Four-Layer Pecan Pie

I would have never thought adding cream cheese

to a pecan pie recipe, but it sounds delicious!

Can't wait to make this pie :)

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated rolled pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/2 cup sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 ¹/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, pressing crust firmly into plate.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg. Beat at low speed until smooth; set aside.
    
3. In another medium bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add remaining sugar, the corn syrup, and remaining vanilla; mix well.
    
4. Spread cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Sprinkle with pecans and slowly pour corn syrup mixture over pecans.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Let cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies are

one of my favorites!

Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes; let cool.
2. In a food processor, pulse ½ cup of the almonds with ½ cup of the brown sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and the remaining ½ cup brown sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat to combine. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually mix in the flour-nut mixture just until combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in the remaining ½ cup almonds.
4. Form the dough into two 12-by-1½-inch logs. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until firm, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.
5. Heat oven to 350° F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 log at a time (keep the other chilled), cut it into ¼-inch slices and place the slices on 2 baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Storage suggestion: Keep the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source:  Real Simple

By Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez,  December 2011

Stuffed Chicken Rolls

This is one of those recipes that can be varied in so many ways, depending on what you have on hand or what you like.  Of course the one ingredient that I find missing from the recipe is hot peppers and I will definitely add them when I try it out.  How about some mushrooms?

The first thing that came to mind when I found this recipe is to try it out as something different for one of my favorite meals . . . Chicken Parmesan.  Change the cheese to mozzarella and you're good to go!

I'm going to have fun varying the ingredients with this recipe :)

Ingredients

• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ¹/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• ¹/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ¹/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/4 cup pesto
• ³/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¹/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and black pepper; set aside.
    
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir together sundried tomatoes, cream cheese, and pesto. Spread cheese mixture evenly over chicken breasts. Roll up jellyroll fashion; secure with wooden toothpicks.
    
3. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and paprika. Dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased 7- x 11-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, 26 to 28 minutes; let stand 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks, and slice each roll into 6 rounds.

Source:  Mr. Food

Thanksgiving

The holiday season is upon us!  Seems like the other day our family got together for the yearly feast and here it is again.  The years have scattered family members all over the place, but we all come together for Thanksgiving to give thanks for everything we have been blessed with.

This year, The Captain and I will celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple.  My wonderful husband is what I am most thankful for this year.  After spending way too many years alone as a grieving widow after being a wife for 20-something years, the good Lord so blessed me with the most perfect man for me.  He was worth waiting for and I am enjoying life once again!

As I've compiled the following list of Thanksgiving links, my hunger grows for turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes and a number of delicious desserts that we typically eat on Thanksgiving.  The search goes on for something new and different for an appetizer.  Going through all these recipes is a form of torture!

Here's a list of some awesome Thanksgiving links to help you plan your family feast:

Fine Cooking Magazine's Thanksgiving section

Thanksgiving 911 from Real Simple

How to get it all done . . . from Yahoo

Deep South Southern Thanksgiving Recipes

Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Cookbook

Happy Thanksgiving!