Pumpkin Parfaits

Okay so October is almost here and I guess that means I should start planning my Thanksgiving meal, I mean after all I only have 21 people coming to dinner that day.  I tried this recipe out on my parents and hubbie a couple months ago and they voted it a keeper.  Looks like I have made a start...this will make its way to my Thanksgiving table.

Pumpkin Parfaits

12 Biscoff Cookies, crushed into crumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp.nutmeg

1 large tub (12 oz) whipped topping, thawed, divided

Directions:

1.       In a medium bowl, combine Biscoff cookie crumbs and butter.  Divide the crumbs into the bottoms of your trifle glasses.  Gently press crumbs to form an even layer crust.

2.      In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add pumpkin, vamilla, sugar , brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Beat until well combined and creamy.

3.      Use a spatula to fold in half of the whipped topping.  Gently combine ingredients until no streaks remain.

4.      To assemble the trifles:  Pipe or spoon a layer of pumpkin cheese onto the Biscoff crust followed by a layer of whipped topping.  Repeat layers until your trifle reaches the top of the glass or jar.

5.      Store trifles in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  If desired, garnish with cookie crumbs.

 

 

Champagne Salad

My neighbor across the street is a very talented lady. She keeps her yard nicely manicured, she decorates for every season, she makes the neatest crafts and come to find out, she is a great cook too. She came over yesterday to check on our bathroom repair that her husband is helping us do and she mentioned that she was trying a new recipe called "Champagne Salad". Well with a name like that... I had to know more. "What's that?" I asked. So she told me all the good stuff that went in it and all the time I was thinking I need that recipe. The men were at a stopping point and decided to take a break to let the adhesive dry. So she and her husband went home for most of the afternoon. When he returned I asked him if his wife had made the salad yet and his eyes widened and a smile lit up his face and he said, Yeah, it is really good. Hmmm... just what I needed to hear. Now I knew I needed that recipe and I told him so. A couple hours later my phone rang and it was my salad making neighbor asking me to come over and get the recipe and some salad to boot. Yipeee. And he was right... this stuff is GOOD. Try some.

Champagne Salad

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries with juice, thawed
• 3 bananas, sliced (cover with pineapple juice till ready to use)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the pineapple, whipped topping and strawberries and mix well with a mixer. Stir in bananas and walnuts with a spoon.
2. Pour into a 9x13 dish. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Cut into squares to serve. Return unused portion to freezer.
   

Strawberry Pie

I made this about a month ago and I've just been to dadgum lazy to post this recipe. So, I've decided to turn over a new leaf today and actually post some things on my blog. This is worth trying if you love strawberries. (Let it be noted that Billy Head turned his nose up at the thought of Strawberry Pie..... but once he tasted it.... well.....let's just say it didn't last long....What a Billy Head!!! He hasn't quite learned not to judge a pie by it's name)


1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries


Directions: Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled. Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the crust. Pour gelatin mixture over berries. Refrigerate until set.

Sweets for my "Sweetie"

I have no excuse why I haven't posted anything lately. I blame it on pure laziness and maybe a little blame goes to Facebook. My new addiction. It's the best thing since homemade soap. I am amazed that there are only 10 or 11 people from my graduating class listed. C'mon people, get with it! You don't know what you are missing. It's so fun finding out what people have been up to for the past 28 years. Especially if they are like me and stay clear of class reunions. Now, back to my blog, my poor neglected blog.

Billy Head is the type of eater that can eat a full course meal and as he settles in for the night in front of the T.V asks "What do we have sweet?". Well, I try, really I do, when I grocery shop to find something sweet for him. But none of that pre-packaged stuff looks good to me at the store. So I asked him, "what do you eat from the store that is sweet?" His reply, "Mike and Ikes, Hot Tamales, and Almond Joys" Okay, say it with me..... YUCK!

I have decided to cater to my little "Love Muffin" and bake him some real sweets this weekend. On my agenda are the following:

German Chocolate Upside Down Cake

1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package German chocolate cake mix
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 lb. box confectioners’ sugar

Grease and flour a 9x13x2” baking pan. Put coconut and pecans in the bottom of the pan. Prepare cake mix according to directions on box. Pour over nuts and coconut. Combine cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar; drop by spoonfuls on top of cake. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.


And if he's nice to me, I may make some Lemon Bars- Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.

The Best Lemon Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 lemons, juiced (or about 6 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool.

For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a check board fashion.

The Dreaded Green Cookbook

Many moons ago when my kids were little and before the internet took over my life, I used to collect recipes from magazines and write them in this little green book. It became known as the dreaded green cookbook. As you can probably guess my children didn't like change and they didn't like new recipes either. Everytime I tried a recipe from this little book they immediately said yuck. I got to thinking about my little green source of torture yesterday and managed to locate it amongst my expanding collection of cookbooks. As I was browsing thru it's stained and musty pages many memories came back. I can still see the soured expressions and hear the "Awww mom, not the green recipe book tonight." There is one recipe I found in it that actually pleased them both, only because it involved chocolate. So according to my kids, here is the only good thing that ever came from my little cookbook. My Kids.... What billy's!

Hot Fudge Sauce

1 ( 6 oz) package chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 (19 oz) can Eagle Brand milk
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In heavy saucepan, over medium heat melt chips and butter with Eagle Brand milk, water and vanilla. Cook and stir constantly until thick(about 5 minutes). Serve warm over ice cream.

My picky eaters back in the day.

Sour Cream-Banana Bars

We recently had a Bake Sale at work as part of our United Way Campaign. I found this recipe in a Betty Crocker cookie recipe book and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, they were delish and our bake sale was a big success. We made $131.00 for United Way. Thanks to all who baked and all who ate.

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 large)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 375. Grease and flour jelly roll pan (151/2x101/2x1). Mix sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs in large bowl on low speed 1 minute. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed 30 seconds. Beat in flour, baking soda and salt on medium speed 1 minute. Stir in nuts . Spread batter in pan.

Bake until light brown, 20 to 25 minutes; cool. Frost with Browned Butter Frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting

Heat 1/4 cup butter over medium heat until delicate brown; remove from heat. Mix in 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Aunt Barbara's Buttermilk Pie

My Aunt Barbara is the baker in the family and she knows her stuff. A couple years ago I put together a family cookbook and ask family members to share some of their best recipes. This is one of the ones she shared.

1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 tbsp. lemon flavoring
1 tbsp. almond flavoring
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons flour

Mix flour and sugar. Add eggs and butter; beat. Add flavorings and buttermilk. Pour into an unbaked pie shell . Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until firm. Makes 2 pies or 1 deep dish pie.

Fresh Peach Pie

Fresh Peach Pie

5 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 unbaked pie shell
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 egg

Place peaches in pie shell. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over peaches. Bake at 350 degress for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

(To avoid a huge mess in your oven, use a deep dish pie crust and bake on a cookie sheet.)

Banana Pudding (better known as Pudgy Pudding)

If you eat much of this you'll understand the name. Pudgy Pudding. It's really good though. So grab a big dish and go to town. You can always diet tomorrow. Famous words from a famous procrasinator.

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies (or just plain nilla wafers work fine)
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Line bottom of a 13x9x2 inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend will using a handheld electric mixer. Using anothe bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix till smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.