Best Ever Coconut Cream Pie

Quick Note: I made this for Kevin's birthday (he is more of a pie guy than a cake guy). He claims it is the best coconut cream pie he has ever had. And he has had a lot of coconut cream pie. The recipe includes a few terms you may not often use. I have provided a few definitions. Hope that helps. :)

scald: heat until it almost boils
slurry: mixture used as a thickener
temper: adding warm mixture to the egg yolks to bring the eggs closer to the temperature of the mixture they will be added to. This keeps the eggs from immediately cooking and scrambling when they are added to the scalded mixture.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
5 egg yolks
1/4 t salt
1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
2 t vanilla extract
1 T butter
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell, recipe follows
1/3 cup toasted coconut
Whipped cream for garnish

Preparation
In a nonstick 1-quart saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, coconut milk and 1 cup milk. Scald mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch together to make a slurry. Whisk egg yolks with salt in a medium bowl. Temper yolks by adding 1/2 cup scaled mixture to yolks and whisk well. Add yolk mixture and slurry back into milk mixture and whisk vigorously over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut, vanilla and butter. Whisk until uniformly incorporated.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Cover with pie and plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill the pie completely, about 2 hours.

Pie Shell

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 T sugar
1 t salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
6 to 7 T ice cold water

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Mix well. Add the shortening and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water and let sit 1 minute. Either using a fork or your hands, carefully press the mixture to form a soft ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place it in on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Gently fold the circle of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold into a 9-inch by 2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Crimp the edges and chill again for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake pie shell until golden, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before using.

Yield: 1 deep dish pie crust

Source: foodnetwork.com; Emeril Lagasse

Carrot Cake

Yes, another carrot cake! My mom made this one for us for our birthdays--best I have ever had! Very moist and lots of texture. Much better than my 'light' version.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Buttermilk Glaze (See Below)
Cream Cheese Frosting (See Below)

Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Buttermilk Glaze

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Source: Southern Living

Cream Cheese Clouds

Quick Note: These are not nutritious in the least, but they are a hit! I got this recipe from Nicole (thanks, Nicole!)

1 can buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 pkg (80z) 1/3 fat cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Separate biscuits and press or roll into 1/4 inch thickness. Mix sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish. Dip cream cheese cubes in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon mixture.

Place 1 cream cheese cube in the center of each dough circle; gather up the sides of the dough to enclose the filling and place in one cup of a lightly greased muffing tin. Drizzle with remaining butter, cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Oatmeal-Apple Crisp

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
3/4 t ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
6 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apples (about 2.5 lbs)
1/2 cup golden raisins
Cooking spray
3 cups fat free frozen yogurt

Preheat oven to 375.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 t cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until oat mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 t cinnamon, apple, and raisins in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with oat mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apple is tender. Top each serving with about 1/3 cup frozen yogurt. Yield: 10 servings

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Sugar Cookies

Quick Note: I use a simple butter icing on these cookies. Just butter, powdered sugar and a little bit of milk.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely

Oreo Cookie Bon-bons

1 pkg Oreo cookies
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
5-6 chocolate bark squares

Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate bark squares.

Using two separate bowls, scrape the Oreo icing into one bowl and place the Oreo cookies into another bowl. Crush the Oreo cookies until they are a small crumbles. Mix the softened cream cheese with the Oreo icing. Mix the cream cheese and icing mixture with the crushed Oreo cookies.

Scoop small portions of the mixture and create smooth spheres (about 1T each). Dip each portion into the melted chocolate and immediately place on a sheet of wax paper. Chill the bon-bons until the chocolate has hardened.

Yield: about 35 bon-bons.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans crescent rolls
1 1/4 sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350.
Unroll one package of rolls into the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Mix cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla. Spread the mixture over the rolls. Cover the mixture with the second can of rolls. Melt butter. Stir in the remaining sugar and cinnamon into the melted butter. Pour over the top of the dish. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Half-the-Fat Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:
3/4 cup applesauce
5 cups shredded carrot (about 1 lb)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
1 t coconut extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1 cup golden raisins
cooking spray

Frosting:
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8oz.) block of fat free cream cheese, chilled
1 (8oz.) block 1/3 fat cream cheese, chilled

Spoon applesauce into a fine sieve over a bowl, let stand for 15 minutes. Discard liquid. Scrape drained applesauce into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Combine carrot and granulated sugar in a colander. Drain 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat brown sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add applesauce, 1 t. vanilla, and coconut extract. Beat until well blended. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. (Batter will have a slightly curdled look).

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients; stir well with a whisk. Add brown sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in carrot mixture and raisins (batter will be very thick). Spoon batter into a 13x9 backing pan coated in cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the middle come out clean. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat powdered sugar, 2 t. vanilla, and both packages of cheese with a mixer at low speed just until well blended (do not over-beat). Spread frosting over cake; cover and chill 1 hour. Yield: 20 servings

Calories: 322 Fat: 8 Protein: 5.6 Fiber 1.7 Chol: 45 mg Iron: 1.2mg Sodium: 327

(Source: Cooking Light)

Monster Cookies

Quick note: This makes a HUGE batch. I usually make this for our annual cookie fundraiser and still have leftover dough!

2 Sticks of butter
2 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
1 T. vanilla
4 t. baking soda
28 oz. jar chunky peanut butter
6 eggs
8 c. oatmeal
12 oz. chocolate chips
12 oz. mimi M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350.
Beat butter and sugars. Mix in peanut butter, vanilla, soda, and eggs. Using your largest bowl, add this mixture to the oatmeal. Stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms. Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto greased cookies sheets; bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

(Source: Buckingham UMC Cookbook, Sherry Wagner)