Pie and A Friendly Armadillo

I don't have a lot of time these days to get on the computer but I often have my iPhone by my side to play games, text, send family and friends pictures of Hayden and to check my email. For the past few years I've subscribed to the daily holiday emails from Better Homes and Gardens. This year they started posting slideshows to accompany their recipes and this particular pie caught my eye. Hey that rhymes!

The only thing is, since my time is limited in the kitchen, recipes have to be simple and quick. This pie was both. And Mr. H even got in the kitchen with me and helped! He mixed up the filling while I made the pie crust. This pie was in the oven within minutes. A short time later, it was smelling quite delicious, nutty with a hint of coffee liquor. Yes, there's Kahlua in this pie and it was a nice change from the ordinary pecan pie. I've added Bourbon to my pecan pies before but I never thought of adding Kahlua before. I quite liked the combination of pecans, chocolate, and coffee notes. Mr. H liked it because it was not as gooey as most pecan pies, which meant that it cut nicely and was sturdier. If you're not a fan of sticky and gooey, than you might like this pie.

On to the armadillo part of this post. haha! That's an odd combination- pie and armadillos. You see, we have a pet armadillo. Well not really. It's not a pet, but it is taking up residence under our shed and we welcome it because it's eating grub worms in the yard and Autumn likes to chase it around the yard. She's quite entertained by him. This past week, Maranda and her daughter (Little Butt) came over. LB wanted to see the armadillo and hoped he was purple because that's her favorite color. Unfortunately, the armadillo didn't make an appearance while they visited, but I promised her I'd share pictures on here for her. I hope you like our little friend!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie with Kahlua slightly adapted from BHG

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For the Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 4 - 5 tablespoons ice cold water

For the Filling:

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup light-color corn syrup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together all-purpose flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of flour mixture; toss gently with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat with additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time (4 to 5 tablespoons total), until all is moistened. Shape into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a 12-inch circle.

Wrap pastry circle around rolling pin; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry.

Sprinkle with the 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

For the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, coffee liqueur, flour, and vanilla. Stir in the 1 cup chopped pecans. Slowly pour filling over chocolate pieces in bottom of crust.

Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil.

Bake about 10-30 (my pie took a total of 55 minutes to bake through- I just checked it every 10 minutes) minutes more or until edge is puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Cover and chill within 2 hours of baking until ready to serve. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

Tastes Like Fall- Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread and Giveaway (Closed)

I'd love to give you a list of things I've been creating in the kitchen but the list would be embarrassingly short and laughable. My days are all running into each other and I only know what day it is if I happen to leave the house, which is about once a week. I can tell you I make excellent breast milk 8 times daily- Hayden's one happy camper :-) Despite all that, I did manage to bake these awesomely gooey sticky-bun pumpkin muffins today. It took twice as long as usual since I had to stop every five minutes to rock Hayden back to sleep, but they eventually got made.

These beautiful pecans are from my in-laws pecan trees!

My MIL subscribes to Southern Living magazine and when she's done reading it, she gives it to me. Except this week, Mr. H read it first and pointed out this recipe in their "Nuts About Pecans" recipe section. Last month's magazine was all about apples and this one was about pecans- both have me drooling. I chose to make these muffins though because I needed to incorporate a special ingredient into them. Land O' Lakes now makes a Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread and they sent me a couple coupons to try out their new product. It really is delicious and creamy and loaded with cinnamon. It's a sweet buttery spread but not overly so. I can imagine this spread on toasted bagels, pancakes and even baked sweet potatoes. Since it is so new, I had difficulty finding it at my local grocery stores. I searched 4 different locations before finding it at Wal-Mart.

For this recipe, I used the Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread in place of canola oil. It worked out very well and intensified the cinnamon flavor in the muffins. I halved the recipe, made 12 muffins and had a little leftover batter to make a couple mini loaves. The pumpkin muffins were tender and moist while the nutty topping was sweet and sticky. They're definitely sweeter than the average muffin and would make great individual desserts. Mr. H and I shared one shortly after coming out of the oven and he declared that they tasted like Fall. I would agree and couldn't be happier that Summer is finally over. It was brutally hot these past few months and I gladly welcome cooler weather. I just hope it gets here soon because it's almost October and it was still over 100 degrees today!

Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins adapted from Southern Living- October 2011

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• 1 cup pecan halves and pieces
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground all-spice
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. canned pumpkin puree
• 6.5 oz. Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter, room temp.
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup* muffin tin with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

Stir together melted butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Spoon 1 teaspoonful butter mixture into each muffin cup. Spread 1 Tablespoon of pecans over melted butter.

Stir together flour, sugar, spices, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, and make a well in the center of the mixture.

Whisk together pumpkin, Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter, eggs and water. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling 3/4 full.

Bake at 350F for 22-28 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Invert pan immediately to remove muffins, then arrange muffins on a cooling rack. Spoon any remaining toppings in muffin cup over the muffins. Let cool 5 minutes.

*Makes 12-18 muffins

Alternatively, you could omit the sticky buttery nutty topping and just bake the bread with the pecans mixed in or you could place the chopped pecans on top of the batter and top with cinnamon sugar and bake in muffin tins or loaf pans. Bake until the center comes out clean.

Now onto the giveaway part of this post! The folks at Land O' Lakes have graciously sponsored this giveaway. They would like to offer one of you lucky readers the chance to win this "Make Breakfast Better" prize pack including a non-stick waffle skillet, flexible spatula, stainless-steel spreaders and more.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me how you'd use the Land O' Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread. One comment per person please and be sure to leave your contact info or link back to your blog should you be chosen as the winner.

I'll announce the winner early next week. Good luck to you all and thank you Land O' Lakes for the cinnamony goodness and the giveaway offer.

Citrus Love & A Cookbook Giveaway!

I mentioned in a recent post about Lemon-Lime Cream Pie, that we were going through cases of oranges from Costco like they were going out of style. They have just been so good this year, and as a midnight snack, Mr. H and I will peel two oranges and have those for dessert. Actually he does the peeling, I just do the eating :-) Our entire crisper drawer was filled to the brim with oranges so I decided to use a few to make this cake. I didn't even make a dent in our stash.

This cake comes from a cookbook I discovered last March called Frame By Frame Baking. It immediately appealed to me because it reminded me of step by step recipe blogs. There are step by step photos and instructions in this book so it's easy to follow along, but it's also visually appealing and the recipes are simple. The book has about 60 recipes sweet and savory recipes in it, and are divided into 4 categories- Cakes and Traybakes, Pastries, Small Cakes and Cookies, and Breads. There really is something for everyone in this book.

I liked this cake, but didn't love it. Firstly, I think I overbaked it a tad even though I followed the directions. It should have been taken out about 5 minutes prior to the time in the book and I have noted that in the recipe below. Because it was overbaked, it was a little on the dry side. Also, when you bake fresh oranges their flavor becomes bitter, like that of orange marmalade. I'm not a fan of orange marmalade but if you are, then you'll like this cake. Despite not loving this recipe, I'm sure there's another in this book with my name written all over it.

Also because this book was so appealing to me, I bought two extras, just for YOU! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite cookbook. That's it! Be sure you leave me your name and email in your comment so I can contact you if you win. If you leave an anonymous comment with no contact info, there will be no cookbook for you! Because I'm feeling generous, everyone is eligible to enter this giveaway. Mr. H and I are going away on a secret trip this weekend for our 6th wedding anniversary. I'll announce the winner when we return home. Hope everyone has a great week!

Orange Madeira Ring adapted from Frame By Frame Baking

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• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup or Lyle's Golden syrup
• 2medium oranges
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
• 2-3 Tbsp. orange juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a tube/ring cake pan and spoon the syrup into the bottom.

Cut all the white peel and pith from the oranges and cut into slices.

Arrange the slices over the syrup in the pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flour into the mixture and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula. Add the orange juice and zest and fold in until a til a soft consistency is achieved.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the surface.

Bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake should be risen, golden and firm to the touch.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then return out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

The cake can be served cold, or warm with extra corn or Golden syrup drizzled over it.

Ahh, citrus love!

Hoosier Momma?

Today's recipe comes from a lovely book written by Molly Wizenberg-- A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table. Molly is also the author of the blog Orangette. Without knowing what this book was about, I purchased it because of our common interests: food. I got this book many moons ago then placed it on the shelf and forgot about it. I knew I'd pick it up again when the time was right. When I finally read it, I cried. I laughed. And I grew hungry and I didn't want to put it down.

This book is a memoir, but it's more than that. It's a story of growing up, of grief, of travel, of love and loss. It's about family and finding the love of your life, all the while eating your way through life. It's about creating recipes that remind you of the good times and the ones you love. I'm not a follower of Orangette, but I hopped over there to check it out after I finished the book and I noticed that many of the stories were straight from her blog. Because each chapter is only about 2-5 pages long, the stories are never too involved, followed up with a corresponding recipe or two. It's an easy read that keeps you wanting to turn to the next page, even when it's 2am and you're yawning every few seconds and your husband keeps nagging you to turn the light off.

This pie is from the book and is a recipe that her cousin, Sarah, makes every Thanksgiving in honor of their late aunt, Mia. I am a pecan pie lover and often make it with added chocolate chips so this one with added Bourbon, was just a bonus. I took a shortcut and used a refrigerated pie crust, but if you have a favorite recipe, feel free to use it. This recipe was different than any pecan pie I've ever made though since it calls for creaming the butter and sugar together. It was also much more gooey than I'm used to. I served my pie at room temperature and it was a gloppy mess, but once chilled it was just fine. Just be sure to keep it refrigerated if you want to have nice clean slices of pie. And if you're curious about the Bourbon, it wasn't that noticeable, so leave it out if you prefer. While I thought this recipe was good, this pie is still my favorite!

Hoosier Pie slightly adapted from A Homemade Life

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• 1 pie crust, store bought or homemade (I used Pillsbury)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons Bourbon
• 1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecan halves

Press pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges to create a fluted rim. Place pie dough in refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter on medium-low speed until creamy and soft. While still beating, gradually add the sugar. When the sugar is fully incorporated, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Then add the corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Beat well, then add the Bourbon. Mix. The batter should be pale yellow and fairly thin.

Remove prepared pie plate from fridge. Scatter the chocolate chips and pecans over the base of the crust; then pour in the batter. The pecans will float to the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after the 30 minute mark. The filling will puff gently as it bakes. The pie is ready when the edges are firm, the top is deeply golden and the center seems set but jiggles ever so slightly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. The filling will firm up as it cools.

NOTE: The covered pie will keep at room temperature for 3 days or longer in the refrigerator. You'll get a nicer slice if pie is kept chilled. If you like you can heat it for 10 seconds in the microwave.

I am grateful for you all and wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Eat well, be content and count your many blessings.

~Monica

Marshmallows!

I got together again with Michelle and Ingrid this month to bring you another yummy recipe! We have kind of like our own little Daring Bakers Group. We're more like the Daring Baker Chicks though :-) This time I chose homemade marshmallows from Alton Brown. We had such great success with the pretzels last month and this recipe was no exception. These marshmallows were really tasty.

I've never made marshmallows before but they've always been on my list to make. They were so simple but the end result was impressive. I had great plans to make flavored marshmallows. Cinnamon maybe...those would be so good dunked into hot cocoa. I also wanted to colors them into springy pastel colors but I didn't put much thought into it prior to heading into the kitchen so I made vanilla marshmallows. And I'm glad I did.

Leaving them plain gave me the opportunity to dip them into silky dark chocolate and crushed graham cracker crumbs. This was my alternative to s'mores since I didn't have any graham crackers. These marshmallows were firm but fluffy. They were squishy and jiggly, sweet and soft. Once the chocolate hardened it created a bit of a shell when you bit into it. The graham cracker crumbs added a slight saltiness and a great texture. It also kept the chocolate from melting in your hands. The hubby said these tasted like Pinwheels!

Homemade Marshmallows from Alton Brown

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board (I used a piece of parchment) and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the powdered sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For the S'more marshmallows: Dip the bottom of a marshmallows into melted dark chocolate, them dip into crushed graham crackers. Place on a sheet of wax paper or parchment til chocolate hardens.

Please stop by Ingrid's and Michelle's to see their marshmallows!

Raising The Bar

I made these as part of my Christmas cookie boxes and my family claimed them as their absolute favorites. Everyone that tasted them asked for the recipe and I was happy to oblige. Now I'm sharing it with you! It's no secret though, as it comes from Martha Stewart and can be found on her website.

These were really simple to make. In fact the hardest part of the recipe is waiting for them to cool enough to cut into. I made them before we left to dinner and by the time we got home they were completely cooled and waiting for me on my kitchen counter. Nutty, buttery, crunchy, chewy...Oh come to mama!

I loved the edges of the bars in the pan because they got extra crunchy and sticky. They were also less pretty than the bars in the center so I ate them :-) I couldn't give less than perfect pecan bars as gifts could I? Another favorite part was the caramel filling that's made on the stove top BEFORE it's baked. Be sure to have a spoonful all to yourself prior to pouring it all in the pan. You'll be glad you did.

Pecan Bars from Martha Stewart

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

FOR THE FILLING

• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecans
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil.

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg; pulse just until a dough forms.

Transfer dough to prepared pan; with floured fingers and an offset spatula, press firmly into bottom and 3/4 inch up sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Prick bottom of dough; bake until lightly golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool while preparing filling.

Make the filling: In a large saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth; continue boiling, without stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream and salt; mix in pecans.

Assemble and bake: Spoon hot filling evenly over crust, using spoon to arrange and press in nuts so they fit snugly (create as flat a surface as possible).

Bake until bubbling and golden-colored, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Using foil, lift cake from pan; peel off foil. With a sharp knife, trim edges (if desired). Cut into 6 even strips; cut each strip crosswise into 4 even strips to make 24 bars.

mmm!

Sticky Addictions

It's October and though it's still not much cooler where I live, it's officially Fall in my book. Flavors of fall are pumpkin, squashes, cinnamon, nutmeg, spices, sweet potatoes, apples, brown sugar and CARAMEL.

Salted sticky gooey buttery caramel corn to be exact! Do I have your attention? I found this recipe on Thibeault's Table and had to make it. If you're not familiar with her blog then go over there. She doesn't fuss around with a lot of talk. She cuts straight to the chase-- her fabulous food. Both sweet and savory (and breakfasts I'd like to be invited over for), her blog is a delight. But don't go over there hungry. Don't say I didn't warn you.

This caramel corn was fantastic and just the perfect treat for a friend and I as we sat in the dark with our feet propped up in front of us as we watched Julie and Julia. If you haven't seen that movie yet, what are you waiting for? Do you need an invitation? If so, then I invite you to go and make a date with yourself or a friend and go watch it.

It was a wonderful movie and Meryl Streep was downright brilliant. Who knew Julia was so funny? It was a fairly long movie but I would have gladly sat through another couple hours without complaint to see it again. It was inspiring and funny and sad and hopeful and entertaining. The relationship between Julia and the love of her life, her husband, is just beautiful and real. I left this movie loving her even more that I already did. I just bought her cookbook from Costco for $25 (originally $40). Who knows what she'll inspire me to make?

The food was incredible looking which is why you shouldn't go hungry. And even if you have eaten take a snack because you'll want it. This caramel corn was perfect. It was homemade and not doused in butter flavored oil and salt. It was sticky and gooey, chewy and addicting. A nice treat. Lori, thank you for going with me to see the movie!

Sticky Salted Caramel Popcornm Fare To Remember via Thibealut's Table

• large bowl of popcorn (about 2 bags)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup (I used half light and dark)
• 1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• sea salt (I used Kosher salt)

Combine all caramel ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, stirring to melt and blend all ingredients together. Reduce heat to low and continue a slow boil; stir constantly to avoid the caramel from burning. Caramel is done when it reaches the soft ball candy stage (approximately 10-15 minutes at slow boil).

While still hot, pour caramel over a big bowl of popcorn (2 bags popped corn), mixing well to coat. Sprinkle liberally with the sea salt, again, mixing well for even coverage throughout the batch.

NOTE: I added the salt to the caramel mixture rather than sprinkling it on afterwards.

Also, this make a sticky soft caramel that doesn't not get hard when cooled. I wanted a slightly less sticky version and also to liven up the stale popcorn I popped it in a 250 F degree oven on a greased parchment paper lined sheet pan for 30 minutes.

By the way, over the weekend I got my 200th subscriber to this blog! Thanks so much for reading, commenting and encouraging me along the way. I appreciate each and every one of you so very much.