Cooking Up a Storm

Strawberry Vodka Limeade

Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies

Alabama Raised Venison Sausage Chili 

Fresh Lime and Agave Nectar Margs

Maple Bourbon Glazed Salmon on Spring Veggie Quinoa

Salty River Bars 

Five Grain Pizza with Mozzarella, Feta, Spinach, Onion,
Green Pepper, Garlic & Italian Turkey Sausage

Turtle Pie

Sometimes I get a hankering for pie. Pie is one of those desserts that you don't always have handy and is therefore put on a pedestal as a special treat. It takes a deliberate effort and timeliness in making. It's more casual than cake but more grandiose than cookies. In our book, it meets all of the criteria for a simply decedant dessert: Southern by nature, includes buttery flavors, makes the mouth water at just the idea of it. 

Turtle Pie

crust

1 1/4 cups pecan halves or pieces (6 to 7 ounces), toasted, divided

1 plentiful cup of finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

6 or 7 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

sauce and filling

3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons dark corn syrup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 pints (4 cups) premium vanilla ice cream, divided

ganache topping

Almost 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Almost 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Directios:

crust

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using on/off turns, finely chop 1 cup pecans in processor; transfer to medium bowl. Mix in graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Drizzle butter over; blend until evenly moistened. Press mixture firmly over bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie dish (not on rim).
  
  
• Bake crust until golden brown, about 12 minutes (if crust puffs, press firmly back into place). Cool crust completely. Wrap in foil and freeze at least 1 hour.

sauce and filling

• Bring first 3 ingredients to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Boil caramel 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Turn off heat; whisk in butter, vanilla, and salt. Cool completely.

• Slightly soften 1 cup vanilla ice cream in microwave on low in 10-second intervals. Spread ice cream evenly in frozen pie crust; spread 1/4 cup caramel over. Freeze pie until ice cream and caramel are firm, about 1 hour. Repeat with remaining vanilla ice cream in three 1-cup portions and caramel in two 1/4-cup portions. Freeze pie overnight. Cover and reserve remaining caramel at room temperature.

ganache topping

• Combine chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in medium metal bowl. Place over saucepan of simmering water and whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Cool ganache at room temperature until thick but still pourable, about 30 minutes.
• Pour ganache evenly over frozen pie. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans **.
  
  

** I toasted these pecan halves but butter and 
brown sugar on broil for about 2 mins

• Freeze until ganache is firm, at least 45 minutes. Drizzle decoratively with 1/4 cup reserved caramel. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen. Cover and chill remaining caramel.

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• Let pie stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Rewarm remaining caramel, stirring over low heat. Cut pie into wedges and serve with caramel.

Butterbeer Cookies

Butterbeer Sugar Cookies 

Some with Chocolate glaze, some with Butterbeer glaze and some with both.

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

2 sticks butter

1 egg 

1 tsp butter flavoring 

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, butter flavoring, and vanilla; mix until well-blended.

Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. (The dough will be quite thick...you may need to knead in stray bits of flour from the bottom of the bowl by hand.)

Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4" and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cutter. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Butterbeer Glaze

2/3 cup butterscotch chips

1/8 cup evaporated milk

1 TBSP light corn syrup

pinch coarse salt

Place all of the ingredients in a glass or metal bowl and heat over a pot of simmering water (or a double boiler).  Stir occasionally, until melted and smooth.

Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack on a baking sheet.  Pour the glaze over the cookies and spread with an offset spatula. 

Chocolate Glaze

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/8 cup evaporated milk

1 TBSP light corn syrup

pinch coarse salt

Same as above... ENJOY!  

I made a mess.... Whoops!

Oh, and one last treat... Thank you 

Harry, Ron and Hermione!

Girls ♥ Pie. Duh.

Pie's are arguably one of the greatest inventions of all time. They are American, classic, delicious and great with Vanilla Ice Cream- could you ask for anything more?


I (Elizabeth) went out of town last Saturday and came home to this:

Is my life the bomb or what? My sweet Sis made it for me! That doll! 

Here's the recipe for Sarah's Dutch Apple Pie:

Crust:

-1 cup flour

-1/2 teaspoon of salt

-1/2 cup of cold butter

-3 tablespoons of water

Filling:

- 6 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 8 apples)

- 1 cup of sugar

- 2 tablespoon flour

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 2 tablespoons butter

Topping:

- 1 1/2 cups flour

- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

- 3/4 cup butter

Directions for the Crust:

 1.Preheat oven to 375. Stir together flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and cut in with 2 forks until the mixture is crumbly.

2. Add water and blend gently until the dough holds together.

3. Roll the dough into a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie pan.

4. Fold the Dough in half and gently place onto the pie pan. Unfold the dough and press the dough firmly into the pan.

5. Trim the excess off the edges and leaving 3/4 of an inch of dough on the sides. Finish by folding the excess dough under the edge of the crust and pinch firmly with fingers to finish the edge (you may also use a fork if you prefer).

Directions for Filling: 

1. *Peel and slice your apples.

 

2. Place apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large bowl and stir until sugar is evenly distributed.

3. Poor the apples into the pie crust and evenly spread them throughout the pie. Pack them down.

4. Cut the 2 tablespoons of butter and into about 8 pieces and place over the apples.

Directions for the Topping:

1. Place all topping ingredients in a bowl and mix until crumbly using your fingers or a fork.

2. Distribute topping evenly over apples.

3. Place pie on a rack in the oven with a baking sheet below it (to catch any drippings) and bake for 50-60 minutes... or until topping looks like this:

ENJOY!

Recipe Recap:

A- How much did it cost? Less than $20

B- Level of difficulty? Intermediate

C- How long did it take? 45 minutes to make,1 hour to bake, 20 to cool, 5 to serve

D- Pros: AMAZING! The ingredient are something you are likely have on hand, everyone loves!

E- Cons: This particular apple pie tends to be a little watery, lots of peeling

F- Would you make them again? YES!

*Hint- Use Green Apples... red ones get mushy!