Peanut Butter Banana Icebox Pie

You all must be hungry.  I had 100 hits on my blog this morning.  I am having company and I just finished a really good pie.  I thought I would give you the recipe.  You still have time to make it for the weekend.  It is really easy and looks delicious. I have not tasted it yet, and I will have to post a picture of the finished product when I serve it later today.  But I think I have a pretty good sense that it will be yummy.


Don't you love Southern Living Magazine.  I have taken it for years and have gotten so many wonderful recipes from its pages.  Thank you to the editors who have worked on it for years and made us better cooks because of their great taste in food.  This one is from June 2012.  You might have it sitting on your coffee table.  But if you don't, here it is.

2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (15 sheets)
1/2 cup finely chopped honey roasted peanuts
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (4 oz.) bar semisweet chocolate baking bar (2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips would work fine if you have them on hand)
2 cups Land O Lakes whipping cream, divided
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, room temp
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large bananas, sliced


Toppings:
1 cup whipped cream, whipped.
Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar after whipping.  Then fold it.  The powdered sugar stabilizes the cream and it will stay fluffy longer.


Chocolate syrup
Chopped honey roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until almost fine, then add the peanuts and continue to pulse a few times.  Add melted butter.  Press firmly on bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate.  Bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.  About 30 min.

Microwave chocolate and 1/2 cup cream in a glass bowl for 30 sec.  Then stir and microwave an additional 30 and stir until smooth.  Pour into cooled crust.

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add 1/4 cup whipping cream and continue beating.  About 3 minutes in all.

In a separate mixing bowl.  Whip vanilla and 1 1/2 cup whipping cream at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to loosen.  Then fold in the remaining whipped cream.

(that looks kind of messy, oops!)

Arrange banana slices over the chocolate in the crust.  Spread peanut butter mixture over the bananas.  Cover and chill 8 hours. (Mine is only going to chill for 2 hours.)

Serve with whipped cream, chopped peanuts, banana slices and chocolate syrup.


Will show you the finished product about 3:00 today after I serve it!


P.S. It was dudelicious!!!!  You really must try it.


Have a great Memorial Day Weekend.  We are so blessed to live in a free country and are so indebted to those who have given their lives for our freedom.

Pinterest Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownies

Have you seen these on Pinterest?  My friend Wendy found them there and I couldn't locate a real recipe for them, so she helped me document them.  

Wow, super easy and a crowd pleaser.  You will get lots of comments on these babies.  I don't know where they originated but whoever was the genius who created them, we thank you from the bottom of our taste buds.

Start with chocolate chip cookie dough pressed in the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan.  It can be purchased, Nestles' from the dairy case or Pillsbury or a box mix or your own homemade.  

Oh ya, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  I did my first batch on 350 and they were a little crunchy.    

    ( I spend hours perfecting these recipes!!!!)

Top the cookie dough with 24 Double Stuff Oreos.

Prepare a boxed brownie mix according to package directions.  I really like Betty Crocker Original Supreme with the Hershey's syrup in a pouch. 

  Drop spoonfuls of brownie batter around outside edge of cookies and work your way in. Not as shown in the picture.  Do as I say, not as I do. Use a spatula and spread it out covering all the cookies.  

Bake at 325 for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle (not through the Oreo) comes out clean.  Under cooked is better than over cooked.  If in doubt, take them out.

They won't last long. 

Happy Mother's Day

Love you MOM

Turtle Cookies

Welcome Southeast Missourians.  Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you will find some recipes that you can use. You are so lucky to get to have Susan's column in your paper every week.  She has inspired me over the years to be a good cook.  


 My husband and I graduated from SEMO.  We spent many hours around the kitchen table at the Kinsey's (Susan's mom).  They were always cooking for a crowd.  

I made this one up just for you all.  I found these new products and tried a new cookie recipe with them.  They were really good.  I found the Kraft Caramel Bits and the Dark Chocolate Nestle's Chocolate Chips at WalMart.  I hope you can find them in your area.


1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, cooled
1 cup (2 sticks) Land O Lakes butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2  cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup Nestle's Dark Chocolate Chips
1 cup Nestle's Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Kraft Caramel Bits


Using a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugars together in an electric mixer on medium speed.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, soda, and salt.  Mix on low just until blended.  


On low speed, blend in oats, pecans, caramel bits and chocolate chips all at once and beat just until mixed. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop. (about the size of a golf ball)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are medium brown around the edges.   


Dudelicious!

Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad

This salad is really colorful and is a great addition to any buffet.  It resembles the traditional Trees and Raisins Broccoli salad that you are probably familiar with but adds pasta. It was great with the Easter ham.  I was kind of busy getting the meal together and forgot to take pictures until we were ready to eat!

Salad:
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted in a 350 oven for 10 minutes stirring once
1/2 (16oz. box) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 lb. fresh broccoli, cut into small flowerets, place in a colander, pour boiling water over the broccoli and then pour cold water over the flowerets.
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 cups red seedless grapes cut in half
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

 Tip: Cut up your bacon before you cook it.  Takes alot less time to cook.

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt


Prepare pasta and cool.  Place in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the salad ingredients.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  


Mix together the dressing ingredients.  Chill. When ready to serve pour all dressing over salad and toss.  

Banana Pudding Cheesecake

I went through a phase several years ago when I made cheesecakes all the time.  Erin loves it.  I have not made one in a very long time, so I made a new recipe for Easter and it was really good.  This one is from Southern Living.   It has bananas in it and I was afraid they would turn dark if I froze it but they didn't.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup Land O Lakes butter, melted
17 vanilla wafers


Bananas:
2 large ripe bananas, diced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar


Cream cheese filling:
3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract


1/2 cup coarsely chopped vanilla wafers


Garnishes:
Mini vanilla wafers for garnish 
Sweetened whipped cream
Sliced bananas tossed in lemon juice


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Toast in oven for 5 minutes, stir and roast 5 more minutes. Chop pecans.  Stir together crushed vanilla wafers, pecans and butter.  Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray.  
Press mixture in the bottom of the pan, then stand 17 vanilla wafers around the outside of the pan pressing gently into crust to secure.  Bake 10 minutes. 

 Combine bananas and lemon juice in a small saucepan.  Stir in the brown sugar.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, 1 minute or just until sugar has dissolved.  


Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until smooth.  Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Gently stir in cooled banana mixture into cream cheese mixture.


Pour batter into prepared crust.  
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven, gently run knife around the edge to loosen.  Sprinkle top of cheesecake with crushed vanilla wafers.  Cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.  Remove outside edge of pan. Cover and chill for 8 hours.  Remove from bottom of pan.  


Garnish with sweetened whipped cream (1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup whipping cream, beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form), mini vanilla wafers, and sliced bananas.  

Frozen Cherry Salad

We are having this with our ham next Sunday.  Everyone loves it.  I will post a picture tomorrow when I am making it.  

 You may have had this a million times, it is an old favorite for a lot of families, at least from the Midwest.  But here it is in case you have forgotten about it.  I like it because it takes about 5 minutes to throw together and then you freeze it and it is one less salad to worry about on the big day.

Frozen Cherry Salad
1 can (20 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 large (21 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8oz.) Cool Whip thawed
1 can (14 oz.) Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional but really good)


Mix together pie filling and pineapple and Eagle brand, then fold in Cool Whip and then pecans.  Place in a 9X13 pan.  Cover and freeze.  Thaw 15 minutes before serving.  

Potato Apple Gratin with Rosemary Crust

This has a beautiful presentation.  Layers of potatoes, apples and Gruyere cheese in a rosemary crust.  It is a perfect compliment to your holiday ham. 

Potato Apple Gratin with Rosemary Crust

1 package refrigerated pie crust, 2 crusts (I used store brand and actually like them better than the national brand)

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided (means you use it two different places)*

1 1/2 pounds (about 5 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes or russets, peeled (or not) and thinly sliced

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, yellow or white, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/4 tsp. salt kosher salt (1 tsp. table salt)

1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 Tbsp. flour

2/3 cup heavy cream 

1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Unroll both piecrusts on a lightly floured surface.  Sprinkle with rosemary, pepper and 1/2 cup cheese over 1 piecrust,  place other piecrust on top sandwiching the cheese between the two.  Roll into a 13 inch circle.  Press on bottom and upsides of 9 inch springform pan.   

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes, onions and apples.  Place all in a bowl and toss, sprinkle with salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 2 Tbsp. flour and parsley.   

Remove crust from the frig and pour one third mixture in crust, sprinkle with cheese then repeat twice.
You can also just layer the potatoes, apples, onions and cheese and then salt, pepper, and flour each layer. 
  
Microwave cream and garlic in a glass bowl  for 45 seconds.  Pour over layers of potatoes in crust.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Tent pan with heavy duty (or 2 layers of regular) aluminum foil.
Place on baking sheet.  

Bake at 425 for 1 hour.  Uncover and reduce heat to 400 and continue to bake for 25 minutes.  Until richly browned.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Carefully remove sides of pan, slide gratin off bottom of pan using a long knife and transfer to a serving platter or cake plate.  (leave bottom of pan under gratin if desired).  Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary.  

I assembled this a couple of hours in advance and covered it with foil and refrigerated. The potatoes and the apples did not turn brown.  

Do not replace the cream with regular milk.  It will curdle at the high temperatures.  

*Gruyere cheese can be very expensive.  At my store the imported was in the case by the other expensive cheeses.  I asked for a cheaper alternative and they directed me to the domestic variety by Boars Head which was half the price and perfectly fine. 


This looks intimidating but is very easy to make and such a beautiful presentation.  


Enjoy!