Pecan Pie

This year my 14 year old son started asking me for pecan pie. I had never made one before, and it never occurred to me to try. I found a really good one at Thanksgiving, locally made, in the grocery store. It was delicious!

At Christmas time, he asked me for one BUT wanted me to try making one. So I turned to my "church lady" cookbooks for advice (they always have the BEST recipes!).

It is SO easy to make and so delicious! I don't think I will ever buy one again!

Note - I do not make pie crust. I have tried, and Mom tried to teach me, but I never mastered it. Maybe some day? But then store bought ones are so easy and good enough. I buy the rolled ones and put them in my own pie plate.

Pecan Pie

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1/2 tsp butter
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan halves or pieces, slightly toasted
1 unbaked pie shell

Beat together sugar, syrup, eggs, butter, salt and flour. Add vanilla and pecans (you don't have to toast them, but it really is better!). Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake for 35-40 minutes longer. Pie will still be jiggly.

*Do not overbake!

Bread Pudding

This is the most amazing bread pudding I have ever had! And so easy to make - I think it's my new go-to dessert recipe! A friend gave it to me after bringing it to a party a few years ago.

The white chocolate sauce is good, but not good enough IMO to justify the expense of the chocolate. To me it tastes just like the sauce I use on cranberry pudding, so I am going to try that next time. A simple custard would be great, too, and I think it's what my younger kids would choose. So do some experimenting!

Update - we always use the vanilla sauce referenced above, so I have included the recipe below.

Variations:

King Cake Bread Pudding: use a medium king cake of your choice. The cheap grocery ones are fine.

Chocolate Chip: Sprinkle top with chocolate (or other flavor) chips before baking. About 1/2 cup is plenty.

Fruit: Sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 cup fruit before baking.

Bread Pudding:

1 loaf of bread (your choice. We've even used stale hamburger buns.)

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. almond

1-1/2 cups of Sugar

4 cups of milk


1/2 cup butter, melted


cinnamon (optional)



Cut the bread into small pieces, and put it in a deep 9 by 13 baking dish. Mix eggs, vanilla, 

almond, sugar, and milk with a mixer or whisk. Pour over the bread. Melt half stick of 

butter and pour over bread mixture. Press bread into the pan to absorb the liquid.

Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees. Check with a knife and see if

 it is done.



White Chocolate Sauce

1 box white chocolate squares, bakers brand is the best

6 tablespoon of water or your favorite liquid

1 cup of powdered sugar


 Soften the rest of the butter with white chocolate Squares. can be microwave if 

desired stir in powdered sugar. Add water if needed to be thinned (warm water first), to

 thin the mixture. Pour mixture on the top of the bread pudding as it comes out of the 

oven. 

VANILLA CREAM SAUCE

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients. Boil and stir for 5 minutes. Pour evenly over pudding and serve.

Gingerbread Crackle Cookies

These were the best gingerbread cookies I have ever had. The kids missed rolling and cutting, so I bought a roll of premade gingerbread dough for them to do (as well as the sugar cookies we made). These are just too delicious for me to care about rolling and cutting.

Ingredients:

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking soda

·         1- 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

·         1/2 cup vegetable shortening

·         1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

·         1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

·         1/2 cup granulated sugar

·         1/4 cup molasses

·         1 large egg

·         1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar for rolling. I used colored sugar mixed with plain.

Directions

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

·         In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves.

·         Add the shortening, butter and the brown and granulated sugars to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Slip in the molasses and egg and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture by scoopfuls and beat until combined.

·         Add the extra sugar to a small plate or bowl. Roll the dough into balls that are 1 inch in diameter,  then roll in the sugar. Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies 9 to 11 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Cool on the baking sheets for 4 minutes, then continue cooling on wire racks. Repeat with the second batch.

NOTE: the original source said to rotate the pans. I've tried it both ways. The ones not rotated looked a bit browner on the bottom. Enough that I noticed, but not enough to fret over, so try it both ways yourself and decide! I usually do rotate, since I'm standing there anyway. 9 minutes total - 5 then 4.

Notes: These cookies are nice and chewy on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside. They have a wonderfully soft texture from using both shortening and butter. When you bake these cookies your house will smell like Christmas!

If you let the cookies completely cool before removing them, they will stick to the pan.

John's Pancakes and Waffles

The best I have ever tasted. I always say "I need to get this into the blog" and now, I finally am!

Posted by John:

This recipe is copied from Alton Brown with only slight modifications.  I use more sugar than he calls for and also add vanilla. I store the instant mix in the freezer for safekeeping between uses.

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.  Use the mix within 3 months.

"INSTANT" PANCAKES:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above
• 1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
• 2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.

Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. 

Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes 

Mexican Pot Roast

Or we called it Taco Roast. 

1 beef pot roast 
1 onion, sliced 
2 cans Rotel tomatoes 
1/2 can red wine or water 
4 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 Tbsp chili powder 
1 tsp cumin powder 
1 tsp salt

Put everything but the roast in a crock pot and mix well. Add roast and spoon stuff over the top. 

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for longer. 

We shredded it and served it on tortillas with cheese. YUM.

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

my 18-year-old, A., discovered this recipe when he was assigned to bring dessert to a friend's party. I never use canned frosting, so I'm happy to have another keeper to add to my recipe box!

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk (or as needed)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar



Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until completely combined. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk and vanilla one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get really fluffy. Makes 2 cups.

Healthy Fudge Balls

J is on a paleo diet, and I am trying to find recipes for things he can eat. He especially misses sweets right now. I found this recipe and adapted it a little bit. I will continue playing with it but it was good just like this too! Next week I am going to leave out the cocoa and make it a crust for a paleo-friendly fruit pie.

Fudge Balls

1 cup raw walnuts
1-1/3 cups pitted dates (unsweetened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
30-49 drops liquid stevia

Blend all together in a food processor until thick and fairly smooth. Form into small balls with greased hands. Chill. Yum!