Pecan Pie

This recipe comes from my husband's family.  It is his favorite dessert of all time, and it is by far the best pecan pie I have ever had.  Seriously.  And it is soooooo easy to make!

Pecan Pie
print this recipe

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup pecans

Heat oven to 375.  Mix together sugars and flour.  Beat in eggs, milk, vanilla, and butter.  Fold in nuts.  Pour into a pastry lined pan.  Bake 40-50 minutes.

note: I have found that after 30-40 minutes, my crust is getting well done while the pie still needs to bake a little longer.  Cover the pie crust edges with tin foil to prevent them from burning. I have found the easiest way to do this is to cut a square of foil big enough to cover the pie and then cut out a circle in the middle of it for the filling to be uncovered. 

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
print this recipe

2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
2 c. canned pumpkin
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs together. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Spread on greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. Spread on cooled cake.

Pasta with Salmon and Veggies

I had a very difficult time figuring out what to call this dish. Salmon Pasta, Creamy Pasta with Salmon, The Best Pasta Ever...nothing seemed quite right. And frankly, Pasta with Salmon and Veggies doesn't really sound right either, but it will just have to do.

The thing I love about this dish is that you can make it according to your liking. Don't like salmon? Use chicken or shrimp instead. Or don't use any meat at all. Don't like the veggies I used? Then use whatever veggie you like. I can't think of anything that wouldn't be good (well, maybe celery). Spinach, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, arugala, toasted pine nuts, walnuts...seriously, the list is endless. Here's how I made it and you can adjust it however you want!

Pasta with Salmon and Veggies
print this recipe

1 lb. pasta (I used bow-tie)
2 Tbsp. (or so) olive oil--who measures this anyway?!
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chopped vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms)
1/2+ pint heavy cream (I didn't use the whole pint but I used more than half)
salt to taste (1/2-1 tsp.)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cedar-plank grilled salmon

Prepare pasta according to package directions, al dente.
 
Pour olive oil into pan over medium-high heat and add garlic.  Stir just a minute or so until fragrant.  Add veggies.  Saute for a few minutes or more until they are as soft as you like them.  Add cream and salt.  Simmer about 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.  Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.  Add pasta to the sauce and mix well.   Put in serving dish and add salmon to the top (I didn't stir in the salmon because it would break apart too easily.  You could stir in the chicken or shrimp though).  If you don't want to cedar-plank your salmon, you can bake it in the oven drizzed with olive oil, salt and pepper at 375 until it is done. 

...or use chicken from a rotisserie chicken....

...you could also add some pesto for extra flavor if you happen to have some in your fridge...

Ghost Cookies

These are my favorite Halloween treats to make for my kids because they are so cute and so EASY!  And my kids love them.  And so do I.  They literally took me 10 minutes to make.  Here's what you need:

print this recipe
Nutter Butter cookies

white chocolate chips

mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Do I even need to tell you the directions?  Just in case you are having a bad day and really don't want to think, here's what you do.  Melt the white chips in the microwave according to package directions.  Dip cookies into white chocolate.  Place mini chips for eyes.  Lay on wax paper until chocolate is set.  Simple!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin and chocolate.  Need I say more?  What is there not to love?  I found this recipe on the Food Network website and they are delicious.  Perfect for the season!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
print this recipe

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350.  Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.  Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.  Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds.  Stir in the chips.  Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges.  Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes.  Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

(notes:  I used a Silpat baking mat on my cookie sheet.  I HIGHLY recommend them.  I have had mine for years and love them!!!  Also, my oven tends to run hot so I baked mine at 325 for 13 minutes and they turned out perfect.)

Cream Cheese Brownies

This recipe came from my new favorite cookbook, Baking Illustrated.  I checked this book out from the library and I can't put it down!  There are so many things I want to try...but one thing at a time. 

Cream Cheese Brownies

(from Baking Illustrated)
print this recipe

Brownie Base:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan (or you can line it with foil and spray the foil--it makes for easier clean-up and the brownies don't stick to the pan).

Brownie Base:

Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together and stir until smooth.  If using the microwave, use 50 percent power for 2 minutes.  Then stir and microwave another 30-60 seconds on 50 percent power until it is completely melted.  Whisk in the sugar and vanilla; cool slightly.  Whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, fully incorporting each before adding the next.  Continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth.  Add the dry ingredients; whisk until just incorporated.

Cream Cheese Filling:

In a small bown, beat the cream cheese with the sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk until evenly blended.

Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared pan.  Drop half the cream cheese mixture, by spoonfuls, over the batter.  Add the remaining brownie batter, and then the remaining cream cheese filling.  Use the blade of a table knife to gently swirl the brownie batter and cream cheese filling, creating a marbled effect.

Bake until the edges of the brownies have puffed slightly, the center feels not quite firm when touched lightly, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with several moist, fudgy crumbs adhering to it, 50-60 minutes. 

Market Street Clam Chowder

 

Market Street Grill is one of my favorite places to eat.  They have the best clam chowder ever, and this recipe came from their website.  How nice of them to share!!!  I do have to say that when I made this over the weekend, it actually tasted BETTER than at the restaurant.  Seriously.  And not just because I served it in a bread bowl either.  And I loved how easy it was to make! 

Market Street Clam Chowder
print this recipe

1 cup potatoes, diced ½ inch
1 cup celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh)
¾ Tbsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp. salt
¾ Tbsp. whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 tsp. Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine (optional)
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 quarts half-and-half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally (this will thicken it up).

(note:  since I didn't add the wine, I added 2 3/4 cups water)