Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Cream Cheese Filling:
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Make the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Make the filling:
Beat the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla, and beat until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day ahead of time, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature to soften before using.)

Assemble the whoopie pies:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Spread a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with the remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Place filled cookies on prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

2 9" pie shells
1 can pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups milk

Mix spices and sugar and add to pumpkin and beaten eggs in a large bowl. Mix well. Gradually add milk and stir until blended. Pour into pie shells, and bake in a preheated 325 to 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Test with a knife and remove from oven. Cool; serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons bourbon, optional
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces, toasted
1 pie crust, unbaked

Stir sugar into the eggs until dissolved. Add syrups, butter, vanilla, bourbon, salt and pecans. Pour into crust; bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup creme fraiche, or heavy cream
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 ounces (about) thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, chopped onions, garlic, and herbs and spread the mixture in a single layer in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes start to brown around the edges and their skins begin to shrivel up. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, process the tomato mixture until it has a coarse, pureed texture. Stir together the tomato puree, chicken broth, red wine, crème fraiche, and tomato paste and heat it to simmering in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the salt and cayenne; simmer the soup, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes.

While soup simmers, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the proscuitto strips. Fry until nicely browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to paper towels.

Ladle the finished soup into shallow bowls, and serve topped with extra crème fraiche, fried proscuitto and chopped herbs as a garnish.
Served with fontina and gruyere grilled cheese sandwiches.

Makes 4 servings

For each sandwich:
2 slices good white bread
1 ounce each grated fontina cheese and gruyere cheese
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon butter, softened

Spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place a slice of bread, butter side down, in skillet. Top bread with grated cheese and place the other slice of bread on top, butter side up. Cook sandwich until bread is browned and cheese starts to melt. Flip sandwich and cook the other side of the bread until browned and cheese is melted. Remove from pan and cut in half. Serve with soup.

Baked Apricots

Baked Apricots

4 fresh apricots, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup creme fraiche, or greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the apricot halves in a small casserole, cut side up. Put a dollop of butter in the center of each apricot. Sprinkle the apricots with the brown sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes. Cool a bit before serving with a nice dollop of creme fraiche or yogurt.

Steaks with Stroganoff Sauce

Steaks with Stroganoff Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 can (about 5 to 6 ounces) Campbell's Beef Broth
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt, to taste
2 thin (1/2 to 5/8" thick) rib eye steaks, about 6 ounces each
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup sour cream

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until the mushrooms have given up their juices and the onions are tender.
Add the flour to the pan and cook for two minutes to cook off the rawness of the flour.

Combine the beef broth, ketchup and garlic. Add to the pan with the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until thickened. Turn heat to low and keep warm.
Season the steaks with salt. Heat another skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and as soon as it shimmers, add the steaks. Cook the steaks for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan to heated plates and keep warm.

Add the sour cream to the mushroom mixture and heat through. Top the steaks with the mushroom sauce and serve.

German's Sweet Chocolate Cream Pie

German's Sweet Chocolate Cream

Pie

Pie Crust:
22 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Pie Filling:
4 ounces German's Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 8-ounce carton Cool Whip®, thawed

Pie Crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended.
Press firmly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate using back of a large spoon.
Bake 8 minutes. Cool before filling.

Pie Filling:
In a saucepan over low heat, cook the chocolate and milk until chocolate is melted; stir until smooth. Cool.
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into pie crust. Freeze until firm. Maybe be frozen for up to 3 months.
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with more Cool Whip, mint and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Makes 1 9" pie

Mandarin Orange and Pear Salad with Toasted Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mandarin Orange and Pear Salad with Toasted Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette

10 cups baby lettuces
5 to 6 mandarin oranges, peeled, seeded and segmented
2 barely ripe pears, cut into 3/4" chunks
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper , to taste
1 cup toasted pecan pieces

Put the lettuces in a large serving bowl. Top with the oranges, pears, onions amd pecans. Pour on the vinaigrette and toss well; serve immediately.

Vinaigrette:
Using a small whisk, combine the mustard and honey. Whisk in the olive oil. When well combined, slowly whisk in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Fried Egg, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich

Serves 4

Fried Egg, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich

2 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
4 slices whole grain bread
12 strips bacon, cooked till crisp and kept warm
4 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 large avocado, halved, pitted and cut into 16 thin strips
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced, optional

Combine the first three ingredients well, season lightly with salt. Toast the bread slices and cool slightly; spread with the cheese mixture.

Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet and fry the eggs to desired doneness.

Place three strips of bacon on each piece of toast. Top each with an egg and then with 4 strips of avocado. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sliced tomatoes on the side, if desired.

Serves 4

Chile Relleno Casserole

Chile Relleno Casserole

3 poblano peppers
12 ounces ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
5 small corn tortillas, cut into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 ounces mild cheddar cheese
3 ounces monterey jack cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream

Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers on a broiler pan close to the heat and cook, turning several times, until charred and soft. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for several minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the charred skin from the peppers, pull off the stem, then slice peppers in half. Remove the seeds and ribs from peppers, then cut peppers into chunks. Set aside.

Change oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Brown the ground chuck with the onions and garlic until the meat is well browned and the onions are tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper; drain well.

Put the flour in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the milk until blended. Add the egg and whisk until incorporated. Season milk mixture lightly with salt and pepper.

Lightly grease a 9" square baking pan. Place half the cut up tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Put half the meat over tortillas, then put half the peppers on top of the meat. Top with half the cheeses. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the casserole.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover dish and bake another 15 minutes, until set and browned. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Makes 4 servings