Gingerbread!

(Originally posted on Monday, December 20, 2010)

Last year my husband and I decided to start a little tradition of making/decorating gingerbread houses. So far we have had a lot of fun doing it and the best part about it is that is makes your house smell like christmas! You can't get that from the kits in the grocery store. I got the recipe from Martha Stewarts website. The dough is a little difficult to work with, so make sure its chilled well. Also, when you roll it out, make sure you have plenty of flour! It will stick otherwise. The recipe also says to bake on an ungreased cookie sheet. This is unwise advice. I tried it had to scrape gingerbread off the cookie sheet. A sheet of parchment paper works great.

Here is the recipe! Try it! Its a fun family activity and you can eat it on Christmas with a warm cup of cocoa if you want to! Also, if you click on the link at the end of the post you can see the site and download a template. I just made one up, which you can do too!

Also, I am not going to include the recipe for Royal Icing that I used this year. It was terrible. I believe my mother has one that I used last year that was much better.

Makes enough for 5 small house kits (NOTE: The photo above is a little larger house, I made three medium sized houses with this recipe)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark-brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses
• 6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt. Beat in eggs and molasses.
3. Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Divide dough into thirds and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes, or using template instructions, if desired. Place dough shapes on ungreased baking sheets; chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake 15 minutes, or until gingerbread is firm in the center, but not dark around the edges.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Gingerbread for Gingerbread House Kit - Martha Stewart Recipes

Thanksgiving--Pies

(Originally posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2010)

What would Thanksgiving be without pie? I mean, come on, you have to have at least one pie!

When I was in Jr. High, my mom started a tradition...a tradition that was a blessing and a curse. The tradition that she started was to make a pie for each of us. So, after Thanksgiving dinner each year, we would watch "A Christmas Story" and eat pie. I'm the kind of person who can't resist options. So, if there are six kinds of pie, I don't want to have just one kind! So, every year, I would try a sliver or small slice of each kind of pie...which basically resulted in a full plate of different kinds of pie!

As our family has grown, so have the number of pies! We definitely "scaled down" this year (back to only 5 kinds of pie...but a total of 7 pies), but if I remember correctly, one year we made 18 pies! Yikes!

I'm going to share some of our favorite pie discoveries tonight (get ready for a LOT of recipes and one really long blog).

I hope you like them!



Above: Raspberry Pie using the Enrichment Night Pie Dough recipe. We simply used the pie dough recipe and two cans of raspberry pie filling per pie for the raspberry pies. We then brushed the pie crusts with an egg wash and sprinkled it with granulated sugar. We then followed the bake time for the pie crust recipe.

Enrichment Night Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients (amounts refer to two-crust pies):

Two Pies:

2 cups flour, rounded
1 cup shortening, level
1 tsp. salt
½ cup cold water

Four Pies:

4 cups flour, rounded
2 cups shortening, level
2 tsp. salt
1 cup cold water

Six Pies:

6 cups flour, rounded
3 cups shortening, level
3 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups cold water

Directions:

Always use Crisco brand butter-flavored shortening.

Mix together: flour, shortening and salt with fingers until well blended. Slowly add water. If slightly sticky, press palm in plate of flour and pat dough ball. Form small ball of dough in pan (baseball size approximately). Roll on slightly floured surface. Place bottom crust in pan. Trim edges with back side of a table knife. Fill pie. Top with vented top crust after you moisten edge with finger to seal both crusts.

Bake at 400 degrees (375 degrees if your oven cooks too hot) for 50-60 minutes or until the pie shakes loose.

Refrigerate leftover dough. Bring to room temperature before using.



Here are some other pie recipes that were given to us along with the pie crust recipe at the Relief Society Enrichment activity years ago.

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

1 gallon of apples (canned in water)
6 ½ cup sugar
1 cup instant clear gel
½ square margarine
1 ½ cup diluted apple juice
2 tsps. Apple pie spice

Directions:

Examine gallon of canned apples and remove tough cores and skins, if any.

Bring apples, juice and margarine to a boil (medium high heat). Sprinkle with apple pie spice.

Mix sugar and instant clear gel with a fork. After apples boil, add sugar and clear gel mixture. Lower heat. Boil until thickened and clear. Cool. Refrigerate.

After putting in crust, sprinkle with apple pie spice before putting on top crust.

Razzleberry Pie

Ingredients:

5 cups water
3 ½ cups sugar
1 pkg. raspberries
1 pkg. boysenberries
1 pkg. blackberries
1 round cup pie tone (mixed with water until dissolved)

Note: Pie tone supplied at: Steffs, 3555 S. 700 W., SLC, UT or Kitchen Needs, Riverdale Road, Ogden, UT

Directions: Bring water and sugar to a boil. Add package of blackberries. Bring to a boil. Add pie tone mixture and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into ice cream pale. Then gently fold in raspberries and boysenberries. Let cool, then refrigerate.

Blueberry Pie

Same as above, except use 3 packages of frozen blueberries.

Boysenberry pie

Same as above, except use 3 packages of frozen boysenberries.

Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

1 gallon cherries
6 cups sugar
4 tsp. almond extract
1 round cup pie tone (mixed with water until dissolved)

Directions:

Mix cherries, sugar and almond extract. Mix rounded cup of pie tone with enough water to dissolve (not quite 1 cup).

Bring cherries to a boil. Lower heat and add pie tone. Cook until thickened.

If filling appears to be too thin, stir in some tapioca. Tapioca can also be added later after cooling if too thin.

Basic Cream Pie Filling
(Makes enough for 2 pies)

Ingredients:

5 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 (3 oz.) package of jello brand pudding (not instant pudding)
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. lemon juice (if making any kind except chocolate)
½ cup corn starch
1-2 cups Cool Whip
1 pint whipping cream

Directions:

Mix all of your ingredients together in your pan. Cook on high until it is almost to a boil. Reduce your heat to medium and take off when it has started to boil again.

Mix 1-2 cups Cool Whip with 1 pint whipping cream after whipping.

Savory Pies using the Enrichment Pie Crust

Chicken Filling

Ingredients:

5-6 chicken breasts (5 cups chicken)
4 cups carrots (cooked about 10 minutes)
3 cups potatoes (cooked about 7 minutes)
1 cup celery (cooked about 10 minutes)
½ package frozen peas.
1 ½ cup flour

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in water. The water should be about 2 inches above the chicken. Boil until done.

Remove chicken and add 2 Tbsp. chicken base. Bring to a boil and thicken with flour and water (it should take about 1 ½ cup flour). After the gravy has cooked add chicken carrots, potatoes, celery and frozen peas.

Beef Filling

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
Schillings brown beef gravy
Schillings beef stew mix (plus)
8 cups water
Cook until thickened
4 cups carrots (cooked about 10 minutes)
3 cups potatoes (cooked about 7 minutes)
1 cup celery (cooked about 10 minutes)
½ package frozen peas

Directions:

Brown ground beef and medium onion. Mix Schillings brown beef gravy, Schillings beef stew mix and 8 cups water in a saucepan until thickened.

Add carrots, potatoes, celery and frozen peas.


Above: Caramel Pie, Dear Abby's Pecan Pie, Eggnog Pie, and Banana Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

9 inch baked pie shell
3 T. cornstarch
1 1/3 c. water
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 T. butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice from concentrate and drained
Whipping cream, whipped

Directions:

In heavy saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Cool slightly. Arrange 2 sliced bananas on bottom of prepared pie shell. Pour filling over bananas; cover. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread top with whipped cream; garnish with remaining banana slices. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Mom will have to provide that!

Above: Caramel Pie without topping. It can be served without any topping, or you can top it with meringue or whipped cream.


Above: Caramel Pie topped with whipped cream. If you prefer, you can simply place a dollop of whipped cream on each slice. It is a pretty rich pie and putting a ton of whipped cream on top (as pictured above) is really decadent. Though it is the prettiest way to serve it!

Caramel Pie

This pie is time consuming and takes some patience, but it is worth it!

Ingredients:

4 T. cornstarch
1 ½ c. water, divided
2 eggs separated
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 baked 9 inc. pie shell
1 T. sugar

In a bowl, dissolve the cornstarch with ¾ c. water. Beat the egg yolks and stir them into the cornstarch mixture. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan with high sides, cook ¾ c. sugar over low to medium heat until it is completely melted and a golden brown color (increase the heat if the sugar takes a long time to melt. Don’t stir the sugar until the majority has melted on its own. Stirring too early will cool the sugar and make it take longer to melt).

Once the sugar is completely melted, add the remaining ¾ c. sugar, the butter, and the remaining ¾ c. water. This may create a cloud of steam, so stand back while you are adding the water!.

Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has completely dissolved.

(Usually, once the second batch of sugar is added with the water, the first batch of melted sugar hardens and becomes a ball of caramel candy. Try to break this up as best as you can. Stir this mixture—including the hardened caramel—until everything has dissolved. You may have to remove the ball of hardened caramel if it does not completely melt. But give it some time, because it usually does melt—or at least it shrinks considerably.)

Stir the cornstarch/egg mixture into the saucepan and bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring it constantly. Continue to boil slowly until the mixture thickens about 2 minutes.

Take the mixture off the heat, stir it until smooth, and let it cool. Stir in the vanilla and pour the filling into the baked pie shell.

To make a meringue topping for the pie, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1 T sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue on top of the pie filling, spreading it right up to the edge of the filling. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the top of the meringue is delicately browned. Chill the pie before serving. Can be topped with whipped cream instead, if desired.

Source: The Anne of Green Gables Treasury, ISBN 0-14-017231-9, published 1991.

Notes: It takes awhile for the sugar to melt and caramelize, but this is such a yummy and unique pie. Feel free to use a little more corn starch if the mixture isn't setting up. But don't use too much because it will diffuse the caramel flavor of the filling. I stink at making meringue, so I almost always top this with whipped cream and it is fantastic!

Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

1 prepared chocolate cookie pie crust
1 c. creamy peanut butter
½ c. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 ½ c. coolwhip, divided
1 jar 11.75 oz. hot fudge topping, divided

Drizzle:
2 T. hot fudge topping
2 T. creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Combine in a medium bowl, the peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar. Gently fold in 3 cups whipping topping. Spoon mixture into the pie shell. Using a spatula smooth mixture to edges of pie. Reserve 2 T of hot fudge topping and place remaining hot fudge topping into microwave bowl or glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Spread hot fudge topping over pie to cover the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until serving time. Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping (1 ½ c.) over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers. Place the 2 T. hot fudge topping in a small plastic bag and knead for a few seconds. But a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle over pie. Do the same with 2 T. peanut butter going in the opposite direction of the hot fudge toppings.

Source: Mom will have to provide it. I don't know!


Eggnog Pie

Ingredients:

1 T. unflavored gelatin
¼ c. cold water
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups commercially prepared eggnog
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. rum extract
1 c. whipping cream, whipped
1 baked 9” pastry shell

Directions:

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand 1 minute. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in eggnog until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in extracts; fold in whipped cream. Pour into pastry shell. Refrigerate until firm.

Source: Mom will have to provide it. I don't know!

French Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9 in. pie
¾ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
6 c. thinly sliced pared tart apples (about 6 medium)
2 T. margarine or butter

Directions:

Heat over 425. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in apples. Turn on to pastry lined pie plate; dot with margarine. Top with crumb topping.

Mix 1 c. all purpose flour, ½ c. firm margarine or butter, and ½ c. brown sugar until crumbly. Bake 50 minutes. Cover topping with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Best served warm.

Source: Mom will have to provide it. I don't know!

Heavenly Lemon Pie

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
4 heaving T. cornstarch
¼ c. butter
1 T. grated lemon peel
¼ c. lemon juice
3 unbeaten egg yolks
1 1/3 c. milk
1 c. 8 oz. dairy sour cream
1 baked 9 inch pastry shell
Whipped cream

Directions:

Mix sugar and cornstarch; set aside. In saucepan melt butter, add lemon peel, juice, egg yolks and milk; blend. Gradually add sugar and cornstarch; cook over medium heat until thick. Mixture will be lumpy. Cool. Stir in sour cream; pour into pie shell. Chill. Top with whipped cream.

Source: Mom will have to provide it. I don't know!

Pineapple Pie

Ingredients:

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple
3 cup liquid (drained pineapple juice and water)
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup cornstarch
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon butter
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Boil juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Add pineapple. Remove thickened mixture from the stove and add 2 beaten eggs. Return to the stove and cook on low for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and butter. Stir until well combined. Chill. Pour chilled mixture into a pre-cooked pie crust (can be homemade or store-bought frozen). Top with whipping cream and keep refrigerated.

Source: Mom will have to provide it. I don't know!

Pumpkin Pie (Karo)

Ingredients:

½ c. sugar
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
½ c. Karo light or dark syrup
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
12 oz. evaporated milk
9 inch Deep dish pie, unbaked

Directions:

Mix sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Add eggs and beat slightly. Add remaining ingredients; blend well. Pour pumpkin filling into pie crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue baking for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in pie center comes out clean. Cool a minimum of 2 hours before serving.

Source: This is a Karo Syrup recipe.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie (Eagle Brand)

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND®
Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Source: This is an Eagle sweetened condensed milk recipe.

Famous Pumpkin Pie (Libby’s)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

NOTES:

1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

FOR 2 SHALLOW PIES: substitute two 9-inch (2-cup volume) pie shells. Bake in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pies test done.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (3,500 to 6,000 ft.):Deep-dish pie- extend second bake time to 55 to 60 minutes. Shallow pies- no change.

Source: This is a Libby's recipe.

Lite 'n Easy Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons water
2 envelopes (7 grams each) unflavored gelatin
2 1/4 cups NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, divided
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or low calorie sweetener equivalent
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Light whipped topping (optional)
Fresh raspberries (optional)

Directions:

Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

Place water in medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until softened. Mixture may be firm. Bring 1 cup evaporated milk just to a boil in small saucepan. Slowly stir hot evaporated milk into gelatin. Stir in remainingevaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract.

Pour mixture into prepared pie plate. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped topping and raspberries, if desired.

Source: This is a Libby's recipe.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can 14 oz. sweetened, condensed milk
¼ c. lemon juice divided
1 egg
1 Keebler chocolate or graham cracker pie crust
½ c. seedless raspberry preserves

Directions:

In small mixing bowl beat cream cheese on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add egg, beating until just combined. Pour half of cream cheese mixture into crust. In small bowl combine preserves and remaining lemon juice. Spoon half of preserves mixture over cream cheese mixture in crust. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture and remaining preserves mixture. Use knife or narrow spatula to swirl preserves into cream cheese mixture. Bake at 300 for 50 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Source: Mom will have to provide it. I don't know!

Classic Pecan Pie

To pack lots of pecans in the filling, we kept the fat in this easy piecrust to a minimum, resulting in a biscuit-like crust.

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:

1 large egg
4 large egg whites
1 cup light or dark-colored corn syrup
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add milk and butter; toss with a fork until moist.

Press mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, to an 11-inch circle. Freeze 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Fold edges under; flute.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the filling, beat the egg and the next 4 ingredients (egg through 1/4 teaspoon salt) at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Stir in the pecan halves and the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Bake the pie at 350° for 20 minutes, then cover with foil. Bake the pie an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool pie on a wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Nutrition Information: CALORIES 288 (29% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 1.5g,mono 5.1g,poly 2g); IRON 1.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 25mg; CALCIUM 52mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.1g; SODIUM 253mg; PROTEIN 4.3g; FIBER 1g

Source: Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1999

Notes: You can also use a frozen pumpkin pie crust or the Enrichment night pie crust recipe found above.

Pecan-Chocolate Chip Pie

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups pecan halves
1 store-bought or homemade pie crust in a deep dish 9-inch pie plate
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for coating chocolate chips
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread pecans in crust. In a small bowl, toss chocolate chips in a little flour to coat, then scatter evenly over pecans. In a medium bowl, stir together vanilla, butter, and flour until well combined. Pour filling over pecans and chocolate chips.

Bake until filling is set and crust is browned, about 70 minutes. (If pie browns too quickly, loosely tend with foil.) Let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition information: 8 servings. 586 calories, 32 g fat, 5.7 g protein, 76.7 g carbs, 3 g fiber.

Source: Everyday Food Magazine published by Martha Stewart. Recipe by Emeril Lagasse.

Caramel-Pecan Pie

Create this rich gooey caramel pecan piefor your family and friends. It is a perfect special occasion pie.

Prep: 20 min., Bake: 38 min., Cook: 7 min.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
28 caramels
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
Chocolate-Dipped Pecans (optional, see below)

Directions:

Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork.

Bake piecrust at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on wire rack.

Combine caramels, butter, and 1/4 cup water in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until caramels and butter are melted; remove from heat.

Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients. Stir into caramel mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake pie at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, and bake 20 more minutes, shielding edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove pie to a wire rack to cool. Top with Chocolate-Dipped Pecans, if desired.

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2005

Chocolate-Dipped Pecans

Prep: 20 min.
This recipe goes with Caramel-Pecan Pie
Yield: Makes 20 pecans

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
20 pecan halves, toasted

Microwave chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Dip half of each pecan in melted chocolate; place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Let cool completely. Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Source: Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2005


Above: Dear Abby's Pecan Pie. The pecans didn't rise to the top like they do in most pecan pies, but it was super easy and it tasted fantastic.

Dear Abby's Pecan Pie

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans

Directions:

Beat the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, in the order given; work in the nuts. Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Bake at 300 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/198/DearAbbysPecanPie65027.shtml

Notes: This recipe by Abigail Van Buren (aka Pauline Phillips) is published from time to time in her "Dear Abby" column. Jeanne Phillips, the original Abby's daughter, and the current "Dear Abby" adds this tip: The original recipe stated that the pie should be baked 45-50 minutes in a preheated 350 degree gas oven. If an electric oven is used, it may be necessary to add 15-20 minutes to the baking time. (Begin testing the pie with a toothpick after 45 minutes.)

Key Lime Pie

Key-lime pie takes its name from the type of lime it is made with, the Key lime, which grows in the Florida Keys. The Key lime has a mild, delicate fragrance, and the flavor is sweeter and more tart than that of the commonly found dark green, seedless Persian lime. Condensed milk and a graham-cracker crust are also common to the Key-lime pie, which has remained essentially unchanged over the years.

Look for brightly colored, smooth-skinned limes that are heavy for their size. Small brown areas on the skin won't affect flavor or succulence, but a hard or shriveled skin will. You'll know the pie is done when the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged. Before serving, chill the pie in the freezer for 10 minutes; this will make slicing easier.

Ingredients:

Makes 1 pie.

1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
5 tablespoons sugar
1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed key-lime juice
1 tablespoon grated key-lime zest, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine graham-cracker crumbs, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl; mix well. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.

Lower oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, key-lime juice, and zest. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.

Return pie to oven, and bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Shortly before serving, combine cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over cooled pie; garnish with zest. Serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Coconut-Key Lime Pie

A classic Key lime pie gets upgraded for the holidays with coconut milk in the filling. If that wasn't enough, the dessert is gilded with toasted shredded coconut sprinkled on top of a billowy whipped cream topping.

Ingredients:

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice
7 large egg yolks
1 Easy Press-In Pie Crust, made with graham crackers
2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, coconut milk, lime juice, and egg yolks until smooth. Pour into crust and bake until set but still slightly wobbly in center, 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then refrigerate 3 hours (or up to 1 day).

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream and sugar on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. To serve, top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Easy Press-In Pie Crust

With store-bought cookies, some butter, and a bit of salt and sugar, you can make an irresistible homemade pie crust -- no rolling required. Ideal for icebox pies, press-in crusts are a Thanksgiving shortcut: Bake the crust a day or two ahead, fill it the night before, then add a topping before serving. Whether you use graham crackers or chocolate or vanilla wafers, our simple recipe will turn out a perfect crust every time.

Ingredients:

Makes one 9-inch pie crust.
6 ounces cookies (about 12 graham crackers, 46 vanilla wafers, or 30 chocolate wafers, such as Famous)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Add sugar, salt, and butter and pulse until combined.

Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. (If using a springform pan, press crumbs halfway up sides.) Bake until crust is dry and set, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely in plate on a wire rack before filling.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

White Chocolate-Key Lime Pie

Yield: Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream
1 (11-ounce) package white chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/3 cup fresh Key lime or lime juice
1 (9-inch) ready-made graham cracker crust or your favorite prepared recipe
Garnish: lime slices

Directions:

Combine cream and white chocolate morsels in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook 5 minutes or until morsels melt, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sour cream, lime rind, and juice; stir well. Pour into crust. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish, if desired.

Source: Coastal Living, MARCH 2004

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup Key lime juice (such as Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 (6-ounce) reduced-fat graham cracker crust
1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat eggs and egg whites at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Gradually add juice, rind, and milk to egg mixture, beating until well-blended. Spoon mixture into crust, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until almost set (the center will not be firm but will set up as it chills). Cool pie on a wire rack. Cover loosely, and chill 4 hours. Spread whipped topping evenly over filling.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Nutrition Information: CALORIES 288 (18% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 3g,mono 1.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 141mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.2g; SODIUM 198mg; PROTEIN 7.6g; FIBER 0.8g

Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 1999

Happy Halloween!

(Originally posted on Sunday, October 31, 2010)

Bwa ha ha ha! No, I didn't gouge out someone's orange bloodshot eyeballs or tear off a witch's fingers. These sweet confections are all in the name of Halloween. Even food can get a little spooky at this time of year.

The eyeballs are a more festive version of buckeyes. They are peanut butter balls dipped in white candy coating and the pupils are M&M's.

As for the fingers, they couldn't be easier. They are marzipan (if you love almonds, you'll love these).

The next recipe is for bone bread sticks. My bread sticks didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the ones that the folks at Rhodes Dough made. My church is at 1 p.m. and I had to be there early for our Primary program, so the rolls had a lot more time to rise than the recipe called for. As a result, my rolls turned out a little...let's just say they're "big boned" rather than chubby.

Then, of course, there is a lovely Halloween cheese ball.

To drink? Brew Ha Ha Punch.

And for dessert? Ghosts in the Graveyard!

Who could resist this holiday?

Peanut Butter Eyeballs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, chopped
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate candy coating
1 small bag M&M's candy
Red decorating frosting or decorating gel

Directions:

In the bowl of a large mixer, blend peanut butter and butter until creamy.

Add powdered sugar and vanilla to peanut butter mixture and continue beating until it looks smooth.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or waxed paper.

Using a spoon, scoop out a ball of peanut butter and roll between your palms to get them as round as possible. Place on the cookie sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir thoroughly until it is smooth.

Dip the peanut butter balls into the white chocolate candy coating. You can use two forks or spoons to balance the candy on, or just grasp it in your fingers and roll it around until it is covered completely. Return it to the cookie sheet and proceed to dip the rest of the peanut butter balls.

While the chocolate is still wet, press an M&M candy into the center for the iris.

Return the eyes to refrigerator to harden.

Once the eyeballs are firm, you can use the red decorator frosting or gel to make squiggly blood vessels.

Source: About.com recipe created by Elizabeth LaBau.

Notes: I've used the frosting and the gel to make the blood vessels. Both work great, but the gel is a little easier to control.

Marzipan Fingers

Ingredients:

7 ounces marzipan, homemade or purchased
8 whole blanched almonds or 8 pieces of sliced almonds
Red food coloring
Small, food-safe paintbrush

Directions:

Pour a small amount of red food coloring on a small plate, and use a small paintbrush to paint the almonds with food coloring. Set painted almonds aside to dry while you form the fingers.

Coat your hands with powdered sugar, or use plastic gloves. Knead the marzipan until it has softened slightly. Divide the marzipan into 8 equal pieces.

Working with one piece at a time, roll the marzipan between your palms so that it forms a thin tube. Work the tube until it resembles a finger: pinch small sections close together, leaving other sections wider to resemble knuckles. Use a toothpick or knife to create ridges on the knuckles.

Taper one end of the finger, and press an almond firmly into the end to resemble a fingernail. Using your nails, fray the other end of the finger so that it looks severed. Dip the severed end of the finger into food coloring (or paint the finger with the paintbrush) and place the finger on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining marzipan and almonds.

Store marzipan fingers in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze well-wrapped marzipan fingers for up to 3 months.

Source: About.com recipe created by Elizabeth LaBau.

Notes: I skipped the severed finger part of the recipe. I was running short on time and thought that the fingers looked great without the "blood" on the bottom. Also, I couldn't find blanched almonds, so I used sliced almonds. Finally, rather than painting each almond with red food coloring, I simply put them in a plastic sandwich baggie and put the food coloring in the bag. I then swished around the almonds and food coloring until the almonds were completely coated. I then put the almonds on a paper plate covered in a paper towel to blot them and let them dry completely.


Bone Chillin' Breadsticks

Serves 12

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed, but still cold
1/4 cup butter, melted
Parmesan cheese
Poppy seeds
Garlic salt (this isn't part of the original recipe--it's my addition)

Directions:

Using the flat of your hand, roll the center part of a roll into a 6-inch rope leaving both ends large and rounded. With scissors, clip 1 1/2 inches into the center of each end. Separate and lay the cut sides flat on a large sprayed baking pan. They will look like bones. Brush well with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, poppy seeds, and garlic salt to taste.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 20-30 minutes. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Source: Rhodes Dough recipe. You can find the recipe and a picture of the bread sticks on their website here.

Cheddar Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup dry sherry (see notes)
1 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup poppy seeds

Directions:

Process all ingredients except poppy seeds in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Unmold onto a plate, Press poppy seeds evenly over surface, rounding top. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: I didn't use the sherry (I'm pregnant! I know it's not a lot of alcohol, but I'm not taking any chances). Instead, I used about 1/6 cup red wine vinegar mixed with 1/6 cup water (to equal 1/3 cup liquid).


Brew Ha Ha Punch

Yield: 4 quarts

Ingredients:

2 quarts water
2 (0.13 ounce) pkgs. Green Lemon-Lime Kool Aid
1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice
1 quart ginger ale

Directions:

Stir together sugar and 2 quarts water until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill.

Note: For a scary presentation, place punch bowl into a larger bowl, and add dry ice to larger bowl.

Source: Southern Living, October 1998.
Ghosts in the Graveyard

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. (3.9 oz each) Jell-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 tub (12 oz) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed, divided
15 Oreo cookies, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
Assorted decorations: Milan sandwich cookies, decorating gel, candy pumpkins, candy corn pieces

Directions:

Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Stir in 3 cups Cool Whip and half the cookie crumbs. Spread into 13x9 inch dish; sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, decorate creme sandwich cookies with decorating gel to resemble tombstones.

Insert decorated cookies into top of dessert just before serving. Add candies. Drop large spoonfuls of remaining Cool Whip onto dessert to resemble ghosts.

Source: www.kraftrecipes.com

Notes: My son wasn't feeling well today, so dessert was rushed. As a result, the ghosts didn't actually make it into the graveyard tonight. But the graveyard looked cute--even without the ghosts!

Oktoberfest...Take Two!

(Originally posted on Saturday, October 30, 2010)

My sister has already shared her Oktoberfest discoveries that she made in Ohio. Now it's time for me to share the discoveries we made in Utah!

My mom already had a very successful Oktoberfest about two weeks ago. She made a lovely slow cooker sauerbraten, yummy red cabbage, and spaetzle...to name a few. In addition to the wonderful dishes she made, she obtained some fantastic brats from Costco as well as some delicious German pretzels, mustard, and brat buns from Siegfried's Delicatessen. You can find more information about Siegfried's here. We were all stuffed after that meal, I can assure you.

I decided to do a little Oktoberfest recipe sleuthing of my own. I found a yummy (and oh so easy) slow cooker brats and sauerkraut recipe. I also turned to one of my recipe staples--Everyday Food--and found the scrumptious recipes for pork (similar to a traditional wiener schnitzel), red cabbage, and German potato salad that are pictured above. This actually turned out to be somewhat of a traumatic meal for me because something went wrong with everything I made that night! But luckily, these recipes were very forgiving and even though I messed up in one way or another with each of them, they still tasted delicious. You'll have to read my notes for those recipes to avoid the blunders that I made!

But, let me stress that the error does not lie in the recipes, but in the fact that I was just having one of those cooking days where I kept flubbing up! The recipes, themselves, are fantastic.

I have included my Mom's Oktoberfest discoveries at the end (sauerbraten beef, German red cabbage, and rye bread dip) in addition to our Oktoberfest favorites from years past (caraway sauerkraut, German-style potato salad, and apple strudel).

Ahhh, and isn't it a pity that October has come to an end (fall is my very favorite time of year, after all)? But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy Oktoberfest/German themed meals anymore!


Slow Cooker Brats

Ingredients:

2 packages fresh bratwurst links (10 brats)
1/4 cup butter
2 cans beef broth
2 onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2-3 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
10 (6 inch) bratwurst buns

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine the butter, beef broth, onions, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, minced garlic, brown sugar, and sauerkraut. Place bratwurst on top over all. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

The slow cooking imparts a wonderful flavor to the bratwurst. It makes them very tender. If, like me, you prefer to have brats that are browned and slightly crispy on the outside, remove them from the slow cooker and place them on a foil covered jelly roll pan and broil on high for 1-2 minutes or until browned to your taste.

Serve bratwurst on buns topped with sauerkraut/onion mixture or plain on top of sauerkraut/onion mixture.

Source: I modified this from a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com originally entitled "On Wisconsin Beer Brats" and submitted by Dgoodcookr.

Notes: The original recipe called for beer in place of the beef broth. But I honestly can't tell the difference in taste and I prefer not to buy beer personally. It also called for 4 onions and only 1 cup of sauerkraut (and a lot more butter). I altered the recipe to fit my own tastes. Oh, and the potato salad pictured below was unimpressive. I had to add a lot more ingredients at the last minute to make it more flavorful (in the end, it was good, but the recipe was not worth posting).


Rye-Crusted Pork Medallions

Ingredients:

3-4 sliced rye bread with caraway seeds
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 large egg
1 1/2 pounds boneless center-cut pork loin, sliced into 8 medallions (each 1/2 inch thick)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Grainy mustard, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse enough of the bread to measure 2 cups of coarse crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water.

Season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each medallion in the egg mixture with one hand, then use the other hand to dredge in the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a plate.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place half the medallions in the skillet; cook until the pork is golden brown and the center is no longer pink, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; wipe the skillet clean. Repeat with the remaining medallions in the remaining oil. Serve with the mustard on the side, if desired.

Serves 4.

Source: Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook (ISBN #978-0-307-35416-7)

Notes: I had to double this recipe and rather than purchasing 1 1/2 pounds of pork loin, I got 3 lbs. of pork tenderloin (the only difference being that it simply makes for a smaller pork medallion). Also, I cooked this meal on my in-law's stove-top (they have a gas stove-top and this particular stove-top makes it very difficult to regulate the temperature). The first batch of pork was beautifully browned and gorgeous on the outside and cooked according to the directions at 4 minutes per side. The problem? The inside of the pork was pink, pink, pink. I cooked the next batch longer at a higher heat...the problem? The inside was done and the breading got charred!

If your stove-top is similar to mine and you have a difficult time regulating the heat, here's my advice: brown the breaded pork until it is absolutely gorgeous and then place the pork on a foil-lined jelly roll pan and place it in the oven at 425 degrees and bake for 10-20 minutes (or until the center is no longer pink). Had I done this at the time, it would have been a huge a time-saver (especially if you double the recipe like I did). I had to do A LOT of batches (at least 4 or 5) to cook all of the pork and at 8-10 minutes per batch, the time added up. The good news? This is a very forgiving recipe and even though some of the medallions got a littler more browned than I would have liked on the outside, it still tasted delicious.

Red Cabbage with Apple

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 small head red cabbage, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1 green apple, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until browned, 10 minutes. Add the onion; cook until soft, 5 minutes.

Add the cabbage, apple, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water. Cook stirring, until the cabbage wilts, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover; cook, stirring occasionally over medium-low heat to desired softness (if the mixture is sticking, add water), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Serves 4.

Source: Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook (ISBN #978-0-307-35416-7)

Notes: Again, as mentioned above, my in-law's stove-top burns hotter than the surface of the sun--even when you have it on low. When I covered the cabbage, I put the burner on low, rather than on medium-low, and it still scorched the bottom of my cabbage. Luckily, the whole thing didn't burn and I was able to salvage enough to feed everyone. So, if your stove-top also burns hotter than the flames of Hades, watch your cabbage very carefully. In my case, I could have skipped the step of covering and simmering the cabbage for 45 minutes to 1 hour completely and it would have been perfect. After wilting the cabbage, I could have cooked it for only about 10-15 minutes more uncovered and it would have been finished. Well, you live, you learn! And again, luckily, this was a very forgiving dish and it was still really yummy.


German Potato Salad

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
3 slices bacon (3 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar, plus more for drizzling (optional)
3 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch water to a boil, add salt and potatoes, and reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife (but not falling apart), 25-30 minutes. Drain; cool slightly, and halve potatoes.

In a small skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring often, until crisp, 3-5 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until tender, 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and mustard.

Toss bacon mixture with warm potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with more vinegar (about 1 tablespoon), if desired. Serve warm.

Serves 4.

Source: Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast cookbook, ISBN # 978-0-307-40510-4.

Notes: I accidentally overcooked the potatoes, so it turned into more of a German potato mash than a German potato salad. But it still tasted fantastic. Again, thank goodness for the fact that this recipe was forgiving. Next time, I would just watch the potatoes more closely to make sure that they didn't get too soft. After all, I love mashed potatoes, but that's not exactly the consistency that this salad is going for!

Sauerbraten Beef

Ingredients:

2 lb beef stew meat (1 inch pieces)
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 dried bay leaves
6 cups uncooked medium egg noodles or homemade spaetzle
3/4 cup crushed ginge3rsnap cookies (about 15)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Spray 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker; mix beef, onions, broth, vinegar, and bay leaves.

Cover, cook on low heat setting 7-9 hours.

About 15 minutes before serving, cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Reove bay leaves from beef mixture. Stir in crushed cookies and brown sugar. Cover; cook on low heat setting 15 minutes longer or until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Serve beef mixture over noodles or spaetzle. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutrition information: serving size=2 cups, 590 calories, 21 g fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 59 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 39 g protein.

Source: Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casseroles cookbook, slow cooker shortcuts chapter.

German Red Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced
2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced
1 medium sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
6 whole peppercorns
2 whole allspice
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, toss cabbage, apples, and onion. Add water, vinegar, sugar, butter, and salt. Place the peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and stir with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.

Discard spice bag. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Ardis Stauffer

Rye Bread Dip

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp dill weed
2 tsp Beaumonde spice
2 tbsp parsley flakes
2 tbsp onion flakes
1 large loaf pumpernickel or rye bread (not sliced)

Directions:

Cut top off loaf off of pumpernickel bread and scoop out center. Break scooped out bread into pieces. Mix all ingredients and fill scooped out bread with dip on a large dish. Put broken bread pieces around edge. When bread is gone, break off pieces of the bread bowl and use to dip.

This dip also goes well with vegetables.

Source: Cooks.com

Caraway Sauerkraut

Ingredients:

2 jars (32 oz. each) sauerkraut
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup medium-bodied ale or beef broth

Directions:

Drain and rinse sauerkraut; set aside.

In a 4-qt. pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add caraway seeds and cook, stirring, until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in sauerkraut and ale. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring once in a while, until the mixture is hot and flavors are blended, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition information: 12-16 servings, 35 calories, 0.8 g protein, 1.9 g fat, 4.3 g carbohydrate, 1.9 g fiber, 256 mg sodium, 0.0 mg cholesterol

Source: Sunset, October 2007

German-Style Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 5 cups)
8 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Steam potatoes, covered, 10 minutes or until tender.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.

Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings.

Combine drippings, vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add the potatoes, onion, and bell pepper; toss gently to coat. Cover and let stand 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the bacon and parsley; toss gently.

Nutrition information: serving=1/2 cup, 108 calories, 3.6 g fat, 3.6 g protein, 15.9 g carbohydrate, 1.7 g fiber, 5 mg cholesterol, 1.3 mg iron, 253 mg sodium, 14 mg calcium

Source: Cooking Light, August 2001

Apple Strudel

Ingredients:

5 cups finely chopped and peeled McIntosh apples (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
Vanilla ice cream, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine apples, sugar, raisins, cinnamon, almond extract, and flour in a bowl. Toss well. Set aside.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), lightly coat with cooking spray. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, coat remaining 7 phyllo sheets with cooking spray, placing one on top of the other. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over phyllo, pressing gently to seal sheets together, discard plastic wrap.

Spoon apple mixture along 1 long edge of phyllo, leaving a 2 inch border. Fold over the short edges of phyllo to cover 2 inches of apple ixture on each end.

Starting at long edge with 2 inch border, roll up jelly-roll fashion. (Do not roll tightly, or strudel may split.) Place strudel, seam side down, on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Score diagonal slits into top of strudel using a sharp knife. Lightly spray strudel with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Source: This is a hybrid recipe that combines two Cooking Light recipes (both entitled "Apple Strudel"). One recipe is dated October 1996 and the other is dated May 2003.

Notes: I made this for our 2008 Oktoberfest. I doubled the recipe and left out the raisins (since I was making it for picky eaters). I wasn't able to serve it piping hot because I had to make it beforehand, but it was still fantastic!

Cake and Ice Cream...Yum!

(Originally posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2010)

There are an awful lot of cake recipes on our blog! Especially since our blog has only been up and running for 7 months!

But I promise you, each and every one of these cake recipes are worth it!

As for ice cream, isn't it the perfect compliment to cake?

I got this fantastic cake recipe from a co-worker. She would make it to celebrate everyone's birthday in the office. It was too hard to resist (I'm sure it added to my pregnancy weight gain!). It is honestly the best carrot cake I have ever had. My husband's favorite kind of cake is carrot cake, so this was a natural for his birthday celebration. Before I found this recipe, I tried a number of different carrot cakes (store-bought and homemade) to find just the right one. I just wasn't pleased. They were either too spice-cakey or too crumbly. This carrot cake is moist and hard to resist.

As for the ice cream, I dreamed up this recipe myself (one of my pregnant food craving dreams!). I had been craving the flavor of hazelnut. In order to satiate my craving, I got some hazelnut coffee creamer to flavor my glasses of milk and later, I got some chocolate hazelnut spread as well. I think the combination of milk, hazelnut coffee creamer, and chocolate hazelnut spread just sort of evolved into an ice cream recipe during my REM cycle!

While I would never pair these two recipes to serve together (the ice cream and cake are too rich to go together and the flavors don't match), I find that it is fitting to pair them together here since I craved the carrot cake during my first pregnancy and I dreamed up the ice cream during my second pregnancy!

Oh, and I must apologize for the pictures. Each time, we had already dug in and it only occurred to me afterward that I needed to take a picture. So, the pictures are definite afterthoughts and they don't do these recipes the justice they deserve. They really are awful pictures. Sorry! (Notice how the carrot cake is placed on one of my son's baby plates because I was pressed for time and besides paper plates, it was the only thing I had nearby!)

10/21/10 Amendment: In order to class up this blog post (because my pictures were so lousy and Laurie's are so fantastic), I am adding one of my sister's posts from her personal blog with two of her ice cream recipes. These fantastic recipes came straight from her own brain!


Heather's Carrot Pineapple Cake

Cake:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup salad oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
carrots, roughly sliced or chopped (enough to make 1 cup shredded)
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice (or half cup, if preferred)

Frosting:

1 package cream cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together first six ingredients (flour through salt).

Blend together next 4 ingredients (salad oil through shredded carrots) in a blender.

Combine dry and wet ingredients. Then add crushed pineapple with juice.

Pour batter into 3 greased baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

For the frosting, whip together the final four ingredients (cream cheese through vanilla) and frost on top of cooled cake.

Source: My wonderful former co-worker, Heather Bowen.

Notes: I like a lot of frosting, so I would suggest doubling the frosting recipe. Also, I highly suggest using three cake pans instead of two. It is necessary for the consistency of the cake. If you do try to use two cake pans, you might have to cook the cake a little longer. Check the cake using the toothpick method to ensure that it is cooked completely, otherwise it might be too crumbly.




Hazelnut Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 4 quarts

Ingredients:

8 cups heavy cream (see note below)
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
4 cups hazelnut flavored coffee creamer
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups toasted, chopped hazelnuts
1 container chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together cream, sugar, salt, and coffee creamer. Refrigerate until you are able to add the cooled nuts. Toast hazelnuts and allow to cool. Stir cooled hazelnuts into the cream mixture. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

You will want to swirl the chocolate hazelnut spread into the ice cream mixture before you ripen it in your freezer. The best way to do this is to spoon a layer of the ice cream into a freezer safe container and swirl a layer of chocolate hazelnut spread on top. Top with another layer of ice cream followed by another layer of chocolate hazelnut spread. Repeat until all of the ice cream and chocolate hazelnut spread has been combined. Be careful not to leave large clumps of chocolate hazelnut spread. You will want the swirls to be fine. When the spread freezes, it freezes very hard and if you have large swirls or clumps within the ice cream, it makes scooping the ice cream very difficult.

Allow ice cream to fully ripen in the freezer before serving (at least 2 hours). Store in an airtight, freezer safe container.

Source: The crazy craving dreams of a pregnant woman...me!

Notes: If you want to lighten this recipe and make it a little less rich, you can use 4 cups of heavy cream and 4 cups of half and half. I've tried it both ways. It is still great with the half and half. It is just a little lighter, not quite as rich, and a little less creamy.

Also, I must repeat that it is so important not to create large or thick pieces/swirls of chocolate hazelnut spread. It is so much tastier and easier to serve if you have fine, string-like swirls. The first time I made this, the swirls were very fine and I thought I would try it again with twice as much chocolate hazelnut spread and in much thicker swirls. The problem with this is that the chocolate hazelnut spread hardens as soon as it makes contact with the cold ice cream (it's kind of like the chocolate shells you can get on your soft serve ice cream cone). The result was that I had thick and impenetrable layers of chocolate hazelnut spread and I practically had to use a knife to serve the ice cream! The dainty, fine layers of chocolate hazelnut spread are far preferable for this recipe. If you want more chocolate hazelnut spread, I would suggest drizzling some more on top of your ice cream just prior to serving.

Garden + Ice Cream Maker = True Love

My roommates gave me an ice cream maker for my wedding and ever since then I have been making ice cream non-stop. I lay in bed thinking of new ideas for flavor combinations and I get so excited! The first kind I made was using the fresh mint in our back yard and it was delicious! Mint is of course one of my favorite things. After the mint, I decided to be more creative and I was inspired by my favorite ice cream shop, Jeni's (They always have very creative, gourmet and absolutely delicious flavors). So I made Cucumber Coconut Sorbet and Butternut Squash Ice Cream with Caramel & Candied Pecans. And they were both a success! hooray!!!

Cucumber Coconut Sorbet

I love how cool and refreshing cucumber is. People don't give cucumber enough opportunities as a dessert flavor, but I'm telling you this one is delish! It's light and tasty, with a smooth texture. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers
1 tablespoon honey
1 can light coconut milk
Juice from 1 lime
3/4 cup simple syrup, (recipe below)

Directions:

Blend the cucumbers and honey together in a blender or food processor until the cucumber is almost pureed, but still has some chunks. Refrigerate for 6-24 hours. The honey will draw out the moisture in the cucumbers. Then blend again until smooth, and pour into a fine strainer, pushing out juices and discarding pulp & peel.

Combine the juices with a can of coconut milk, the lime juice, and the simple syrup

Freeze in Ice cream maker for 20-30 minutes or until thick and creamy. YUM!!!

Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand until cool, 30 minutes.

Butternut Squash Ice Cream

The squash has a richer flavor and is more decadent with the caramel and pecans. We had friends over for dinner last night and they were shocked that the secret ingredient was squash. It tastes a little like pumpkin pie, only more mild.

Ingredients:

One medium-sized butternut squash
1 tsp. vanilla
One recipe of your favorite vanilla ice cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2-4 tbsp. brown sugar
One recipe of your favorite candied pecans (or toast pecans in a pan on the stove top while adding enough brown sugar to evenly coat the nuts, remove from heat and cool completely)

Directions:

Start by peeling and cubing one medium sized butternut squash. Boil for 5-10 minutes with a little vanilla in the water.

Using your favorite basic vanilla ice cream recipe, add cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.

Add a cup of the cream mixture in a blender with the butternut squash and puree until smooth. Pour into fine strainer to remove pulp. I would probably strain this twice. I only did it once and the texture was a little too grainy. Mix with remaining ice cream mixture.

Then pour into ice cream machine! and freeze!

Yummy yummy yummy.

Next up, I'm thinking Basil Lime.... I love my garden!

Cupcakes!

(Originally posted on Thursday, July 8, 2010)

On June 30, 2009, my sister got married and we did cupcakes for her reception. It was a hit. My mom went completely overboard and made something like 45 dozen cupcakes (at least 30 different kinds of cupcakes).

I didn't go quite that crazy. I only did 6 kinds of cupcakes for a grand total of 12 dozen.

How did we make so many cupcakes without them spoiling, you ask? Most baked goods are extremely freezer friendly. We baked the cupcakes, labeled them, and froze them in plastic containers. Then, we defrosted them and topped them with the appropriate frostings/toppings the night before.
I meant to post the recipes on June 30th this year...but the date got away from me!
I would like to share 5 of the 6 cupcake recipes that I made (the sixth was a snickerdoodle cupcake that was quite tasty, but nowhere near the same tasty ballpark as the other five cupcakes).

Beware though, unless you have a lot of people to share these with, you are going to eat way more than you should. We had plenty of cupcakes to feed everyone at the wedding...and to spare. We were having cupcakes for Sunday desserts for weeks afterward!

The winning cupcakes were German Chocolate Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Key Lime Pie Cupcakes, White on White Cupcakes, and Chocolate Cupcakes with Penuche Frosting.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 inch size)

1 bar (4 ounces) German's sweet chocolate (I used a bar of Dove chocolate)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

Coconut Pecan Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

To grate the chocolate, break the bar into pieces and drop them, one at a time, through the feed tube of a food processor while it is running (I simply chopped them up or you could use a blender). Or, carefully rub the chocolate bar with a hand-held coarse cheese grater, such as a Microplane (I tried that, and it took forever, hence the chopping). Set the grated chocolate aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, and the grated chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again, if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 19-22 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife and allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack for 15 minutes before frosting.

Prepare the Coconut Pecan Frosting (recipe below).

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Note: Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, unwrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver; for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Ingredients:

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 package (7 ounces, 2 1/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Place the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened and golden brown in color, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool the frosting to room temperature before spreading, 20 minutes.

Notes: I didn't get to personally try these because they got gobbled up at the reception, but I overheard someone say that they were the best German chocolate cupcakes they had ever had.

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain Germain chocolate cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring

3 large eggs

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again, if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely (I piped mine on with a frosting bag and a large frosting tip). Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake server, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped (or white chocolate chips)

4 ounces (half an 8 ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla or peppermint extract

2-2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.

Notes: For the frosting, make it the consistency that you would like. If it is too stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk (or more, if needed). If it is too runny, add more powdered sugar (as much as you feel is needed to make it the right consistency). Also, I opted to use vanilla instead of peppermint flavoring for these cupcakes and they were fantastic.

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 large lime, scrubbed (for 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)

4 large eggs

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

Filling:

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Key Lime Juice

Marshmallow Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcacke cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Prepare the cupcake batter. With a citrus zester or fine grater, zest the lime and reserve 1 teaspoon. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over a strainer into a small bowl; you should have 2 tabspoons. Set aside. 


Separate 3 of the eggs, place the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks in another mixing bowl.

Add the remaining egg, cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring and lime zest and juice to the yolks. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-22 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Increase the oven heat to 450 degrees.

Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before filling.

Meanwhile, prepare filling; Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to release about 1 tablespoon filling into the cupcake. 


Scrape off any excess filling with a rubber spatula. Place the cooled cupcakes nearly side by side on a baking sheet.

Prepare the frosting. The original recipe called for meringue, but I stink at making meringue, so I improvised a marshmallow frosting. The recipe is below. If you're good at meringue follow these instructions. Prepare the meringue: Add the cream of tartar to the reserved egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy, 45 seconds. Add the coconut flavoring and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Continue beating on high, adding 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks (if you pull the beaters from the meringue, the meringue should extend from the beaters in straight stiff peaks). Spoon 2 tablespoons meringue onto the top of each cupcake and swirl to spread it just to the edges with a short metal spatula or spoon. Place the pan in the oven. Bake until the meringue is light nutty brown in color, 5-6 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingers. Serve at once, or allow the cupcakes to cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Note: Store these cupcakes in a cake saver at room temperature for up to 3 days (or longer if you use the marshmallow frosting. If you use the marshmallow frosting, they can be frozen as well).

Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1 jar (7 oz) Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. (16 oz) powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. milk, divided

See note below (to make the frosting with a Key Lime Pie taste)

Directions:

Place butter, marshmallow creme and vanilla in a small bowl; beat on medium speed until well-blended. 


Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended.

Blend in 1 Tbsp. of the milk. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. if necessary for desired spreading consistency.

This recipe makes enough to fill and frost a 2 layer cake.

Notes: I had leftover cupcake filling (the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice mixture), so I added it to the frosting and added more powdered sugar to make sure it was the right consistency. It added just the perfect Key Lime Pie kick to the cupcakes. I wouldn't skip that step because it made the frosting sooooo yummy.

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

White on White Cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 inch size)

1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix

1 cup whole milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

3 large egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)

White chocolate curls

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the white chocolate chips in a medium-size glass mixing bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 50 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a small rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set it aside to cool slightly.

Place the cake mix, milk, oil, egg, egg whites, vanilla, and melted white chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22-24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 17-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Garnish with a white chocolate curl. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Note: Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

White Chocolate Curls:

It's easy to make white chocolate curls if you have a 6-8 ounce bar of white chocolate and a sharp vegetable peeler. Place the white chocolate on a counter at room temperature for 1 hour to soften slightly and let it sit flat side up (the side that has no impressed designs or the name of the chocolate on it). Drag the vegetable peeler across the top of the chocolate bar (I find it easier to pull toward me). The softer the chocolate and the longer you drag the peeler, the bigger the curl. If you work with cool chocolate, you will make white chocolate shavings, which look beautiful mounded up in the center of this cupcake. Curls or shavings--it's a win-win situation.

Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3-4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if you want to make different flavors of buttercream, you can substitute 1 teaspoon almond extract or 1-2 teaspoons coconut flavoring)

Directions:

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add up to 1 tablespoon more milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

Notes: I didn't do the white chocolate curls since I didn't have time. Also, I like a LOT of frosting on my cupcakes and I felt like this recipe didn't make enough frosting for my tastes. I would definitely double the frosting recipe for these cupcakes. Just look at the picture and you will see that there wasn't enough frosting for these. I tried to get creative with having less frosting than desired, but I don't think my efforts were very successful!

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

Chocolate Cupcakes with Penuche Filling

A layer of penuche creates frosted chocolate cupcakes reminiscent of a delicious mini layered cake.

Prep time: 40 minutes

Start to Finish: 2 hr. 10 min.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist chocolate fudge cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling and Garnish:

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 oz grated semisweet baking chocolate, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees for shiny metal pans (or 325 degrees for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms only of 24 regular-size muffin cups with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Pour mixture into medium bowl; refrigerate 30 minutes or more until almost completely cool and the consistency of thick caramel ice cream topping.

Beat powdered sugar into cooled brown sugar mixture on low speed until smooth. If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in more milk (a tablespoon at a time).

Using serrated knife, cut each cupcake horizontally, being careful not to break either half. Place heaping tablespoon of filling onto each cupcake base. Replace rounded cupcake tops. Pipe or spoon remaining frosting onto cupcake tops. Garnish with grated chocolate, if desired. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes: I didn't cut the cupcakes in half. I just put all of the frosting on top. I figured it would just be an unnecessary and messy step. If the brown sugar mixture isn't set up enough before you beat in the powdered sugar, you will end up with more of a glaze...unless you add a whole lot more powdered sugar than the recipe calls for to stiffen it up.

Source: Betty Crocker website.