Chocolate Chess Pie

 Chocolate Chess Pie

    This yummy pie is in The Pink Lady Cook Book, a third printing in 1979. It is super easy to make. I would definitely make this again. Try it! I think you'll like it. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick butter or margarine (the butter would be best), melted and cooled

2 whole eggs

3 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

5 1/2 oz evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

whipped cream (optional)

ice cream (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Thoroughly combine cooled butter, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder milk and vanilla. Pour mixture into pie shell. Carefully place pie into oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Serves 8. 

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie w/Powdered Sugar Decoration

Chocolate Chess Pie Slice

Chocolate Chess Pie with Chocolate Habanero Ice Cream

Casserole #9 - Wild Rice Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #9 - Wild Rice Casserole

    Casseroles can be main dishes, but can also be great side dishes. This side dish casserole is from Noted Cookery - Favorite Recipes From Friends Of The Dallas Symphony Orchestra published in 1969. My copy of this cookbook is from the third printing in 1972. This recipe was submitted by Mrs. William R. Newsom III. I quite enjoyed this casserole. I enjoyed it as a side dish, but you could make this a main dish, by adding chicken to it. Seasoning can be adjusted to your taste; add more or less! One change I would make is to use a medium sized onion (I used most of a pretty large onion); I like onion, but a little less in this recipe would be fine. If you really like onion though, by all means, use a large onion. I would also drain any excess liquid you may have from cooking the rice and I would use about 1/4 cup less milk. I would guesstimate that you could get at least eight servings if used as a side dish (the original recipe says 6). Serve alongside chicken or other meat of your choice. My modifications are in italics. 

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cooking oil (canola)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup parsley, finely chopped (I used stems and all, but go ahead and use just the leaves if you prefer

1 3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese (I used my favorite shredded Monterrey Jack)

1 box (4.3 oz) wild rice mix (I used Rice-A-Roni) or 1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked

1 cup milk (Feel free to use just under a full cup)

salt to taste

chipotle pepper or your favorite seasoning, to taste

1 tbsp paprika

Directions:

Cook wild rice and allow to cool. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Chop onion and parsley. Combine onion and parsley in a bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl and gradually add oil while mixing. Mix in onion and parsley. Stir in cheese, cooled rice, milk, salt and whatever seasonings you desire. Thoroughly combine ingredients and pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, allowing to cool slightly and serve alongside chicken or other meat. 

Wild Rice Casserole 

Wild Rice Casserole

Charley the Muffin Man supervising picture taking of the Wild Rice Casserole. 

Casserole #7 - Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #7 - Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

 I'll start off by saying that for a little twist, I used a combination of cauliflower and broccoli. You could also make this with a different vegetable mixture, with chunks of chicken added in, or with a bread crumb topping. This recipe is in from The County Fair Cookbook, published in 1994. My modifications are in Italics. 

Ingredients:

20 oz (2 10oz packages) frozen cup-up broccoli, thawed (I used a cauliflower/broccoli mix)

8 oz cottage cheese

6 oz (1 1/2 cups) Cheddar (or Monterrey Jack), grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp spicy seasoning (optional)

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks and cooked (optional)

Optional - Bread Crumb Topping:

  3 tbsp melted butter or olive oil

  1 cup bread crumbs (Seasoned or add your favorite seasoning to crumbs)

Bread Crumb Topping Directions: Stir together oil/melted butter and bread crumbs until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle over top of casserole before baking.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8x8 square baking dish or equivalent casserole. Mix all ingredients, until combined. Do not over mix. Spoon mixture into greased dish/casserole. Top with bread crumb mixture if using. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and browned on top. Sprinkle with spicy or other seasoning if desired. Serves six. 

Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

Casserole #3 - Breakfast Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #3 - Breakfast Casserole

    I chose to "half" this recipe from 1999's The Centennial Harvest - A Collection of Recipes from The First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Per the directions, I prepared this casserole in the evening, covered with plastic and refrigerated overnight. First this morning, I pre-heated my oven, removed the casserole and the plastic, and baked for 40 minutes. I sprinkled with red pepper chili flakes. This casserole was yummy. I would recommend the recipe as I give it, especially if you are making this for one to four people. Double the recipe to serve eight to twelve people. Substitute spicy breakfast sausage like I did or use plain sausage. Also try turkey or chicken breakfast sausage. Serve with a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes or drizzle your favorite salsa on top. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb breakfast sausage, browned

6 slices of bread

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk (I used oat milk)

1/2 cup grated/shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In an 8x8 baking dish, lay four slices of bread. Tear the other two pieces of bread in half and squish the halves lengthwise on both sides of the first four slices. Sprinkle browned sausage crumbles evenly over the bread. In a small bowl mix eggs with milk, and salt and pepper; use a fork or whisk. Pour egg mixture over the bread and sausage. Evenly sprinkle cheese on top. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, pre-heat oven to 350 F and bake uncovered for 40 to 60 minutes; until the center is set (for me that was 40 minutes). Cool slightly, cut into squares and loosen the edges with a knife. Serve squares of casserole with salsa or red chili pepper flakes. 

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole 

Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

    Oatmeal raisin cookies are not my favorite type of cookie, but I absolutely adore this recipe. The recipe card in my late mother's recipe box is so stained and the ink the recipe was written with is so lightened, that I had to take a photo with my phone, so I could blow it up to be able to read it. I copied it onto a new card for future use. Grandma had added a note that she always used "...one cup of any cheap oleo." Oleo is another name for margarine. I make the recipe as below with butter and shortening. Using my cookie scoop, I got six dozen cookies (I LOVE my cookie scoop). Try these!!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup lard (shortening)

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup raisins, cooked

1 tsp baking soda (you'll put this on top of the cooked raisins)

2 eggs

Directions:

Cook raisins in one cup of water, drain, add to a small bowl and sprinkle baking soda on top. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating completely. Add eggs, then the rest of the ingredients.  Drop by spoonfuls or use a cookie scoop onto cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven. Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Sour Cream Cocoa Cookies

 Sour Cream Cocoa Cookies

    Mmmmm.  This recipe comes from Hershey Chocolate's Hershey's Recipes recipe booklet, published in 1940. I needed something to take to my church ladies group potluck and wanted to take something for dessert. I chose these cookies and I'm glad I did, because the cookies (2) which I sampled, were yummy. The recipe booklet says this makes about 4 dozen. I used a cookie scoop and got 4 3/4 dozen. My original thought was to make these and then do a drizzle of white chocolate over the top, but I decided not to do that. The recipe booklet also says to bake for about 10 minutes and I feel they need closer to 12 minutes at 375 degrees F. The recipe calls for sifted flour and then to sift with the cocoa, spices, salt, but I didn't pre-sift the flour. These cookies have nuts, but feel free to leave out the nuts, substitute pecans in lieu of walnuts or maybe add mini chocolate chips. Whatever you decide to do, you should make these. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa powder (or your favorite brand)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening, then add sugar gradually and cream until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla and walnuts. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream (I forgot to alternate, but they turned out fine). Mix thoroughly, then use a cookie scoop or spoons to drop onto greased baking sheets (I used un-greased stoneware pans). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. This recipe will make at least 4 dozen cookies. 

Hershey's Recipes booklet

Sour Cream Cocoa Cookies

Pie Number 24 - Chocolate Brownie Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 24 - Chocolate Brownie Pie    

    This final pie in the Year of Pie is in the 1967 Betty Crocker's Pie Parade. The recipe says that it is a "rich, chocolatey version of pecan pie", but it didn't occur to me that it was actually going to turn out like it did with two separate layers; a pecan pie type layer on the bottom and brownie layer on top. This pie was easy. I recommend melting the butter and chocolate first, so it can cool a bit before mixing it with the other ingredients. The original recipe says to melt the chocolate and butter together over hot water; you can do this with either a double boiler or by adding the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl, fitted snugly onto a pan with hot water in it. I don't think it's really necessary, because as long as you heat on low, your butter and chocolate won't burn. Remove from heat and cool while you make the crust. 

I made this in a 9-inch pie pan. The pie "puffs" up while baking and you don't want the liquid filling to spill out when transferring to the oven. I thought the 9-inch pie pan was perfect. Finally, the recipe calls for pecan halves. I used chopped pecans, If you have chopped walnuts, that would work well also. 

    I made this pie for my New Year's Eve dessert. I served it with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a shaving of dark chocolate for decoration. This pie was really good. If you like brownies and if you like pecan pie, you really need to try this pie, because it was a delicious combination of the two. 

Ingredients:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted)

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

3/4 cup chopped pecans (a good substitute would be walnuts)

9-inch pie shell (make your own or use store bought pastry)

dark chocolate bar (optional for decoration)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a pan on low, melt butter and chocolate. Prepare pie crust and line pie pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and corn syrup, until just mixed (I used a hand mixer). Add the cooled chocolate mixture (If your chocolate mixture is too warm, it could cook the egg and you don't want that) and blend on low until well incorporated. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts. Pour filling into prepared pie pan. Bake until set. Remove from oven and cool. Serve while still slightly warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream. Shave chocolate over top for decoration.

Chocolate Brownie Pie

Pie Number 21 - Beef and Onion Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 21 - Beef and Onion Pie

    I love the little cookbook that this recipe is in. It is the Tried And True Grit Recipes - 95 Years of Homestyle Recipes. The recipe originally appeared in The Grit Cookbook, on May 4, 1958. The great thing about this pie, is that you can use beef (as in the title), ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork or even ground bison, like I did. The other modification I made was that I added a top crust. The recipe in the book does not call for a top crust, so a top crust is optional. It definitely was more appetizing to look at, with a top crust. 

    I was really happy with how this pie turned out. My crust was good; the texture of the filling was good and "sturdy" and I liked the taste. This was pretty quick and easy to make. You could get up to eight servings from this. You don't need large slices, especially if you are serving the pie with a side salad or vegetable(s) on the side. Try this. I think you'll like it. 

Ingredients:

pastry for a 9-inch pie shell (double crust optional) (I made pastry for a double-crust pie)

1 lb ground beef (or your choice of ground meat; I used ground bison)

2 tbsps butter or margarine

1 large or 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsps salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsps flour

1 cup sour cream or butter milk (I used sour cream, but I think plain, non-fat Greek yogurt would add an interesting flavor)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I didn't realize I was out; I used low sodium soy and it was just fine)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

pimiento strips (optional)

parsley flakes (optional)

Directions:

Cook onion in butter until translucent. Add in ground meat  and cook until meat is completely cooked (browned). Pour off any grease. Stir in salt, pepper and flour. Mix sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and eggs into the meat and onion mixture. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Cover with top crust if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. A knife inserted at the edge of filling should come out clean. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley flakes and/or pimiento strips and a vegetable or garden salad. 

Bison and Onion PIe

Bison and Onion Pie with Peas

Bison and Onion Pie with Peas

Pie Number 20 - Sweet Potato Praline Pie

The Year of Pie

Pie Number 20 - Sweet Potato Praline Pie

    Woohoo! It's hard to believe that there are only four pies left in the Year of Pie! I've had some "fails", mostly "successes" and some which have turned out really well. One of those that turned out really well, is this Sweet Potato Praline Pie. The recipe is in Treasury of Desserts. Published in 1993, it contains recipes from several major food brands, including Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Jell-O, Eagle Brand, Duncan Hines and Hershey's. This recipe in particular, calls for Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk and is very, clear about NOT using evaporated milk.  You can use an electric mixer if you have one, but I don't have one and I did everything by hand. I'm not big on pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie, but I am glad I tried this. It was really good.  This recipe includes a praline topping, but if you would rather not use the topping, that is perfectly fine. The pie would be excellent with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I really liked the flavor and texture of this pie and I recommend trying this recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell (I make my own, but you could use a pre-made pie shell)

1 pound sweet potatoes or yams (cooked & peeled)

1/4 cup margarine or butter (I used butter)

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

Praline Topping (Optional; I know it's in the title, but really if you don't like or can't have nuts, leave this out)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat hot sweet potatoes with butter/margarine; add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, spices and salt. Beat together until smooth. Stir in eggs and pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake 50 to 55 minutes (the center needs to be set). Cool pie and top with warm Praline Topping (below). Serve warm (This was also good chilled with warmed praline topping). Refrigerate leftovers if you have any!

Praline Topping:

1/2 cup whipping cream (unwhipped)

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped & toasted pecans

Directions:

Cook and stir on medium low until sugar dissolves. Boil rapidly 5 to 8 minutes or until thickened. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Spoon over a slice of warm (or chilled) pie. 

Sweet Potato Pie (Look at this filling!)

Sweet Potato Praline Pie

Sweet Potato Praline Pie

Skillet Plum Cake (Upside Down Plum Cake)

Skillet Plum Cake (Upside Down Plum Cake)

I came across this recipe recently, while looking for a pie recipe. Plums are "okay", but I generally don't seek them out (fresh or in a dessert). So, I was surprised that I wanted to make this. And, I am glad I made it. There were a few steps, but this turned out pretty good. Moist and tasty! I would definitely make this again and in fact plan to for an upcoming potluck. The recipe is in the Woman's Day Old-Fashioned Cookbook, published in 

Ingredients:

7 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 pound plums (the original recipe says prune plums or small blue plums) (I used about 6 plums)

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons hot water

1 cup sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 egg whites

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon lemon extract

whipped cream for serving (optional)

ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter on low in a 10-inch heavy skillet (I used cast iron) or other baking pan about the same size. Remove from heat and evenly sprinkle the brown sugar in the skillet. Wash the plums, cut them in half and remove the pits. Place plum halves upside down into the butter/brown sugar mixture. Set the skillet aside. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with lemon extract until thick and lemon-colored. Slowly beat in the sugar and then the hot water. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and slowly blend into the egg yolk mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Pour batter evenly over the plums and butter/sugar mixture. 

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake tests done with a clean knife or toothpick. Remove cake from oven and place a flat serving plate on top and immediately flip both upside. This may be a little tricky as you are both holding a hot skillet and trying to hold a plate to the skillet. Let rest for a few minutes until hopefully, all the sugar mixture adheres to the cake and not the pan. Gently shake the skillet to test this, before gently lifting the skillet off the cake. 

Serve warm, plain or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream. This would be a lovely dessert with coffee or tea. I took the cake to work to share and had my first piece on a napkin without any ice cream/whipped cream. 

Plum Skillet Cake

Plum Skillet Cake

Scalloped Cauliflower

 Scalloped Caulifower

    This recipe is based on the Harvest Cauliflower Scallop recipe in Back to Basics - Home Tested Recipes From A To Z. The original recipe calls for four hard-boiled eggs and I didn't want eggs on mine. I added bread crumbs in lieu of the eggs. I also added 1 1/4 cup milk instead of just 1 cup. I used butter not margarine and also added pepper and spicy seasoning. I would maybe use a round casserole dish or 9x5 pan instead of the 9x13 pan. I really liked this recipe and would definitely make this again. I'll give the original recipe and show my changes in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower (I used a giant head of cauliflower) 

3 tbsp margarine (or butter)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk (1 1/4 cup milk)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp spicy seasoning

4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (Optional)

1 1/4 cup shredded American cheese (I used finely shredded Monterrey Jack cheese)

1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs (Optional) (I used crushed ready made salad croutons)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cauliflower into flowerettes. In a large saucepan, cook cauliflower until tender-crisp and drain. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and place half of the cauliflower in the dish. Melt margarine or butter; blend in flour and gradually stir in 1 cup of the milk. Stir continuously and cook until thickened; thin with the additional 1/4 cup of milk if desired. Stir in salt, pepper and spicy seasonings. Remove from heat and dot spoonfuls of the white sauce onto the cauliflower. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the cauliflower and white sauce. Layer the rest of the cauliflower in the pan and dot with spoonfuls of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  The original recipe calls for adding sliced hard-boiled egg over the first layer of cauliflower, sauce and cheese, but I just couldn't wrap my head around putting hard-boiled egg in this dish. 

Scalloped Cauliflower 

Scalloped Cauliflower

Spoon Bread With Sausage and Cheese Topping

 Spoon Bread With Sausage and Cheese Topping

    Yeah, so I made this a couple weeks ago and forgot to write about it. I had a lot of drama happening then and it caused delays. Thankfully those issues have resolved and while getting ready to write about another recipe I made from the same cookbook (today) that this spoon bread recipe is in, I realized I hadn't written about it. So, two posts tonight, and another tomorrow (also from this small cookbook).  What's that cookbook you say? It is none other than Milk....The Way to Health & Beauty. This cookbook was published by the New York State Bureau of Milk Publicity, located in Albany, New York, in 1939. It was a Free cookbook and you could send a postcard with name and address to request additional copies.    

    My favorite cookbooks in my collection are my the oldest ones. This one had a couple loose pages, but it does not look like it was used much. I really love the pictures, drawings, coloring and font(s) used. I'll let you know the actual recipe and then as always, will show my notes/modifications in italics. This was tasty. I vacuum sealed some of my leftovers and they froze well. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

2 2/3 cups milk, scalded

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

2 eggs, separated (The original lists the egg whites and egg yolks separately)

1 1/2 tsp, melted fat or oil

1 lb breakfast sausage 

2/3 cup American cheese, cubed (I used 2/3 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese)

red chili flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions:

Stir cornmeal into scalded milk and cook to a mush. Cool. Add salt, sugar and egg yolks. Stiffly beat eggs whites and fold into the mush. Add your fat or oil and pour into a greased baking dish (I used a 3 quart casserole). Bake in a 375 degree oven for twenty-five minutes. Meanwhile, brown sausage into crumbles and drain excess fat (Remember do not drain grease into your sink!). Cool sausage, stir in cheese. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle the sausage and cheese mixture on top of the spoon bread. Return to oven and bake for an additional ten to fifteen minutes. Serves six to eight. 

Spoon Bread with Sausage and Cheese Topping (I wanted to show you the size of the dish I used, but cropped out the ugly bits of my old stovetop)

Spoon Bread with Sausage and Cheese Topping 

Pie Number 17 - Onion Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie #17 - Onion Pie

    This savory pie comes to us from Back To Basics: Home-Tested Recipes from A to Z. This book was originally published in 1991 and my copy is from the 1992 third printing. This pie has a lot of cheese (1 lb!!). I love cheese and I do like cooked onion, but overall, with all that cheese it was too much for me. If I made this again, I would definitely use half of the cheese called for. There is no seasoning in this, so use whatever you like. Salt, pepper, spicy seasoning or your favorite seasoning. I say go ahead and try this, but you might want to start out with 8oz, not the full pound. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups crushed butter crackers (I used saltines)

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion

1/2 cup melted margarine (or butter)

1 1/2 cups milk

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 to 1 pound Colby Jack shredded cheese

parsley flakes (optional)

chili powder (optional)

Directions:

Place cracker crumbs in the bottom of pie pan. Saute margarine or butter. Spoon sauteed onion over the cracker crumbs (You may want to drain the liquid/melted margarine/butter, before adding onions on top of the crumbs). Heat milk, then cool (This step made no sense to me, so I didn't heat for very, long). Add eggs and cheese to milk. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until custard is set. Scoop onto a plate and sprinkle with parsley flakes and/or chili powder. Yield (The original recipe says this serves 6, but it was a lot; I think it's more like 8)

Onion Pie

Onion Pie

Onion Pie

Pie Number 15 - Honey Chocolate Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 15 - Honey Chocolate Pie

    Yummm.  All I know about this recipe is that it was in some Winnie The Pooh book. I've had some copies of recipes in a photo album, for decades and there is artwork and a Winnie The Pooh quote on the page I have this recipe. I added loose recipes into the photo album and then have never really made much from it. That changed when I made this Honey Chocolate Pie. I really liked the texture; it was nice and creamy, and just really good. The honey and chocolate flavors both come through and neither overpowers the other. My crust was good and the only real blemish was that I like an idiot poured the honey chocolate mixture into the pie shell, while it was on the counter and had to carry it very, very slowly to the oven and close it. I only spilled a little (phew), which made that part of the crust look burned (it wasn't). I got positive feedback from my taste testers and I would definitely make this again. Serve with the whipped cream as suggested or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Either way, drizzle a little honey on top of each piece when serving, if you like. Serves a minimum of 8.

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie shell (do not pre-bake)

4 oz semisweet chocolate (I used semisweet chocolate chips)

1/4 cup butter

14 1/2 oz evaporated milk

1/2 cup honey

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup whipping cream (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Make your favorite pie crust recipe or buy a pre-made crust (that is totally fine). Place crust in your pie pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a pan on low heat. Remove from heat when melted and blend in the evaporated milk. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Beat the eggs into the honey mixture. Pour the chocolate mixture into the honey mixture; use a whisk and mix until the honey and chocolate mixtures are thoroughly combined. Pull the oven rack out; place the pie pan on the rack and slowly pour the chocolate honey mixture into your pan. If you fill the pan on the counter top, that's fine, but you'll have to be extremely careful not to spill the filling while carrying it to and placing in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake another 20 minutes. It will look a little puffy and may have some cracking; this is totally fine. Cool for an hour at a minimum and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Honey Chocolate Pie (The crust isn't burnt; that's just where I spilled filling while                                carrying the pie to the oven)

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce)

    I recently made Beef in Wine Gravy (delicious) from the same cookbook this recipe is from. That cookbook is Hellenic Cuisine copyrighted in 1957 by St. Helen's Philoptochos Society and Sts Constantine and Helen Parent-Teacher Association. I wasn't sure about the texture of the sauce, because it came out pretty foamy (not sure if it was supposed to be so foamy), but it tasted good. I had to buy mint, but the parsley I used was from my garden.  Yay!

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef or veal (I used ground turkey)

2 small onions, chopped finely (I used one large)

3 tbsps chopped parsley and mint leaves (This is for sprinkling over the dish when serving, so you can actually use more)

1/2 cup rice, cooked

2 tbsps butter or oil

1 tsp vegetable salt (I used a salt free table seasoning)

2 cups water

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper, to taste

plus

2 eggs 

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the meat, onion, salt, pepper, rice and vegetable salt. Form into small meatballs (I laid out my meatballs in a 9x13 pan and it was completely filled when I was done making the balls). Sprinkle with flour. Bring a saucepan with water and a little salt, to boil. Add meat balls and butter or oil and simmer for 40 minutes.  When you have about ten minutes of cooking time left, make your sauce by separating eggs and beating the whites until they form soft peaks. Beat yolks with lemon juice and fold into the egg whites. Remove the pan from heat and drain any leftover water. Pour the sauce on top and stir to coat meat balls. Sprinkle with chopped mint and parsley. Serve over rice or even noodles if you'd like that better.  Serving size depends on how many meatballs each person gets.  

Youvarlakia (Meat Balls with Lemon Sauce

Pie Number 13 - Miracle Custard Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 13 - Miracle Custard Pie

    The recipe says it makes it's own crust and I wanted to see what happened. The recipe is in Better Homes and Gardens: All Time Favorite Pies 169 Recipes!, published in 1978. The pie was tasty and I enjoyed it overall.  I didn't care for the crust, which really wasn't a crust. It's just that the bottom and sides of the custard mixture, thickens a bit and is a different texture than the rest of the pie. I would recommend letting it cool way down, before serving, because it will help it come out of the pan better. It was still a little too warm when I cut into it, to try it out. This was yummy with a good dollop of whipped cream on top. 

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter or margerine, cut up into little bits

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flaked coconut

ground nutmeg

Directions:

The original recipe uses a blender to mix the ingredients. I used a bowl and a hand mixer and a wooden spoon. 

In blender or with a hand mixer, combine milk, eggs, sugar, flour, cut-up butter or margarine, vanilla and salt until well-mixed (don't over blend). Stir in coconut and pour this mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle nutmeg lightly over top and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool and chill before serving. 

Miracle Custard Pie

Miracle Custard Pie
(The pie set up nicely, but my piece fell apart a bit, because I didn't wait long enough for it to cool)

Sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan Corn Bread)

 Sopa Paraguaya (Paraguayan Corn Bread)

This dish from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook, published in 1980. I really liked this dish. You could eat this as a main dish or as a side dish like I did. This is like a casserole. I couldn't find a 2 quart casserole dish that the recipe called for, so I used a 3 quart dish and thought that size worked perfectly. I also didn't have all the seasonings in the recipe. I'd thought I had them! That's okay, because I just used more red pepper.  I also used Colby Jack cheese, not Monterey Jack cheese. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup cornmeal

2 tbsp margarine or butter, softened

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (I used 1 tsp, since I didn't realize that I was out of cumin and allspice)

1 can (8oz) whole-kernel corn, drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4oz)

1 small onion, chopped (I used 1/2 of a large onion)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2-quart (I used 3-quart and it was perfectly fine) casserole dish. 

In a large bowl, stir boiling water into cornmeal. Stir until smooth, then blend in margarine/butter and egg yolks. Stir in milk, cottage cheese, salt, baking powder, spices, corn, cheese and finally the onion. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into corn batter. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serves 9 to 12

Sopa Paraguaya aka Paraguayan Corn Bread

Sopa Paraguaya aka Paraguayan Corn Bread served with tilapia and grilled onion

Pie Number Ten - Bacon Cheese Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie #10 Bacon-Cheese Pie

Yeah, so finally writing this post for this pie that I made like two or three weeks ago. It's been another period, where life has been getting in the way of my baking. This Bacon-Cheese Pie is from my favorite cookbook, the Pillsbury Family Cook Book, sixth printing in 1970. I think because of the bacon, I would consider using 1/2 teaspoon salt instead of a full teaspoon. And, mine didn't seem to "set" really well, even though I baked it at the designated temperature, for the allotted time. That said, my crust was good and I really liked this quiche-like pie.  I would definitely make this again. 

Ingredients:

8 or 9 inch unbaked pie crust (I did a 9 inch pie crust)

1/2 pound sliced bacon (I chopped mine)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

3 eggs

2/3 cup (6-oz can) evaporated milk

1 1/3 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt 

dash pepper

dash cayenne pepper

1/2 cup baby spinach washed and chopped (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Make your favorite pie crust. You can also buy pie crust dough or a pre-made crust. Chop bacon, frying until crisp and drain. Sprinkle into the bottom of your unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the bacon. Beat eggs slightly with both milks and seasonings. Pour egg mixture over the bacon and cheese. Sprinkle baby spinach on top, if desired. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle of the pie, comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes. 

You can also add 1/4 finely minced onion in with the egg mixture and you could substitute ham for bacon. 

Serves 6-8

Bacon-Cheese Pie

Bacon Cheese Pie

Bacon-Cheese Pie: Showing that it was thoroughly cooked but still a bit soft. 

Banana Bread

 Banana Bread

    I made banana bread for a work team meeting recently and was so happy that my coworkers really enjoyed it.  This recipe comes from my favorite cookbook The Pillsbury Family Cook Book, published in 1963 and my copy is a 1970 sixth printing.  This bread came out so nice and moist. I made two recipes and got two beautiful loaves. 

  Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened butter or shortening (Ooops. I'm writing this a couple weeks after baking this and can't remember if I used butter or shortening)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (2 medium sized mashed bananas)

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar (I used vinegar)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Sift flour with the soda and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl cream butter/shortening and gradually add the sugar, creaming well. Blend in eggs and banana. Combine thoroughly and add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin and end the dry ingredients, blending well after each addition. Stir in nuts and chips if desired. Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Pour in batter and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. You'll want the bread to spring back when lightly touched in the center. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan loosen the bread. Sit the pan on a baking rack to cool and remove from pan after the bread has cooled. 

Beautiful Banana Bread

Beautiful Banana Bread

Pie Number Eight - Chocolate Crested Coconut Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie #8 - Chocolate Crested Coconut Pie

    I'm back! It's been another few weeks which have been bonkers and I haven't been baking pies. I've made cookies, banana bread and I've made a simple hamburger gravy, but I haven't made pie. I did try a Cream Pie, but it was such a failure, that I'm not even going to write about it.  This custard pie however turned out pretty good. I made it a about three weeks ago and it was yummy. The recipe comes from Parade - 50 Favorite Desserts.  I can't find an exact publication for this small recipe booklet, but from experience, my best guess is that it was published in the early/mid 1960s.  It was pretty simple to make, so try it out. Especially if you like coconut. 

Ingredients:

4 eggs slightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flaked coconut

2 tablespoons sugar

1 square, melted unsweetened chocolate 

2 tablespoons hot water

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare your pie crust and set aside. Combine the first six ingredients (eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, milk, vanilla and coconut). Set your pie pan on your oven rack and slowly pour your coconut mixture into the pan. Gently slide the shelf into the oven. I stupidly filled the pie shell at my counter and proceeded to make the biggest, fattest mess. I had to cool and clean the oven and start over a few days later. The second try turned out good. Bake for 30 minutes or until the custard is set; while the pie is baking, combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and melted chocolate. Gradually stir in the hot water. At the end of the 30 minute baking time, remove the pan and pour the chocolate evenly over top (this was difficult for me to spread out, so I chose to do a drizzle design instead and I liked how it turned out).  Turn your oven to 300 degrees and bake  an additional 7 to 10 minutes. If you like, garnish with additional flaked coconut. 

Chocolate Crested Coconut Pie

Chocolate Crested Coconut Pie