Caesar Salad Croutons

2 slices of Seedless Rye Bread frozen

          2 slices of Pumpernickel Bread frozen

          2 slices of white bread frozen

          1/2 stick of butter

          1 tsp Onion Powder

          1 tsp Garlic Powder

          1 tsp Kosher Salt

          1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

          1 tsp Italian Spices

Preheat the oven to 250°

Cube all of the bread into postage stamp sizes and place them into individual piles. Add 1/4 of the butter to a pan and melt it over moderate heat. Toss in equal amounts of bread from each pile into the pan. Dust the tops with Onion and Garlic Powder

Take a deep breath and a sip of wine. Using your finger and a fork turn each crouton over (This exercise will increase your tolerance to pain and you will become quicker at the process of making the croutons) Dust the second side and brown. Add a twist of black pepper and a pinch of salt into each batch. The last batch gets a pinch of Italian spices.

Depending on the size of the pan you should be able to do these amounts in four batches. The idea is to toast each batch and dry the croutons in the oven on a cookie sheet. Drying time will take about 40 min.  

Cheddar Biscuits

2-1/2 cups Bisquick
4 Tbs cold butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt

To Brush on top:
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried parsley

In a large bowl add Bisquick and cold butter. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut butter into the mix. There should be small pieces of butter (pea size) throughout the mixture. Stir in cold milk, cheese and garlic salt. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out 1/4 cup portions onto a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake @400 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, mix together melted butter, parsley, and garlic salt. Brush this mixture over the tops of hot biscuits. Serve immediately. Makes 12 biscuits.

Butterscotch Praline Pie

Butterscotch pie with a praline layer on the bottom. I used a crust recipe with both butter and Crisco in it, which I love to do with custard pies. Yummy! Served this one at my National Pie Day Party 2013

PRALINE:

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup pecans

PIE SHELL:

1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

BUTTERSCOTCH CREME:

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

For praline mixture: In small saucepan, combine all praline ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool until set.

To prepare butterscotch crème: In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. In small bowl, combine milk and egg yolks; beat well. Gradually stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until thickened and bubbly. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour over praline mixture in pie shell. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving

Lawry’s Coconut Banana Pie

Heads up coconut lovers, this pie is amazing, totally decadent, and the coconut crust is absolutely awesome.  The crust takes it from ordinary to sublime.

COCONUT PIE SHELL

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for pie plate

3 cups sweetened flake coconut

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. *Press the coconut evenly into the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling.

PIE FILLING

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar, divided

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-and-half, divided

Yellow food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of the half-and-half.

Combine the remaining 2 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 drops of food coloring and the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Pour the filling into the shell.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing.

*I've received a few emails from people saying it was hard to cut through the crust, the only thing I can think of is that perhaps you are pressing the coconut into the pie pan, too firmly. (note from poster)

Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie

A stand-out recipe from National Pie Day Party 2013.   

    1 pie pastry* (I used the recipe below)

    1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

    1/2 cup sugar

    4 eggs

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1-1/4 cups chopped pecans

    1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) fat-free caramel ice cream topping**

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned (loosely cover edges with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly).

  

Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing.

**Can use this recipe instead (I did)

[size=3]Caramel In A Can (Dulce de leche)[/size]

 1.You will need one un-opened can of sweetened condensed milk with the paper taken off.

 2. Place the unopened can in a crock-pot. Completely submerge the unopened can in water.

 3. Cook on the crock-pot's 'low' setting for 8 - 10 hours (lid on).  (I did two cans, as this was the first time I tried this technique. I felt 8 hours wasn't long enough, even though I started out with hot water in the crockpot. So I re-processed the second can for several hours more. The second can is the one I used in the pie.)

 4.Cool down the unopened can in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cooling the can is the key. I cooled mine at room temp and left it there for several days, unopened. It was just fine.

Buttery Crunch Crust

*I chose this crust recipe, rather than a plain crust as the recipe suggested. It was a very good decision.

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a medium bowl, mix together pecans, sugar, and flour. Stir in melted butter or margarine.

Reserve 1/2 of the mixture for topping the pie, and then press the rest evenly into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow crust to cool before filling.

Red Velvet Cake

This is the most MOIST red velvet cake I have ever had. Take your choice of two different frostings. The Buttercup Bakeshop Icing is FANTASTIC.

CAKE BATTER

- 2 c flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp cocoa powder

- 3/4 c vegetable oil

- 1 1/2 c sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 oz red food coloring

- 1 c buttermilk

- 1 tsp baking soda

           

- 1 tsp vinegar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

CAKE TOPPER

- 3/4 c milk

- 1/2 c sugar

CREAM CHEESE ICING*

- 8 oz cream cheese, softened

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 c butter

- 1 box powdered sugar

- 3/4 c coconut

1.   Mix sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each. Stir in vanilla and vinegar, add food coloring. Mix till blended.

2.   Stir baking soda into buttermilk and add to mixture.

3.   Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Mix Well.

4.   Bake in 2 greased 8” round cake pans, or a 9x13” pan, at 350° for 30 minutes.

5.   While the cake is cooking, place ¾ cup milk and ½ cup sugar in saucepan and heat to dissolve sugar. When cake is done, remove from oven; pour hot dissolved sugar over the hot cake while still in pans. Allow to cool and remove from pans.

6.   Mix all icing ingredients well and frost cake.

*Choose either the cream cheese icing or this one, which is my personal favorite.

Buttercup Bakeshop Red Velvet Icing

2 cups milk
6 T. flour
2 cups COLD unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk to combine in a heavy-bottomed pan, the milk and flour. Stir constantly over medium-low heat, until smooth and thick (about 12-18 min.) Let mixture cool. Stir frequently so it doesn't form a skin on top. If it should, remove it and discard. While cooling, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the cold butter and sugar until fluffy, 4-5 minutes. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. The long beating is what makes this so light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the cooled cooked mixture, one third at a time. Beat well after each addition. Beat another 3 minutes until it is like whipped cream.

This frosting is just out of this world. Good to use on other cakes as well. Do not refrigerate the cake. This frosting does not need refrigeration, nor will it be as good if you do.

NOTE:

This cake tastes better the second day after frosting. Keeps well covered at room temp.

Peanut Butter, Sweet Potato, and Winter Squash Soup

4 lbs. sugar pumpkin or acorn squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1" pieces
1 lb yams, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
4 Tbs unsalted butter
5 cups Winter Consomme, recipe follows
1 tsp Vege-Sal seasoning (can sub plain salt)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted sugarless peanut butter
1/2 cup sour cream, room temp (optional)
2 scallions, chopped

In a large pot of salted water, boil the pumpkin and sweet potatoes over high heat until both are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Puree the mixture until smooth.

In 5-qt Dutch oven or soup kettle, melt butter over medium heat. Add the puree. Gradually stir in consomme, Vege-Sal, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer, stirring often, about 15 minutes to blend flavors.

Whisk peanut butter with 1 cup hot soup. Stir this back into pot of soup. Heat until just heated throughout. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of scallions.

Winter Garden Vegetarian Consomme

This also tastes great just sipping it on a cold day. Makes about 2 quarts.

2 med onions, chopped
2 celery ribs with leaves,chopped
2 med carrots, chopped
2 med Russet potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into 2" pieces
1 whole head garlic, unpeeled, halved horizontally
2 sprigs parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp peppercorns
2-1/2 qts water

Inn a 5-qt soup kettle, bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. (Don't boil or the potato may fall apart and cloud the consomme.) Carefully spoon the consomme and its vegetables through a sieve set over a large bowl. Cool the broth completely; cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freezes well.