A recipe for you and Dress give away ends Thursday night

I made this yummy looking dessert for my husband's staff dinner. Can I just say...
still drooling
If you are looking for something a bit different than the usual pies for christmas dinner dessert this is a must try.

Pecan Praline Dessert

Read through all directions before starting

Ingredients

• 2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 
  PRALINE:
• 1-1/2 cups butter, cubed
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 
  FILLING:
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 
  GANACHE:
• 2 cup  semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Pecan halves( I toasted these for 10 min in a 350 degree oven)

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with pecans.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over pecans. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.
• In a large bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over praline layer. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.
• For ganache, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Spread over filling. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.
• Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate leftovers.
• Reminder to enter the Shabby Apple Dress giveaway here It ends tomorrow night
• Linking to:
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Pumpkin Cornbread

Just had to share you a recipe I tried last night for pumpkin cornbread. Maybe it sounds a bit odd, but let me tell you it is delish!! We had it with a big pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup and it was a wonderful dinner.
Pumpkin Cornbread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon molasses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch glass pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.

3. In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.

4. Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes (just until blended- don't over-mix).

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.

Found this recipe on a blog called Recipe Girl  She uses Bob's Red Mill Coarse corn meal  I just used regular corn meal and it was delicious. We topped it with honey and butter YUM!!
Bake it in this beautiful server for a festive fall look 

Linking to :
33 shades of Green Tasty Tuesdays

Remodelaholics linky party

Recipe time

Tropical Banana Bread

3 bananas mashed

1/2 cup oil

1/2 butter 

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt ( or 1/2 c buttermilk)

2 C flour 

1 tsp  soda 

1tsp salt

1 cup coconut

1 cup crushed pineapple

1/2 c walnuts ( or macadamia nuts if you have them)

cream sugar and oil and butter add bananas,eggs, yougurt

Add flour,soda,salt mix well then fold in coconut pineapple and nuts

pour into 2 loaf pans and bake for 30-40 min at 350 ( I put it in a bundt pan at 325 for 45 min)

Top with your favorite cream cheese icing but use pineapple juice for the liquid in it

Enjoy!!

I will be linking to a few parties:

Did you Know...

that July is National Blueberry month? I love them!! I eat them fresh or frozen, in cakes and in smoothies too. 
Here is a great recipe using fresh or frozen blueberries

Lemon Blueberry Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

1 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt ( I like to use lemon yogurt when I can find it)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blueberries + 2 tsp flour 
( I use 1 1/2 C blueberries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bread loaf pan. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, canola oil, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth.  Sprinkle 2 tsp flour over blueberries and toss to coat.  This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.  Carefully fold blueberries into the cake batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick tester comes out clean.

Lemon Simple Sugar: 

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the lemon juice and sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves completely. Turn off  heat and set aside.

When the cake is done, remove it to a wire rack and run a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen.  Allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer cake to wire baking rack on top of a sheet pan. Pour the lemon simple sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Let cake cool.

 Vanilla Glaze: 

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

milk, as needed

In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and enough milk to make a thin pourable consistency.  Pour over the luke warm cake and let it run down the sides. Transfer to a serving platter, slice and enjoy!

Why not purchase our Willow House loaf pan to make this in and give as a gift for a friend or neighbor.

Gail Pittman Alfresco loaf pan $14.96

A recipe

It's time for our annual Memorial weekend with great family and friends. You can read my post from last year about it here  One of our traditions is to make these cookies

I am reposting the recipe for you 

MONSTER COOKIES         

12 eggs

2 lb. brown sugar

4 c. white sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. white corn syrup

8 tsp. soda

1 lb. butter

3 lb. peanut butter(6 cups)

18 c. oatmeal

1 lb. chocolate chips

1 lb. M&M'S®

Mix eggs, sugars, vanilla, corn syrup, butter, soda together until smooth. Add peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips and M&M'S®. Place 6 cookies per cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Enjoy  

I have found the best way to do this is to divided it all in half and do it  2 bowls( much easier for mixing)

Linking to a few parties: 

Not your ordinary cookie

Just a reminder, there is still time to enter my giveaway here
I got this recipe from a sweet friend several years ago. It is is a favorite for just about any celebration from bridal showers to Christmas parties. We also like to stack them in cellophane bags tied with christmas ribbons for gifts for our neighbors and friends. It is one of hubby's favorite cookies. Hope you enjoy them too.


Dipped Gingersnaps
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 C molasses
4 C flour
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbls ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
Additional sugar for dipping
white bark or vanilla candy quick


Mix sugar and oil until blended, add molasses and eggs mixing well. Combine dry ingredients and add slowly to oil mixture. Shape into balls, roll in sugar and bake 350 degrees 
for 10-12 min shorter for softer cookie longer for crisp
cool on wire rack and dip 1/2 the cookie in melted white bark. Let set on wax paper and Enjoy!!

Cookies are displayed on the Gramercy double dish stand and  the Villa stoneware plates from Willow House. You can find them here


Linking to foodie friday
  
 
And to 

 
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