Chocolate Silk Pie

Recipe courtesy of Erin Seymour

Ingredients:
½ c + 1 T butter
¾ sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
6 T cocoa

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar til fluffy. Add cocoa & vanilla. Blend well. Add one egg and beat for 5 minutes. Repeat with second egg. Put in graham cracker crust and chill for 2 hours or more.

Apple Pie with Walnut Streusel

Recipe courtesy of Holly Merritt (adapted from Raley's Something Extra magazine)

Pie Ingredients:
Prepared pastry for a single crust pie
1/2 c apple juice
1/4 c honey
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 lbs apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbs flour

Topping Ingredients:
2/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring apple juice, honey, butter and spices to boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Place apples in a large bowl. Stir in apple juice mixture and flour. Pour into unbaked pastry shell. For the topping combine ingredients in a small bowl. Cut in the butter until small balls form. Stir in the walnuts. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, tent pie with foil and bake for 50 more minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Stove Top Pumpkin Pie

Recipe courtesy of Holly Merritt

Ingredients:
3/4 c sugar
3 Tbs corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 c canned pumpkin
2 c milk
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
1 baked pastry shell

Directions:
In a sauce pan, mix sugar, cornstarch and spices. Gradually stir in pumpkin and milk. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of mixture into beaten egg yolks; return to pan. This step ensures that the eggs won't scramble. Return to heat and cook and stir 2 more minutes. Pour into baked pastry shell and chill overnight.

Cranberry-Apple Pie

Recipe courtesy of Andrea Simmons

Ingredients:

Directions:

Halloween Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Alisa Galloway

Ingredients:
1 Box of any brownie mix
1 Bag of mini orange kisses

Directions:
Prepare brownie mix - as directed for cookies and then add orange kisses!

Halloween Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy of Andresa Simmons

Ingredients:


Directions:

Boo Cups

Recipe courtesy of Erin Seymour.

Ingredients:

2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

3-1/4 cups  cold milk

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

20   OREO Cookies, crushed (about 2 cups), divided

30 miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

make it

Directions:

BEAT pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in half each of the COOL WHIP and cookie crumbs.

SPOON 1 Tbsp. of the remaining crumbs into each of 15 (6-oz.) plastic cups. Cover with layers of pudding mixture and remaining crumbs.

DROP remaining COOL WHIP by spoonfuls onto desserts to resemble ghosts. Add chocolate chips for the eyes.

Super Easy Caramel Popcorn Balls

Recipe courtesy of Holly Merritt.

Ingredients:1/3 c butter
1/2 c corn syrup
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12 c popcorn, unpopped kernels removed

Directions:Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add in corn syrup, brown sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly over medium heat. Pour over popcorn, stir to coat evenly. Shape into balls and place on parchment paper to cool. Wrap tightly in saran wrap. Yummy!

Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread

Recipe courtesy of Holly Merritt.

Ingredients:1/2 c butter
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 c pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 c flour
3/4 c mini chocolate chips

Directions:Combine ingredients. Grease muffin tins or loaf pan. Bake at 350 until done. 10-15 minutes for mini muffins; 20 minutes for regular muffins or 45 minutes for a loaf pan.

Yucatan Barbeque Shrimp Dip

Recipe courtesy of Erin Seymour

The amounts of the ingredients are very flexible.

2 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese
1 lb. frozen or fresh small shrimp
(tails off)
1 cup fresh salsa
1 tsp cinnamon
Tortilla chips


Slice the cheese in 1/4 inch thick slices. Overlap on the bottom of a heavy frying pan. Layer with shrimp, salsa, and sprinkle the cinnamon on the top. Heat on the barbeque until the cheese is totally melted.(I did it in a fondue pot today) Serve with chips.

This makes a great appetizer for a Mexican Fajitas Barbeque.

Presto Black Bean Salsa

Recipe courtesy of Holly Merritt

Presto Black Bean Salsa
from Taste of Home Magazine

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper,chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 can (4oz) chopped green chiles
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 16 oz jar prepared salsa (the family canning salsa works great)

Combine ingredients and serve with chips.

Enchildas Verde

Recipe courtesy of Dave (and Tera) Nelson

Serves 4-6. Published July 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

You can substitute three 11-ounce cans of tomatillos, drained and rinsed, for the fresh ones in this recipe. Halve large tomatillos (more than 2 inches in diameter) and place them skin-side up for broiling in step 2 to ensure even cooking and charring. If you can’t find poblanos, substitute 4 large jalapeño chiles (with seeds and ribs removed). To increase the spiciness of the sauce, reserve some of the chiles’ ribs and seeds and add them to the food processor in step 3.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 3 breasts), trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (16 to 20 medium), husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried (see note)
3 medium poblano chiles , halved lengthwise, stemmed, and seeded (see note)
1 - 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Table salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces Pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, grated (2 cups)
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Garnish:
2 medium scallions , sliced thin
Sour cream

Homemade salsa

Instructions:
1. Adjust oven racks to middle and highest positions and heat broiler. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering; add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Decrease heat to low and stir in broth. Add chicken, cover, and simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large bowl; place in refrigerator to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup liquid from saucepan and set aside; discard remaining liquid.
2. Meanwhile, toss tomatillos and poblanos with remaining 2 teaspoons oil; arrange on rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, with poblanos skin-side up. Broil until vegetables blacken and start to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Cool 10 minutes, then remove skin from poblanos (leave tomatillo skins intact). Transfer tomatillos and chiles to food processor. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees. Discard foil from baking sheet and set baking sheet aside for warming tortillas.
3. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining teaspoon garlic, and reserved cooking liquid to food processor; process until sauce is somewhat chunky, about eight 1-second pulses. Taste sauce; season with salt and pepper and adjust tartness by stirring in remaining sugar, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce aside (you should have about 3 cups).
4. When chicken is cool, pull into shreds using hands or 2 forks, then chop into small bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken with cilantro and 11/2 cups cheese; season with salt.
5. Smear bottom of 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 3/4 cup tomatillo sauce. Place tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Spray both sides of tortillas lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, 2 to 4 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place warm tortillas on countertop and spread 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly and place in baking dish, seam-side down. Pour remaining tomatillo sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so that it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and cover baking dish with foil.
6. Bake enchiladas on middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with scallions, and serve immediately, serve salsa and sour cream separately.

Carrot Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Erin Seymour

Cookie Dough Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 c. flour
1 c. grated carrots

Instructions:
Mix & drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F. for 8 - 12 mins.


Orange Frosting Ingredients:
1/4 c orange juice
1/3 c butter
1 t vanilla
Powdered sugar


Instructions:
Cream, room temperature, butter until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients. Beat until desired consistency.

Rotkohl (Red Cabbage and Apples)

Recipe courtesy of Andrea Simmons
*This is one of my favorite German side dishes and is usually served with meat (it is especially good with pork).

1 1/2 oz butter (about 2 tbs)
1- 1 1/2 lb red cabbage (one small head)
juice 1 Lemon
2 apples, peeled and diced (tart work best)
2 Tbs red currant jelly
2 cloves
2 Tbs beef stock

1. In a heavy-bottomed casserole melt butter. Add the cabbage and pour over the lemon juice (this will help preserve the color). Add the apples, red currant jelly, cloves and beef stock.
2. Mix all the ingredients together and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. The cabbage should not be over-cooked.

Light Carrot Cake

Recipe courtesy of Tera Nelson

Cooks Illustrated Recipe:
You can either use the large holes of a box grater or the large holed shredding disk in a food processor for grating the carrots. Use a metal cake pan, not a glass or Pyrex pan, for best results. This cake is terrific with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, or for a special treat, some Light Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and grated (about 3 cups)

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together in a medium bowl until they turn thick and creamy, 1 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and slowly whip in the oil until thoroughly combined and emulsified, 30 to 60 seconds. Sift half the flour mixture over the batter and gently mix in. Repeat once more with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most of the lumps are gone (do not overmix). Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the carrots.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake). Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the parchment paper. Flip the cake right-side up, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours, before frosting (if desired) and serving.

Zucchini Bread

Recipe courtesy of Andrea Simmons

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium zucchinis)
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, apple sauce, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Whipped Honey Butter

Recipe courtesy of Tera Nelson

Recipe taken from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , room temperature (one stick)
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch table salt

Instructions

1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 8 tablespoons (one stick) of room-temperature unsalted butter at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds; stop the mixer and add 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt. Beat the mixture at medium speed until combined, about 15 seconds, then increase the speed to high and whip until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Corn Muffins

Recipe courtesy of Tera Nelson

Recipe taken from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 cup fine-ground, whole-grain yellow cornmeal (4 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

My Addition: Add 1/2 cup chopped up, slightly cooked, white corn

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to combine; set aside. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar to eggs; whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add half the sour cream and half the milk and whisk to combine; whisk in remaining sour cream and milk until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix gently with rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix. [My addition: Add chopped up, slightly cooked, white corn] Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, dropping it to form mound. Do not level or flatten surface of mounds.

3. Bake until muffins are light golden brown and skewer inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in tin 5 minutes; invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright, cool 5 minutes longer, and serve warm.

My suggestion: Serve with whipped honey butter.

Cheese and Salsa Dip

Courtesy of Debbie Hartman

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Cream Cheese

1 jar of Tostitos Salsa

1 bag of tortilla chips

Directions:

Place cream cheese in bowl and pour salsa on top. Dip with Chips!

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti
recipe courtesy of Tera Nelson

Serves 8 to 10. Published March 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

The test kitchen prefers baked ziti made with heavy cream, but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Our preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well. For tips on cooking with cottage cheese, see related How To Cook.




Ingredients
1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
Table salt
1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream (see note)
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.