Chocolate Pecan Pie

I made this for the first family Thanksgiving held at our house a couple of years ago.

It's just like a traditional pecan pie... just kicked up a notch. ;)

And no lie, the entire thing was gone in 15 minutes. My niece even mentioned that she'd never had pecan pie before and loved this version. So there ya have it.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

(Original recipe by me... inspired by several different recipes)

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Ingredients

• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, sugar, and the chocolate. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Stir in pecans. Pour mixture into the pie shell and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Cool before serving.

Pumpkin Crunch

I've seen several ways to make this, however none of them have ever beaten my MamMaw's version.

I've written before about how my grandmother was head of the local Women's Auxiliary of Homebuilders Association, and the ladies compiled a cookbook the year that I was born.

There are recipes from several women, including my mom and grandmother, that I knew personally, and this book has become one of my most trusted sources when cooking. They weren't famous chefs, but before Paula Deen became the national spokeswoman for butter, they were the ones adding "just a little bit more" to every dish.

Anyway, this yummy dessert comes from this cookbook.

It's super easy and definitely great for any holiday gathering.

Pumpkin Crunch

(Recipe by Virginia Williams)

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Ingredients

• 1 large can pumpkin
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 2 sticks butter, melted and cooled (you don't want it so hot that it'll start cooking the eggs... gross!)

Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
• 3/4 cup Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9x13x2 inch pan with waxed paper. Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon together and pour into pan. Pour 1 box yellow cake mix, dry, over pumpkin mixture. Pat nuts onto cake mix. Spoon melted and cooled butter over nuts evenly. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Invert and peel off waxed paper. Mix frosting ingredients together. Frost and refrigerate.

Layered Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I was a tad busy over the weekend. My family went to the beach (which you can read about here), so I didn't do a whole lot of recipe testing. However, my mom and I did plenty of recipe swapping. We both read cookbooks and cooking magazines like it's the latest issue of People. Before I even sat down, she was already telling me which pages to turn to, because I had to look at such-and-such recipe.

I know. We're so cool.

Anyway, yesterday I had to bring a finger food dessert to church for our women's Bible study. I kept going back and forth on a few recipes before I finally settled on this one. And I'm SO glad I did.

I cut these into about 24-36 small bars, and I kid you not, within 5 minutes? They were gone.

I had saved a couple at home for the hubs to try.

When I got home, he told me that I need to make more, that they were so incredibly good. He has officially requested I make them for Thanksgiving.

The recipe itself is really simple, so don't let all of the little steps intimidate you. Because it's a layer bar, the steps are necessary. But each one is super easy. Also, most of the ingredients are things you would normally keep in your pantry. So no extra shopping for random ingredients you'll never use again!

Layered Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

(Original recipe by BHG)

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Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

—–

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

—–

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut up, or 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter

—–

• 1-1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar

—–

 

Garnish: pinch of pumpkin pie spice + chocolate curls or chocolate shavings

 

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in the 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1-3/4 cups sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt on low speed just until combined. Remove 1-1/4 cups of the mixture.

3. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the 6 ounces chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture into the 1-1/4 cups pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Carefully pour the remaining pumpkin mixture over baked chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed and center is set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
5
. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Gently spread over cookies. Cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Cut into bars.* Before serving, sprinkle with nutmeg and/or chocolate curls. Makes 24 to 36 bars.

*Test Kitchen Tip: To make triangle-shape bars, cut the cookies crosswise into four strips. Then cut each strip into five triangles (you’ll end up with two half-triangles from the ends of each strip).
To Make Ahead: Bake and chill cookies as directed; cut into bars. Place in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.



Apple Shortbread Crisp

When people think of Thanksgiving dessert, most immediately picture pie... pumpkin, usually. This year, I'm still planning on making pumpkin pie. I mean, it's a classic. However, I decided to offer an alternative this year (just in case anyone is actually hungry enough).

This Apple Shortbread Crisp is sooooo simple. I got it out of one of my fav cookbooks, Southern Living Ultimate Quick and Easy Cookbook. The cinnamon and apples still remind you of fall harvest, and it breaks away from the traditional pie routine.
I actually made this for the first time on a whim back when my hubby and I were dating. We were both still living at home, so I made this for his family one night, just for the fun of trying it. The whole darn dish was gone by the end of the night.
(ps. it pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream!)

Apple Shortbread Crisp

Ingredients:

• 2 (12 oz) packages frozen apple chunks (you could also use fresh or canned... as in the kind you use for apple pie; the frozen just helps save time)
• 6 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 20 shortbread cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar

Directions:

• Prick plastic wrap covering apple chunks several times with a fork; microwave at medium 7 minutes or until apple is thawed. Let stand 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add cookie crumbs and walnuts. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Combine 2 Tbsp brown sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon; sprinkle in a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish. Sprinkle half of apple over brown sugar mixture; top with half of cookie crumb mixture. Repeat layers with remaining apple and crumb mixture.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 6 servings (double it to feed a bigger crowd).

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These are BY FAR the best mashed potatoes I've ever had or made.
They're so creamy and good, you wouldn't know it was meant to be a side dish! I've made them several times throughout the year, and every time, they're a hit.
According to the Neely's, they're supposed to yield 3-4 servings, but they must be dishing out some pretty hefty servings!
To be safe, you can double it... hey, these are leftovers you'll want to be stuck with!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes



(photo courtesy of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• Olive oil
• 2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Drizzle head with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the cloves and mash with a wooden spoon.
Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Mash the potatoes until smooth.
Meanwhile heat butter and cream until butter melts. Add the roasted garlic and potatoes and mash all together.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Creamy Corn Casserole

Ok, so this is for Heather who asked me for some more Thanksgiving favorites. I'll keep posting as I find them (and also when I'm not chasing my little toddler around).

The original title is actually called "creamy corn pudding", but my husband said it sounds gross. He was actually afraid to try it, just because of the name. So I now call it a casserole.

Creamy Corn Casserole

(from Paula Deen... who else?)

• 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 (1 lb) bags frozen niblet corn, thawed
• 1 1/2 c round buttery crackers (Ritz), crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 3 qt baking dish.

In a large skillet, melt 1/2 c butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together cream and eggs. Stir in cheese, corn, and onion mixture.

Spoon into prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine crackers and 2 Tbsp butter; sprinkle evenly over corn mixture. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Good thing yall don't sit around and wait to eat, based on my posts, huh? Sorry about the long silence. Life's just been a little hectic lately.
Anyway, I figured I'd start featuring some Thanksgiving loves of mine. The first and (according to my husband) most important...

Sweet Potato Casserole!!

This is a staple at our big family feast. All of my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc meet up at my grandparents' house, and my aunt always makes the sweet potato casserole.

The recipe comes from an old cookbook... it was actually made the year I was born (1982). It has special meaning to me. You see, my family used to build custom homes. My great granddaddy started the company from practically nothing, then my granddaddy took it over, and my dad joined in too. My dad actually started sweeping out the houses in 5th grade and worked his way up (no entitlement complexes in my family, thank God!).
Unfortunately, a few years ago, the housing economy took them out. Because they designed and built custom homes, they couldn't compete with the cheaper, mass production style homes. It broke my heart to watch it collapse, mainly because my daddy worked SO hard to keep it going. I'm proud of him for at least trying.

Anyway, during the good years, my grandmother, along with my mom and several other special ladies in my life, headed up the Women's Auxiliary of Home Builders Association. Together, they put together a cookbook filled with all kinds of classic (and a few creative) recipes. Basically, those old southern recipes Paula makes? Yeah, she's just sharing what southern women have known how to do for generations (which is probably why I love that woman so much).

The first time my husband spent Thanksgiving with me (we were still dating then), everyone kept telling him to try it. So he got the tiniest portion ever, just to appease them.

He ended up eating half the dish.
My aunt now makes two.

(photo courtesy of About.com)

Original recipe by Mrs. Betty Chillcott from the Whirlpool Corporation

Ingredients:

• 3 c sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (do yourself a favor and don't use canned)
• 1/3 stick butter or margarine
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c milk
• 1 scant tsp sherry flavoring (I usually skip this; it won't hurt anything if you don't have any on hand)
• 1 scant tsp pure butter flavoring (yeah, don't skip this one)
• 2 eggs

Topping:

• 1/3 stick butter or margarine
• 1 c light brown sugar
• 1 c chopped pecans

Mix the first seven ingredients. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with topping made with the next three ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. To freeze or refrigerate, do not bake first.

Hope you enjoy it! It's seriously like eating dessert...