Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

Filling:
Beat together:
3 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. butter (melted)
1 cup dark corn syrup.

Mix well. Gently fold in 1 cup pecans. Pour into pastry shell.  Bake until set and pastry is golden brown.  Bake at 375 for approximately 40-50 minutes. *You may want to cover the top of the pie with foil to prevent excessive browning of the pecans. Cool. Serve warm or cold.

No Fail Pie Crust

No Fail Pie Crust

3 c. Flour
1 1/2 t. salt
Mix and cut in 1 1/4 cups of shortening (I use Crisco butter sticks)

Beat-then stir into flour:
1 egg
1 T. vinegar
5 T. cold water

Roll out onto floured board, adding flour frequently to prevent sticking. Carefully place in pie tin and flute. (The less you manipulate the crust, the flakier it will be.)

Make two double crusts.

Chocolate Cheese Pie

Chocolate Cheese Pie

1 package of cream cheese softened (8 ounce)
1 package of cream cheese softened (3 ounces)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chilled whipping cream
8 inch packaged crumb crust (I use chocolate)
Cherry Pie filling (to drizzle over the top when serving

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar: beat well. Blend in cocoa, scraping the sides of bowl and beaters. Add eggs and vanilla, blend well. Pour in whipping cream. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake 40-50 minutes.  Cool at room temperature. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. Garnish with pie filling.  Enjoy...

Cranberry Turkey Brine

 Prep Time: 13 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts cranberry juice
• 1 quart water
• 1 cup salt (1 1/2 cups Kosher or coarse salt)
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 12 cloves garlic, unpeeled and lightly smashed
• 4 springs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 6-8 bay leaves

Preparation:

Combine ingredients and place in a large pot. Add turkey to pot, making sure that brine covers turkey. If not, add more water to mixture. Brine for 1 hour per pound. Thoroughly rinse all the brine from the turkey, inside and out, before cooking. Otherwise there will be a salty flavor to the turkey.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
3 large onions(or 6-8 small)
3tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
4 slices French bread, 1 inch thick
4 oz Gruyere cheese
Slice onions as thin as you can. The thinner they are, the softer they will get as they caramelize all day.
Place onions, olive oil, sugar, and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until nice and caramelized.
Add broth and wine. Cover, turn to high, and cook for 30 minutes until heated through.
Before serving, cut French bread or baguette into slices. Fill oven safe soup bowls to the top, then cover with slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Set under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Be careful when serving as bowls will be hot!

Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal             Servings: 7 (3/4-cup) servings

Ingredients

• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
• 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk (or substitute non-diary alternative like almond milk)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or substitute maple syrup or other desired sweetener)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

Directions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approx. 7 hours (slow cooker times can vary). Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.

Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies
I found the recipe years ago at verybestbaking.com

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1 cup 100% pumpkin (you can find cans of this in the pie-filling section of the grocery store)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Glaze (see below)
Optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips or nuts.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle glaze over cookies.
For Glaze:
Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tsp vanilla in small bowl until smooth.