Candy Cane Fudge, Peppermint Pie, and the rest of December...

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year! I realize I'm about 4 days too late to the Christmas recipe party but better late than never right?  

This December has been a whirlwind of events.  Birthday. 1-Year Anniversary. Christmas. Parties. Headband business starting. And not to mention, I had to actually work sometime in there.  Here's a little recap of December and what I've been baking lately and just life in general.  

Rather than type out and post the recipes I used, I'm just going to link them straight up.  

That being said...my December.  

Tollhouse Pie

One-Year Anniversary---Enchanted Rock, Fredericksburg, TX

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Train themed birthday cake for 1 year-old

Celebrating the holidays in Llano, TX...I have no idea what sort of gun I'm shooting.

Merry Christmas, from Nelly.

Candy Cane Fudge

I didn't use nearly enough red dye or peppermints but it tastes delicious.

Peppermint Ice Cream Pie

Christmas Eve with my siblings.

Here's to 2012 :)

Caramel Apple Crunch Pie

Happy (day after) Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday filled with friends, family, and food.  

I am thankful for so many things...my husband, my family, my friends, my house, my dogs, my pink mixer, my health, and definitely this apple pie.  

It's been a few years since I've made this pie and to be honest, I couldn't remember what it tasted like, I just remembered it was really good.  My roommate from college gave me this recipe from her aunt and I'm thoroughly convinced this pie could change lives.  Or at least your opinion of apple pies.

I took this to Thanksgiving lunch at my in-laws and everyone loved it!  It's "lick your plate" delicious.  Cinnamon-y apples in a flaky crust, with a crunchy streusel topping, toasted pecans and caramel drizzle...yes, please.

I couldn't decide what type of apples to use in this pie and googling opinions only made things worse.  So I did it my way....2 granny smith apples, 2 gala apples, and 2 Macintosh apples.  All which came out to about six cups of apples.  

Word from the wise.  Take the time to toast your pecans. The flavor is worth it. (This coming from the girl who hates waiting on butter to soften)

And now I'm ready for Christmas.

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie 

from Allison's Aunt Puckett

(printable recipe)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

6 cups peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples

1 unbaked pie shell

Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

caramel sauce for drizzle

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Add apple slices and toss gently to coat.  Transfer apple mixture to pie shell.

2.  Topping:  Stir together brown sugar, flour, and rolled oats.  Using a pastry blender, cut in softened butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle the mixture over the apples.  

3.  Cover the edge of pie crust with foil.  Bake 25 minutes then remove foil and bake 25-30 more minutes or until top is golden.  Remove from oven.  Sprinkle pie with toasted pecans and drizzle caramel syrup over top.  Cool on wire rack before serving.  

Happy 2nd Birthday, Nelly!

Today is my crazy precious Weimaraner's 2nd birthday!  You may remember that last year I made Nelly a yummy, pink strawberry cake with whipped cream-cream cheese frosting.

This year, I steered away from "traditional" cake and went with an old favorite---Cherry Cheesecake.  Now this isn't your ordinary cheesecake.  For one, it's not baked. Two, there's no eggs.  Three, it has less fat.

It's more of a "whipped" cheesecake. And that's all you need to know.

This recipe is one my great-grandmother used to make for Sunday dinners, along with an assortment of other pies and cakes.  It's a lightened up version of a regular cheesecake, but I say just as good. 

The cake calls for cream cheese---I used light cream cheese---, sour cream---I actually used Fage Greek yogurt, because that's what I had and it's essentially the same thing---, and Cool Whip---there's no skimping on Cool Whip. Just go with it. 

I almost put fresh blackberries on top instead of the cherry pie filling, but I just loved the idea of the contrast colors with using my brand new bright yellow pie dish that we got for a wedding present (grin) and the bright red cherries.  So there ya go, sugary goodness on top. We'll save the fresh berries for summer.

Since we haven't cut into it yet, here's the disclosure: this cheesecake does not cut like a regular cheesecake---you pretty much have to scoop it. Don't expect clean cut slices, it won't happen. Unless you freeze it. Then maybe it will. 

Nelly can hardly wait for her birthday celebration tonight. Can you tell?

Love you, Nelly!

Cherry Cheesecake 

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

2 tsp vanilla 

1 graham cracker pie crust (I used a box of graham cracker crumbs and made my own crust)

1 cup cherry pie filling 

3 1/2 cup Cool Whip

1 can cherry pie filling (or any pie filling)

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in sour cream and vanilla.  

Fold in whipped topping, blending well.

Spoon into crust. Chill until set, at least 4 hours. Spread cherry pie filling on top.  Chill until ready to serve.