Chocolate Silk Pie

This recipe is modified from the Pioneer Woman's "Mocha Silk Pie". (Photo from pioneer woman as well) So Yummy! It was hand's down everyone's favorite of my Thanksgiving meal!

• 2 sticks Butter (salted)
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 4 ounces Semi-sweet (or Bittersweet) Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 whole Large Eggs

In small microwave safe bowl, melt 4 ounces of chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.
In the bowl of your mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment), beat butter and sugar, until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it into the butter/sugar mixture as it beats on medium speed; use a rubber spatula to get it all out. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined, scraping the sides if necessary.
On medium speed, add the four eggs, one at a time, over a period of 20 minutes; leave about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Scrape sides of bowl halfway through this process. Pour filling into the pie crust. (I used a store bought graham cracker crust because I was feeling lazy...you can make your own our use an oreo crust, whatever works for you!)
Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (preferably longer).
Serve with whipped cream and more grated chocolate.

**Note: this recipe, you might have noted, contains raw eggs. If this gives you pause, then don't make it. :) But, have you ever eaten raw cookie dough?

Pumpkin Spice Whoppies with Creamy Marshmallow Spice Filling

1 C. Canned Pumpkin
1/3 C. Butter, Soft
1 Pkg Spice Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Milk
1 Recipe Marshmallow-Spice Filling

Preheat oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (grease foil). In a large mixing bowl beat pumpkin and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs and milk; beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for 1 minute.

Using a 1 T cookie scoop or by the heaping tablespoon, drop mounds of batter 3" apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Carefully remove from parchment or foil; cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, lining cooled cookie sheets with new paper as needed. You can make cookies ahead of time and store them at room temperature for 24 hours. Prepare Marshmallow-Spice Filling, can make ahead of time and store in a bowl in the refrigerator. Spread about 2-3 T filling on the flat side of one cookie; top with second cookie. Repeat. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours. Serves 15-18

Creamy Marshmallow Spice Filling
1/2 C. Butter, soft
1 8oz Cream Cheese
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 of a 7 oz jar of Marshmallow Cream
2 t. Vanilla
1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg

Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add powdered sugar, marshmallow cream, vanilla and spices. Beat well until combined.

Broccoli Soup

1 Bunch Broccoli
4 Chicken Bouillon
1 Chopped Onion
2 Cups Water

Boil until tender.

3/4 sq. Margarine
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Cups Milk
2 Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Make white sauce; add cheese. Add broccoli mixture.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

3 eggs, divided

1 1/3 cup sugar, divided

1 1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup oil

1 can pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Combine 2 eggs, one cup sugar, oil and pumpkin in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat mixture at medium speed for 5 min, scrape down sides of bowl and add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, blend together cream cheese, remaining egg, and sugar. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared muffin tin ( I used decorative paper liners), filling 2/3 full. Place a heaping tablespoon of cream filling in the center of each muffin. Sprinkle with one teaspoon topping mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Make 1 1/2 dozen.

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Combine all ingredients with a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Pioneer Woman's Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Syrup

Ingredients

* 5 whole To 6 Whole Fresh Peaches (best When Not Overly Ripe Or Soft)
* 1 cup Flour
* ½ cups Sugar
* ½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
* ½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
* ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 1 stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
* ½ whole Lemon
* 7 Tablespoons Real Maple Syrup, Divided
* 1-½ cup Whipping Cream
* 3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

Preparation Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fork or pastry cutter. Cut butter into small pieces and gradually add to flour mixture until evenly mixed.

Peel peaches into a bowl. Add the zest from half a lemon. Squeeze juice from lemon half and stir in with peaches and zest. Add 2 tablespoons real maple syrup to peaches, stir well.

Pour peach mixture into a small pan (8” or 9” square) and cover evenly with crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until crisp and brown on top.

Maple Cream Sauce:

Pour whipping cream into a saucepan. Add 5 tablespoons real maple syrup, 3 tablespoons corn syrup and stir over moderate heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third, approximately 15 minutes. Refrigerate mixture until it is cold and thick, or set the saucepan into a small bowl of ice (the ice will melt and turn into ice water). Stirring your mixture, it will cool and thicken in about 15 minutes. Drizzle sauce over peach crisp. Serve warm.

Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

* 2 whole Granny Smith Apples
* 2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
* 2 sticks Butter
* 1-½ cup Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* Cinnamon, To Taste
* 1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Bruce's Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

1 Can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cup eggnog
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

Combine pumpkin, eggnog, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 60 - 65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Refrigerate until serving.

BANANA NUT SHEET CAKE

Cream:

1 Cup Sugar

½ Cup Butter or Margarine

2 Eggs

1 Cup Buttermilk (substitute = mix 1 Tbsp Vinegar with approximately 1 Cup Milk)

1 Cup Chopped Nuts (suggestion = Pecans)

Add:

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Vanilla

2 ½ Regular-Sized Bananas, Mashed

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9”x13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Another option is to pour mixture into a sheet cake pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Check cake consistency with a toothpick.

FROSTING

Boil over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly:

½ Cup Butter or Margarine

1 Cup Brown Sugar

Stir in ¼ Cup Milk.

Continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Cool mixture to lukewarm temperature. Add 1 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar. Beat until mixture has a consistency that will be easy to spread (hot water may be added to thin frosting).

BUTTERMILK PANCAKE SYRUP

BUTTERMILK PANCAKE SYRUP

1 cube butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla or maple flavoring

Bring butter, sugar, buttermilk and soda to a boil. Boil one minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla or maple flavoring.

Mini Gingersnap

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cup shortening
3 cups sugar
¾ cup molasses (I use full flavor)
3 eggs
6 cups flour
1 ½ tsp salt
2 T soda
2 tsp ginger
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt shortening in a 3 - 4 quart saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Add sugar, molasses, and egg. Beat well. Sift together flour, soda, and spices. Add to first mixture. Mix well; chill. Form into 1/2" balls and place on a greased cookie sheet 1" apart. If you would like a little sparkle to your cookie, roll in sugar OR top each cookie with a bit of raw sugar before baking. Flatten with the bottom of a glass and bake for 8 - 10 minutes (surface should just begin to show cracks). DO not over bake. These are not crispy cookies. They should be soft and chewy.

use with Gingersnap dip

Gingersnap Dip

Ingredients:

1-8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp vanilla extract
1-8 oz carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Method:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Beat in whipped topping until blended. Refrigerate until serving.

serve with mini gingersnaps

Baked Cheesy Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
4 oz. chopped green chilies
Green onion
1 c. chopped ham
1/2 pound chopped bacon
1 round bread loaf, hollowed out

Method:

Mix first seven ingredients together and put into the hollowed out bread loaf. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for one hour. Serve with leftover bread or chips.

Bajio Chicken

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.

If you want it spicer rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

Chili Cheese Frito Salad

3 (14 oz.) cans of corn, drained
1/4 of a red pepper, diced
1/4 green pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 (9 1/4 oz) bag of chili cheese fritos

Combine corn, peppers,onion, cheese, and mayo in a bowl. Refridgerate until ready to serve. Just before serving mix in the fritos. Save a handful to sprinkle on the top.

Lion House Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients:

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla


Beat cream cheese, sugar, salt and spices until fluffy. Add eggs. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Makes 1 pie.