Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie as a bar cookie...buttery, rich, decadent, easy, and foolproof!  It doesn't get much better than that.

Pecan Pie Bars

Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut up

Filling:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
4 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; cut in 3/4 cup butter thoroughly with a pastry blender until mixture resembles very fine crumbs.  Press mixture evenly into a 9x13 baker sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup butter in a 3 qt. saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring gently.  Remove from heat.  Gradually stir 1 cup of hot mixture into beaten eggs then add to remaining hot mixture.  Stir in pecans and vanilla.  Pour filling over crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until set.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.

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This recipe was shared with me by one of the best cooks I know--my sister-in-law, Christi Wilson.

Christi's Sweet Potato Casserole

My sister-in-law Christi makes the best sweet potato casserole I have ever eaten.  The soufflé-like texture and non-traditional Rice Krispies/pecan topping really send it over the top.

Christi's Sweet Potato Casserole 

4 lbs. (about four large) sweet potatoes

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

3/4 to 1 cup evaporated milk

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

Topping:

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

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Scrub sweet potatoes cutting off woody portions and ends.  Peel, cube, and cook in enough boiling water to cover till tender--about 25-35 minutes.  Alternately, potatoes may be cooked using a pressure cooker.  Link to the website of the method I use provided below.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drain potatoes and mash in a large (I use a 4 qt.) bowl.  Add butter and stir/mash until melted.  Stir in evaporated milk, sugar (to taste), and cinnamon.  Add eggs.  Spread in a 3 or 3.5 qt. ungreased baker.  Mix the topping ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

How to pressure cook sweet potatoes:  https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-sweet-potato/

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My sister-in-law Christi is a fabulous cook.  For as long as I can remember, she has made this sweet potato casserole for my family's Thanksgiving, and we look forward to this tradition each year!

Apple Brickle Dip

Toffee bits in a sweetened cream cheese mixture is the perfect dip for apples!  Apple Brickle Dip is perfect for all your holiday gatherings whether it's a Halloween get-together, a Thanksgiving buffet, or a Christmas or New Year's Eve party.

Apple Brickle Dip

Taste of Home has amazing recipes, and one of them is the Apple Brickle Dip recipe found here:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-brickle-dip

Notes:

*Neufchâtel cheese can be substituted for cream cheese. 

*I use 1 (8 oz.) package of Heath Bits O' Brickle toffee bits.

*I use 3 or 4 medium-sized tart apples like Granny Smiths, cut into wedges or chunks

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Favorite Pot Roast

Once you try this melt-in-your-mouth pot roast recipe (and its gravy), it will be your favorite, too.

Cornstarch for gravy not pictured.

Favorite Pot Roast

1 (10-3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 packet au jus gravy mix
1 (10.5 oz.) can French onion soup, undiluted
1/2 cup of water
1 (3 lb.) boneless rump roast
2 tbsp. of cornstarch for the gravy

In a medium bowl, combine mushroom soup and packets.  Slowly add French onion soup stirring well.  Add water in the same manner.  Put boneless rump roast in a 6 qt. slow cooker.  Pour soup mixture over roast.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until roast reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees.*

Gravy:  When roast is done, remove to a platter and cover with foil.  Transfer 2 1/2 cups of the broth to a medium saucepan and heat on medium until boiling.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp. of cornstarch with just enough cold water to make the mixture a liquid.  Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling broth stirring well.  If gravy becomes too thick, add more broth.  If gravy is too thin, add additional cornstarch/water.  Slice roast and serve with gravy.

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 *Once my roast reaches 170 degrees (around 8 hours), I let it cook another hour or so for extra tenderness.

 If you are sensitive to salt, use lower sodium options for the packet mixes and soups.  

One Rotten Banana Cake

When a friend mentioned that she was making a rotten banana cake, I was intrigued.  I always have an overripe banana or two so was happy when she shared her recipe with me.  This cake is particularly good served warm with coffee or milk.

Water not pictured.

One Rotten Banana Cake

Cream together in a 2 qt. mixing bowl:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large or 2 small ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

Mix together in a separate bowl and then add to the creamed mixture: 

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (to taste)

1/8 tsp. allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour batter into an 8x8 baker sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 20-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let cake cool for 15 minutes.  Combine icing ingredients and spread on warm cake.

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. butter, melted

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. hot water

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I adapted this recipe from the original recipe shared with me by my friend Irene.

Lemon Meringue Pie and Tutorial (Part 1)

Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest make this lemon meringue pie filling tangy and appealing. And when it's poured into a waiting crust and covered with mounds of meringue and baked...it is heavenly.

3 eggs are pictured, but one more egg white will be needed for the meringue, so you need a total of 4 eggs.

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 (9") baked pie shell

Filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. flour
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks (use large eggs)
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice

Meringue:
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. cornstarch
4 egg whites (use large eggs)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar (superfine sugar will give better results)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

From the meringue portion of the ingredient list:  In a small saucepan, combine the water and cornstarch.  Cook over medium heat until thick, translucent, and boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and pour mixture into a small bowl to cool.
 
From the filling portion of the ingredient list:  Separate egg yolks from whites.  Crack an additional egg and separate the yolk from the white discarding the yolk so that you have a total of four egg whites for the meringue and three egg yolks for the filling.  Refrigerate yolks, and set whites aside to warm to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Measure out the rest of the ingredients for the meringue and the pie. (See photos in tutorial.)

 Prepare filling:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium (3 qt.) saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and dash of salt.  Gradually stir in water.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat till thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

Beat egg yolks slightly.  Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks.  Return mixture to saucepan; bring to a gentle boil.  Cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and lemon peel.  Gradually stir in lemon juice, mixing well.  Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of filling to prevent a skin from forming.  Set aside.

 Prepare meringue:  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cream of tartar.  Mix well and set aside.  Whisk the cornstarch mixture (that was prepared earlier) and set aside.  Place the egg whites and vanilla into a scrupulously clean glass or ceramic large mixing bowl.  (I use a 4 qt. bowl.)  With an electric mixer, begin beating slowly until mixture begins to foam; then increase speed to high, and begin gradually adding the sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time until all the sugar is added.  Beat until soft peaks form.  This can take some time.  Decrease the speed to medium; add half of the cornstarch mixture, mixing well.  Repeat with the other half.  Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

Assemble pie:  Remove plastic wrap from the filling and reheat it on medium until it starts boiling again. Whisk it as it boils for about five seconds then pour it into the shell.

Immediately spread the meringue over the filling.  Put a large part of it (about half) in the middle of the pie so that it can start cooking from the underneath, and spread the meringue toward the outside adding more to the perimeter as needed.  Make sure you get it over the crust edges (so it won’t pull away as it bakes).  Add remaining meringue to the center creating a nice, high mound.  Using the back of your spoon, push into the meringue while pulling up to make decorative peaks.  

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.  Cool the pie away from drafts on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour.  Refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours before cutting and serving. Pie is best made and served on the same day.  Store leftovers loosely tented with aluminum foil in the refrigerator. 

Click here for printable format 

Perfect Pie Crust:  http://easyaspiecanbe.blogspot.com/2013/12/perfect-pie-crust-recipe-and-tutorial.html

Lemon Meringue Pie 101:

From the meringue portion of the ingredient list:  In a small saucepan, combine the water and cornstarch.  Cook over medium heat until thick, translucent, and boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and pour mixture into a small bowl to cool:

From the filling portion of the ingredient list:  Separate egg yolks from whites.  Crack an additional egg and separate the yolk from the white discarding the yolk so that you have a total of four egg whites for the meringue and three egg yolks for the filling.  Refrigerate yolks, and set whites aside to warm to room temperature for 30 minutes:

 Measure out the rest of the ingredients for the meringue and the pie:

 Prepare filling:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium (3 qt.) saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and dash of salt.  Gradually stir in water.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat till thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat:

 Beat egg yolks slightly.  Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks.  Return mixture to saucepan; bring to a gentle boil.  Cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and lemon peel:

 Gradually stir in lemon juice, mixing well.  Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of filling to prevent a skin from forming.  Set aside:

  Prepare meringue:  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cream of tartar.  I like to use superfine sugar (pictured here) as it dissolves quicker making your meringue less likely to bead and/or weep.  Mix well.  Place the egg whites and vanilla into a scrupulously clean glass or ceramic large mixing bowl.  (I use a 4 qt. bowl.)  With an electric mixer, begin beating slowly until mixture begins to foam:

Increase speed to high, and begin gradually adding the sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time until all the sugar is added.  Beat until soft peaks form.  This can take some time.  The tips will curl over when this stage is reached:

Decrease the speed to medium; add half of the cornstarch mixture (that was prepared earlier), mixing well.  Repeat with the other half.  Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.  They will be firm, rigid, and glossy.  Set aside:

Assemble pie:  Remove plastic wrap from the filling and reheat it on medium until it starts boiling again. Whisk it as it boils for about five seconds then pour it into the shell.

Immediately spread the meringue over the filling.  Put a large part of it (about half) in the middle of the pie so that it can start cooking from the underneath, and spread the meringue toward the outside adding more to the perimeter as needed:

 



 

Lemon Meringue Pie and Tutorial (Part 2)

Lemon Meringue Pie 101 (Part 2):

Make sure you get the meringue over the crust edges (so it won’t pull away as it bakes).  I forgot to take a photo of the edge before I baked the pie, but here is a photo of the edge after it baked.  You can see that I spread the meringue to the top of the fluting:

Add remaining meringue to the center creating a nice, high mound.  Using the back of your spoon, push into the meringue while pulling up to make decorative peaks:

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.  Cool the pie away from drafts on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour.  Refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours before cutting and serving. Pie is best made and served on the same day.

I've made many lemon meringue pies over the years experimenting with different techniques, as this pie can be a little fussy according to the weather (best made on a day with lower humidity), heat of the filling, meringue stabilizer, and so forth. And for every expert who says to make it one way (hot filling, French meringue), there is another expert saying to make it a different way (cold filling, Italian meringue).  This recipe is a compilation of all the techniques I have found to be the best, and I know they will work for you, too. 

Here is a photo of the interior of the pie 3.5 hours after it baked (would have been even firmer at the recommended 4-hour mark) and also a close-up photo of the meringue edge where you can see that the meringue did not shrink away from the crust nor develop beading.

Enjoy!  :)

Blueberry Buckle

Blueberry Buckle is an old-fashioned, single layer cake loaded with fresh blueberries and topped with a streusel topping.  It makes a great coffee cake or dessert served with ice cream.

Blueberry Buckle

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour + additional flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl (I use a 4 qt. bowl), mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk egg, milk, and melted butter until blended.  Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.  Fold in blueberries.  Pour into a 9-in. square baker sprayed with cooking spray.

For topping, in a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.  Stir in the 1/3 cup of flour adding additional flour until desired crumb texture is reached.  Sprinkle over batter.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Do not overbake.  Serve warm.

Notes:  

*If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.

*Many thanks to Judith Hannemann of The Midnight Baker for blogging her technique of making a true crumb topping!

Blueberry Buckle is a very old dessert that has been in the United States for centuries.  It is popular in New England, and blueberries are the fruit of choice, although it may be made with other fresh fruit such as raspberries and peaches.

Butterfinger Ice Cream

 

Creamy, homemade vanilla ice cream + one of the most-loved candy bars of all time =  the best Butterfinger Ice Cream!

 

    Fun-sized Butterfinger candy bars

Butterfinger Ice Cream

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
10-12 fun-sized Butterfinger candy bars

Whisk all ingredients, except candy bars, in a large bowl until blended.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the refrigerator.  The next day, whisk the mixture again, and freeze according to your ice cream machine's instructions.  While mixture is churning, rough chop the candy bars.  (See photo below.)  Add candy bar pieces after ice cream has churned 20-22 minutes.  Let churn 2-5 minutes more.  When it's finished churning, it will still be in the soft-serve stage and mixture may run over the edge of the machine.  Transfer it to a freezer container.  Place plastic wrap directly on top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals, and then put on the lid.  Freeze overnight, and then serve.  Yield: 1 quart

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Here is a photo of the rough-chopped candy bars.  For a homemade ice cream photo tutorial, click here.

 

Fruit Pizza

My family has a fish fry every summer, and Fruit Pizza has become our traditional dessert for it.  Made from scratch, it's light, cool, and refreshing.  A soft sugar cookie-type crust is topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting, fresh, seasonal fruit, and a sweetened fruit juice glaze. 

A 15 oz. can of mandarin oranges is pictured, but you only need an 11 oz. can.

Fruit Pizza

Crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup Crisco

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 3/4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the butter, Crisco, sugar, and eggs in a 4 qt. bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the cream of tartar, soda, salt, and flour.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture mixing well.  Press the dough into an ungreased half sheet pan (18x13--see link and photo below) pressing it flat across the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned, and then let it cool completely.  The crust will puff while baking and then flatten while cooling leaving raised edges.

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. fruit juice (from canned fruit used for topping)

In a 2 qt. mixing bowl, blend frosting ingredients on medium speed of an electric mixer.  Spread on cooled crust.

Topping:
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice (drain and reserve juice)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges (drain and reserve juice)
1 pound fresh, ripe strawberries, sliced
1/2 pint (1 cup) blueberries
2-3 bananas, sliced (dip in lemon juice before placing on pizza to prevent browning)

Arrange fruit on top of frosting.  I put all the pineapple chunks on first, then the mandarin oranges, and so forth ending with the bananas.

Glaze:
3 tbsp. cornstarch
Remaining fruit juice
Sugar to taste

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with just enough fruit juice to make the mixture a liquid.  Pour the remaining fruit juice into a 2 qt. saucepan; stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Add sugar to taste.  Heat over medium heat to boiling until thick and translucent adding more sugar if desired.  Immediately drizzle over the top of the pizza and refrigerate several hours before serving.

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Note:  I buy my half sheet pans at Sam's Club, but they are readily available online at Amazon and other retailers.  Here is a link to the ones I use: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/half-size-aluminum-sheet-pan-2ct/132731.ip?navAction=

Fruit Pizza 101:  Press the dough into an ungreased half sheet pan pressing it flat across the bottom of the pan:

Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned, and then let it cool completely.  The crust will puff while baking and then flatten while cooling leaving raised edges: 

My mom gave me this Fruit Pizza recipe in 1988, so I have been making it for a long time!  :)  She got it from family friend Debbie Caffey.

Many thanks to my niece Shelby for making the Fruit Pizza for this blog post. ♥

 

Double Berry Custard Pie

What a cool and refreshing way to use summer berries!  Double Berry Custard Pie is a no-bake pie with only 6 ingredients...how easy is that?  

Double Berry Custard Pie

Allrecipes is known for its magazine, website, and apps.  It is a great source for a variety of mouthwatering recipes including Double Berry Custard Pie:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/247242/double-berry-custard-pie/

Notes:

*I have an easy, foolproof graham cracker crust recipe here: http://easyaspiecanbe.blogspot.com/2014/05/graham-cracker-crust-and-tutorial.html

*Baking Tip for Easily Removing a Piece of Crumb-Crust Pie:  Just before serving, rub the outside of the filled pie plate with a warm, damp towel.  This softens the butter in the crust, making it less likely to stick to the pie plate.  To prepare the towel, rinse it in very hot water, then wring it well. 

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I was very honored to have this photo selected by David Venable of QVC for FoodieFoto of the week on June 22, 2016.