BJ’s Butter-Pecan or Toasted Almond Ice Cream

2 TBs. butter
½ - ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans or sliced almonds
1 ¾ cups packed brown sugar
¾ cup water
4 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
1 quart whipping cream
Milk to fill line

In a small skillet, melt butter. Add pecans or almonds. Stir over low heat until browned but not burned; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Simmer gently 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; set aside. In mixing bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Continue beating while pouring hot brown sugar syrup in a thin stream over beating eggs. Continue beating until cool and thick. Stir in vanilla, whipping cream and pecans or almonds. Pour into ice cream canister. Fill a little above the fill line with the milk. Stir. Freeze. Makes 1 gallon.

Mama Q's Homemade Ice Cream

BJ’s Favorite Ice Cream Basic Recipes
(Makes one gallon.)

4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt
1 quart whipping cream

about 5 cups milk (varies with each variety)

Flavoring, fruit choice from variation list below

2 - 7 lb. bags of ice

Uncooked Method: Whisk eggs in canister until lemon colored. Add sugar, salt, and cream. Whisk. Add variation ingredients (see below). Add milk to fill line. Stir. Freeze as directed.

Cooked Method: Combine sugar, salt & cream in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Gradually stir 1 cup hot mix into beaten eggs. Add eggs to remaining hot mix, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Put in canister. Stir in other desired ingredients. Add milk to fill line. Stir. Cover. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Freeze as directed.

To Freeze: Assemble freezer and start. Fill maker 1/3 with ice. Add 1 cup rock salt. Repeat to fill. (May have to add ice and salt before it stops.) When it stops, leave can in ice, remove dasher, cover with plastic wrap and lid. Drain some water off. Pile as much ice on top as you can. Put 1 cup salt over top. Cover with a plastic bag and folded beach towel. Sit maker in a large plastic container to catch further melt. Wrap whole maker with a wool or levi blanket. Best if made at least 4 hours ahead and allowed to harden. I have had it wait 6 hours and it has been great. Enjoy!!!

BJ’s Variations to the Favorite Basic Ice Cream Recipe

Vanilla – 4 TBs. Clear Vanilla (Brown works too, ice cream just isn’t as white)
Chocolate – 4 tsp. Brown Vanilla, 3 – 4 oz. pkgs. Of Ghirardelli Chocolate (60 Cocao Bittersweet) – Melted in Microwave 2-3 mins. on Power Level 5. Best using the cooked method and added at the end, just before putting into the canister.
Fruit – Juice of 1 lemon & 1- 16 ounce bag of frozen fruit, thawed and mashed. (The multi berry packages are great with additional strawberries added.) Or fresh mashed peaches etc..
Root beer – 1 tsp. Vanilla & 2 TBs. Root beer Extract
Orange Creamsicle – Juice of 3 Oranges & 1 Lemon, and 1 tsp. Orange Extract. Red and yellow food coloring to make orange.
Candy Bar – 1 tsp. Vanilla & Crushed Candy Bars of choice added 10 minutes into freezing. (Cut sugar to 1 cup.)
Oreo Cookie – 1 tsp. Vanilla & 24 Slightly Crushed Oreos added 10 minutes into freezing. (Cut sugar to 1 cup.)
Peppermint – ½ tsp. of Peppermint Flavoring & ½ cup crushed candy cane or chopped junior mints. (Cut sugar to 1 cup.)
Cherry – ½ cup coarsely chopped maraschino cherries, 1 tsp. almond and vanilla. (May also add ½ cup coconut and nuts.)
Pineapple – 1 large can unsweetened pineapple, drained, ½ cup juice, 1 TB. Vanilla & ½ cup nuts
Hawaiian – Juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange, 1 mashed banana and 1 mango, 1 small can pineapple, ½ cup coconut, & chopped macadamia nuts if desired.

Lindsey's Crisp

8 - 10 apples
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
8 tablespoons cold butter (1 stick)

Peel, core and slice the apples; toss in a bowl with lemon juice. In another bowl combine flour, brown sugar, spices and oatmeal. Slice butter into 8 pieces, then cut it into the flour with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is crumbly. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread apples in the bottom of the baking dish, then cover with the crumble mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 - 50 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is browned. I love it served warm with vanilla ice cream or for breakfast with milk. Enjoy! Lindsey Jo Gunderson

The most dangerous cake recipe
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large hot chocolate mug

Add dry ingredients to mug. Mix well. Add the beaten egg. Mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil. Mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract. Mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this could serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now you are only 5 minutes away from
chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Million-Dollar Caramel Cookies

Here are the cookies I made last week, I got the recipe from parenting magazine. Lee really liked them and asked me to make them for him again today.


Million-Dollar Caramel Cookies

(Makes 4 dozen)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar, plus 1 Tbs
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1⁄2 cups flour, plus 1⁄4 cup
• 3⁄4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Heath candy bars
• 1 bag Rolo chewy caramels

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix 2 1⁄2 cups flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture a little bit at a time and blend well. If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle in a little extra flour. Cover and chill dough in fridge for about 30 minutes.

3. Chop Heath bars into small pieces. Place in a small bowl and toss with 1 Tbs sugar.

4. Once dough has chilled, wrap a piece around each caramel, forming a 1-inch ball and covering the candy completely. Dip top of the dough ball into the candy topping and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Cookies will look quite soft, but do not overbake. Cool in pan slightly, then move to a rack or the counter to finish cooling. Store in a covered container.

Caramel Apple Crunch Pie

What was my favorite pie this Thanksgiving? THIS ONE. So good. Thanks for the recipe Mom Quigley! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Caramel Apple Crunch Pie

1/2 recipe Basic Pie Dough
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Crumb Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup butter

Mix sugar, flour and oats together. Cut in the butter.

Pie Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples. (6-8 good sized apples. I used a mix of granny smith and gala.)

Stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add apple slices and gently toss till coated. Transfer apple mixture to the pastry-lined pan. Sprinkle Crumb Topping on top. Cover the edges with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes more until top is golden and apples are tender. Remove from oven; drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack.

apple pie caramel apples

apple pie caramel apples

(caramel sauce)

1 pound butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

Heat over medium stirring constantly until candy thermometer reads 250 degrees.

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)

dash apple pie seasoning (optional)

4-6 apples chilled

sticks

Make sure the apples are nice and cold then push a stick into the middle and dip into caramel sauce 1 or 2 times. Hold upright for a few moments to let the caramel harden on the cold apples. Place on parchment paper and chill for 10 minutes.
Melt white chocolate over a double boiler until just melted, do not let it get too hot or it will get scortched and will not ever be smooth.

Cut access caramel from the bottom of apple, and dip in white chocolate. (I roll it along the side to make sure it doesn't get too thick). Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture and chill again until chocolate hardens.

I had left over caramel sauce so I poured it over 1 bag unbuttered popcorn (since it is Mom Q's caramel recipe for caramel popcorn... which is Lee's favorite).

Pumpkin Pie

I've been craving a good pumpkin pie ever since I posted the pie crust recipe. Unfortunately, Greg hates pumpkin pie. I KNOW!!! That's pretty much unconstitutional, right?! If I make pumpkin pie, it has to be for a crowd or I'm the only one who ends up eating it. Well, today I found a crowd to share with, so my pie craving has been satisfied...for now.

I had a good friend teach me how to make this pie when I was pregnant with Miles. It has taken a couple attempts to get it right from the crust up, but now that it's right, oh my gosh is it right! There are a few nuggets of knowledge she passed down that make a big difference I think: Handle your pie dough as little as possible, keeping it nice and chilled. And make your own pumpkin purée. Seriously the purée so easy, and so worth it.

Fresh Sugar Pumpkin Purée

Cut your sugar pumpkin in half, and scrape out the seeds and the membranes, reserving the seeds for toasting if desired. Place it cut sides down on a foil lined baking pan, and roast it at 375°F for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pulp is tender. Let it cool in the pan until it can be handled. Separate the pulp from the skin, and purée it until smooth in your blender or food processor.

In my opinion, if you're going to bother baking one pumpkin, you might as well bake two. The extras freeze very well, so when you go to make your next batch of pies, you can just pull out a pre-measured portion from your freezer. Easy as pie. (get it?)

The Best Pumpkin Pie Ever...no joke
(Thank you Martha Stewart)

1/2 recipe basic pie dough
1 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin purée
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1. Heat oven to 425. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin purée, and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk, and combine. Set aside.
2. Between two big sheets of parchment paper, roll your pie dough into a circle about an inch and a half wider than your pie plate. Place rolled dough into pie plate. (tip: loosen top sheet, then put it back on; flip the dough over, and remove the bottom sheet. With both sheets loosened it will be much easier to transfer the dough into your pan.) Trim dough evenly along edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck edges under to build up crust, and pinch to form a decorative edge.
3. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture, and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350, and continue baking for 30 minutes. (It seems like I always have to go longer than this. Both my pies took an extra 10-15 minutes to bake today.) Cool on a wire rack.

PS- Mom, don't look too hard at my crust. I was in a hurry. I swear I have better skills than that.

Pie Crust

This is my VERY favorite pie crust!! It's pretty easy to make, and always turns out delicious. I like to make my dough the night before I need the pie, but lets be honest, I'm rarely that organized. Do give yourself some time though. It needs to get nice and chilly.

Martha Stewart's Basic Pie Dough

This recipe makes enough dough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies.

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 16 tablespoons cold (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water


Directions

1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
2. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). To help ensure a flaky crust, do not overprocess.
3. Transfer half of dough (still crumbly) onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into a disk 3/4 inch thick; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days). Repeat with remaining dough. (Disks can be frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months. Thaw before using.) Makes 2 disks.

Mom's Very Berry Pie

Mom's Very Berry Pie

1 quart (2 lbs.) fresh or frozen berries (I use a triple berry mix)
1 TB. lemon juice and ½ tsp. minced lemon rind
1 cup sugar
2 ½ TBs. tapioca (Can also use 3 TBs. cornstarch in juice or clear gel)

Combine above ingredients. Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie crust. Dot top with 2 TBs. butter. Put on top crust. Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape. Bake 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees down low in the oven. May need to cover edges to keep from burning.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Greg and I have been forever locked in a battle between my Mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip and Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies. I finally found a compromise that satisfies both of us. You can probably tell by the shortening that we aren’t getting any skinnier by eating them. Oh well… they are ‘licous, as Brenden would say. Try them! They really are amazing.

Sis. Moore’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups sugar 3 tsp baking soda
2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp salt
2 cups shortening 6 cups flour
6 eggs 1 bag chips

Cream sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add baking soda and salt, and mix in on low. Blend in flour, 2 cups at a time. Stir in chocolate chips. (She uses half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet.)

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until just barely turning color on top.

Jana's Frosted Sugar Cookies

From Jana's Blog:

photo by istockphoto.com

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix together. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and then slowly add to the wet ingredients. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch and cut into shapes (Use a lot of flour to roll out, because the dough is really sticky). Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

4 oz. Cream Cheese softened

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter softened

1 tsp Vanilla

4-5 cups powdered sugar

A few drops of milk if it gets too thick

Food coloring (optional)

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until fluffy. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice (if desired) and mix until the color is uniform. Frost cookies.

Lemon Cupcakes

From Jana's Blog:

Think Fast because I am about to reveal my secrets of cupcake making… Ok they are totally easy. You will be disappointed when you hear what they are because you probably already know most of them, but for those of you who might not… here you are:

I always start with a cake mix, I like the texture more, and the fact that they are so easy.
I used a lemon supreme cake mix, the trick to getting more credit for using cake mix though, is to add stuff to it.
I added the juice and Zest of one large lemon to the mix. If you want to make something taste really lemony, the trick is to add the zest as well, it gives it that kick. But only get the yellow part off the lemon, the white underneath is bitter tasting.

Then I followed the directions on the box… However I never bake my cakes as long as the box says to. I always start checking them about 3 minutes before the lowest time on the box. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out ALMOST clean, it’s done. You can also check it by pushing lightly on the top of the cake, if it springs back, it’s done. I like to take my cakes out a little early because the residual heat from the pan will continue to cook it a little more after you take it out of the oven, and if your cake is already over done it will come out really dry.

Then for frosting, as always, I make up my own recipe. I like to add real ingredients, because this gives the cupcakes that homemade taste.

Super Lemon Frosting

• 1 stick real butter (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 stick cream cheese (4oz)
• Juice and Zest(finely grated) of a large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Mix together cream cheese, and butter until smooth. Add lemon juice, Zest, and vanilla, mix well. Slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until fluffy. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice (if desired) and mix until the color is uniform. Frost cupcakes. Top with lemon heads candy and zest curls if desired.

Grilled Pineapple

From Jana's Blog:

I made some really tasty grilled pineapple to go with the kabobs I was making the other day and they were so good I thought I would pass my recipe on.

The first trick is to pick a good pineapple. When you go to the store pick up the pineapple and turn it upside down, the ones with a little bit of mold growing on the bottom are usually the sweetest. (I got that tip from Kat, and she lived in Hawaii, so she would know). Also a good indicator of a ripe pineapple is the smell… if it smells pineappley, that is a good sign.

Grilled Pineapple

1/2 a pineapple cored and cut into large chunks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons orange juice

Toss pineapple in the rest of the ingredients to coat. Place on grill and pour the rest of the mixture over pineapple.

Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.

Great as a dessert or even served with grilled meats (Tucano’s style).

Try it, it’s delicious!