit, chocolate, and more marshmallows, making sure to mound everything on top, because the marshmallows and chocolate will melt down to create more space. Wrap in foil. Repeat with remaining cones.
Place on a grate over a hot fire (high-heat grill, campfire, fire pit) for about 5 minutes, until chocolate and marshmallows are melted. Remove from the fire with long, heat-proof tongs and let cool for 2 minutes before unwrapping and eating.

Courtney Walsh

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes small town romance and women’s fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. If For Any Reason is her eleventh novel. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category, and her contemporary romance Just Let Go won the Carol Award in 2019. A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna. She was recently in the July 2021 issue of Welcome Home and generously answered a few questions!

It's Better This Way | Inspiration Behind the Book

Seeing that the entire idea for my summer release It's Better This Way came from a sermon, I felt it was only fitting that I dedicate the book to Rick Enloe, who, you will recognize from the column Low Hanging Truth, where he contributes to the Welcome Home Magazine. Gino Grunberg is co-pastor with Rick. Both are dear friends who have inspired me in my faith. Ideas come from everywhere, and I believe this is one of my best, so thank you Rick.

*(Left) Rick Enloe (right) Gino Grunberg

Rick is also going to share where "It's Better This Way" came from and how he uses the phrase to change his outlook in his life.

From Rick:
I am an optimist, thanks to my mostly carefree family of origin. My loving parents and happy siblings have contributed to my ability to see the "glass half full."

This doesn't mean I never have bouts of negativity or walk around with a dazed grin. My optimism gets tested. Often.

But over time, I have developed an expression that reflects the attitude that sums up my outlook: "It's better this way."

I've uttered this short sentence so often that my family and friends have credited me with the phrase, even though I'm most certainly not the first. I have a plaque in my home office that my wife gave me, reflecting my optimistic philosophy.


I am willing to admit that the idea "It's better this way" is not always applicable. There are tragic outcomes, like the death of a child or other catastrophic traumas that defy this expression. But, outside of those inexplicable losses, this outlook has benefitted me in many ways.

I remember waiting for a flight home after a long week, only to look up at the flight status screen and see the word "CANCELLED." It's at this level of disappointment that my optimistic phrase works so well.

When the restaurant is out of what you ordered, when you can't afford your first choice, when you fail the admission test, anytime the news seems bad. Any time your plans are interrupted by an unforeseen event, my catchphrase, "It's better this way" works wonders.

To me it means something beyond what you were expecting is about to happen. It means a coincidence that unfolds to your benefit. If the road had been open, you would never have taken the detour and seen the property for sale where house now stands. If the flight had not been cancelled, you would never have met your new business partner. Mostly, when something happens that disrupts an agenda, an important lesson about yourself emerges.

Most of us have heard others say, "I wouldn't want to go through that again, but I'd never trade it for anything." Aren't they are saying, through the pain and disruption, something better emerged? That's another version of "it' better this way."

My friend was diagnosed with final stage kidney disease that landed him in dialysis for five hours a day, three days a week. I asked him how we was going to handle it and he said, "Apparently somebody at the dialysis clinic needs some encouragement." That is an extreme version of the "It's better this way" attitude.

All of this brings me to New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber's newest book titled, It's Better This Way. I am mentioned in the dedication. Wow. I originally met Debbie by asking her to forgive me for making fun of her books. In her gracious and forgiving manner, she befriended me and has included me in her success. This book is special because Debbie is special. She is living proof to me that there is always something better ahead. I hope this brief backdrop enriches your enjoyment of Debbie's newest novel: It's Better This Way.

-Rick Enloe

Summer Fruity Iced Teas

These Summer Fruity Iced Teas were inspired by my new book, It's Better This Way. Make these teas while you enjoy summer and read the book!

There is nothing quite like a refreshing glass of iced tea on a hot day, but we kicked it up a notch by infusing fruit into these delicious iced teas. All of these teas follow the same basic recipe guidelines, so you can switch up the fruit in any recipe, although we love these combinations! We were conservative with the sugar, as every fruit will have a different sweetness level, depending on if you use farm fresh fruit or frozen. We recommend serving simple syrup (recipe at the end) alongside a pitcher of iced tea, so your guests can sweeten to their tastes.

Lemon-Balsamic Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is packed with garden fresh veggies and tossed with a bright, Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette, making it a perfect summer lunch or dinner. It pairs beautifully with whatever you have on the grill, especially chicken and fish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
Add tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and parsley; stir to combine.

Add pasta and gently combine. Fold in feta. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but up to 1 day, to allow flavors to combine.

Patriotic Marbled Cookies

These beautiful cookies are perfect for celebrating Independence Day, as they are a decoration themselves! Using gel food coloring is important, as they have much more vibrant colors.
Make sugar cookie dough, then roll out to ¼-inch thickness. Cut stars out of the dough and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are set and just starting to get golden brown.
In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until very smooth.
Transfer about 1/3 cup icing to a small, wide bowl or ramekin (wide enough for your cookie to fit in). Dip a toothpick in the blue gel food coloring and then pierce the surface of the icing, making 4 to 5 dots. Use a different toothpick and repeat with red gel food coloring. Use a toothpick to swirl the icings until they are swirled but still separate colors (if you swirl too much it will turn purple).
Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing, twisting as you lift and letting the excess drip off one side.
Transfer to a cooling rack for icing to set. Immediately sprinkle with silver star sprinkles. Repeat with the same bowl until the colors become too muddled, then make a new small bowl of marbled icing and repeat. Let cookies sit until icing has hardened before stacking and storing.


Patriotic Marbled Cookies
Makes 40

Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla
Red gel food coloring
Blue gel food coloring
Silver star sprinkles


In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour and salt; mix just until combined. Transfer dough to a large piece of plastic wrap. Flatten dough into a 1-inch high disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sheetpan Pesto Chicken and Garlic Potato Wedges

This Sheetpan Pesto Chicken and Garlic Potato Wedges recipe delivers big on flavor and makes cooking and cleanup a breeze. This meal can easily be scaled up or down to feed your family. If scaling up, split the chicken and potatoes onto two separate baking sheets, otherwise the potatoes will not get crispy.

In a large bowl, mix together the pesto, shallot, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken, toss to coat and let marinate while you prepare the potatoes.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 8 wedges. On baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread into a single layer. Make space for chicken towards the corners, then place chicken in empty space. Spoon remaining marinade on top of chicken.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until chicken juices run clear (or until an instant-read thermometer reads 185°F and potatoes are very tender. Remove baking sheet from oven and preheat broiler. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Spread potatoes out into a single layer. Place baking sheet under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, until potatoes are browned and crispy, but not burned.

Mary Alice Monroe

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 books, including the Beach House series. Her latest book in the series, The Summer of Lost and Found, available May 11, 2021. Monroe’s debut middle grade fiction series, The Islanders, will be released June 15, 2021.

Monroe’s bestselling novel The Beach House is also a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie McDowell, Minka Kelly, and Chad Michael Murray. She is the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction, which features five dear friends and bestselling authors. She lives on in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books.

She was recently featured in the May 2021 issue of Welcome Home and has generously answered a few questions!

Christine Soule

Christine Soule lives in Seattle, WA with her husband. They have five children and two wonderful grandchildren. She is the founder and CEO of Providence Heights, a nonprofit created to house women and children in need and to provide counseling, education, and jobs. She has written a book, Broken and Beautiful, sharing more about her story and vision to help women to not only survive but to thrive. Christine was recently in the May 2021 issue of Welcome Home and generously answered a few questions!