Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 single pie crust
1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 slightly beaten egg

1 1/4 C canned pumpkin
1 C evaporated milk
2 beaten eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

4 TB all-purpose flour
4 TB brown sugar
2 TB cold butter
1 C chopped pecans

Place uncooked pie crust in a deep dish pie plate. Trim and crimp edges as desired. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and beaten egg and beat until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the pie crust.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In another mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, 2 eggs, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Very carefully pour the pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer.

Place the pie in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Cover the edges of the pie with foil, then bake an additional 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the pie. Return to the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

Coole the pie for 1 to 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie (No bake)

Jocelyn's favorite dessert!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute
Yield: One 10-inch round pie


1 Oreo crust (can purchase or make by mashing a whole package of Oreos and combining with 8 TB of melted butter pressed into a pie plate and freeze until set)

8 TB softened butter
1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter and 2 TB creamy PB, divided
1 C powdered sugar
1 C chocolate chips
1/2 C heavy whipping cream

Add 8 TB of softened butter, 1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter, and 1 cup of powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the crust into a smooth layer. Place in freezer.

Place chocolate chips and remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in a large glass or heat-proof bowl. In a saucepan, bring heavy whipping cream to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and peanut butter and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth. Pour the chocolate layer over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour until ready to serve.

2 ingredient white chocolate buttercream frosting

1 lb (2 cups) butter
2 cups of white chocolate chips

1. In a medium saucepan combine butter and white chocolate chips.
2. Melt together over low heat, stirring. The butter and white chocolate will separate.
3. When everything is melted remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes or so. Place saucepan in fridge and refrigerate until the mixture becomes solid, approx 3 hours. I actually let mine sit overnight.
4. When you're ready to prepare the frosting, remove from fridge and let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, to take the chill off.
5. Place entire mass into bowl of stand mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes until frosting becomes light and fluffy.
6. Pipe or frost cupcakes or cake.

Notes If made ahead, you can store at room temperature for up to a day. If stored for longer in fridge, you will need to whip the frosting again, as it will get solid.

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

3 lbs baby back ribs, trimmed
season to taste (salt and pepper at least)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 onion sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 (18 oz) bottle of barbecue sauce

Season ribs with salt and pepper. Pour water into slow cooker. Layer the ribs into the slow cooker. Top the ribs with onion and garlic. Cook on High for 4 hours (or Low for 8 hours). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Transfer ribs to a baking sheet. Discard onion and garlic. Coat ribs with barbeque sauce.Bake in preheated oven until the sauce caramelizes and sticks to the meat, 10 to 15 minutes.

Shrimp pasta with white wine cream sauce

1 pound cooked medium shrimp (70-110 per pound), defrosted (See Recipe Note)
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 quarts water
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 pound linguine or other long pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, chopped (optional)
1 large clove garlic, minced (or use jarred)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
2 medium (about 1/2-pound) Roma or San Marzano tomatoes, sliced lengthwise through the stem (optional)
2 TB grated parmesan cheese Basil leaves to garnish (optional)

Remove the shrimp and heavy cream from the refrigerator and place on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Bring the water to a boil in a large (5- to 6-quart) pasta pot over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add the sea salt, stir to dissolve, then add the pasta. Bring back up to a rolling boil, lower heat to medium-high, and let cook until al dente, about 7 minutes or according to package instructions.

Ladle a cup of pasta water into a measuring cup and set aside, then drain the pasta into a colander.

While the pasta is boiling, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and sea salt to the skillet, and sauté until soft and translucent, but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and stir.

Using a box grater or flat grater, grate the tomatoes, flesh side against the grater, directly into the skillet. The tomato flesh will be grated, but the skins will not. Discard the skins.

Stir the tomatoes into the skillet sauce and bring up to a simmer. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly and no raw alcohol aroma remains, about 5 minutes. Add the drained pasta, shrimp, and cream to the skillet, and toss to combine. If the sauce is too dry, add a splash of pasta water.

Use a pasta server or tongs to arrange the pasta in individual servings, twirling it into a spiral as you nestle it onto the center of each plate. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Recipe Note

• Defrosting Shrimp: If you think ahead, transfer the shrimp from the freezer to the fridge the night before you make this recipe so they have time to thaw. Otherwise, empty the shrimp into a bowl and place it under cool, running water to thaw; the shrimp will take 7 to 15 minutes to thaw.
• Raw Shrimp: If you are using raw shrimp, add them to the skillet before you add the pasta and cream. Cover the skillet and let them cook until pink around the edges, with just a touch of translucence in the center, 2 to 5 minutes depending on their size.

Lemon Meringue Pie

LEMON PIE
1 large package of lemon cook-to-serve pudding (4.3 oz)
1-2 large lemons, juiced
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
Finely grated peel of half a lemon
2 TB butter
2 tsp vanilla
water

Juice the lemons and set aside. Make lemon pudding according to the directions on the box, but use as much lemon juice as you have to replace some of the water. Thicken on stove. Add butter, vanilla, and lemon peel.

Pour into a baked pie pastry and cool to room temperature.

MERINGUE
4 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 tsp lemon extract or vanilla
8 TB sugar (or 2 TB for each egg white, if you change the amount of egg whites)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg whites with a hand mixer gradually stirring in sugar and extract. Beat until stiff and glossy and all sugar has dissolved. Spread egg mixture over room temperature lemon pie. Bake for ten minutes. Cool for four hours. Refrigerate.



 

Grandma Connie's Popcorn Balls

2 bags of cooked popcorn

Topping
1 cups of sugar
1 overflowing TB dark corn syrup
1 overflowing TB honey
1/2 c milk

Mix ingredients together in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches the soft ball stage (when dropped in cold water, makes a round, soft ball) -- about ten minutes.

Place popcorn in a large pan or bowl. Drizzle topping over popcorn and stir to coat. Spread coated popcorn over a sheet of waxed paper. Shape into balls while still warm.


Connie usually makes twice this much--it makes a lot (plenty so share) so I halved the recipe because it is too much for our family.