Mile High Turtle Pie

Ingredients:
1 12.25-oz jar Caramel ice cream topping
2 1.55-oz bars Milk chocolate candy; broken into small pieces
12 Pecan shortbread cookies; finely crushed 1-1/4 C crumbs
3 tablespoons Butter or margarine; melted
1 cup Pecan halves; toasted and divided
1 container Butter pecan ice cream; 1/2 gal, divided
1 container Chocolate ice cream; 1/2 gal, divided

Instructions:


In a microwave safe dish, combine the ice cream topping and the chocolate pieces. Microwave on high for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.

Oil the inside of a springform pan. Line the sides of the pan with 2 inch wide strips of parchment paper.

Place cookies in a resealable plastic bag or a food processor and crush into fine crumbs. Stir the melted butter into the crumbs and press firmly onto the bottom of the springform pan. Place in the freezer.

To toast the pecans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a small baking pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly toasted. Cool completely. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pecans for topping. Coarsely chop the remaining pecans and set aside.

Scoop half of the butter pecan ice cream over the crust, pressing into an even layer. Drizzle with one third of the caramel-chocolate sauce and half of the chopped pecans. Scoop half of the chocolate ice cream over the first layer. Drizzle with half of the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans. Scoop the remaining butter pecan ice cream around the outer edge of the pie. Scoop the remaining chocolate ice cream into the center, filling it. Top with the reserved pecan halves and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Wrap loosely with aluminum foil; place in the freezer.and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Before serving, refrigerate the dessert for 30 minutes. Release the collar from the pan; carefully remove the parchment paper. Cut using a sharp knife dipped into warm water. Wipe and dry the knife after cutting each wedge.

This dessert can be made and kept frozen for days before serving. Enjoy!

Brown Bag Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 9-inch Pie Crust; Unbaked, deep
4 large Apples; peeled and sliced
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tablespoon Flour
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice; omit for green apples
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter

Instructions:


Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a large bowl. (Omit lemon juice if using green apples. They are tart enough already.) Add apple slices and toss until coated. Place in pie shell. For topping cut 1/2 sup sugar and 1/2 cup flour into 1/2 butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Place pie in large brown paper bag. Fold ends over twice and fasten. (I use staples or paper clips.) Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for one hour.

Butter Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
-- The Crust --
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; (plus additional for rolling)
1 teaspoon Sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter; chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 cup ice water
-- The Filling --
1 1/2 cups pecans; (halves and pieces), (up to 1.75-cups)
1 cup golden brown sugar
1 scant cup Light corn syrup
1/2 cup Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
3 eggs; lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Vanilla ice cream; or lightly whipped cream

Instructions:


To prepare the crust:

Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour and the salt in a food processor and mix briefly. Gradually add the butter to the flour mixture while pulsing the processor on and off, until the butter is cut into pieces the size of small peas. With the processor running, gradually add the ice water and process until large clumps form. Remove the dough from the processor, shape into a ball, and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim any dough hanging over the edge. Crimp the edges decoratively. Freeze for 10 minutes.

To prepare the filling:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, flour and salt in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the filling. Pour the filling into the pie shell.

Bake 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until the custard has set and the nuts rise to the surface, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream or lightly whipped cream.

Pumpkin and Vegetable Stew served in Roasted Sugar Pumpkins

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and cut in large chunks
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in large chunks
6 small potatoes, well-scrubbed but not peeled, cut in half
1 ½ cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut in large chunks
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
1 ½ cups canned tomato, chopped
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons raisins
1 preserved lemon (optional garnish)
6 roasted pumpkins*******


Directions:
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrot, potato, and pumpkin and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. When vegetables have softened, add the ginger and garlic. Continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and cinnamon stick. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, then add the canned tomato and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, then add the raisins. Allow to cook for 18 to 25 minutes until all vegetables are soft but don’t overcook.

Just before serving, cut the preserved lemon into thin wedges and add as a garnish
serve in roasted pumpkins


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roasted pumpkin
Ingredients
6 small sugar pumpkin
11/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoon butter


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F .
Cut the lid off the pumpkin and remove the seeds.
Combine the brown sugar, molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. rub mixture into the pumpkin shell and top the butter. Replace lid on pumpkin and place in a baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until fork soft. Serve soup right in the pumpkin.

Smoky Sweet and Spicy Chili Soup

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
16 oz. coarse ground beef
12 oz. sirloin (prime grade is best), cubed into 1/4 in. chunks
2 medium yellow onions, chopped into 1/4 in. dice
1 shallot, diced fine
2 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 red bell pepper, diced 1/4 in.
1 green bell pepper, diced 1/4 in.
1 cup tomato paste
1/2 tsp. fine-ground cocoa powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cayenne
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 15 oz. cans kidney beans
2 cups beef stock
1 28 oz. can peeled plum tomatoes, chopped (drained, but reserve juice)
2 12 oz. dark beer (Guinness recommended)
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned thoroughly about 8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.

Add sirloin, garlic, onions, shallots, green and red bell peppers and continue to cook for an additional 12 minutes, making sure to thoroughly brown the sirloin and get a good carmelization on the vegetables.

Add the tomato paste, cocoa, dried seasonings, and sugar. Saute and thoroughly mix over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add beans, stock, tomatoes, beer, and hot peppers and let simmer for one hour over medium-low heat, stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for additional one hour, using the reserved drained tomato juice to thin if needed.

Serve hot with the garnish of your choice: cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc.

Cheesecake-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
Unsweetened cocoa
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate extract (optional)
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 (1.55-oz.) milk chocolate bars, chopped (we tested with Hershey's)
3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting
3 (7.75-oz.) boxes frozen cheesecake bites, coarsely chopped (we tested with Sara Lee)
1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche caramel sauce (we tested with Smucker's)
Double chocolate rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pirouline)
Chocolate fudge rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pepperidge Farm)
Preparation
Grease 2 (9") round cakepans, and dust with cocoa.
Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped milk chocolate bars. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (This step enables you to split cake layers with ease.)
Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-fourth of chopped cheesecake bites. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 layers, frosting, and cheesecake bites, omitting cheesecake bites on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ready to serve. Decorate cake with rolled wafer cookies and remaining chopped cheesecake bites. Store in refrigerator.

Kit Kat Cake

2 1/3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. Sunny D (I've never tried actual orange juice)
2/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sour cream
2 eggs (or 1 egg and 2 whites...sometimes it depends on how short I am on eggs. It works a little nicer to use the egg whites, but let's face it...I'm way cheap.)

Cream together butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients except eggs and mix well. Add eggs and beat for two minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until top springs back.

The amounts of this recipe work great for 2 8" rounds. Another hint, too...when using this recipe to make cupcakes, fill the tins and then let them sit out for at least 15 minutes. They will get a nicer (higher) top on them.

For the frosting, I used my normal sugar-high buttercream...
2lbs confectioners sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter (or if you want it to crust, use 1 stick of butter, 1/4 c. shortening)
some vanilla
pinch or so of salt
milk

I place everything in the mixer except for the milk, and then add the milk until I get the right consistency, and then whip it till it's fluffy. If you add too much milk, add some more confectioners sugar.

Cool and trim the cake so that it is level, then fill and ice the outside and top. Next take your Kit Kats (I needed 4 of the large packages,) break them into two bar sections, and start placing them around your cake. When you are done, spread M&M's on the top, making sure that you cover all of your icing. And then finally, tie a bow around the cake!