Choco-Peanut Butter Cups

Here is a recipe for christmas, I am going to attempt to put christmas cookie recipe on my blog everyday until christmas

INGREDIENTS

1	roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated peanut butter cookies
1	cup Hershey's® premier white baking chips (6 oz)
1 1/2	cups JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter
1	cup Hershey's® semi-sweet baking chips (6 oz)
4	Nature Valley® oats 'n honey crunchy granola bars (2 pouches from 8.9-oz box), crushed (3/4 cup)*

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray, or grease with shortening. Cut cookie dough into 24 slices. Press 1 slice in bottom and up side of each mini muffin cup, forming 1/4-inch rim above top of cup (sprinkle fingers with flour if necessary). Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Cool in pans on cooling racks 5 minutes. With tip of handle of wooden spoon, press dough down in center of each cup to make room for 2 tablespoons filling.
2.	Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt white chips and 3/4 cup of the peanut butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Divide mixture evenly into cookie cups (about 1 tablespoon each). Refrigerate 10 minutes.
3.	In same 2-quart saucepan, melt semi-sweet baking chips and remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Divide chocolate mixture evenly on top of peanut butter mixture in each cup (about 1 tablespoon each). Sprinkle crushed granola bars over top of each. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Remove from muffin cups before serving.

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving

We had a bunch of quest this year and it was fun and all, but man! am I  tired. I cook most of friday evening and into the wee hour got back up at 5 am. It was worth it. I made corn pudding and my neices husband loved it and asked who made it. My mother and sister-n-law both brought some stuff too. I slightly overcooked the pecan pie but it was still good, it never fails I always burn at least one thing. Ok I will admit it, I fell asleep and woke up iin time to barely save my pie.

Maple Pumpkin Pie

I found this really good pumpkin pie recipe on a blog called http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/maple-pumpkin-pie.html check out her blog she has some great recipes. here is the recipe


Pastry:
5 1/2 ounces of plain flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 tspsalt
5 TBS cold vegetable shortening (such as Trex, or Crisco) cut into small bits
2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into bits (1/4 cup)
4 to 5 TBS ice water

For the filling:
1 tin (15 ounces) plain pumpkin puree
(or make your own)
3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
2 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup, packed)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp fine seasalt
10 fluid ounces single cream (1 1/4 cups half and half)
2 fluid ounces maple syrup (1/4 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp Maple Extract (if you can't get this use Vanilla)

Maple Cream:
250ml double cream (1 cup)
2 fluid ounces maple syrup (1/4 cup)

First make the pastry. Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl. Drop in the cold shortening and butter. Rub in with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly, leaving some pieces of fat pea sized. Chill for half an hour. Drizzle the cold water over the mixture, 1 TBS at a time, mixing in until the flour is moistened and the pastry clears the side of the bowl. Shape into a disk, wrap in clingfilm and chill for an hour.

At the end of the hour, remove from the fridge and allow to soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Roll out on a floured board to a circle large enough to line a 9 inch deep pie dish, with some overhang for trimming. Transfer to the pie dish and ease it in. Trim off the edge and flute. Chill while you make the filling. (save scraps to make leaves if desired.)

Whisk the pumpkin puree, white and brown sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt together in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, cookiing and stirring, until the pumpkin mixture is thick and hot. Remove from the hob and whisk in the cream and the maple syrup. Whisk in the eggs until blended and then add the flavouring.

Put the prepared pie shell on a baking tray. Pour in the filling. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the fillingis puffed and a metal knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool for at least one hour.

TO make the pastry leaves (if using) roll out the pastry and cut into leaves, using a knife to make the lines in the leaves. Use small wads of foil to drap the leaves over to simulate falling leaves. Bake for 15 minutes in the upper third of the oven. Let cool.

To make the Maple cream, whip the double cream until it forms soft folds. Continue to whip a bit longer, drizzling in the maple syrup until the cream is softly to moderately whipped.

Garnish the top of the cooled pie with the pastry leaves and serve, cut into wedges, along with the Maple cream to dollop on top. Best eaten on the day. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

just finished this for thanksgiving

just finished it! just in time for thanksgiving

Fruitcake Cookies Recipe

If you are like me you start baking christmas cookies the day after Thanksgiving. I will start posting some everyday until christmas, so if you are looking for a christmas cookie recipe have a look at the blog





Ingredients

·         6 cups chopped pecans (about 1-1/2 pounds)

·         2 cups graham cracker crumbs

·         1-1/2 cup raisins

·         1-1/4 cups chopped candied cherries (about 1/2 pound)

·         1-1/4 cups chopped candied pineapple (about 1/2 pound)

·         4-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

·         1/2 cup evaporated milk

·         1/4 cup butter, cubed

·         1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

Directions

·         In a large bowl, combine pecans, cracker crumbs, raisins, cherries and pineapple. In a large saucepan, combine marshmallows, milk and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted.

·         Pour over pecan mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls and roll in the coconut. Yield: 7-8 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 each) equals 196 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 49 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein.

New York Cheesecake

My youngest son MJ loves cheesecake. He is a no thrills kinda of guy, I make him this fairly simple cheesecake every year during the holiday since he was a tot. He is a grown man now, but he still love cheesecake.

Ingredients

Crust

15 graham crackers, crushed

2 tablespoons butter, melted  

 2 tablespoons of sugar

Filling

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Caribbean Fudge Pie

This is the pie my daughter Kimberly anne loves, I make this for her on thanksgiving and christmas. It is pretty simple but worth the effort. I started making this when kimby was a little girl, and she is still in love with it as a grown 20 something woman.

Ingredients:

1/4  cup  Butter Or Regular Margarine

3/4  cup  Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

3    Eggs, Lg

12  ounces  Chocolate Chips, Melt & Cool

2  teaspoons  Instant Coffee Powder

1  teaspoon  Rum Flavoring

1/4  cup  Unbleached Flour

1  cup  Walnuts, Coarsely Chopped

1    Unbaked 9" Pie Shell

    Walnut Halves

Directions:
Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cooled chocolate, coffee powder, and rum flavoring, blending well. Stir in the flour and the chopped walnuts and turn into the unbaked pie shell. Arrange the walnut halves in a circle around the edge of the pie. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 25 minutes or until set around the edge. Cool on a wire rack.