Favorite Chocolate Cream Pie

Pin It

This is our new go-to Chocolate Cream Pie. It's rich and creamy because of the sweetened condensed milk, which also gives it a sweet, rich flavor. I could eat it straight from the can, so you know I was all about putting it in this pie! It takes 10 minutes to make, so if you need a last minute dessert for your Christmas table definitely whip this up. Merry Christmas!!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 2⁄3 cups water
• 4 tbsp. cornstarch
• 6 tbsp. cocoa
• 1(14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 (9-inch) baked Oreo crust
• Whipped cream, for serving
• Semi-sweet chocolate, grated, for serving 

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk water, cornstarch and cocoa until smooth. Continue to whisk until thickened and just begins to bubble. 

Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk well. 

In a small bowl, add egg yolks. Add a small amount of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and stir quickly. Then add the egg yolk mixture to the hot saucepan mixture.

Continue to whisk until thickened.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir until butter is melted. 

Pour into the baked crust. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the top of the pie and place in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or until cooled. 

Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Source: Adapted from Food.com

Favorite Banana Cream Pie with a Banana Graham Cracker Crust

Pin It

My wonderful mom's birthday was last week, and we celebrated this past weekend at a winery with my family and a couple of her closest friends. We promised her no party, so that's the closest we could get to celebrating without getting her upset :)

As I've said before, each member of my family is assigned another family member's birthday cake (of their choosing) to make for their birthday celebration. I had my mom this year, and she chose a banana cream pie since that's her favorite dessert. I found this recipe and decided to give the pie a graham cracker crust instead of what the original recipe called for. I added some mashed banana into the crust mixture and it added a hint of banana flavor which was excellent with the creamy, dreamy pie. This is definitely a keeper. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup banana, mashed
• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the pie:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large firm bananas
• 1 cup whipped cream

For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and mashed banana in large bowl to blend. Add melted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. 

Bake crust until set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

For the pie: In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into eggs; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

Remove from heat. Gently stir in butter and vanilla. 

Pour custard into a ceramic or glass dish. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard; refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes.

Spread 1/3 of the custard into pastry shell. Slice bananas; arrange half of them over filling. Pour another 1/3 of the custard offer the banana layer. Arrange remaining banana slices over custard and cover with remaining custard. 

Spread with whipped cream. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Spread with whipped cream then serve immediately. Garnish with extra banana slices, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Key Lime Pie

Pin It

I love that my family started the tradition where the birthday boy/gal gets to pick their birthday cake. My mom used to make a standard cake for each person's birthday, which was great, but it wasn't always what they wanted. And the birthday boy/gal should get what they want on their day, right? So when Chris told me he wanted Key Lime Pie for his birthday instead of a traditional cake, I happily obliged. 

I'm obsessed with these Key Lime Pie Bars, so I used that recipe as the base for this pie. I even made the crust recipe 1.5 times what I usually do since I know Chris loves a graham cracker crust. The pie turned out exactly how I wanted it to and it was done in under 30 minutes. It was sweet, tangy, creamy and decadent. A perfect way to wish my husband a happy birthday. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
• 8 tbsp. butter, melted

Filling:

• 3 cups sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup key lime juice

Garnishes:

• Cool whip
• Lime slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended. Press mixture evenly into and up the sides of a 9" or 9.5" pie plate. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until crust is set. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large bowl mix sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and key lime juice together until well combined.

Pour mixture into the cooked crust. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until tiny pinhole bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from oven immediately. 

Allow pie to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to serving. Garnish with cool whip and lime slices, if desired.

Source: SK Original

Lighter Banana Pudding Pie

Pin It

It's Pie Day! Or PI Day. Here, let me break it down for you:

March 14 = 3-14 = 3.14 = Pi

Get it? I love a good play on words. 

So in honor of Pi Day, I'm sharing a pie version of one of my favorite desserts. Banana pudding is a hit in my household and with my friends, but it gets sort of lame making the same type of dessert over and over again. I decided to switch up this classic into a pie form, and boy did it deliver!

I used the vanilla wafers to make a crust, and then filled it with a layer of bananas, a layer of vanilla pudding and then topped it with Cool Whip. I let it set in the refrigerator for a solid 2 hours to let it firm up, which also made it easier to slice into pieces. So yummy. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups mini vanilla wafers
• 4 tbsp. light butter, melted
• 2 large bananas, sliced
• 3 cups prepared sugar-free vanilla pudding, made with reduced-fat milk
• 2 cups light Cool Whip
• Extra mini vanilla wafers, for decorating (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

In a food processor, blend vanilla wafers to make crumbs. Mix crumbs with melted butter. Press in the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once pie crust is cool, layer banana slices in an even layer on the bottom. Top with vanilla pudding. Spread Cool Whip over top, leaving some of the vanilla pudding showing around the edges. Decorate with extra mini vanilla wafers.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Source: SK Original

Chocolate Pie

Pin It

If you've seen The Help, this pie might sound familiar. I wanted a decadent and super-chocolately pie to bring to my Dad for his birthday, and knew Minnie's cake would be a winner! Pumpkin and Apple Pies are traditional for Thanksgiving, but if you want to switch it up this year Chocolate Pie is the way to go.

Make sure you cover up the crust with aluminum foil halfway through cooking so it doesn't burn. Part of my foil fell off while baking so some of the crust got a little charred, but I just used a knife to scrape off most of those parts. Fail averted! Minnie sure knew what she was doing with this chocolately pie. It's both easy and packed with chocolate. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 packaged pie dough crust, such as Pillsbury
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Ease the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Prick the crust lightly with a fork. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 5 minutes longer, just until the crust is dry but not browned.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the sugar with the cocoa powder and salt. Add the butter and vanilla. Stir in eggs one at a time until combined. Finally, stir in the evaporated milk and stir until smooth.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but a little jiggly in the center. Cover the crust with strips of foil halfway through baking. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely before cutting into wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

MAKE AHEAD: The chocolate pie can be refrigerated overnight.

Source: Food and Wine

Pumpkin Hand Pies

Pin It

The dessert portion of holiday dinners is something I always look forward to. There is always a vast assortment on hand and I love trying new things. Mini or personalized desserts are always my favorite, so I decided to try out a smaller version of one of my fall favorites: Pumpkin Pie. These would be a perfect addition for both Halloween and Thanksgiving!

Mini hand pies are individualized versions of the larger pie. The taste stays the same, but everyone feels a little more special from having their own personal dessert. I even chose to cut jack-o-lantern faces into half of the hand pies I made for a more festive feel. The traditional version is great for adults, but I know kids would get a kick out of a more playful display. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• Cinnamon
• Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. 

Roll out one of the pie crusts using a rolling pin. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter, cut out circles. Take the leftover dough and roll into a ball. Use rolling pin to roll out the leftover dough. Cut out as many additional circles as you can. Repeat with other pie crust.

Place half of the circles on the baking sheets. Scoop a heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture into the center of those circles. Place the remaining circles on top of the circles with the filling. Press down edges and seal by pressing the prongs of a fork around the edges. Pierce four slits on the top of each pie to allow steam to escape. (You can also cut a jack-o-lantern shape into the top circles prior to placing them on top--perfect for Halloween!)

Whisk egg. Brush tops of each pie with egg. Sprinkle a small amount of both cinnamon and sugar over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature and store in an air-tight container.

Source: SK Original

Mini Banana Cream Pies

Pin It

My mom's birthday is May 13th, so it always falls right around Mother's Day. Since we all normally get together on Mother's Day, she always insists we just celebrate the two holidays together. I don't think that's fair for her, but she says she's fine with doing it that way. And it's her day, so I don't argue!

I always like to make special treats for a birthday whenever I can, so I made my mom these Mini Banana Cream Pies since her birthday fell the day after Mother's Day this year. It was important to me that she had something to "cut" on her actual birthday, so I decided to make mini pies since it was only her and my Dad who would be eating them. The graham cracker crust and banana slices added great texture to the pie, and the cream was thick and just sweet enough. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 16 oz. 2% milk
• 1 cup water
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large firm banana

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

 

Combine the cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto the bottom and up the sides of four 5-in. pie plates. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

 

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until it begins to simmer. Lower the heat so the milk does not curdle, and continue to cook, stirring often, until reduced about 1/4 (you should have 12 oz. after it has reduced).

 

In another saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the reduced milk and water and heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

 

Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks. Pour egg yolks into saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla.

 

Transfer custard to a heatproof bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard; cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream.

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Mini Peach Cobblers

Pin It

Today's scrumptious SRC recipe comes from Allison over at Alli-n-Sons. Alli is a mom of two young boys, and her blog depicts their life, the fun times they have and some of the struggles she goes through. Being pregnant for the first time with a son due in September, it's very comforting reading so candidly about the trials, tribulations and fun moments she has with her boys. I'm happy to take all the tips and advice I can get!

Our air conditioning recently broke, so I knew right away I wanted to make something that was both refreshing, and would take minimal effort. The less time the oven had to be on, the better. I loved these peach cobblers. They were slightly sweet with surprise chunks of peaches hidden throughout. Coupled with a dollop of ice-cream, they made an evening treat that was very refreshing in our scolding house. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• Dash of salt
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat milk
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• 8 oz. frozen peaches, thawed and diced
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Put 1/2 teaspoon of melted butter into each regular size muffin tin. 

With a wooden spoon stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and milk. 

Put 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin tin.

Add 1 tablespoon diced peaches on top of the batter. 

Sprinkle with brown sugar and then cinnamon. 

Bake for 22 minutes or until the tops are set and golden brown.

Let them cool almost completely before taking out of pan. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges then just lift them out. Place on a cooling rack upside down until fully cooled. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Store in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from Alli 'n' Sons

Boston Cream Pie

Pin It

Okay, I won't lie to you. This definitely isn't the easiest thing in the world to make. You have to melt, fold, boil, beat, whisk. Pretty much every sort of baker definition in the book is used in this recipe. If you can get past the baker jargon and have a few hours to spare, this is well worth the wait.

Sponge cake is so light and airy and the pastry cream is amazing. It's thick and creamy and sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. The chocolate that is drizzled on top is just the icing on the cake (literally). So even though this might make your kitchen a disaster, the end result is well worth the wait and effort. Whoever you are making it for will appreciate it, too. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Pastry Cream:

• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/8 cup  all-purpose flour
• Scant 3 tablespoons  cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups reduced-fat milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Sponge Cake:

• 5 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain cake flour
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. reduced-fat milk
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Chocolate Glaze:

• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks. In another bowl, sift or whisk the flour and cornstarch together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. Pour the milk slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (Strain if necessary.) Then place the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, continue to whisk constantly for another minute or so until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let the cream cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. 

Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and line the bottoms of two-8 inch (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. While the eggs are still cold separate three of the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks, add the two remaining eggs. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan, over low heat, and warm until the butter melts. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the whole eggs and yolks and 1/2 cup (100 grams) of sugar on high speed until they are thick and fluffy (3-5 minutes) (when you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon). Beat in the vanilla extract. In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the egg whites at low speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until soft, moist peaks form. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites folding just until incorporated. Sift half of the flour mixture over the top of the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold in. Make a well in the center of the batter and pour the melted butter/milk mixture into the bowl. Gently but thoroughly fold the butter mixture into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until light brown and springy to the touch. (A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Immediately run a spatula around the inside of the pans and then invert the cakes onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and re-invert. Cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze: Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and butter just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and gently stir until chocolate has melted. Set aside until it has thickened to pouring consistency.

Assemble: Place one cake layer on your serving plate, bottom side facing up. Spoon the pastry cream onto the cake, spreading to make an even layer. Place the second cake layer (top side up) onto the filling. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and, using an offset spatula, spread the glaze to the edges of the cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides. Let the cake sit until the glaze sets, about one hour. This cake is best eaten the same day it is made. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 8-10.

Source: Adapted from Joy of Baking

Apple Pie Cookies

Pin It

In addition to my beloved Roasted Red Peppers recipe I posted on Wednesday, from now until Turkey Day I'll be starting to feature a bunch more Thanksgiving-themed recipes to help with your dinner menu. I'm sure we all have our go-to recipes in place, but I'll offer a few different options in case you want to switch it up. And these Apple Pie Cookies are a great start. How cute, right?

I know most of us serve pies at our Thanksgiving table, but maybe this year you should give these a go. Individual "pies" in the form of cookies are so much easier to share. Plus everyone will feel special having their own personal Thanksgiving treat. You can also pop a lollipop stick in between the pieces of dough before sealing to make Apple Pie Pops! Kids will love those. Especially if they are served warm with some ice cream on top. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup very cold water

Filling/Assembly

• 2-3 medium baking apples
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Pinch fresh nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• Sanding sugar (optional)

To make the pie dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low just to combine. Add the butter and beat on low speed to cut it into the dry ingredients - the pieces of butter should be no bigger than small peas when you're finished. Add the water to the mixer and mix on low just until the dough starts to come together and there are no more dry bits in the bowl. Turn out onto your work surface and shape the dough into a ball. Divide in half, shape each half into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove one disc of dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick (the shape doesn't matter). Use a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut as many shapes as possible from the dough. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheets and pop in the refrigerator while you repeat the process with the second disc of dough. Refrigerate all of the rounds until you finish prepping the apples.

Peel the apples. Starting from one outside edge, cut thin (1/8 to 1/4-inch) slices from the apple until you reach the core in the center. Repeat starting on the opposite outside edge. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut small discs from the apple slices. Add the apple discs to a bowl and top with the lemon juice, tossing to coat (this stops them from browning as quickly). In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

To assemble the cookies: Brush one side of a round of dough with water (this helps seal the cookies). Grab one apple disc, and coat it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place it on the dough round and top with a second round of dough. Press the edges to seal, then use a fork to crimp the edges. Repeat using the remaining dough rounds and apple discs.

Make egg wash by beating the egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush each of your apple pie cookies with the egg wash, then sprinkle them with the sanding sugar, if you're using it. Use a paring knife to cut slits in the tops of the cookies.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and golden brown. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to allow the cookies to cool (that said, these are great warm so feel free to dig in as soon as they're cool enough that you won't burn your mouth!).

Source: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Key Lime Pie Bars

Pin It

Geez Louise. These are somethin' else.

I was never much of a Key Lime Pie fan. I think it's because my parents grew up in New York and favored chocolate cream pies or fresh Italian cookies or cheesecake. They didn't have these "exotic" types of fruit lying around, so they never really had a chance to experience anything else. So when they moved to Virginia, they stuck with what they knew and passed it along to us.

Chris' family, however, lived in Miami for many years so it's no surprise they would be huge fans of Key Lime Pie. I'm sure using fresh limes when they were in season made this pie amazing. I re-tasted it when Chris and I started dating four years ago, and I haven't turned back since.

Chris' dad recently celebrated his birthday and I made these Key Lime Bars for him to snack on. Although we usually go with the pie version, I thought these bars were super cute and could easily be shared among a group of people. This was easily the best tasting Key Lime treat I've ever had--pie or not. I don't know if it's the amount of sweetened condensed milk that was used or the fact that the crust was homemade, but boy was it delicious. Thick and creamy and so refreshing. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 2/3 of a sleeve)
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; add butter and blend well. Line a 9-inch pan with aluminum foil. Press cruss onto the bottom of the lined pan. Bake for 8 minutes; cool on wire rack.

For the filling:

• 3 cups sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 3/4 cup key lime juice
• 1 tbsp. grated lime zest

In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix well and pour onto graham cracker crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Allow to cool to room temperature. Chill pie thoroughly before serving (at least 3 hours). Cut into 16 bars; garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Source: Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Grasshopper Cheesecake

Pin It

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with something green? Here's something sweet to wash down with all that green beer you'll be drinking tomorrow.

 

Grasshopper cake is made with crème de menthe, which is just a mint flavored liquor. This cheesecake version is a little different than the traditional cake version, but anything that includes cheesecake is a winner in my book. The cake is really light and creamy with a subtle minty flavor. There's not even a crust that you have to make beforehand, so that makes this quick and even healthier in my opinion. Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Original Bisquick® mix
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup green crème de menthe
• 3 eggs
• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Topping

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup milk chocolate
• Splash of milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat all cheesecake ingredients except chocolate chips with electric mixer on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pie plate.

Bake about 35 minutes or until center is firm and puffed. Cool 45 minutes (cheesecake top will be cracked).

In 1-quart saucepan, heat topping ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth; remove from heat. Carefully spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until chilled. Store covered in refrigerator.

 

Source: Betty Crocker; Topping: SK Original

Guest Post: Better Than Apple Pie

Pin It

Here's a special Thanksgiving post from my lovely mother. Have a wonderful holiday!

Hi, I'm Andrea, Amy's Mom. I am so proud of her blog and happy that she inherited my love of cooking. I must admit, though, she is more adventuous than I am. After apple picking, I found myself with lots of apples and only one pie crust. I remembered I had this recipe somewhere, and after some searching, found it in my "recipe file." This is a great rustic pie and although it's not the best looking dessert, the smell and taste are amazing!

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. sugar 
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Prepare crust as directed on package. Place on foil lined baking sheet, pressing out any folds or creases.

Mix 3/4 cup sugar, corn starch and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add apples and toss to coat well.  Spoon into center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edges. Dot with butter. Bring crust over applesto form a border of about 2 inches, pleating or folding crust as needed.

Brush edge of crust with egg white; sprinkle with 1 tsp. sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Source: My Mom

Apple Pie

Pin It                           

The other week when we were limbo-ing, uhhh, apple picking, one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind was homemade apple pie. It's an essential this time of year and topped with a little ice cream makes the perfect fall dessert. I was going to try to steer clear of any traditional apple recipes and only try new ones, but there's just no escaping homemade apple pie. It's too delicious to deny making it.

The first time I made apple pie, I didn't really know what to expect. Something so delicious must be super difficult to make, right? I was ready for the challenge, but soon realized it was going to be a lot easier than I thought. Who knew that the filling of an apple pie was basically five ingredients? Not I! The hardest or most tedious part is peeling and slicing the apples, so if you can get through that it's smooth sailings! You should use my simple two-crust pie recipe and try this one out :)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• Pastry for Two-Crust Pie
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Dash of salt
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (6 medium)
• 2 tbsp. firm butter or margarine (optional)
• 2 tsp. water
• 1 tbsp. sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pastry.

In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Stir in apples. Spoon into a pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over apples. Cover with top pastry. Seal and flute. Cut slits for ventilation.

Brush top crust with 2 tsp. water; sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar. Cover edge with a 2-3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 40 to 50 minuets or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in crust. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours.

Source: Betty Crocker Bonus Edition Cookbook

Pastry for Pies and Tarts

Pin It

Store bought pie dough just doesn't compare to homemade dough. Homemade dough becomes flaky and buttery after baking, unlike store dough which gets crumbly. This might take a lot more time and effort, but it is well worth it in my opinion. 

And Crisco, by the way...do you know of this stuff? It can be used to get gum out of your hair (I may or may not have prior experience with this), fix a squeaky door hinge, and makes the best fried chicken ever (according to Minny in The Help). Well, it also makes amazing pie dough. If you get it on your hands, it's a pain in the butt to get off, but I think that's what helps make this dough so desirable. The oily/buttery/sticky texture of it does wonders. Enjoy!

Mix the dough until the particles are the size of small peas.

Add water, a little at a time, until the dough sticks together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Form into a ball...

or divide into two balls if creating a two-crust pie.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes.

Roll out the dough...

Fold or roll up the dough and then unroll it onto the pie plate. (If doing a two-crust pie, you will fill the pie crust, fill it, and then roll out the other piece of dough on top.)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients


One-Crust Pie (9-inch):

• 1 cup all-purpose or unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. shortening
• 2-3 tbsp cold water

Two-Crust Pie (9-inch):

• 2 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. shortening
• 4-6 tbsp. cold water

In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing with fork until all the flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 tsp. more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface (for Two-Crust Pie, divide pastry in half and shape into 2 rounds). Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

Roll pastry on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch pie place or 3 inches longer than 10- or 11-inch tart pan. Fold pastry into fourths and place in pie plate; or roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate. Unfold or unroll pastry and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked.

From here, prepare dough as directed on pie or tart directions. You may need to partially bake or fully bake before adding the filling. For Two-Crust pie, fold top pastry over top of filled pie and cut slits so steam can escape. Press rim to seal.

Bake as directed on pie or tart recipe.


Source: Betty Crocker Bonus Edition Cookbook