Banana Pudding

Who would think that a recipe for Banana Pudding would be on a food blog!

I've had the fortunate opportunity to travel the world extensively and I've enjoyed trying new foods in every place I've visited. I've even visited a banana plantation on the island of St. Lucia.

In 1987, I had a friend that shared a family recipe for Banana Pudding.
It was the best Banana Pudding I had ever eaten in my life!

This is a Best of the Best recipe.

If you don't want to make the Pastry Cream on the stove, I've posted the link to my easy, delicious, carefree recipe at the end of the page.

I've never shared this one with anyone, until I started my blog, so I hope you try it.

Cream Cheese Filling:
1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened.
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Custard:
3 eggs
3/4 C sugar
1 TBS flour
1 C whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 box of Vanilla Wafers
6 Bananas (sliced)

Beat cream cheese until creamy
Add condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla, continue beating until well combined.
Refrigerate this mixture

Beat eggs, sift dry ingredients and add milk and vanilla.
Place in a double boiler and cook until thick, whisking constantly. This may take as long as 45 minutes on medium high heat.

In a plain glass bowl or a fancy trifle dish:

Begin with a layer of sliced bananas
A layer of Vanilla Wafers
A layer of Custard
All of the cream cheese mixture
A layer of sliced bananas
A layer of Vanilla Wafers
A final layer of Custard
Refrigerate and serve chilled!


Pastry Cream
Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

In 1996 a French friend of ours, Jean - Michel, had a restaurant in Dallas. It was called Tramontana.
We loved this soup that he served.
He gave me the recipe.


Merci Beaucoup Jean Michel. Tu nous manques!

1 medium onion
7 large carrots,peeled, diced
3 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled, diced
dice them the same size

Vegetable or Chicken stock, enough to cover all ingredients.

to taste:
brown sugar or honey
ground ginger
ground clove
ground cinnamon
( I recommend 1 1/2 tsp of each to start) adjust according to personal taste.
1 TBS butter
1 C half and half
Chopped fresh chive for garnish

Saute the onion in the butter until clear.
Add carrots and sweet potatoes.
Cover with stock and simmer until soft.
When all is cooked to perfection, puree in the liquid with an immersion blender or in a blender.
Be careful when blending hot liquids in a blender. Blend in small portions.
Remove from heat .
Add half and half and spices, blend well.

Serve garnished with fresh chive.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pumpkin Muffcakes!

Here's a vintage recipe for a cross between a Muffin and a Cupcake.
I call it a Muffcake!
It's a frosted Muffin...... anyway, you get the idea.

I consider this to be a Best of the Best recipe

1 C Pecans, roasted. ( preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roast the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
 Cool completely and roughly chop.

1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 15oz. can pure pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 C all purpose f;our
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 C chopped dates ( I know, you say you don't like dates, but this is a necessary ingredient and once you taste these, you'll agree)

Icing:
1 3oz. package of cream cheese room temperature
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp of the orange juice
2 C powdered sugar


Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with a vegetable spray or grease with your preference. I use my pan release recipe posted earlier on the Blog.

In a Mixer with a paddle attachment:
Medium Speed
Cream the butter and  brown sugar until well combined, about a minute.
Add the egg and continue for 1 minute more.
Add pumpkin and Vanilla and beat until combined.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
By hand, stir in the dates and Pecans until well combined and the batter is moist.
The batter will be thick.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filled just to the top.
Bake 20 minutes
Cool them in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely( at least 30 minutes before frosting them)

Icing:
In a mixer on medium speed, with a paddle attachment
Beat cream cheese and orange juice about 30 seconds.
Gradually add powdered sugar 1/2 C at a time until incorporated well each time.
By hand, stir in the orange zest

Frost the muffins.
The icing will set after 45 minutes and you can wrap them individually in plastic wrap to store in the refrigerator, if you have any left!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Mustard / Homemade / Hot

We love mustard:

Dijon
German
American
Hot
Sweet
Brown
Deli
Creole
English
Chinese
Flavored.......

......... and this homemade mustard from the Mennonites in Kansas!
This recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups.

4 TBS flour
8 TBS dry mustard
1 C boiling water
1 C sugar
1/2 C vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp or more.... mustard seed to taste  (some of the seeds can be crushed)

Mix flour and mustard
Stir in the boiling water
Add sugar,vinegar and salt
Add Mustard Seed

Mix well
Allow to cool completely and refrigerate before using.
Keep refrigerated in a jar!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits

Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits

This is an interesting recipe.
We love this individual sized version of Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

1 10 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C butter, room temperature (1/2 stick)
10 maraschino cherries
1 12oz. package of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ( 10 count) ( too bad they don't make a 12 count since most muffin tins have 12 cups.) Or.... buy more, fill the tins, adjust the recipe and save the rest to make more. Maybe I should have adjusted the recipe for you.... Oh well!

Grease 10 cups of a muffin tin.

Or the 7 cup Cast Iron Biscuit pan.
You can also use a cast iron muffin pan.

Strain the pineapple and reserve the juice
Combine pineapple sugar and softened butter, mix well
Divide the mixture among the cups
Place a cherry in the center of each cup making sure it touches the bottom of the cup
Place 1 biscuit in each cup on top of the mixture
Spoon 1 tsp of pineapple juice over each biscuit

Bake 12 - 15 minutes at 400 degrees
Cool and invert the pan to release the biscuits.

This is one of those crazy American recipes that sounds odd, but interesting and tastes amazing.
You know the ones I'm talking about.

There's always someone in the family that volunteers to make a strange recipe for a family gathering and everyone ends up loving it and wanting the recipe......!

Well here's one of those "I gotta have the recipe", recipes!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pastry Cream and Pistachio Cream Filling

This is the best and easiest pastry cream I've ever made.

My Favorite Pastry Cream:

It can be used for:
Cream Puffs
Icing the center of a layered cake
Strawberry Shortcake
Aebelskiver filling
Trifle
Eclairs
Pastry Cream Crepe Cake
Macaron Filling

This is definitely a Best of the Best recipe!

1 pint of Heavy Cream. (2 Cups)
1 pint of Vanilla Ice Cream (2 Cups), softened.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 boxes of Instant French Vanilla Pudding (3.4 oz Boxes)
Combine ice cream and heavy cream in a mixer with a whisk attachment
Begin whipping on low speed.
Add vanilla and almond extract
Gradually add the pudding mix and combine well.
Refrigerate and use as needed.


Pistachio Cream Filling:

I posted a recipe for a Pistachio Torte and the filling is Pistachio Pastry Cream.
To make it, add 1 1/2 C of finely ground Unsalted Pistachios to this recipe. Fold them in by hand at the end of this recipe, after the Pudding is added and the Mixture is Creamy Smooth.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Texas Caviar

This is definitely a Best of the Best Recipes from my archived files.

I love this recipe. There isn't a single flavor that overpowers another.
I dice each ingredient so they are the same size

1 can Pinto Beans, drained
1 can Black Beans, drained
1 can Corn, drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 can of chopped Black Olives, drained
1 Jalapeno, diced
1 (4oz. can) Chopped Green Chiles, drained
1 Green Pepper, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced

Dressing:
1/2 C Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 C Olive Oil
1/3 C sugar
1/2 tsp Adobo Seasoning, or Garlic Powder if you can't find Adobo
 Mix dressing ingredients in a Mason Jar and shake until the sugar is dissolved


Mix all Caviar ingredients together with the dressing and refrigerate before serving.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!