Sweet Potato Souffle

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving?  I AM!!!  I have my menu all set, printed and posted.  My kids are all excited to sign up for what they will be making.  I make the same exact meal that my mother made all through my growing up years.  Every few years I add or change a side dish.  This is one of those years!!!  I am SO excited about this addition!  

Are you ready for this?  Sweet Potato Souffle is TO DIE FOR!  My friend Holly, in my Gourmet Club made it for us last year as her dessert for the Girlfriend's Christmas Party.  She also did it as one of the side dishes for our Stake Relief Society Dinner in September that our group catered.  Honestly I am posting this recipe for my own easy access, as well as to fulfill the hopes and dreams of many who have asked me for it! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients -
6 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (I use 2 - 29 oz. cans Princella brand)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup melted butter
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk

                                                                                                                                          

 Mix first three ingredients in a mixer, add the next 3 and mix until blended.                                                Pour in a 9x13 casserole dish.

Topping:

2/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour

Melt butter in microwave, add the rest of ingredients and mix well.  It will look like wet sand. I use my hands to sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. Should not be soupy...if the top is browning too much, cover with foil.

*Serving alternative - Bake in ramekins for single servings.  Also, this can be used as a dessert!  It is as good as a crust-less sweet potato pie!

Rhubarb Custard Pie

   
           This week I was in a Pioneer kind of mood.  First of all I watched several episodes of Pioneer Woman on Saturday.  That also puts me in "be adventurous in the kitchen" kind of mood.  I've had some rhubarb sitting in my fridge waiting to be made into some yummy treat.  So the wheels were already turning.  Also, my two oldest kids were preparing to leave on Monday morning bright and early for a Pioneer Trek "Mormon Trail" reenactment that would last for 5 days.  We've been doing a lot to prepare for this trek.  We've been walking and hiking a lot to help them be physically prepared.  We have been studying and watching movies about the early Mormon Pioneers.  We have talked a lot about Spiritual Preparation, and leaving behind the things of the world in order to strengthen their belief and testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, much like the early Pioneers.  They are modern pioneers.  My favorite part has been studying and learning more about our own Mormon Pioneer ancestors.

           So back to rhubarb!  With all this Pioneer activity going on I was really in the mood for some Rhubarb Custard Pie!  I am not sure how long this recipe has been in the family.  I know that my mom made it all the time, and her mom made it all the time.  I plan to ask my grandma all about this in a couple of weeks when I get to the family reunion.

          By the way, this recipe has won me a few prizes.  It is so darn good.  Even rhubarb haters love it.

Basic Double Pie Crust Recipe
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash of salt
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl gently mix with a large wooden spoon all ingredients, including rhubarb.  Pour into the bottom crust.
Roll out top crust and make a mark or cut in the center to help steam escape.  I make a basic cross, or sometimes cut a small heart into it for fun.
Put top crust on, and pinch to seal shut.

I do an egg white wash on top.  It makes it so pretty.  I also love to sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar over the top.  It not only makes the crust extra good, but it is a great companion to the little bit of nutmeg that is in the filling.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Let cool for at least 1-2 hours before you cut into it.  This is one of those pies that is yummy when still warm, or even better the next day.  I also highly suggest eating this with vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie

  Every year for Thanksgiving, I carry on a tradition that my mom started when I was young.  I make a fun and fancy menu for Thanksgiving.  I hang it on the fridge and everyone has to sign up for what they will make.  Each family member has to be in charge of a dinner item, a pie and treat (like chex mix).  

 Last year my oldest son asked if we could please make a coconut cream pie because that's what he wanted to sign up for.  I did some looking, and found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It reminds me a lot of my grandma's recipe.  Glenn made the pie, with my help, and it was a HUGE favorite last year!  It will definitely be on our menu for this year's Thanksgiving!

1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut 

3 cups half and half 

2 eggs, beaten 

3/4 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

 1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 9 inch pie crust, baked 

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie. 

Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours. 

Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut. 

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie is one of my top favorites!  It is nothing but rich, smooth chocolate in a pie crust.  I like to add whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

The first time I made this it was delicious, but had baked up a huge hollow bubble in the center.  So I always one and half the filling now to make sure there is not a hollow center in this deliciously dense pie.  I pour a generous amount in, all the way up to the top of the seam of the crust before baking.  This is the recipe as I make it, and used in one pie crust.

1 1/2 Sticks of Butter 

3 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 9 inch unbaked pie crust

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir until smooth.

2.  Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt in a large bowl; beat with a fork until well mixed.

3.  Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture; stir until well combined.

4.  Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust.  Bake until pie appears slightly set toward center,  about 45 minutes.  A hard crust forms on top.  I usually lift this crust off with a butter knife.  I usually need to bake it longer after that.  

If any of my readers can tell me a better solution to this hard crust issue then please fill me in. 

The top is usually not very pretty because of the crust that I take off.  I decorate it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Cool completely before serving. 

My daughter usually signs up to make this one for Thanksgiving.  It's her favorite.

Spinach Quiche

This is a super yummy meal!  I found it in the cookbook my Mother in Law made for us.  My favorite thing about this dish is that ALL of my kids love it!  They call it Spinach Pie.  I usually keep this meal simple by serving sliced pears or apples on the side.

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained, I press the liquid out using paper towels.

5 eggs, beaten

1 cup, small curd cottage cheese

2 cups grated combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

2 Tbsp. dried onion

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 - 9 inch deep dish pie shell, unbaked

Preheat oven to  375 degrees.

Blend all ingredients and pour into pie shell.  Bake 50-60 minutes.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting.  Cut into 8 wedges to serve.

I recently made this for brunch in little quiche bites for my book club. It was a huge, and delicious hit.
I made a recipe for double pie crust, and used my scalloped edge, round pastry cutter from Demarle to cut circles which I then pressed into the mini muffin silform made by Demarle.  My Demarle representative came to book club and was so impressed.  She thought the quiche bites looked like they had come from a bakery.
Score for me!

Apple Pie Slices

A few years after I was married, my mother in law gave everyone a cookbook, filled with her recipes, for Christmas.  I don't remember which recipe I tried first, but I know this was one of the first.  One of the best parts of visiting "Grandma Ritz" is that she makes yummy treats like this.  I made this once for my side of the family, and my dad wrote in a new title in the cookbook.  He titled it, "A Party in Your Mouth."  He actually wrote it into the book!  

I made this once with cherries.  I used my cherry pie recipe for the filling.  It was delicious!  The only thing was I need to strain the liquid off, this 'slab' pie does not really hold juices so well.  Also, this dough is very sticky and fragile.  Using extra flour to roll it out would dry it out and change the texture.  The bottom crust I roll out between the baking sheet and a piece of Suran Wrap.  The top crust I roll out between 2 large pieces of Suran Wrap, peel the top layer off, lay it down carefully over the apples, then peel off the bottom layer of plastic wrap.

Mix - 2 1/2 cups flour

         1 Tbsp. Sugar

         1 teas. Salt

Cut into flour  - 1 cup shortening

Separate 1 egg. Put egg yolk in measuring cup and add milk enough to make 2/3 cup in all.  Add to flour mixture.  Mix dough just enough to shape into a ball.  Roll out half of dough into a rectangle.  Transfer to a baking sheet - 11x15, jelly roll size.

Cover bottom layer of dough with - 

2/3 cup cornflakes, slightly crushed

5 cups peeled, sliced apples

Mix - 1 1/2 cups sugar

         1 teas. cinnamon

Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon over the apples.  Roll other half of the dough between 2 pieces of Suran Wrap.  Place over the apples, pinch the edges shut.  Beat the egg white until very stiff and spread over the top.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. 

While hot, drizzle with a glaze made by mixing - 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Pear Pie

I come from a major pie making family.  Thanksgiving is our holiday.  Last year we had 13 pies, and it was just my family, my parents and a few of my siblings.  When we travel to my Grandma Mott's house for Thanksgiving the amount of pies is insane!  My Grandpa was the General Manager of the Frontier Pies Restaurants.  Grandma developed many of the recipe's and was the official pie making trainer.  She traveled from restaurant to restaurant teaching how to make beautiful and delicious pies.  

Several years ago my mom called me up in September and said, "I think we need to add Pear Pie to the Thanksgiving menu."  I said, "I'm on it!"  I searched high and low.  I baked a lot of pear pie's that Fall.  I baked every Pear Pie recipe I could find, until I found this recipe.  I have never baked any other Pear Pie recipe's since.  It is very much like a pear custard in a pie shell.  It is easily my children's favorite pie.  

(I was given this recipe by Beverly Morgan.)

3-4 Fresh Pears, Peeled, cored and sliced thick

single pie crust, unbaked 

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

4 T. flour

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Place Pears nicely in the unbaked pie shell.  

Mix the rest of the ingredients with an electric mixer, until creamy.  Pour batter evenly over pears and spread so it is smooth on top.  Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour, or until golden brown on top.  

I sometimes need to bake it another 10 minutes.  Make sure it is solid, and not liquid at all in the center.  I can tell this just by moving it slightly to see if it stays firm in the center.

Cherry Cheese Pie

Cherry Cheese Tartlets - Garrett & Bailey's wedding luncheon

This pie is perfect in the summer time because it requires little to no baking.  It is also delicious and impressive and easy!  It is good in a graham cracker crust or a single pastry crust.  My mom got this recipe from Goldie Burton in Monmouth, Oregon.

For my sister Bailey's wedding luncheon I was asked to do some dessert's.  This is one of them.  I just made put the filling in baked phyllo tart shells, then topped with one cherry each.  I always buy canned Cherry pie filling, but you can make you own.

1 pint whipping cream, whipped

Mix –

                1 cup powdered sugar

                8 oz. cream cheese

Fold in whipped cream

Pour into crust and top with cherry pie filling.  Refrigerate before serving.

Blueberry Sourcream Pie

 I have had more requests to make this pie than any other.  It’s great on Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July.  I love eating this one!  It is my grandma's recipe used in their restaurant Frontier Pies.  It is easy to make and fun to garnish and decorate!

 It is good in a graham cracker shell as well. 

Make 1 box of vanilla pudding – instant or cooked and cooled. 

In a bowl mix  -    1 cup of pudding

                            ½ cup of sour cream

                            1 teaspoon Lemon juice

                            ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

Layer into a cooled

Baked pie shell -                 

                                    1.  Blueberry pie filling (sometimes I make my own, or you can buy canned)

2.  Sour Cream mixture

3.  Cool Whip

Garnish with Lemon rind and nutmeg if desired.

Cherry Pie

 

This pie has won me some contests!  It always brings in lots of compliments. This is my mom's recipe, and my brother always requested this for his birthday dessert growing up.  This Cherry Pie is a MUST try.

1 double pie crust

In a pot simmer – 2 ½ cups sugar

                             ½ flour

                             ½ t. cinnamon

                             2 cans tart (or sour) cherries (1 qt.)

Take off heat.

Add in ½ t. almond extract.

Pour into bottom crust.  Slice up 1 T. margarine or butter over filling before putting on top crust.  That will keep it from boiling over. 

I like to cut a heart in the center, or other cute shapes depending on what the occasion is.  I also sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the top before baking. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes.