Apple Crisp Pie

I don't usually make pie. Not because I don't like it, I am just not very good at it. But this recipe has given me new hope! I LOVE this pie, it is probably the only one I will ever make again, it is that good! I can't for the life of me remember where I got the recipe, so please forgive me for not giving credit where credit is due, especially with such an amazing recipe! 

Apple Crisp Pie

(makes one pie)

1 homemade or store bought pie crust (I use this recipe)

5 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (my fav is honey crisp)

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3 T flour

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375.  Fit pie crust into the pie plate.  

In a large bowl, gently mix sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Once it is blended well, pour into the pie crust.

Prepare topping by mixing all the ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl with a pastry cutter or a fork until coarsely crumbled and all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture in the prepared pie crust.

Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. (If your crust starts to get too brown, cover just the crust with foil and continue baking.  The pie will be bubbly around the edges when it is done.  Let the pie cool (if you can).  It will set up as it cools! Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you so desire, but why wouldn't you?!?

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust

Ok, so don't hate me but I am NOT a huge fan of pumpkin pie.  It's a texture thing.  However, I do LOVE pumpkin in almost everything else.  So when I came across this Pumpkin Cheesecake over at Our Best Bites, I was slightly giddy!  Besides, I had a great friend here over Thanksgiving who was willing to help me out in all my cooking endeavors (thanks Jen!  You are the best!).  This is my new favorite pumpkin dessert!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust

Crust:

1 3/4 cup gingersnap crumbs (about 30 small cookies)

6 T butter, melted

3 T brown sugar

3/4 cup ground pecans

Filling:

3 - 8oz blocks of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

6 oz melted white chocolate (about 1 cup white chocolate chips)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 t vanilla

1/4 t nutmeg

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t cloves

Topping:

- fresh whipped cream

- toasted pecans

-caramel sauce, either homemade or store bought

Preheat oven to 350.  Using 2 large pieces of heavy duty foil, securely wrap the bottom and outside of your cheesecake pan.  This will prevent leaks when using a water bath.

For the crust:

Using a food processor, crush the gingersnaps.  Next do the pecans.  Combine these together in a bowl and add brown sugar and butter.  Stir well and then press into a 9 inch spring form pan.  Evenly spread across the bottom and up 1 inch on the sides. Set aside.

For the filling:

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave, being careful not to let it seize.  In a double boiler, heat over the lowest setting and stir constantly.  In a microwave, heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.  Set aside.  

With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Next add the pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

With the mixer running, slowly add the white chocolate in steady globs.  Once this is all incorporated, pour the mixture over the crust.

For the water bath:

Place the cheesecake pan inside a larger pan, like a roasting pan.  The larger pan should be at least 2-3 inches in depth.  Place in a preheated oven .  With a kettle or pitcher, pour hot water into the larger pan until the water is half way up the side of the cheesecake pan (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches).  

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until set.  The center should be just a tad bit jiggly, it will finish cooking as it cools.

When it is done, remove from the water and cool completely on a wire rack.  Once it is cool refrigerate for at least 12 hours.  This cheesecake is very soft, so sufficient chilling is a must!

When ready to serve spread the fresh whipped cream over the top, drizzle with caramel and top with pecans.

PW's Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is my husband's favorite pie.  So, of course, I had to make one for Thanksgiving!  I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman, she never lets me down (especially when it comes to dessert!)  And I have to say, it was mighty tasty!  I did add chocolate chips because, lets be honest, you can't go wrong with pecans and chocolate!

PW's Pecan Pie

1 whole unbaked pie crust (I used the recipe below)*

1 cup sugar

3 T brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1 cup light corn syrup

3/4 t vanilla

1/3 cup melted butter

3 whole eggs, beaten

1 heaping cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make your pie crust (recipe below) and set aside. Next, mix your sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs and vanilla all together in a bowl.  Pour chopped pecans and chocolate chips into the unbaked pie crust.  Pour the syrup mixture over the nuts and chocolate chips. Cover the top and crust of the pie lightly with foil.  Bake the pie at 350 for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking for 20 more minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.  The pie should NOT be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven.  If it shakes a lot, cover with the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes (checking the pie every few minutes) or until it is set.  Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

*Pie Crust

(adapted from Bon Appetite)

1 1/4 cups flour

1 t sugar

1/8 t salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 T ice water (or more)

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter, rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles course meal.  Add 3 T ice water and toss with a fork until moist clumps form, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.  Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface until about 12 inches across.  Gently settle into a 9 inch pie pan, being careful not to stretch the dough (this will cause your pie crust to shrink when it bakes).  Fold overhang under and crimp edges.

Lion House Rolls and Honey Butter

I have always heard that Lion House Rolls were the bee's knees, so I figured I would see for myself. Now, I have never tasted a bee's knee but these rolls were super yummy and when you put honey butter on them, lets just say they turn magical! So next time you want to impress someone, bring out the big guns and whip up a batch of these.

Lion House Rolls

(18 BIG rolls)

2 cups warm water

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)

2 T yeast

1/4 cup sugar

2 t salt

1/3 cup butter, softened, but not melted

1 egg

5 to 6 cups flour

In a large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder. Stir until the milk dissolves. Add the yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low until the ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add 2 more cups of flour, mixing on low speed, then for 2 minutes on medium. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until the dough is soft, not overly sticky, and not too stiff. (You may not need to use all the flour.)

Coat a clean bowl with oil and place dough in it to rise. Turn the dough over in the bowl so the dough is coated (this will prevent the dough from drying out). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until double in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and flip the dough once to flour both sides. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 18 inches long and about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the dough with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough in half length wise so you have two very long strips each about 4 inches wide. Cut the strips every 2 inches to make 18 pieces of dough.

Starting with the short end, roll up one piece of dough with the butter on the inside. Place the roll on a parchment lined pan seam side down. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all the rolls face the same direction on the pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double. Bake rolls at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the tops of hot rolls with melted butter.

Honey Butter

(1 cup)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 cup honey

Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and honey gradually. Beat for 10-20 minutes or until whipped and light.

Chocolate Chip Pie

Also known as Heaven on Earth! My mom made this growing up and I have always loved it! What could be better than a big gooey chocolate chip cookie baked into a pie crust?! Nothing, nothing at all!

Chocolate Chip Pie

2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup melted and cooled butter
6 oz chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
9 in pie shell

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs until foamy. Beat in flour and sugars, then butter. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into pie shell and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Yams {the BEST}

Here is another of our !Must Haves! for Thanksgiving. This is another one from my sister-in-law. This is really more like dessert than a side dish but I still claim it as part of dinner so I can stuff my face with dessert later and not feel guilty!

Yams

5 cups cooked and mashed yams (about 4 large)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 T flour
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
5-6 T butter

Whip together yams, 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar and 4 eggs. Put into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt 5-6 T butter and add flour, walnuts, and brown sugar. Sprinkle on top of yams. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cranberry - Orange Sauce

A friend of mine requested this recipe. This is a must at Thanksgiving for us. But I didn't want to wait because I thought some might want to take a stab at this for their holiday. I got this recipe from my sister in law and would not do Thanksgiving without it (or left-overs for that matter)!

Cranberry - Orange Sauce

1 pkg fresh cranberries
1 orange (peel and all)
1 apple, cored
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Combine cranberries, orange and peel, and apple in a food processor or blender. Blend until no more chunks. Add sugar and nuts and stir until all mixed together.

Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I do love pumpkin. So, when I saw these over at Our Best Bites, I couldn't resist. And they totally did not disappoint. I loved them, especially right out of the oven! So whether you love pumpkin pie or don't, these are sure to please. Try something new for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars

1 box yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping*

Preheat oven to 350.Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it's in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.

Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you're putting on.

Here's why:
Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You'll have 3 distinct layers now: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you'll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top. That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden.