Peanut Butter No-Bake Pie

I love peanut butter.  My family does too.  I decided to try something new recently and picked a no-bake Peanut Butter Pie with a chocolate cookie crust.

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk

1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts

Directions:

1. Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

2. Spoon into two 9 inch chocolate cookie pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm.

 
ENJOY!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My mom's most favorite cake ever is red velvet cake.  For Thanksgiving last year I decided to make red velvet cake cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.

Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

I like more cocoa powder in my red velvet cake than most people use.  It's easy enough to change around if you need to.

These have to have cream cheese icing on them.  It's just a must.  I don't like sweet frosting.  I just mix cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until it tastes and looks the way I want it to.  Just use whatever makes you happy.

Caramel Apple Pie

This is my favorite apple pie.  I make it every Thanksgiving.

Caramel Apple Pie:(Adapted from the 2003 1st Place Pie National Pie Cook-Off)

Filling:


6 cups apples (Jonathan or Granny Smith)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 toffee bars crushed

Directions

Filling:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and add apples. Toss to mix. Add vanilla and cream. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add apple mixture and cook approximately 8 minutes, to soften apples. Turn into pie shell.

Streusel Topping:

Combine the flour and sugar. Mix in butter with fork until coarse crumbs. stir in the crushed toffee bars. Sprinkle over pie.  Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes longer.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I'll be honest.  I use boxed pie crust.  I think it tastes really good and it's really easy.  Feel free to add a top crust to the pie.  I just like how it looks to bring a pie out of the oven busting with fruit.
 

White Chocolate Bark

White Chocolate Bark:

Ingredients:

4-5 boxes of white bakers chocolate (6 squares per box)

2 cups of sweetened coconut

2 cups of chopped macadamia nuts

In a double boiler melt the chocolate.  Stir occasionally.

In a dry pan toast the coconut and the nuts.

Pour melted chocolate onto pan sprayed with some non-stick cooking spray.  Sprinkle coconut and nuts on top of chocolate.  Refridgerate until hard.  Break into pieces.

It was really good.  I totally guessed when I was picking up things and it worked!  I only got two boxes of chocolate and it didn't make enough to cover the pan.  This is easy enough that if you needed to make a different amount you could.