Wednesday, November 20, 2013

German Chocolate Pecan Pie



What a way to make a good thing better!

We will be making this pie for the holidays :)






ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 4 ounce stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup ice water

2 large eggs

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) pecan halves, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup sweetened flake coconut

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

directions
In a food processor, pulse the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 5 seconds. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap; flatten to form a disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round; transfer to a pie pan. Cut the excess dough to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Using your fingers, roll the dough edge under and crimp. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork; refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line the shell with foil and pie weights or dried beans; bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt with the brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until melted and smooth. Whisk the sugar mixture into the beaten eggs. Stir in the nuts and coconut.

Spread the chocolate chips in the pie shell. Pour in the filling and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before slicing.

Tip

Keep a baking sheet in the freezer when you're rolling out dough. If the dough gets too soft to handle, just place the frozen baking sheet on top to firm it up again. 

When cooking sugar, use a heavy saucepan to prevent burning. 

To avoid messy oven spills, bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. 

Sprinkle chocolate chips on the bottom of the crust to create a gooey pie layer.



Monday, November 11, 2013

Crescent Chicken Squares






QUICK AND EASY!

This is one of those semi-homemade meals
 from Mr. Food that I love so much and
 yet another use for rotisserie chicken.

Love the clever crust!



Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 20 min


Ingredients:

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
2 cups chopped cooked rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper (optional)
1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter; stir in chicken, milk, and red pepper, if desired. Set aside.

Unroll crescent dough, separating into 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/4 of the chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle; bring corners of each rectangle together over chicken mixture, and twist gently to seal.

Place crushed croutons in a shallow dish. Brush chicken packets with remaining butter, dredge in croutons, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.




Source:  Mr. Food . . . there is a video recipe on this page
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