Pecan Topped Pumpkin Pie

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In case you still need a recipe for family dinner/dessert!

INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp shortening
1-6 tbsp of cold water

For the Filling
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 packed brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp butter, melted
Whipped cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Prepare pie pastry:
In a medium bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 6 tablespoons of shortening until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened pastry to the side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened and forms a ball (about 5 to 6 tablespoons of cold water). On a lightly floured surface, slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a 12-inch circle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry circle and trim. Crimp as desired.

Prepare filling:
In a small bowl combine pecans and brown sugar. Spread 3/4 cup pecan mixture in the bottom of the pastry-lined pie plate; reserve remaining pecan mixture. For filling, combine pumpkin, half-and-half, granulated sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; mix well.

Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour filling over the pecan mixture in pastry shell. Bake about 50 minutes or just until set in center. Stir melted butter into remaining pecan mixture. Sprinkle pecan mixture over pie filling; bake for 10 minutes more or until topping is bubbly around edges. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill within 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream!

 

Happy holidays everyone from my family to yours!

Gingerbread Cookies

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Always a favorite this time of year! You can use store bought cookie icing or if you're looking for something to make your homemade icing harden for better stacking, try meringue powder (found at a specialty baking store).

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tbsp vinegar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 3 hours or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. If desired, decorate cookies with icing.

Butter Tarts

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I've got some great holiday recipes this week, this is the first one!

Hope you all are enjoying prepping for the holidays :)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of Raisins
1 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 recipe of your favorite pastry OR store-bought tarts shells

DIRECTIONS
Line 12-15 tart pan (or muffin tin if you're not worried about them looking perfect) with pastry and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash raisins; place in bowl and scald with boiling water, drain well, and while still hot, add brown sugar, butter, and egg, stir until well mixed. Add vanilla and nutmeg.

Fill pastry lined tart pans/muffin tins 2/3 of the way full with mixture. Bake 15 minutes until filling is set and pastry is brown. Makes 10-15 tarts depending on the size of your tin.

Nanaimo Bars

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Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian holiday tradition. The recipe originates in my home province of British Columbia in none other than the town of Nanaimo. Though there is some debate about when the actual recipe was created, the 1st printed copy that has been officially confirmed and now resides in the Nanaimo museum is from the early 1950s. This recipe is in fact listed on the City of Nanaimo's website and it is ABSOLUTELY delicious.

If you've never had a Nanaimo bar before, you need to fix that, preferably right now.

INGREDIENTS
Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter (European style cultured)
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder (I used vanilla pudding/pie mix)
2 cups icing sugar

Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS
Bottom Layer
Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Second Layer
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

Serve chilled.

Cinnamon & Sugar Shortbread Cookies

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Shortbread cookies are a holiday baking tradition in my house. Several batches are made during the month of December. This year, I decided I needed a new recipe. I've been making the same cookies for 7 years, and they are good, but I wanted to do better. I created my own recipe based on a combination of a few different ones.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together flour and salt. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add confectioner's sugar, and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed, scraping sides if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.

Turn out dough, forming into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

In the meantime, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out 1 disk to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using desired cookie cutter, and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with a spoon the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of the cookies. Reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, 15-30 minutes. Bake until firm and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

 

The best thing about shortbread, is that it lasts forever in an airtight container, well that is if they don't all get eaten. I've heard they can last up to a month, but mine are always long gone before then.