February 1, 2013

Sweet Potato Pie

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Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

February: Sweet Potato Month

As Valentine’s Day draws near, February focuses on sweethearts—and sweet potatoes! Islander follows the old adage that a way to her man’s heart is through his stomach and makes a southern-style staple as a dessert for Highlander. So she bakes a sweet potato pie for her sweetie pie! Instead of peeling, boiling and mashing sweet potatoes, this recipe is made even easier and quicker by using a canned casserole. Sweet potato pie is considered food for the soul—classic and comforting, it is a heartwarming treat to make and eat during Sweet Potato Month.

Recipe

(Adapted from Glory Foods)

Ingredients

  • 1 can (15 ounces) mashed sweet potatoes (we used Glory Foods brand sweet potato casserole)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk (not quite a full 14-ounce can)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 9-inch deep dish pie crust/shell, raw and frozen

Directions

In a microwavable measuring cup, melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Sweet Potato Pie

Add the melted butter. Stir in the cornstarch. Then mix in the mashed sweet potatoes until the batter is smooth. Pour into the pie crust.

Sweet Potato Pie

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the center of a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, place foil or pie crust shields around the rim of the pie, return to the oven and bake at a reduced heat of 300 degrees F for another 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the pie (it should come out clean; if not, bake for another 5-10 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool the pie completely. Slice into 6-8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream (optional).

Sweet Potato Pie

Notes

  • Draw a heart on the sweet potato pie using the nozzle of canned whipped cream for a festive and fun Valentine’s food.
  • Search our blog for other recipes containing sweet potatoes as an ingredient.
  • Search our blog for more pie recipes.
 

February 1, 2013

Hollywood Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 02 February | Tags: , , , , |
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Hollywood Cookies

Hollywood Cookies

February: Hollywood Awards Season

Roll out the red carpet and host a Hollywood-themed party at home! With the Golden Globes and Oscars scheduled around this time of the year, snack on something sweet while watching one of the many movie awards shows or the nominated films themselves.

As an alternative to popcorn, we sometimes bake Hollywood cookies. But these are not the same as the diet products, even though they look somewhat similar. Some of the skeletal-looking stars should be eating these Hollywood cookies instead of the diet ones. These treats contain crunchy corn flakes, chocolate chips, oatmeal and shredded coconut and can give some extra weight to some of the scary-skinny celebrities.

Meanwhile, us mere mortals can indulge once in a while and during Hollywood awards season and eat delicious Hollywood cookies for an at-home film festival or Oscar viewing party.

Recipe

(From Lisa L.)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup quick-cooking oatmeal
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup corn flakes cereal
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips

Directions

Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Gradually add this to the mixture and blend well.

Hollywood Cookies

Stir in the oatmeal. Add the vanilla. Gently fold in the corn flakes cereal. Sprinkle in the coconut.

Hollywood Cookies

Add the chocolate chips and mix until it becomes a sticky dough. Roll into one-inch balls and place them about two-inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until slightly flattened. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool to a crisp. Yield: Approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Hollywood Cookies

Notes

  • Thanks to our film fanatic friend Lisa L. for the Hollywood cookies recipe. She got it from an old church fundraising cookbook in Nebraska. She does not know how the cookies got their name but says, “I think they are called Hollywood cookies because of the (coco)nuts and flakes in them!”
  • Thanks to Islander’s Mommy for the fake gold Oscar statuette which she bought as a souvenir from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
 

January 24, 2013

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , |
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

January 24: National Peanut Butter Day

Islander and her brother often travel together to attend work-related conferences because they are in the same field. On one of their trips, the weary travelers walked to a restaurant near their hotel and quickly devoured their dinner. But they also wanted to eat something sweet afterwards. They split a chocolate peanut butter pie—oh my! It was a deliciously decadent and terrific treat after a long day of traveling.

Upon her return home, Islander searched online for a simple recipe for chocolate peanut butter pie. She found a basic recipe that allowed her to add creative combinations of toppings of her choice (see the Notes below for other decorating ideas), although it is perfect as a plain pie, too.

On National Peanut Butter Day, give chocolate peanut butter pie a try!

Recipe

(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 (8 ounces) bar cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 container (8 ounces) non-dairy whipped topping (Cool Whip)
  • chocolate pie crust (we used Keebler brand Ready-Crust)

Directions

Cream together the peanut butter and cream cheese. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Stir in the non-dairy whipped topping until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Pour into the chocolate pie crust. Use a spatula to smooth out the top. Refrigerate for an hour or until firm. Decorate as desired.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Notes

  • Make this chocolate peanut butter pie pretty by sprinkling chocolate curls/chips and peanut butter baking morsels, drizzling melted chocolate or peanut butter or adding crushed peanuts or chopped chocolate peanut butter candies (such as Reese’s brand) on top.
  • Search our blog for more recipes containing peanut butter.
 

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