Chocolate Drizzle Pecan Pie Tart

Oh.....my......GOODNESS!!!  How have I lived so long without ever trying pecan pie!

This past weekend my husband and I were invited over to a friends' house for a dinner party and were asked to bring the dessert!  Of course I jumped at the chance to make something new, and immediately got out my cookbooks, and visited my bookmarked websites, trying to find good ideas for what to make.  That's when I remembered that I've been wanting to try pecan pie.  Growing up I was always afraid to try it. Something about the way the pie looked, and the fact that it had nuts in it, instead of chocolate, sent me running in the opposite direction. Now that I'm somewhat older though, and have come to LOVE pecans, I've really had the desire to make it.  Unfortunately, the opportunity had just never presented itself, until now..... 

Instead of making a traditional pecan pie though, I decided that I would attempt to construct it in the form of a tart.  Mostly, because I've been wanting to try out my new tart pan that I've never used.  I happened to find this fantastic looking recipe online and instantly knew that it would be perfect for the dinner party.  

The only downside to trying new recipes, especially when you're taking them to someone's house, is that you never know how it might turn out.  Therefore, I need to admit that I was a little nervous when the tart first came out of the oven.  In my opinion, it looked a little too crispy on top.  I figured that I would let it sit out overnight, and when I checked on it in the morning, I became even more worried.  The top of the tart looked and felt pretty solid, but when I stuck a knife down into the filling it seemed just right.  I almost thought about not taking the dessert to the party and making something else instead, but I'm so glad that my husband convinced me otherwise.  The tart was absolutely perfect and was a big hit!

The moral of my baking experience is.....looks can be deceiving!  Once again, I had never made pecan pie, so I didn't know that that's what it should have looked like!  I can see this recipe being made again either at Thanksgiving or Christmas!  Who knows......maybe both!

Chocolate Drizzle Pecan Pie Tart
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Ingredients:

For the Crust:
1 stick cold butter, cubed (place back in fridge until ready to be used)
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (a little more, if needed)
½ tsp. salt
½ cup ice water, divided

For the Filling:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo dark corn syrup
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, chopped or halved
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9-inch tart pan with a nonstick cooking spray (I use Pam).

To Make the Crust:

In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, butter, salt, and 2 Tbsp. ice water.  Process the ingredients together until the mixture looks like course meal.  Continue to add 1 Tbsp. of ice water until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.  (If you accidentally add too much water, just add in some more flour)  Place the ball of dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper and flatten in the shape of a circle.  Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and then wrap up tightly and place in the refrigerator for around 45 minutes.

Once the dough has been chilled, remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough out between the two pieces of parchment paper.  Transfer the dough into a 9-inch tart pan and press it into the fluted edges and bottom.

To Make the Filling:

In a medium bowl, slightly beat the eggs.  Add in the sugar, dark corn syrup, butter, and vanilla.  Stir together until well blended.  Distribute the pecans evenly within the tart shell.  Slowly pour the filling over the pecans and place into the oven, once the pecan halves have risen to the top.  Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack.

Melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute.  Stir around, until it’s able to be drizzled over the top of the tart.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Candy Corn Blondies

As I was walking through Walmart the other weekend, I happened to notice a bag of candy corn flavor M&M's.  I couldn't believe it!!!  I love M&M's and candy corn, so I knew right away that I needed to purchase a bag, or two, or ok........maybe three.  The next step was to try to think of something to incorporate them into.  Originally I was going to add them to some sugar cookies, but then the craving for brownies came along.  I didn't feel like making traditional brownies though, because the M&M's contained white chocolate, so instead; I decided to attempt making Blondie's. 

FYI- I've had the opportunity to taste Blondie's in the past, but until now, have never considered making them myself.  I must admit that my first attempt was a flop, although my husband might tell you differently.  He thought that they were delicious, because the Blondie's were a little gooey in the center, just the way he likes them.  I must agree that they tasted great, but I simply was not satisfied with the texture.  Therefore, I had to alter the ingredients some more and because of that the second batch turned out just as I had hoped they would.

Candy Corn Blondie’s
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About 9 servings

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
dash of salt
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup candy corn flavor M&M’s
A handful, or more, of chopped pecans (or any other type of nut)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and then dust with flour.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, set on a low speed, and fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the melted butter and sugar until well combined.  Keeping the mixer set to low, add in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.

Next, add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.  Mix on low-medium speed until the ingredients are just combined.  If needed, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  *The batter may be thick.* Using a spatula, gently fold in the M&M’s and pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared 8x8 pan and spread out evenly.  Bake for about 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  When done, place on a wire rack to cool. 

Garnish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or enjoy plain!

Adapted from: Simply Recipes

Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese Bread

There is nothing better than a terrific homemade loaf of bread.  Except for maybe a homemade loaf of bread that is filled and topped with melted cheese.  Ever since I got back from Michigan this past summer, I've been motivated to try making a delicious cheese bread.  While I was there, my best friend Christina, introduced me to this great local bakery, where we picked up a fresh loaf of cheddar jalapeno bread.  Ever since then, I've been craving more.  Unfortunately, I have not found any bakeries quite as good around me, which is why I decided to do the next best thing.....make it myself! 

I know that making homemade bread can sometimes be intimidating, because there are so many steps in the process.  It can also be quite time consuming, due to the fact that you have to wait for the yeast to rise.  However, this specific quick-bread recipe does not call for any yeast, meaning it couldn't be simpler to make!  In addition, it doesn't take long to assemble, which means that you have scrumptious bread in no time!

Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese Bread
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Ingredients:

3 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 cup)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 oz. extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Move an oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and then sprinkle ½ the parmesan cheese evenly across the bottom.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Whisk together until well blended.  Add in the cubed cheddar squares and stir around, with a rubber spatula, until the cheese is well coated with flour.  (Make sure to break apart any clumps of cheese that stick together)  In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter, egg, and sour cream.  Whisk the ingredients together, until well blended.  Using your rubber spatula, gently mix or fold the wet ingredients into the dry, until just combined.  It is important to make sure that you do not over mix!  The batter should appear thick.  Using your spatula, lightly scrape the batter into the loaf pan, making sure to level out the top.  Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top of the bread.

Place the loaf pan in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the bread has a deep golden brown color to it.  Cool in the pan, on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, and then turn the bread out of the pan and continue to let cool completely.

Cut, serve, and enjoy!  This bread is even better toasted!

  

Source: Cook Like a Champion

Hot and Spicy Chili

"Everyone gets to know each other in the pot." - Kevin, The Office

It's finally chili time!!!  Fall leaves are changing colors, football is on TV, the weather is cooling off, and November is almost here!!!  If those aren't good enough reasons to grab a bowl of chili, to help warm you up, then I don't know what is. 

Around my house, the motto goes, "the spicier the chili the better."  The great thing about this recipe though, is that for those of you who don't like too much spice, or like even more, you can add or subtract the amount of peppers you put in it.  You can also choose to add or subtract some of the other minor ingredients, but you definitely want to keep the spices and sauces the same.

Everytime that I get out my large pot to make chili, all I can think about is that great episode of "The Office."  If you're a fan, you most likely know the episode I'm referring too.  If not, one of the employees of the office, Kevin, stays up late one night to make a big pot of chili, and refers to it as, "the thing I do best."  He then proceeds to spill it all over the floor on his way into work.  It becomes such a sad, yet funny scene, because Kevin starts to whine and then scrambles around trying to scoop the chili back into pot using a clipboard.

Hot and Spicy Chili
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Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 4 Tbsp. or more, if you like)
2 habanero peppers, seeded (I left the seeds in one) and minced
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded (I left the seeds in one) and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
3 (15 oz.) cans chili beans (I use the Busch’s hot brand)
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
12 oz. tomato sauce
12 oz. bottle of lager-style beer
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
¼ cup chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese and additional onion for garnish

Directions:

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and pork until crumbly and no longer pink.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, over medium heat.  Next, add in the onion, habanero peppers, jalapeno peppers, and garlic.  Continue to cook and stir until the onion has softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Now, add the drained meat to the pot, followed by the green onions, chili beans, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beer, and water.  Continue to stir until well combined.  Sprinkle with the cornmeal and then add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Stir around.

Bring all the ingredients to a simmer (not a boil) over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low.  Let simmer together for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove the pot from the heat and let cool for awhile before placing in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the chili from the refrigerator and reheat on medium until it begins to simmer.  Garnish with desired toppings.

Additional ideas for ingredients: green peppers, corn, pineapple, diced tomatoes, etc.

Adapted from: All Recipes

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I know I've said in the past, that many of the recipes I've baked were either delicious or scrumptious, but when it comes to this particular cookie, there honestly are no words I can think of that could do it justice.

I've made these peanut butter cup cookies numerous times now, for many different occasions, and every time they've been a HUGE success!  I attribute this mostly to the fact that they contain pretty much everyone's favorite candy, M&M's and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!  Add on top some toasted marshmallows and chocolate ganache and you've got a masterpiece!!!  Not to mention that it all sits in a peanut butter cookie!!!  Enjoy!  I bet you can't eat just one.



Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

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Makes around 24 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
24 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, unwrapped
mini marshmallows

For chocolate ganache:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
mini M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the peanut butter, sugar, and eggs and beat until well combined.  Place even rounds of dough into the wells of a mini muffin pan and gently press down, so that the dough fills the bottom of each well.  Make an indentation in the middle of the dough pieces (that way it will be easy to place the candy in later).  Bake for 13-15 minutes (it will not completely be done baking).  Remove the pan from the oven and press a peanut butter cup into the middle of each cookie.  Make sure that the peanut butter cup is level with the top of the cookie.  Now, place 4 mini marshmallows on the top of each cookie and return the pan to the oven for another 2-3 minutes.  At this point the marshmallows should look puffy.  Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to allow the cookies to cool.  It is very important that the cookies cool completely before trying to remove them from the pan!

Once the cookies have completely cooled, remove them from the pan and place them back onto the wire rack, making sure that there’s wax paper or aluminum foil below. 

Place the chopped chocolate into a small bowl.  In a small saucepan, slowly bring the cream, sugar, and water to a boil.  Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.  Slowly whisk the chocolate and cream together until it is smooth.  Let the mixture sit for awhile until it thickens to your desired consistency (this could take around 30 minutes).  Once ready, drizzle the ganache over the tops of the cookies and immediately sprinkle with mini M&M’s.

Source: Annie's Eats

Fall Pumpkin Roll

Fall is finally in the air, which means that it's time to start baking things with all those wonderful fall flavors, such as pumpkin.  I personally, have never been a fan of pumpkin pie, and therefore was afraid to try tasting other items that contained pumpkin.  It was only about a year or so ago that I finally decided to attempt making my first pumpkin roll.  It was intended to be a surprise for my husband, seeing that pumpkin pie was always his favorite fall dessert.  While the roll was baking, the smell of the pumpkin and spices became so intoxicating that once I had the roll assembled I just had to taste it.  To my surprise it was delicious!  In fact........I now seem to enjoy everything I try that is pumpkin flavor, except for pumpkin pie.  Isn't that funny?  For some reason, that I cannot explain, I still can't stand the taste of it. 

Fall Pumpkin Roll
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Cake:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg
3 eggs
2/3 cup canned pumpkin (I use Libby’s)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan and then line the pan with wax paper leaving about an inch of overhang on each of the shorter sides.  Lightly grease the wax paper (otherwise the roll with stick, trust me).

In a medium bowl mix the sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, and canned pumpkin.  Once the mixture has been evenly combined pour it over the wax paper.  You may need a spatula to help you spread the mixture out evenly over the pan.  Sprinkle with walnuts/pecans if you choose to do so.  I sprinkled on some extra cinnamon, and it turned out delicious.  Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until the edges slightly pull away from the sides of the pan and the center is done.

On your counter top, lay out a large dish towel (it is best to use one without any texture) and sprinkle on a thick coating of confectioner’s sugar.  When you remove the cake from the oven, turn the pan upside down, onto the towel coated with the confectioner’s sugar, so that the wax paper is facing up (I have not yet found an easy way to do this).  Peeling slowing, remove the wax paper from the inverted cake, being careful not to tear the roll.  Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pumpkin cake up into the paper towel to cool.  I set the wrapped up roll on a wire rack to speed up the cooling process.

While the roll is cooling, mix together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar until well combined and creamy in texture.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Once the roll has completely cooled, unroll the pumpkin cake and evenly spread on the filling.  Re-roll the pumpkin cake without the paper towel this time, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.  Feel free to garnish with a light dusting of a little extra confectioner’s sugar and serve.    

Adapted from: All Recipes

Chicken Tortilla Soup

With the fall weather slowly arriving, nothing sounds better to me than a hot bowl of comforting soup.  With so many different options available out there, it's difficult to settle on just one, but trust me when I say that this soup is worth trying.  Not only is it delicious, filling, and quick/easy to make, but you can also add or subtract any of the ingredients you want.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil

6 cups fat free chicken stock

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
half an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
juice from 2 large limes
salt and pepper to taste

Additional add-in ideas:

Canned corn (drained)

Black beans (drained)

1 cup chopped zucchini

Directions:

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil over a medium-high heat.  Add in the onion and sauté until tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Now, add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, salt and pepper, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add the shredded chicken to the pot, then reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the chicken is heated through.  Once ready, pour in the juice from the limes and stir around.  Taste for proper seasoning and then ladle into serving bowls.

If adding any of the additional ingredients, combine to the pot at the time the chicken is added.

Garnish Options:

Tortilla strips                             Fresh cilantro                           

Shredded cheese                      Sour Cream

Chopped tomatoes                   Sliced avocado

Crushed chips

Adapted from: Sing for Your Supper