Cinnamon Roll Pie

I used to make the best cinnamon rolls, my wife makes the best cinnamon rolls because her mother made the best cinnamon rolls. We were with our kids last night, at a restaurant, for dinner. Our son in law informed us that he's been making cinnamon rolls. I assume they're the best.
I was researching cinnamon rolls today and resurrected this recipe from my book of The Best of the Best Recipes for Cinnamon Roll Pie. It's delicious and makes a great Brunch dish. This would also be great served warm on a cool Fall Sunday morning for breakfast.

Cinnamon Roll Pie:

3/4 C sugar
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 C milk
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C flour + 2 TBS, divided
1 container (8 count) cinnamon rolls with icing
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS butter, melted

Grease a 10" pie pan with my Pan Release Mixture found on the blog under Tips, Hints and More.

In a bowl:
sugar
oil
egg
milk
Whisk well
Set aside

Separate the cinnamon rolls
flatten each roll by hand and press them all into the bottom and sides of the pie pan, seal any gaps to create a crust.

Pour the mixture in the pan

In a small bowl:
brown sugar
cinnamon
2 TBS flour
butter
Mix well
Sprinkle this over the pie mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. A tooth pick in the center of the pie should come out clean
Drizzle the icing, that comes with the cinnamon rolls, over the pie.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pumpkin Cream Pie / Ree Drummond / The Pioneer Woman / Thanksgiving 2013

This recipe is adapted from Ree Drummond's Pumpkin Cream Pie recipe.
Thanksgiving is the ultimate occasion to make pumpkin pie in America. It's a classic pie to serve at that time.
I have other recipes posted using pumpkin for the holiday, but just when you think you have enough, you discover another one!

Pumpkin Cream Pie:

Crust:
1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers + extra for garnish
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 stick of butter, melted, melted

Filling:
1 (3oz.) box of Vanilla Cook and Serve Pudding mix
1 C half and half
1 C heavy cream, divided
1/8 tsp of each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves
2 TBS Brandy
1/2 C + 3TBS pumpkin puree
2 TBS brown sugar

Process crackers in a food processor
Add, powdered sugar and butter and process until well combined.
Press into a 9"-10" pie pan, up the sides too!
Bake at 300 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes
Remove, cool completely

In a saucepan:
dry pudding mix
half and half
1/2 C heavy cream
spices
Bring to a boil on medium heat
Stirring constantly, until it thickens.
Remove from heat
Add Brandy
Add Pumpkin and stir well
Cover saucepan and cool completely

In a separate bowl:
1/2 C heavy cream
brown sugar
Beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy
Fold into pumpkin mixture by hand

Pour into crust
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight

Serve garnished with additional crushed graham crackers.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Holiday Pecan Cake with Homemade Whipped Cream

Another simple Mennonite / Amish Cake.
Most of us have these ingredients in our Pantry so it can be a last minute Dessert at short notice.

I still have several vintage loaf pans from our family, that I continue to use, but this
Calphalon Loaf Pan is my favorite.

Holiday Pecan Cake:

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1 - Loaf Pan greased well with Pan Release Mix:
Equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil and Flour.
I start with 1 C of each mixed well and refrigerated in a Jar.
I always have it available for all of my baking needs.
Brush the Pan generously with the Mix.
This is great for the most intricate designed Bundt Pans.

1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Butter, room temperature
3 Eggs, separated
2 1/2 C Flour
1 C chopped Pecans
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 C Whole Milk
A Pinch of Salt
Confectioner's Sugar for Garnish.

In a Large Mixing Bowl with an Electric Hand Mixer:
Sugar
Butter
Beat until Creamy Smooth.

Add:
Egg Yolks
Mix until well combined.

In a Small Mixing Bowl, sift together:
Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Add to Butter/Sugar mixture gradually beating, alternating with Milk.

Fold in Pecans by hand.

In a Separate Mixing Bowl with an Electric Mixer:
Egg Whites
Beat until Stiff.
Fold into the Cake Mixture by Hand.

Spoon the Batter into the Loaf Pan.
Bake for 1 hour.

Remove Pan to a Rack to Cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the Cake onto a serving Platter.

Serve Sliced and Dust with Confectioner's Sugar.
Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Homemade Whipped Whipped Cream.

This is my favorite recipe for homemade Whipped Cream.

Homemade Whipped Cream:

1 C Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS Confectioner's Sugar.
Whip the Cream in a Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment.
Beat to Soft Peak.
Add:
Vanilla
Confectioner's Sugar
Beat to Stiff Peak.
Transfer to a Serving Bowl to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Anise Christmas Cookies

The Mennonites make a traditional cookie called Peppernuts or Pfeffernusse.
They're made with Anise. I happen to like the flavor. Here's another cookie made with Anise Seed.
I also like the Provencal drink called Pastis. It has an Anise base. We drink it in the South of France with a bit of water and ice. It's actually a very refreshing drink in the heat of the summer. We always have a bottle of Pernod on hand.

I could talk about the origin and the uses, but I believe that you either like it or not and I won't be able to talk anyone into it.

Anise Christmas Cookies:

6 eggs, separated
1 C powdered sugar, sifted
1 C flour, sifted
3 tsp anise seeds

In a bowl:
beat yolks until thick and foamy

In a separate bowl:
beat egg whites until stuff

Fold whites into yolks, by hand
Gradually mix in powdered sugar and mix lightly, by hand
Fold in flour and anise seeds by hand

Drop from a teaspoon onto a parchment paper lines baking sheet, about 1" apart
Chill in the refrigerator, over night
Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Chocolate Cookie Cream Dessert

With the Holidays approaching and guests gathering, this is a favorite crowd pleasing dessert.
It's another one of my favorite All American Iconic Desserts.
It's one of those family gathering, church gathering, take to work desserts.
It's also made in the famous 9"X13" baking dish, my favorite baking pan.

Chocolate Cookie Cream Dessert:

2 packages of Fudge Striped Cookies. you're favorite brand! Or you could break Oreos apart and use them in single layers!
2 small boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 C Whole Milk
1 (8oz.) package of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 C Sweetened Condense Milk
1 (8oz.) container of Whipped Topping
1 can of Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Line the bottom of the dish with a single layer of cookies

In a bowl, with a hand mixer:
Pudding Mix
Whole Milk
Mix well
Set aside

In a separate bowl, with a hand mixer:
Cream Cheese
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Mix well
Add to the Pudding Mix
Mix well
Fold in Whipped Topping by hand
Spread this mixture evenly over the layer of cookies

Line the top with another single layer of cookies.

Warm the frosting in a microwave until smooth and creamy
Drizzle over the top layer of cookies, spreading evenly with an offset spatula.

Refrigerate until completely cooled.
Overnight is best.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pesto

This is how our friends in Provence make Pesto.

It's the only recipe I use.
I recently purchased a large jar of minced garlic. It's very economical. So I've decided to use it instead of whole garlic cloves. The equivilant is 1/2 tsp of minced = 1 clove. In this recipe I use 1 tsp inpace of the 2 cloves.

Homemade Pesto:

2 C loosely packed Basil leaves

2 cloves of Garlic or 1 tsp minced.

1/3 C Pine Nuts

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 C grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese ( hold the salt if using Romano, it's a salty cheese)
Olive Oil

In a Food Processor:

Add Basil and Garlic

Puree until incorporated

Add Cheese and Pine Nuts and process to a thick paste

Gradually drizzle in Olive Oil until desired consistency

Season with Salt and Pepper

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Our field of Basil

I left out the picture of Garlic, Salt and Pepper.
This is how I process the Pesto.

This is how I freeze it

Another picture of our crop of Basil

Edna Mae's Escalloped Cabbage / Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

I happen to love Cabbage. One of my favorite recipes made with cabbage is a Cabbage Soup, it's on the blog. I make it during the Fall and Winter Seasons. It's a great comfort soup. I know that not everyone likes cabbage. I hope that if you do, you'll try my Soup and this interesting recipe from The Pioneer Woman. This recipe comes from her mother in law. I did a bit of research and discovered that Cheez Whiz was created in America in 1952.
It's one of those products that is shunned by many, but...... come on!, this has to be included in those All American Iconic Recipes. You know? those recipes that I always say the French would raise and eyebrow at, if they read it. I happen to embrace many All American Iconic Recipes and I say....... try it before you say you just couldn't eat that!

I took creative licensing and adapted it just a little. Ree Drummond makes it with Cream of Chicken Soup and I make it vegetarian with Cream of Celery, if you like mushrooms, you could use Cream of Mushroom Soup. I also added the NOTES with substitute ingredients.


NOTE: I recently made this again (April 11, 2020) and I didn't have Cheez Whiz so I used Velveeta Cheese.
Cut a 2 lb. piece of Velveeta in half and Cube it into 1" Cubes. I didn't have fresh Jalapeños so I added 1 - 7 oz. Can of Diced Green Chiles undrained.
In a Saucepan on Medium High Heat:
Milk
Soup
Chiles
Heat almost to a boil.
Gradually add Cubes of Velveeta Cheese.
Continue heating and whisking until all of the Cheese has melted and the Sauce is Creamy Smooth.
Proceed with the rest of the directions.



Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 head of Cabbage
1 jar ( 15oz.) Original Cheez Whiz
1 can (10oz.) Cream of Celery Soup
1 whole ( or 2) fresh jalapenos, seeded and finely diced ( 1 is spicy; 2 is very spicy)
1/4 C milk
Paprika to taste



Directions:

Slice cabbage into 6 - 8 pie shaped slices. Remove hard inner core.
Par boil slices until nearly done but slightly firm. 

Drain very well, then arrange in a buttered 9"X13" Baking Dish.

NOTE: I'm now placing the wedges in a Microwave Safe Casserole dish. I removed the round plate that rotates in microwave and heated the Cabbage for 6 minutes. Par Boiling is difficult to maintain the wedges.



Mix Cheez Whiz, Cream of Celery Soup, Jalapenos and Milk.
Pour over the Cabbage.
Sprinkle with paprika , Bake 30 Minutes or until Golden and Bubbly.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

the ingredients

adding jalapeno

the finished dish

This is the Microwave Oven version of preheating the Cabbage.

Sorry that the photos are not in order. The Blog format has changed and it's difficult to control the placement of Photos and text.

Out of the Oven for Thanksgiving!