Coconut Cream Pie (from my cookbook!=)

When my sis-in-love, Susie, first gave me this recipe, I thought it was rather strange that you would cook it on top of the stove, and then bake it for so long...

But once I took a bite, I knew it was the right thing to do!

I already had 4 egg yolks in the fridge - having used the whites for something else - so I didn't add the meringue. 

I can tell you that we enjoyed every scrumptious bite, along with some whipped topping.

However you top this delicious pie, I am sure you will enjoy every bit of YUM in it.

Please don't be intimidated by the length of the instructions.  Honestly, it's easy to make - be sure to check the 'variations' at the bottom also.

You can use this same recipe to make banana or chocolate cream, or even sour cream raisin pie.

IT'S ALLL GOOOOODD!!

COCONUT CREAM PIE

3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
2-1/2 c. milk
4 eggs, separated
1 Tb. margarine
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1 c. flaked coconut

1 - 9 - inch. baked pie shell
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tb. sugar
1/3 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 325. In medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk; cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly, then reduce heat and cook about 2 minutes more until smooth.  Remove from heat; slightly beat egg yolks with fork and add to hot filling, stirring constantly.  Place back on medium-high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in margarine, 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1 c. coconut. Pour into pie shell.

Meringue: In medium bowl, using the mixer, beat egg whites, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and cream of tartar for about 1 minute.  Gradually add sugar (6 Tb), beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Spread over hot filling, making sure edges seal to crust (to prevent separating) and sprinkle coconut over meringue. Bake 30 minutes; cool to room temperature, then chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Pie Crust: In medium bowl, combine -1/4 c. flour, 3/4 c. + 2 Tb. Crisco, and 2 tsp. salt. Work together with fork until crumbly.  Add 1/4 c. cold water - 1 Tb. at a time, until it forms a ball and can easily be rolled out, on a lightly floured surface.

Variations:

3 bananas, sliced
3 ozs. unsweetened chocolate
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. sour cream

BANANA CREAM: Arrange bananas in crust before adding pudding.

CHOCOLATE CREAM: Increase sugar to 1 c. and add chocolate to milk when cooking.

SOUR CREAM RAISIN: Decrease sugar to 2/3 c. and increase cornstarch to 1/3 c. Fold in raisins and sour cream along with the vanilla and butter.  Follow directions for baking. 

If you prefer whipped topping instead of meringue, chill pie for required time, then dollop with whipped topping when serving.

Linked to Sweets for a Saturday
Meal Plan Monday

FUN 'Bacon & Eggs' for the Kiddos

I didn't come up with any foodie ideas for April Fool's so I thought I would repost this fun idea...even though I was busy and didn't get it out in the morning...UGH!

HAVE A DELIGHTFUL DAY!

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When my kids were young, I always loved involving them in some project in the kitchen. 

I s'pose that's because my mom allowed me to spend much time in the kitchen growing up. While she sewed, I cooked - and learned to love it! 

This is a simple recipe for fun - take time to make memories with your young ones.  They'll treasure it the rest of their lives.

Thanks to Rosemary and the Goat - Our 5 youngest grandkids and I had a great time making these to go along with our Thanksgiving brunch. It was fast and easy - and oh-so cute,
don't you think???  And aren't those grand'babies' cute too!?  We sure think so.

 

 From left to right...

Caden, Kaity, Chloe, Charlie & Claira

(What a kick to see Caden - who battles leukemia and

has been sequestered much

of his life, to play hard (& hug too!) with his cousin Kaity. 

They were smitten with each other.=)

Sure was good medicine for this nana's soul too! 

(Click on the link below for the simple 3-ingredient recipe- and go have some fun!)

Kid-Friendly Bacon & Eggs

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Roundup - After School Snacks

Candy Bar Peanut Butter Cookies

I made these delicious cookies for an upcoming bake sale this weekend. I'm on a Relay for Life team - Baker's Dozen - in honor of our 5-yr old grandson, Caden, who is in his second year of treatments for leukemia.  He's doing well, and is such a source of joy in our lives, so I thought I'd share his sweet preschool picture in this post.  We're raising $$ to honor him.  What a darlin!

Caden has a GREAT sense of humor and makes us laugh so much.  His big sisters, Charlie & Chloe, adore him and often talk about the funny things he says and does.

(We have lots of redheads in our family - my husband is a redhead and we both have siblings with red hair, and 3 of our 8 grandchildren are redheads.)  So we're partial to them!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

These cookies are fabulous and very versatile!

I first made them for a church cookie exchange a few years ago and decided they were yummy enough for me to add them to my cookbook.

(This is a picture of the divider from my cookbook - I love REAL pictures!)

The cookies are versatile because you can add any kind of candies you have.

I cleaned out my pantry. A few weeks ago, I had used some Buy One, Get One Free coupons for candies, then sorta forgot about them and they got lost in the bottom of my pantry, right under those unopened chocolate chips.  

When I found them again, I knew they would be the perfect thing to make for the upcoming bake sale.

I chopped one medium sized snickers bar, several peanut butter cups, some leftover Reese's pieces, and lots of chocolate kisses and candy bars.

Give them a try!  They're easy enough with a peanut butter cookie base.  They freeze nicely too.


CANDY BAR PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

(From The Better Baker)

38-40 mini chocolate bars
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 c. white sugar
2/3 c. creamy or crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Remove wrappers from candy; cut each into 6 - 8 pieces.  In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and peanut butter until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine and stir flour, baking soda, and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well.  Stir in chocolate bar pieces.  Drop by teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 12 - 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack to cool.  Yield: 5 - 6 dozen

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Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
              Sweets for a Saturday
              Recipe of the Week

A 'Grand' Family Picture & Easy Creamed Chicken Sandwiches

I must start off by sharing a group picture of me and my precious 'grands' that I got to enjoy time with last week!

From left to right - Claira, Nana, Baby Sam, Kaity

What good memories we made together!

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Have you ever enjoyed a creamed chicken sandwich?

If not, you've really missed out!

 I used my sis-in-love, Vicki's, recipe here...and thank her kindly for sharing her awesome recipes with me. 

I've been told it is a dish known mostly in this area of the country...the Midwest.

I grew up on them...and yes, I did grow up here in Ohio.

I never really thought about it much when we lived in other parts of the country, so I can't say for sure, but I'd love to hear from you if you are familiar with this delicious throw-together-quickly sandwich.

After I made a batch, and before I typed up this post, I enjoyed these sandwiches at a baby shower.

A friend there mentioned how her grandma always made the most perfect creamed chicken sandwiches when she was growing up, and she never got her recipe before she passed! I told her to be watching my blog for my recipe.

After that, I received a call and was asked to make them for a funeral dinner.

This quick and easy dish has been served at graduation open houses and birthday parties. 

I used my sis-in-love, Vicki's, recipe here...and thank her kindly for sharing her awesome recipes with me. 

So give them a try and enjoy!

I don't really have a recipe, but this is what I do...they are definitely Easy Peasy to make!

Open a can (13 ozs) of chicken breast (98% fat free if desired)

and pour, broth and all, into a medium saucepan.

I pour chicken broth over it just enough to cover...

Add some onion flakes and maybe 1/2 tsp. dry chicken base (if you have it on hand).. and some fresh ground pepper....

Then crush a few (5 or more?) saltine crackers and add to the

chicken.  Allow time for it to absorb the broth.

(It's also delicious with Ritz crackers)

Serve in buns and enjoy.

(If you think your chicken mixture is too dry, just add more broth.

It's best moist)

Really!  That's all there is to it!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

Slow Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake

This is a delicious and versatile recipe that can be found in my cookbook - Recipes & Recollections from The Better Baker.  

My hubby is diabetic so I do lots of low sugar desserts in our house.

But this can be made sugar-full as well - you choose.

I was anxious to try the new sugar free cake mixes (thank you Pillsbury!) and so I chose this recipe and made it sugar free.

It was soooo good!

We enjoyed it with some tasty sugar free vanilla ice cream, but I didn't want to cover up

the moistness of the cake, so I took a picture before I added the ice cream.

It really was moist and gooey - something my taste buds adore!!

These are the simple ingredients I used.

It's always good to remember that when baking with Splenda, your baking time will be shortened.  This recipe (using sugar sweetened items) calls for baking in slow cooker for 4 - 6 hrs.  I baked this for only 3.

Hershey's has sugar free chocolate chips available that are very tasty.  But I would recommend if you're not use to eating totally sugar free, use some sugar in this recipe as the sugar free products can tend to make you..um...er...'toot-y'!

You could use 50% reduced sugar cake mix, along with the other ingredients that contain sugar.   Hoping you 'get the picture'.

Another change I made was instead of using 3/4 c. oil, I used 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 c. oil.  Applesauce is a much healthier alternative to oil.

SLOW COOKER CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE

1 - 18 ozs. box chocolate cake mix

1- 3 ozs. box instant chocolate pudding

2 c. sour cream (I used lite)

4 eggs

1 c. water

3/4 c. canola oil

(I used 1/4 c. oil + 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce)

1/2 c. toffee bits, optional

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in toffee and chocolate chips.  Pour into 5-qt. slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (Or use one of those nifty liners).  Cover and cook on low for 4 - 5 hours; (If using sugar free, watch your time closely as it tends to cook faster); center will be soft.  Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  Yield: 8 - 10 servings

Try it...I think you'll like it!

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Linked to Sweets for a Saturday

Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesday

Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup

Ingredient Spotlight - Sour Cream

Foodie Friends Friday

Whatcha Crockin Wednesday