Black Bottom Chocolate Pie

Seems more complicated than it is. If I could get away with not sharing it, I would.



Chocolate Crumb Crust

* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
* 1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use chocolate chips)
* 30 chocolate wafer cookies

Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add chocolate mixture. Process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumb mixture into prepared pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.


Filling

* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* Pinch of salt
* 6 large egg yolks
* 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
* 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
* 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use chocolate chips)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Chocolate Crumb Crust


For Filling:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Transfer filling to frozen crust. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Top with whipped cream and enjoy.

The Bod's Sweet Potato Souffle

Got this recipe from a friend whose mom is known as The Bod. You know it must be good.

2 C mashed sweet potato (about 4 med. sweet potatos)
½ C sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 C butter
½ tsp salt
½ C milk
splash vanilla

1. Steam sweet potatos (I have also boiled them in the past but they turn out runnier and not as nice)
2. Mix
3. Put in casserole dish
4. Add topping

TOPPING:
1 C brown sugar
1/3 C flour
1 C coconut
1 C nuts

5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes

Chili Spaghetti

Chili spaghetti

1 small box spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 can chili
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes (do not drain)
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp garlic powder

Cook spaghetti. Cook ground beef with onion & salt & pepper, drain. Return to large pan, add rest of ingredients and heat. Mix spaghetti and chili sauce together.
(One of Andy’s favorites and super easy.)

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough (for bread maker)
Large - 2 pounds

Water, 80-90degrees: 1 1/3 cups
Honey or sugar: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 2 teaspoons
Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tablespoons
Bread flour: 3 1/4 cups
Whole wheat flour: 3/4 cups
Yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine: 2 1/4 teaspoons

Put the ingredients in the order listed into your bread maker. When it finished mixing, rising, etc...before it begins to "bake" the bread, pull it out and either chill in the fridge until you're ready to use it, or roll it out immediately for pizza. I usually roll the dough out and then toss just the crust in the oven for maybe 7-8 mins just long enough to make it crispier. Then top it with sauce and your favorite toppings. And throw it back in for about another 10-15 mins, or until crust is lightly brown and the cheese is melted. Bake @ 400 degrees.

Jean Ballou's Pumpkin Pie Recipe

My mother in law makes a killer pumpkin pie with a praline layer at the bottom. The girls at park day were salivating and I've been getting death threats if I don't share it. She doesn't say this below, but you have to be careful that the nuts aren't too big or they will float to the top.

Praline Pumpkin Pie

Pastry
1 & 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C shorting
4-5 T cold water (Frieda says milk)

Praline Layer
1/3 C ground or finely chopped pecans – packed
1/3 C brown sugar
2T soft butter

Filling
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin (canned or fresh cooked)
(to cook a fresh pumpkin – slice in 1/2, scoop out strings and seeds, place unside down on a cookie sheet, cook at 350 for about 60-75 minutes. Once cooled, put in food processor, freeze in 1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups)
2/3 C brown sugar
1T flour
1/4 tsp Clove
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1C Cream (light)

Make pastry: sift flour and salt, cut in shorting until size of peas. Add 1T water/milk at a time, form a ball, flatten on lightly floured surface, roll out and put in pie pan.

1. 9” unbaked pie shell
2. Pre heat over 400 degrees
3. Make praline layer, blend all ingredients in a small bowl. Press gently into bottom of shell
4. Make filling: In medium bowl, with rotary beater, beat eggs til foamy. Add remaining ingredients in order. Beat only until well mixed.
5. Pour into pie shell, bake 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted in filling comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire rack. May be served with whipped cream

Molasses Cookies

One of my top three favorite cookie recipes. From my mom, of course.

Blend and cream:
1c sugar
3/4 c shortening
1/4 c molasses
1 egg

Add:
2 c flour
1/4 t salt
1t cinnamon
1t cloves
1t ginger
2t baking soda

Mix well. Form balls the size of a golf ball, roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet. Flatten them slightly with your fingers. Bake 10 min at 350. Mmmmmm- autumn!

Herb Bread

Here's my yummy herb bread I served on Election Day. I got the recipe from a guy in my organ studio at Michigan.

Reconstitute 1c dried onion in 1-1.5c hot water

Mix in large bowl:
3.5 cups flour
3T sugar
1T salt
2T shortening
1.5 cup mozzarella cheese
2 pckg or 4.5t yeast
1/3 cup dill seeds

Add reconstituted onions and 2.5c warm water.
Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle (3-3.5 c more).
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface & knead 10 min. Place in greased bowl w/ greased side up. Cover and let rise 40-60 min or until double.
Grease bread pans or cake pan. Divide dough into 2 loaf pans or 2 mounds in cake pan. Let rise again.
Move rack to center of oven. Preheat to 425. Bake 25-30min. Allow to cool 10 min & brush with melted butter. Remove from pans, allow to cool before cutting.

*I substituted red wheat flour for the second half of the flour and there was no difference in the quality of the bread.
**This makes A LOT of bread. I baked one big mound on a cookie sheet and another big loaf in a loaf pan. I don't know how he got two mounds in a cake pan.


I added red wheat flour at this point

Bulgar Bread

I've been bragging about my new bread recipe for a little while. It is the only homemade bread I've made that Ryan will eagerly eat for regular sandwiches.

2/3 c. medium bulgar (aka cracked wheat)
1 1/3 c. apple juice
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 1/4 t. yeast
1 c. warm water
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. bread or all-purpose flour
1/4 oil
2-4 T. water
4 t. salt

1. Combine the bulgar and the apple juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bulgar is tender and the juice is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a mixer bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and the yeast. Add the warm water and eggs.

3. If using a stand mixer, beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beater. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (I don't; I just use my Bosch cover or a towel) and let rise at room temperature until the sponge doubles in volume, about 1 hour.
If making the dough by hand, beat the egg mixture vigorously with a wooden until the dough is thick and ropey, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. If using a stand mixer, add the bulgar, bread flour, oil, 2 T. water, and the salt to the sponge. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed about 8 minutes, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and is moist, elastic, and only slightly sticky. If the dough is too dry, knead in some or all of the remaining 2 T. water. If the dough is too wet, knead in a small amount of flour.
If making the dough by hand, add the bulgar, 2 c. of flour, oil, 4 T. water, and the salt to the sponge and beat with a wooden spoon to make a thick, moist dough. Sprinkle most of the remaining 1/2 c. flour on your work surface, scrape the dough onto it, and dust with the rest of the flour. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, folding it over itself and pushing it away from you in a rhythmic motion, until it is smooth, elastic, and only slightly sticky. Add a small amount of additional flour if necessary.

5. Lightly oil a 6-qt bowl, or coast with cooking spray. Scrape the dough into the bowl, turning to coat all over (I just leave it in the mixer bowl where I mixed it.) Pick up the dough and work between your hands to form a smooth ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until almost tripled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (it will almost fill the bowl).

6. Butter or grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inch loaf pans, or coat with cooking spray; set aside. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it gently to remove any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half, and shape each piece into a loaf. Place the loaves in the pans. Cover loosely with lightly oiled (or sprayed) plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until the centers have risen 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the rims of the pans, about 1 hour.

7. About 30 minutes before the loaves are ready to bake, adjust an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 375.

8. Remove the plastic wrap from the loaves and place in the oven, leaving a few inches between the pans. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the loaves are well browned and sound hollow when you remove them from the pans and rap their bottoms; they will not rise much. Cool completely on wire rack (or towel), 3 to 4 hours, then wrap airtight. This bread freezes well for up to 3 weeks.

From Baking in America by Greg Patent, pp. 72–73.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I found this one on a blog, but it is from the Food Network. I have tried it a few times now and it is REALLY yummy. I just use a blender to puree the soup, and then I can make it as smooth or chunky as I like. We always have grilled cheese on the side, and it is perfect for a cold, rainy day.

• 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
  
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 quart chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.