Homemade Pumpkin Pie and Crust

You know that you're over summer when you really start craving some Fall recipes... like Pumpkin pie! Yum! I got on a pie kick last week and made this and a few days later made a Cherry Pie with a different crust recipe. Both turned out stupendous and something I would certainly make again and again. Unfortunately my husband, Don ate them both before I had time to eat more than one slice. He covers his glutenous behavior by saying you can't expect to eat a piece every other day (which is what I do)...you have to have multiple pieces (with whipped cream and or ice cream) everyday. Ha! Good thing he exercises...

Single Pie Crust Recipe:
1 -1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 Cup Shortening (see pictures for trick)
4 to 5 Tbs Cold Water

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Blend in shortening until pieces are pea-sized.

I have done this for years and it has saved me a lot of messy cleaning. If I have to measure out ingredients like butter, shortening, peanut butter, etc. That is oily and sticky I will always take some plastic wrap and place it over my measuring cup. Then you simply fill it in, plop it out and put back your clean cup! :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 Tbs of the water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into a ball.

3. On a lightly floured surface, (or on parchment paper, which is what I did) use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

4. To transfer pastry, you can either wrap it around the rolling pin and unroll the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease the pastry into pie plate without stretching it. OR, if you did it on parchment paper, you can simply put the pie plate over the rolled out dough and then with your hand under the parchment paper, flip it right side over. Then gently ease the dough into the plate, flattening it out on the bottom and around the edges.
5. Now trim the edges, or dazzle them up - your choice :)

(Note: I did not roll my out big enough. You can see toward the bottom I did not have enough crust to go all the way up..... roll out thinner next time!)
--------------------------------------------------------

Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can Libby's Pumpkin

1 (12 ounce) can Evaporated Milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into your awesome pie shell.

3.Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

Flash back recipe

We had some friends over one night for treats and Wii game playing. I decided to not venture off into any new and foreign recipes - so I made previously tried and loved yummy bunny goods. Click the name to be directed to the post with recipe. :)

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Cookies

Strawberry Shortcakes with homemade Whipped Cream

Strawberry Shortcakes and homemade Whipped Cream

Mmmm you know summer is here when you start craving strawberry shortcakes! We go through a lot of strawberries in our house and this one particular day I felt like making some yummy shortcake. I flipped open my Better Homes and Garden cook book and found just the thing. It was delicious! The cake was fluffy and sweet - perfect when served warm with a nice scoop of sliced strawberries and whipped cream on top....Mmmmm I want one right now!
It was a simple recipe and you just plopped the batter onto a cookie sheet and baked. Of course they won't look like your processed little shortcakes you buy in the packets at Wal-Mart...these are much better!

Recipe:
1.5 Cups all purpose Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/3 cup cold Butter
1 Egg
1/2 cup Dairy sour cream
2 Tbs Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease a baking sheet (or use parchment paper!); set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl combine egg, sour cream, and milk. Add flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened.

2. drop dough into eight mounds onto baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 mins or until golden (dont over cook! Start low, like 11 mins... keep watch) --- Transfer to wire rack, let cool.

Serve with strawberries and Whipped Cream. ....Now, you can use the store bought whipped cream, or...make your own!! It's fast and easy - and tastes great!

Recipe for Whipped Cream:

In a chilled mixing bowl add 1 cup of whipping cream, 2 Tbs sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (or, for about 10 mins by hand with a whisk) That's it. Now go and enjoy! YUM!.... sit outside and eat...it makes it all that much more pleasurable.

Sesame Chicken and Hot Lava Cake --Valentines Day!

February 14th....the most dreaded or anticipated love day of the year. Of course, I had someone to spend it with again, 5th year in a row might I add :) So what can you do on V-day with a husband in school, a 1 year old that you can't take to a busy late night restaurant and when the piggy bank looks anorexic? Make your own fabulous night of course!
I had text Don earlier that day and asked him to be home by 7:30pm because I made reservations at P.F. Chang's.-- (he was probably thinking I was crazy!!)-- So when he got home a few mins shy of 7:30 I had almost everything done :D He was surprised..and greatly relieved... because the thought of taking Carter to a restaurant during this busy night and at bed time is not a fun idea. So we fed and played with Carter (I had already given him his bath), we read scriptures, sang some songs and off to sleep he went. Don and I changed into some fancy fancy stuff, I took pictures and placed dinner on the table, lit the candles - turned Pandora (.com) on and we feasted to a lovely at home Valentines dinner.

Don and I

Let's EAT!

I made Sesame Chicken over white rice, with Chow Mein and Snow Peas.

Sesame Chicken, Fruit, Sparkle Drink and Candles...mmmm!

My hurried make-shift sign :D

Sesame Chicken Recipe:
You'll need one of these packets from your local grocery. Look in the Asian isle. I found Ingles or Albertsons carries them. I have ordered them from the company before too.
The directions are on the back of the seasoning packet...but this is how I do it:
Take about a pound of chicken and trim then cut into chunks.
Place chunks in a large sealed plastic bag with a 1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce and 1/4 Cup of Corn Starch, plus 2 Tbs of water. Mix around and marinate for 5-10 mins.
Get a large skillet out and pre-heat with Canola oil. Pour out the chicken and mixture and stir till chicken is brown and cooked thoroughly.
After the chicken is cooked pour in a little more oil, then the packet of seasoning along with 1/2 Cup of white sugar, and 1/4 cup of water. Mix all around and turn heat down to about a 3-4. The combination of seasoning and corn starch with will make the mixture nice and thick.
After the mixture is thick you can dish out over a bowl/plate of rice and add either Chow Mein Noodles, more Sesame Seeds or Cashews. :) ENJOY!
The fruit I used were Strawberries, Bananas and Watermelon. YUM!
--------------------------
Now for DESSERT!
(read all before making..warning tip)
I made a quick easy version of the Hot Lava Chocolate Cake.
I bought a cool GIANT cup cake pan at WalMart.
I used a box of Devils food Cake and mixed as directed. Then I filled both sides of my pan to 3/4 full. Popped in the oven and let cool afterward before transferring out of pan. (Make sure you grease your pan with Crisco or Pam Spray and then lightly flour, for the cakes can come right out!..I use Pam Spray Canola).
Take cakes out of pan and onto a cutting board or something similar.
Take a sharp long knife and cut a circle out of the top and carve out the cake "inners".
Save top and scraps. Now fill the cake with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Though, I am pretty sure next time I will use a higher quality chocolate - like a fondue type - Then stuff the scraps into your mouth, or give them to your child (which he then spits out all onto the floor and steps on it and makes a huge mess...wait, did I just say that out loud?) and take the top and plug your chocolate syrup stuffed cake. CAREFUL! I made the mistake of making my cake too full and when I plugged it up it split the sides and pretty much bled to death. Not pretty.

So I decided to do something different with my other piece. I sliced the top straight off, instead of carving it out. This way after I fill the cake with chocolate there will be no added pressure with the top going back on. it will just lay on top of the sliced edges. GENIUS I tell you! :-P
So try and not make my first mistake. Okay, now you filled it in and you placed the top on. Good job. Now wrap in plastic and place in the freezer till whenever you are going to use it.


I made this treat in the morning and froze it for the day. When we sat down for dinner I took it out of the freezer and placed it on the kitchen counter. When we were ready to eat I popped it into the microwave for 1 min 30 secs till nice and warm. I then sprinkled it with powder sugar and drizzled more chocolate over the top. Wish I had some ice cream! You can serve with whip cream and strawberries if you'd like. YUM!... it looks impressive and is very easy to do. Enjoy!

Apple-Maple Claws...oh, and a burrito.

Yesterday I said that I was making a special treat. Well here it is! Yum~

This little beauty is called an "Apple-Maple Claw" and tastes pretty darn scrumptious! However, the work involved was a little extensive - I think mostly in part because of my 50% effort while playing with Carter. I made the quick-method croissant dough recipe (which really is not all that *quick*) and had to let chill till the next day (4-24hrs). Here is the recipe:

Croissant Dough
1.5 Cups Cold Butter
4.5 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Package of dry yeast (I have the jar, so 1Tbs)
1 and 1/4 Cups Milk
1.4 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Egg
4th to a half Cup All Purpose Flour

1. Cut the butter into thin little slices and mix that around 3 cups of flour. After they are all mixed and separated, put the bowl and mixture in the fridge to chill.


2. For the dough, combine the remaining 1.5 cups flour and the yeast; set aside.
In a sauce pan heat and stir milk, sugar and salt just until warm (120-130F with cooking thermometer). add to flour and yeast mixture. Add Egg. Mix together well with electric mixer or wooden spoon.

3. With wooden spoon, stir chilled flour/butter mixture into dough until flour is moistened (butter chunks will remain)

4. Okay, now most places will say flour a surface real well or use a pastry cloth --well my little trick is Parchment paper for everything! The clean-up is so much better when you use this stuff. Now get your parchment out, flour it up a little and turn the dough out onto the surface. with floured (clean) hands gently knead the dough for about 8 strokes. Using a well floured rolling pin (to prevent sticking) roll dough out into about a 21X12" rectangle. (I again use parchment paper instead of flouring my rolling pin. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough and layer a parchment paper on top...then roll away!)

Rolling Process

5. Now fold the dough into thirds. (Take left side, fold it to middle, then take right side and fold it to middle - like a letter going into an envelope.). Loosely wrap that in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1-1.5hours. ....or 20-30mins in the freezer. You want it firm but not excessively stiff.

6. Now roll the dough back out into a 21X12" rectangle and then fold back into thirds. Turn the dough around and re-roll it back out in a 21x12" and then fold back into thirds. Cut dough evenly down the middle and place in two separate plastic bags. Inflate the bag a little to allow the dough room to rise. Chill dough for 4-24hrs.

Whew! Now you're done with the most time consuming portion!

Now for the filling I made to go inside the dough I doubled what the recipe called for. You might not feel the need - but I really wanted to load those puppies up with apple goodness! So, for the following recipe double if you desire. :)
FILLING RECIPE:
1.5 Cups Chopped and Peeled Apples (I used granny smith green)
2 Tbs Sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tbs all-purpose Flour
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tea Maple flavoring

1. In a med. saucepan combine and apples and sugar. Heat slowly until liquid accumulates. Bring mixture to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 to 10 mins or until the apples are tender. Uncover and simmer for 3 mins more or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in cinnamon.

2. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla and maple flavoring with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 mins or until light and fluffy - set aside.

3. Now take your dough you made and chilled. Roll into 12" square. Cut each square into three 4 inch wide strips (6 strips total). Now take the maple vanilla mixture and spread it across the strips. (This is where you will have to delegate how much goes on each...thus the reason why I doubled the recipe) Now delegate yet again the apple cinnamon mixture over the mixture on the strips. Fold the strips lengthwise in half to cover the filling. Pinch the edges to seal. Cut the strips into 3 4-inch long pieces. Make 4 or 5 evenly spaced cuts into each piece. Snipping from the sealed edge almost to the folded edge. Place two inches apart on un-greased baking sheet (again, I used parchment paper over my cooking sheet...no mess! yes!!). Curving slightly to separate slits. Cover and let raise in a warm place until nearly doubled. Approx. 45-60 mins. (Now I did not do this. --I just threw it in and baked.)

Pinched and separated

Ready for the Oven

All Done!

Bake in oven at 375F for 11-15 mins. Or until pastries are golden.

Maple Glaze:

In a small mixing bowl combine
1 Cup powdered sugar
1/4 tea maple flavoring
1-2Tbs milk
Enough to make a glaze that is easy to drizzle.

Now serve warm, alone or with ice cream. Or cool and seal in freezer bag for another day. Good Job!

P.S. Don't Stuff Too much....my second batch that I generously loaded sort of spilled their "guts" while cooking. Whoops. Oh well, still tasty and good with ice cream!

Always wear your seat belt

-----------------------------------------------

Don tried it out....yummmm
Carter Tried it out....kind of Yummmmm

Oh, and I also made a less-than fabulous Burrito for Don and I to eat. Sorry, nothing special here. It didn't even have meat in it! Just take a tortilla, layer some re-fried beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream..whatever else and cook or microwave. Some home maker uh? haha

Chocolate chip butterscotch cookies and fruit pizza

Okay so I have not saved much from any of my previous yum-tastic endeavors; but what I do have are the following:

(post taken from a entry on my main web blog)

I love to make home made goodies, and Don thoroughly enjoys almost all my experiments. The first is a scrumptious cookie recipe that Don and the people he works with beg for all the time. It is a chocolate and butterscotch cookie recipe. Super easy and super yummy! These cookies are moist and keep their wonderful "fluffiness" even after cooled.

Here are the cookies:
"tada"

...and here is the recipe:

Oven @: 375F

Mix in a bowl with an electric mixer - till smooth and creamy:

• 1/2 Cup of shortening
• 1/2 Cup of Butter

Add to the bowl and mix till smooth:

• 1 Cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Then beat in:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla

After all that is combined start adding in as much of the 2.5 cups of Flour that you can. Use a wooden spoon, or large thick fork (I use the fork). Stir Stir Stir!

Then Add till desired:

• Chocolate chips
• Butterscotch chips

The saying you can never have enough chocolate is true in many cases, but not here. Careful not to overload the bowl with too many "chips". Your mixture will be overloaded and not have enough "cookie" to keep its form.

Final step:
Scoop out nice little balls and place on a non greased cookie sheet. I usually take my large fork I stirred everything with and scoop out just a nice chunk and then, using a Popsicle stick, scrap off onto sheet. The oven will melt the dough into a nice round cookie - so no need to flour up your hands and roll out each serving.
375F oven for 8-10 mins. Watch carefully, you don't want an over baked batch!
Take out of oven and wait a min. or so - then transfer to wire cooling rack. YUM YUM enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Fruit Pizza! Don and I absolutely love this treat and it is actually pretty simple to make. Little costly at times, because of fruit prices, but makes a lot!

Here is the treat we made:
"tada"



...and here is the recipe/steps:

Step 1: Buy or make a batch of sugar cookie dough. I've made mine in the past, but for this one I just bought 2 pre-made Pillsbury sugar cookie dough. I took a cookie sheet, sprayed with Pam and (with flour on my hands) started to roll out and smushed to cover the whole cookie sheet. It takes a bit and a lot of spreading - but you'll get there. Don't worry! (a rolling pin is awesome, if you have one small enough to fit into the cookie sheet). After that is thinned out and spread throw into the oven at the designated temperature and cook for about 10 mins. Make sure you watch carefully, burnt "pizza bottom" is never that yummy.

Sugar Cookie Crust Bottom... post-cooked

Step 2:
For your frosting you'll need this:

• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Powder sugar

Mix those ingredients together and spread over the top of your cooled cookie crust.

Frosting applied

Step 4:
After your spread is done, cut up any type of fruit you want to use on your pizza. Some examples that we like to have are Strawberries, Bananas, Kiwis, Grapes, Black or Blueberries.etc...
Once you have those all cut up begin your creation! Design however you like - I have made much prettier ones in the past. I was short on time (thank you Carter) so I gave no thought to my fruit order and just started putting them on. Still yummy though! :)

Step 4:
Okay, FINAL step. You have to (okay, maybe not have to, but is a good idea) to apply a glaze over the whole pizza after laying your fruit. Helps keep in all the moisture and prevent the fruit from browning and getting nasty. This recipe makes a ton, so I always cut it in half - but here is the "un-cut" version.

Glaze:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 Tbs Cornstarch
• Dash of Salt
• 3/4 Cup of Water
• 1 Cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 Cup Lemon (juice)

I just mix that well - then take a large spoon and start dripping it over everything. You feel like you're watering down your pizza, but don't worry - it taste great and won't ruin all your hard work. Congratulations! You've made your very own Fruit Pizza that your spouse, friends and your taste buds will thank you for. Serve up and Enjoy!..... or, if for later, cover with tin foil and place in fridge. Taste better when chilled.

Fruit Pizza
"yum"