Rendering Goose Fat, Fried Cornish Hens & Carrots

Our grocery store sometimes surprises us by having quality products.  One random day I found a goose!  It was a bit pricey, but I was going to get all my money's worth by rendering all it's precious fat.  

I stripped the bird of all the fat I could find and threw it in the crock pot for a couple of hours.  This was our bounty:

We used this and some duck fat to fry up a cornish hen and some carrots.  The hen was awesome and the fried carrots are addictive.  Better than any potato chip I've ever had.  Sweet, crispy, and full of flavor.

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Pumpkin-Almond Butter Spice Bread

I had so much pumpkin butter that I had to find ways to use it all up.  The black cake recipe turned out well so I adapted it to make a Pumpkin-Almond Butter Spice Bread.  I added some honey because it needed a bit of sweetness.  This was my first recipe using the Baker's Edge Brownie Pan.  I usually have trouble with burnt edges and gooey centers using my 9x13" pyrex but not this time!

Pumpkin-Almond Butter Spice Bread

Yield: 12 pieces

INGREDIENTS
1 16oz jar (2 cups) roasted almond butter
1 1/2 cups pumpkin butter
2 eggs
1 cup raw honey
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix almond butter and fruit in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, almond extract, and baking soda, mixing well until all incorporated.

Pour into greased 9x13" dish (I used the Baker's Edge Brownie Pan) and bake for 30-40 minutes, based on your oven. Check periodically by inserting a knife through the middle. Cake is done when knife comes out clean.

The bread was wonderful on it's own, but of course I had to experiment!  Here are some pics of a pumpkin bread trifile I made with layers of bread, pumpkin butter, and yogurt with honey and cinnamon.

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Peach, Banana, and Pumpkin Butters

Since the success of the Apple-Pear Butter, I've been making lots of different variations, hoping to come up with something just as good. 

The first was peach butter.  I used about 4 bags of frozen peaches that I had in the freezer.  This time I tried the crock pot and had it cooking for about 12 hours.  It never developed the "stickyness" that the hubby liked in the Apple-Pear Butter.  I had to add some honey and cinnamon to this.

With14 bananas in the freezer, banana butter seemed like something to try.  This time I wanted a raw recipe so I looked to Nourishing Traditions and adapted the Apricot Butter recipe.  I dehydrated the bananas and ate about 5 of them after a few hours (it was really good!). 

After about 10 hours drying, I blended the banana roll-up with a little water, whey, and salt and let it sit out for 2 days before moving to the fridge.  It was really good.  Super sweet, though.

The last butter I tried (for now) was pumpkin butter.  I love pumpkin butter!  But this one was specifically for the hubby.  I had about 5 cans of pumpkin puree that I threw into the crock pot (with cinnamon) and cooked for about 16 hours.  I thought that I would have to add honey but he had no problem eating it as is with yogurt.  I had so much pumpkin butter that I decided to try a few recipes out with it.

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Guyana Black Cake Part 1

A few months ago I had a craving for Guyana Black Cake.  I'd never really liked the taste of it but something was calling me.  Every few months or so I get strange cravings for the weirdest Guyanese dishes and call my mom up asking for the recipe.  Since I had cut grains out of my diet, using flour was out of the question.  Nuts might work I told myself.  And they did.  Three months later, I created a recipe for grain-free Guyana Black Cake.  It doesn't look like the typical Black Cake, but it did the trick.  Enough so that I ate 1/4 of the pan within 15 minutes of it coming out of the oven.

To start the process, back in August I got the fruits marinating.  The longer the better.  Some people have them marinating for a whole year!  I wanted the cake for the holiday season so I had to start them right away.  I used equal amounts of figs, dates, raisins, and prunes.  Most recipes call for lots of prunes to darken the cake and give it the characteristic black color, but that didn't matter so much to me.

Today I took a portion of the fruit puree out and it was potent!  Still sweet so I decided not to put any sweetener in the cake.  In the end, the fruit was enough to sweeten it.  The brandy flavor was ever-present so I had the feeling of eating a real rum-soaked black cake.  All in all, I think it came out well.  The hubby liked it, but I think he'd much prefer it slathered with icing.  I used almond butter to replace the flour and there was no nut taste whatsoever, so I was very pleased.  I still have more than half of the puree left to experiment with.  Maybe next time I'll get a denser texture and richer taste.  Maybe less almond butter?

Drunken Fruit

Yield: About 3- 3 1/2 cups fruit puree

INGREDIENTS

4 cups dried fruit (I used dates, prunes, raisins, figs)

1/2 liter brandy

DIRECTIONS

Mix fruit in a large bowl.  Pour in brandy and let soak on counter for about 2 days.  Puree in blender or food processor.  Pour into a glass container and store in fridge.

Guyana Black Cake

Yield: 12 pieces

INGREDIENTS

1 16oz jar (2 cups) roasted almond butter

1 1/2 cups dried fruit puree (soaked in alcohol)

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix almond butter and fruit in a large bowl until smooth.  Add eggs, almond extract, and baking soda, mixing well until all incorporated.

Pour into greased 9x13" dish (I used the Baker's Edge Brownie Pan) and bake for 20-30 minutes, based on your oven.  Check periodically by inserting a knife through the middle.  Cake is done when knife comes out clean.

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A Thanksgiving Without Sugar, Boxes, or Cans

Thanksgiving may be my least favorite holiday. Eating breast-heavy birds that couldn't walk because they were off balance, eating foods that are loaded with sugar that come out of a box or a can, and the American Indians. My mother can tell you about the American Indians. For years I went on a rant during the days before Thanksgiving about the true meaning of the holiday and how many American Indians were killed in the name of Pilgrim celebrations. Since I left home for college in 1996, I've never returned for Turkey Day. This year will my first year back. Hopefully we'll have a very simple, small meal with nourishing food. The less chemicals the better. Why not enjoy the typical Thanksgiving fare in moderation, you may ask? Well, you can eat Play-Doh, but that doesn't mean you should. These days I prefer my meals to be made of real food that comes from the ground or walks/flies.

Here are some recipes that I've used throughout the years that are made of fresh ingredients and no white sugar. Raw honey and pure maple syrup are used instead so you still get the sweet tastes that we all want when we're gorging. Because the recipes require a bit of prepping, I usually make things ahead and cook/bake the day of. I haven't made these particular dishes when cooking Thanksgiving meals for other people (besides the hubby). Frankly, using quality ingredients gets expensive! I tend to use cheap-o, chemical laden foods for people that don't particularly care about what they're ingesting. The hubby, though, has no choice since he's eating what I'm eating. He (and his wallet) must suffer through all this expense. He's a fan of all these recipes in spite of being white sugar-free, except for the cranberry sauce. Way too tart for him. A spoonful or two of honey fixes that right up.


Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
6 ounces apple juice concentrate (unsweetened)

DIRECTIONS
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the cranberries and apple juice concentrate to a boil and simmer until the cranberries have burst. Once the sauce has cooked to the consistency of your liking (for me about 15 minutes), remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. Chill overnight and serve.


Maple Pecan Pie Filling

INGREDIENTS
2 cups pure maple syrup
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil and let boil for 8 to 10 minutes, reducing the syrup to 1 1/2 cups. Once reduced, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, lightly beat eggs and add maple syrup, salt, melted butter and vanilla. Mix well. Add the pecans and stir well.

You can enjoy the filling as is with some whipped cream or bake in your favorite pie crust.  Pour into prepared crust or greased casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Let rest for approximately 1 hour before serving.

 
Pumpkin Pie Filling

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
2 cups roasted pumpkin puree
3/4 cup raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cup half and half or cream (can use coconut milk as well)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs and add pumpkin, honey, salt, spices, and cream Mix well.

You can pour this into your favorite pie crust or an 8x8" dish. Bake for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake an additional 45 minutes, until filling is set.


Sweet Corn Casserole

INGREDIENTS
20 ounces of corn kernels (can use frozen)
6 eggs
3 1/2 cups whole milk or half and half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup raw honey (or pure maple syrup)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a blender blend the eggs and add honey, milk, salt, and butter. Pour into a greased 9x13" casserole dish and stir in corn by hand.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the top turns light brown and the center is solid. Let rest for approximately 15 minutes before serving.


Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS
4 cups sweet potato puree (steamed or roasted, I prefer the light colored variety to the orange yams)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or raw honey)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup half and half or cream (can use coconut milk as well)
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (you can reduce to taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a food processor, mix together the sweet potatoes, maple syrup, eggs, salt, butter, cream and vanilla. Process until smooth. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for approximately 10 minutes before serving. You can top with pecans too!


Cheesecake Cups

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk cottage cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a blender, combine cottage cheese, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, honey, and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour into custard cups or prepared crust.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until filling is firm. Allow to cool completely. You can top this with fruit or your favorite cheesecake topping!


Coconut-Corn muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil (can use olive oil as well)
1/2 cup raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 cup corn kernels

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl lightly beat eggs, and add oil, honey, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until smooth. This will be easier if all ingredients are at room temperature. Mix in corn kernels. Pour into muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let rest for approximately 10 minutes before serving.


Cinnamon Apples & Raisins

INGREDIENTS
5 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup pecans (optional)
1/4 cup cream (can use coconut milk as well)
2 cinnamon sticks (or ground cinnamon to taste)

DIRECTIONS
Throw all ingredients into a crock pot, mix well, and let simmer on low until apples are soft and desired consistency is reached. I like to eat this with a splash of cream on top or with a raw pecan/date topping.


Fruit Crumble

INGREDIENTS
Selection of fruit of your choice, 1 bag frozen or 5 pieces/ 2 cups (I like peaches, apples, blueberries, or pineapple)
Ground almonds, 2 handfuls, soaked and dehydrated preferably
Dates, small handful or to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Chop or process fruit to desired chunkiness. Pour into small casserole dish. In a food processor, process ground almonds and dates into a fine meal. Evenly distribute almond-date meal over the fruit.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until top starts to brown. Let rest for approximately 15 minutes before serving.

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Apple Chips and Popsicles

My mission these past few months has been to use up the foods in my freezer and pantry that have been sitting there for way too long.  A couple of weeks ago I used a bunch of red apples and pears to make an apple-pear butter. Last weekend I made a peach butter that didn't quite have the oomph for the hubby as the apple-pear butter, but he ate it nonetheless and all those lovely peaches didn't go to waste. 

I had about 5 granny smith apples and wanted to use them for something stellar.  Memories of a colon cleanse a few years ago came to mind.  The hubby and I tried a 4 day fast (we couldn't make it any longer than that) and lived on juiced fruits and vegetables and a bentonite/psyllium drink 5 times a day.  The fast was actually not that bad.  We felt great during and afterwards and couldn't wait for the new fruit juices we could try ever 4 hours or so.  The best one was granny smith apple juice.  It must have been the lack of food because it tasted like a green apple blow pop.  I just bought a popsicle mold set and thought green apple blowpop popsicles would be delightful.  We juiced all the frozen fruit and filled the molds with the juice and froze. 

These were really good.  Not green apple blow pop good, but we're not in starvation mode so that may have something to do with it.  The hubby was about to throw away all the glorious pulp until I stopped him!  Juicing is such a waste if you don't make use of the pulp.  I threw it all in the dehydrator for about 12 hours and made the best apple chips ever. 

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More Experiments with Cultured Foods

This weekend I used the farmer's market bounty to try more combinations of cultured veggies.  So far all of the creations I've thrown together have been pretty tasty and seem to get better with time.  Here's what I came up with this week:

Contains broccoli, baby bok choy, carrot pulp and juice, ginger juice, spinach, and coconut water.

With this batch I threw in broccoli slaw mix, cilantro, mint, radishes, and pineapple vinegar.

Finally!  Cranberries have arrived in Korea.  I just put cranberries and salt in this one, hoping it will serve as a tonic for the mornings.  Maybe something to alternate with my beet kvass.

Not shown is the daikon radish, onion, ginger, and hot pepper mixture brewing on my countertop.

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Cashew Butter Brownies

These brownies were an adaptation of Elana's Brownies (http://www.elanaspantry.com/brownies/) and they are oh so good.  The cashew butter makes them rich and sinful while the almond extract adds a delicate touch to them.  Be careful how many you consume because one batch does contain a whole jar of cashew butter!

                                

Cashew Butter Brownies

Yield: About 12 large browines

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cashew butter (unsalted raw chasews soaked, dehydrated, processed until smooth) or 16 oz jar
2 eggs

1 cup raw honey

1 Tbls almond extract

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Grease or line a 9x13 glass baking dish with parchment paper.

Add ground cashew butter to large bowl and mix in eggs, honey, and almond extract gradually.

Once thoroughly mixed, blend in cocoa, salt, and baking soda and mix well. 

Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.

The variations to this recipe are endless.  I've tried them with almonds, sunflower seeds, and will soon try a pecan/ macadamia nut mixture.  All my nuts and seeds were soaked and dehydrated before making the butter.  You can definately use store-bought nut butters as well.  Add ins include chocolate/ peanut butter/ toffee chips, coconut, candy, etc.  Also, if you would like a plain nut butter blondie without the cocoa, just omit cocoa and reduce honey to 1/2 - 3/4 cup and extract to 1 tsp.

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Apple (and Pear) Butter

Up until yesterday, my husband had never tried or even heard of apple butter.  Or any kind of fruit butter for that matter.  Fortunately, I had about 10 apples and 5 pears in the freezer that I needed to put to good use.  Originally I made two batches of applesauce, one with about 5 roasted apples and the other with 5 apples and 5 pears that were just cooked down.  I stored both batches in the freezer and this was a perfect opportunity to try a new recipe and make room for the 3 frozen geese we bought this weekend.  I mixed these two sauces and created a naturally sweet, satisfying apple-pear butter that was worth the slaving over the stove.

Choose any combination of apples and pears that you like.  I used local Korean apples and Bartlett pears.  Roast the fruit in the oven and process to a smooth sauce (I left some nice big chunks in there) or cook down, adding water if necessary.  I love lots of cinnamon so I added both ground and sticks to the sauce.  Put sauce back in a heavy bottom pot and simmer on low heat until the water has cooked out.  Mine took about 2 hours.  As the mixture gets more concentrated, the color will turn a deep brown and you'll need to stir more frequently to prevent burning.  That's it.  No sugar required and a whole spoonful was too sweet for my sugar-fiend of a husband.

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Columbus Day Weekend Fermentation Fun

This weekend was a 3day for us G-men so what better way to spend it than slaving in the kitchen!  Lately I've been on a fermentation kick so I wanted to try a few new things (and that was good enough reason to skip out on work after lunch on Friday to go to the grocery store).  My previous attempts ranged from really tasty to really tangy to really nasty.  Most of my recipes were based on either Nourishing Traditions by Sallon Fallon or The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates.  I find that NT uses too much salt, while BED doesn't use enough.  I like a pinch of sea salt to give it a little kick. 

Previous Experiments

Cortido- This called for using a pineapple vinegar brine.  The hubby loves dehydrated pineapple so we carved one up and I used the skin to make the vinegar.  I only let the skin sit for about 2 days submerged in water so it never really developed the vinegar smell.  After straining off the skin, I added some red cabbage, carrots, onion, mint, and a pinch of sea salt.  I let this sit for about a week before putting it in the fridge.  My favorite so far.

Broccoli Slaw/Parsley- This one was ok.  It's not as pretty as the cortido, but it has a nice tangy, almost puckering taste to it.  I used the pineapple vinegar once again and added some broccoli slaw (with carrots and small shreds of red cabbage) and a bunch of parsley.  This sat out for about 4 days before moving to the fridge.  I didn't add salt to the mix to try out the flavor.

Apple Cider Vinegar- Since the pineapple vinegar seemed to work really well, I decided to try some apple cider vinegar from a few apple peels.  It developed the vinegar smell a whole lot faster than the pineapple.  I think I'll save this one for medicinal purposes.

Preserved Tangerines- I think I let this one sit out too long (2-3 weeks) and it was just nasty.  It smelled really good though.

This Weekend's Fun

At the grocery store I picked up some carrots, broccoli, onions, red bell pepper, daikon radish, asian pear, mangoes, pineapple, papaya, limes, cilantro, yogurt, milk, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, beets, tomatillos, and cucumbers.  Here are the combinations I came up with:

Broccoli, carrots, onions, red bell pepper, cucumbers, pineapple vinegar.

(Left) Carrots, daikon radish, ginger, 2 plums that were hanging out on my counter all week, asian pear.  (Right) Carrots, red bell pepper, onions.  (Not shown) Daikon radish, asian pear, onions, ginger.  (Also not shown) Beets, salt, and whey.

The hubby loves when I make fruit salsa with coconut rice.  When I saw a similar recipe from NT, I had to try it.  I mixed mangoes, papaya, and pineapple with red onion, garlic, cilantro, homemade whey, jalepeno, and lime juice.  (Not shown) I used the yogurt and milk to make SCD compliant yogurt that was fermented for 24 hours at 105 degs to burn off all the lactose.  I used the extra yogurt to make some whey for the salsas and beet kvass.

I thought that was it for my experiments, but we decided to check out this 24 hour Korean-type Costco on Sunday and found these beauties.

I made 3 different batches of salsa.  One with tomatillos and red tomatoes.  One with all the colors. And one with just plain red tomatoes (that happened to be one of the best tasting tomatoes I've ever had).  All were mixed with onions, cilantro, jalapeno, lime, garlic, and whey.

I tried the Beet Kvass this morning after sitting out for 4 days and it was still a little sweet for my taste.  I'll give it another couple of days before I move to the fridge.  I'll try the salsas tomorrow and will probably move all the rest after 7 days of sitting out.

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Bran Muffins (my sugarless version)

I find it crazy funny that most people think store-bought (and most homemade) bran muffins are healthy. Most are loaded with refined or fake sugars and don't contain much fiber. This recipes contains whole wheat flour but still produces a light, fluffy muffin. Plus they have no sugar!  The sweetness comes from the fruit.  There are so many variations you can try. I've replaced all of the whole wheat flour with oat bran, used butter instead of coconut oil, varied the dried fruits between raisins, dates, and prunes, and the best of all, added cocoa (1/4- 1/2 cup) or unsweetened chocolate (2-3 oz). This makes a pretty good chocolate cake if you let it sit overnight for the chocolate flavor to fully develop.

Bran Muffins
Yield: About 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS
2 cups dried fruit (I usually use 1.5 cups dates, 0.5 cup prunes)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (or melted butter/ghee)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour (soaked, sprouted in Nourishing Traditions fashion)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners.

Pour boiling water, coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs into a blender. Process and slowly incorporate dried fruit. I prefer to not have bits of fruit in my muffins so I blend into a really thick, smooth paste. You can leave it chunky if you like. Once the mixture is at your preferred consistency, pour it out (or spoon it out) into a large bowl and add in dry ingredients, mixing throughout. When done, scoop batter info muffins cups, filling about 3/4 full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely.

I like these with a schmear of plain cream cheese or when making the chocolate version, a dollop of marshmallow creme frosting and sprinkled coconut.

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Pumpkin Pie Layered Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Our fall season (hopefully longer this year) has arrived in Korea and little kabocha pumpkins have started showing up at the Thursday Farmer’s Market at my apartment complex. I find that they are sweeter than most pumpkins and squash so they often don’t need much sugar to satisfy me (my husband on the other hand is a sugar fiend so he needs a little pumpkin with his sugar). The sweetness translates well to savory dishes as Asians use them in a variety of ways, from soups with rice dumplings to tempura dipped in spicy sauces. We bought one kabocha last weekend and the smell from oven while it was roasting was heavenly. I’ve since used the pumpkin puree to make a sugarless pumpkin-macadamia nut mousse that was the perfect ending to yesterday’s stressful day.

This pie takes quite a bit of effort, but it's well worth it. The gingersnap crust really sets the pie off so a store bought or even homemade graham cracker crust won’t produce the same burst from the spice party that your taste buds experience with every bite. I would make a batch of the cookies and freeze 1 cup portions until you’re ready to use so you’re not in the kitchen the whole day making one pie. You could enjoy them as cookies alone too. They are boldly spiced cookies so don’t expect anything bland here and the best thing was no one realized that they were whole wheat. I need to trick the hubby into thinking he’s eating something bad for him in order for him to enjoy it more!

Since I’m in the midst of cleaning out my pantry, I’ll be posting old recipes without pictures until I’m satisfied with my new experiments. I’ll be at the parents for Thanksgiving, so I’ll post more recipes that the fam might like.

Gingersnap Cookie Crust
Yield: About 20-25 Cookies (Makes 2-3 pie crusts)

INGREDIENTS
6 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup evaporated cane sugar (plus additional for topping)
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar (optional)
6 Tbsp butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.

In a larger bowl (preferably attached to a stand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Add in the egg and once incorporated, add the molasses. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl. The dough will become quite thick so make sure it's well mixed.

You can size the cookie however you like, but I usually use a 1/8 measuring cup to make my cookies all the same size. Since this is for a crust, you can make them any size you like. I like to dip them in sugar and flatten them a bit with a fork as well. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 12-20 mins (my oven takes longer). If you just want cookies, they'll need less time if you like chewy cookies and more time if you like crispy cookies. For this crust, I bake them for 20 mins. That may be 15 mins on your oven. The tops should look crackly.

Let cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, throw some cookies into a food processor to make a fine cookie meal. You'll need about 1 1/2- 2 cups cookie meal for a 9" pie plate. Add sugar if you like a sweeter crust (doesn't need it though) and melted butter and mix by hand until well blended.

Press crust into the pie plate and bake for 5-7 mins. Let cool completely.

Cheesecake Layer
Yield: Enough for 1 pie

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces softened cream cheese
¼ cup evaporated cane sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla extract, and egg, incorporating well after each addition. Cover mixture and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Pumpkin Pie Layer
Yield: Enough for 1 pie

INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cups 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix!)
1 cup half and half
2 eggs
½ cup evaporated cane sugar
2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste, I like it spicy)
¼ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl combine all ingredients until well mixed.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PIE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Pour cheesecake layer into cooled crust. Pour pumpkin pie layer over the cream cheese layer. Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil. Bake pie for 30 mins. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 mins. Watch the pie very closely because different ovens have different personalities. Pie is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Kitchen Sink Cookies

This is a great recipe that adapts well to what you have on hand. I made this for my husband's and my office when I needed to clean out my ever growing pantry. Everyone gobbled them up like there was no tomorrow.

Kitchen Sink Cookies
Yield: 50 cookies (molded with a 1/8 measuring cup)


INGREDIENTS
4.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup crushed peanuts (unroasted, no salt)
1 3/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups natural creamy peanut butter (peanuts, salt)*
*I used Maranatha Organic Creamy Peanut Butter which is the best Peanut Butter EVER. I don't think any of the other natural peanut butter's I have tried would yield the same results.



DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).


Mix together oatmeal, baking soda, chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, and peanuts. Set aside.


In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter. I beat for a few minutes until everything is well incorporated.


Mix together wet and dry ingredients. This is where my KitchenAid shines. The dough gets a little difficult to mix by hand (I have puny muscles). Mold the very sticky dough into a 1/8 measuring cup or whatever you have on hand and then flatten out a bit with a fork on the cookie sheet. You can always roll them into balls and flatten if you wanted to. I'm just OCD and need them all to be the same size.


Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 12-20 minutes depending on your oven strength and how crispy you like your cookies. My oven is not that strong so after 20 minutes they are perfectly crispy and chewy!




Hope you all like them! When I can get my hands on my husband's new camera, I'll post some pictures.

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First Post

This is my first post!!!! Still working out the kinks so it may be a while before I'm posting regularly.

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