Well it’s the day after Christmas and I feel like Toys R Us threw up in our living room! I’m overwhelmed with all the toys Madeline got for Christmas…she’s spoiled to say the least!

This was the first time I had made pecan pie. I didn’t want to make a traditional pecan pie and wanted to add another flavor – chocolate. I mean who can really go wrong when chocolate is added! . I made this for Christmas dessert at my in-laws and found out that my father-in-law loves pecan pie…great. I was worried it was a little too wet in the middle and cooked it longer until it was set. BUT it was perfect! It was gooey but not too gooey or sweet. I had lots of compliments and my father-in-law told me that if I wanted to practice making more pecan pies, he’d be happy to be my taste-tester.

I have to thank my friend Megan for sending me fresh pecans. They are amazing!

1 whole unbaked pie shell
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey (or corn syrup)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
24 whole pecan halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, honey (or corn syrup), butter and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place the pecan halves on top in any arrangement that your little heart desires. 🙂 I just went around the outside.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Cut a ring of foil to fit over the rim of the pie pan and place over the edges of the crust to prevent browing. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until top is lightly browned for about 30 minutes.

Source: A Cozy Kitchen

I love pumpkin pie, but I also love cheesecake. This pie is the best of both worlds – just like my mom’s potato filling (mashed potatoes & stuffing). It’s creamy like cheesecake but not as rich and has the pumpkin of a pumpkin pie. It’s also great when your relatives just say MMMM when they eat it.

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Filling
1 box (3 oz) cook and serve vanilla pudding
1 cup half and half
1/2 cups heavy cream
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ground clove
1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Add the melted butter and combine well. Press into the bottom of a pie pan until firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until warm and set. Remove from oven and crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix the pudding mix and half-and-half and cream. Add the spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat. Add the pumpkin and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot an set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, place the pot in the refrigerator to completely cool. When the pumpkin pudding is cool, remove from the refrigerator.

In a mixing bowl, add the additional 1/2 cup of heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat with a hand mixture until light and fluffy. Fold in the pumpkin pudding mixure until combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

I had bought some peaches over the weekend at the Farmer’s Market and was worried they would go bad before I got to use them, so I decided I would make my first ever peach pie. I found a really simple recipe from Allrecipes. I followed the directions to a T, but it’s really runny. I’m thinking the amount of sugar is too much, but I’m hoping some readers could give me some advice on how to make it thicker.

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
6 fresh peaches, pitted, skinned and sliced
1 – 9 in single pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cream sugar and butter together. Add flour and nutmed, mix until mealy. Spread 1/2 mixture in the pie crust. Arrange peaches on top of crumb mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top of peaches.

Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes or until brown.