Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Pumpkin Pie


It is the time of year for PUMPKIN! Nothing beats a great pumpkin pie. Paula Deen's recipes are always taste great and are easy to make.
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated. Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. *use foil to cover edges crust edges so they do not burn if you think this may be a problem.
Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
Cook Time 50 min
Level Easy
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Recipe from: Paula Deen Website

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We love Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies this time of year. I found this recipe a few years back. It is so easy to make and the cookies are really good.
2 boxes spice cake mix
1 29 ounce can pumpkin
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)
Preparation:Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are done.
Recipe from Shannon

Chili Taco Soup


This recipe is a new one that I found this year. It is very easy to make. You can cook it on a stove top or in a crock pot. You can also cut in half and have plenty.
2 pounds ground beef
2 packages (1.25-ounce) taco seasoning mix
2 cans (14.5-ounce) diced roasted tomatoes
2 cans (4-ounce) chopped green chilies
2 cups tomato juice
2 cubes beef bouillon
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cans (16-ounce) cowboy or ranch style beans
2 cans (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (11 ounces) corn, drained
Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime and tortilla strips.
Brown ground beef add taco seasoning mix until coated well. In large crock pot or stove top pot add all ingredients together stir until mixed.
In pot: Cover on medium approx. 30 minutes until hot, stir often. Cover turn heat to low and let simmer 1.5 more hours.
In Crock: Cover and cook on medium 1 hour then turn heat to low for 3-4 more hours. Serve with corn tortillas or corn bread.
Recipe from Shannon