Delicious Derby Pie

God has blessed me with a not only the best husband but his wonderful family, as well!  This delicious Derby Pie recipe is one from my mother-in-love.  It is usually made and brought to just about every Thanksgiving and some Christmas meals, but I love it year round! I have made this pie for a Derby party, dinner party's, family gatherings, church groups, and just for my husband--since it is one of his favorites.

 

This is a classic Kentucky showcase dessert.  Chocolate chips melted and gooey, crunchy Southern pecans (already a match made in Heaven!), with butter, vanilla (plus a couple more things) and you have a batter that is almost like every one's favorite chocolate chip cookie.  This is definitely one to save the wooden spoon for licking!  It is incredibly easy to make: all you do is mix the ingredients together and pour in a pie crust.  You can choose to make a scratch crust, or use a roll-out one like I do. I like to bring my baking ingredients to room temperature, if I can remember.  So I will sit out my butter a couple hours before,and my eggs about half an hour before so that they will cream together with ease.  Some other recipes that I have seen for derby pie calls for a little bit of bourbon, but I don't like the alcohol taste of those so this is just a perfect pie for adults and kid's tastes alike!

I can't go on enough of how incredibly delicious this pie is!  Be  prepared to make two of these pies for a large gathering, because everyone will want a piece.  I like to enjoy Derby Pie warm with homemade whipped cream for a completely over-the-top indulgence.  I really hope you will make this and enjoy it as much as our family does.  It's a little bit of Kentucky, and a lot to be proud of!

Derby Pie

1 c. sugar

1 stick butter (8Tbsp.)

1 egg

1/2 c. flour

1c. pecans, chopped

1c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Roll out pie crust

Take the pie crust out of the fridge and let thaw about 20 minutes before unrolling.  Unroll and put in a pie pan  that is not deep dish.  Use an egg wash, to make the crust golden and shiny--like the one I did in Nana's loved Apple Pie recipe.

Cream the butter and sugar together well with a mixer.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour to the mixture in batches. (I have done this by hand, or with the mixer and both work.) After well incorporated, stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

Pour and spread evenly in pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 37-40 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.  The center will be soft and a little gooey!  Let cool at least 30 minutes before eating.

Savory Tomato Basil Soup

At restaurants I am always attracted to the homemade tomato soups that are rich and thick, perfectly seasoned and just so much better than the canned stuff.  So being that it's winter, and I love to make very season-appropriate meals and all, I thought this would be a perfect time to try my hand at homemade tomato soup with my (from scratch) italian croutons.  I have read enough recipes that I just decided to "wing" it and do it my way.  It actually turned out scrumptious!

I decided I wanted to make a tomato and basil soup that is just a bit creamy but very flavorful.  I let my soup slow cook all day in the crock pot, but you can just let it simmer over the stove top if you like -- it would be good either way.  It did reduce down quite a bit in the crock pot, since it cooked for about 8 hours, but it doesn't have to stay in there that long (I ended up having an unexpectedly lengthy evening at work that day). Now looking back I would have probably roasted my tomatoes in the oven over high heat to allow them to caramelize and bring out the flavors even more -- I will next time. I think that treating each component of a recipe with thoughtfulness and asking how you can improve an ingredient like that, makes for a much better meal!  This recipe is so heart warming and good.  The crunchy Italian croutons are a perfect addition to absorb some of the savory soup.  I enjoyed this Tomato Basil soup as much as I would from any restaurant!

Grocery List:

Olive Oil

3-4 Roma tomatoes

1 small carrot

1 shallot

Garlic

Can crushed tomatoes

Tomato paste

Chicken Broth

Fresh Basil

Crushed Red Pepper

Italian seasoning

Ground black pepper

Salt

Half & Half

Dice the carrots and shallots finely, and chop the Roma tomatoes into small pieces.  I didn't seed the tomatoes.  Heat olive oil over medium heat and add the carrots to soften.  Once softened a bit, add the shallots and tomatoes allow to become tender.  Add about 1 tsp of minced garlic & red pepper flakes to taste (about 1/2 tsp for me). Saute a couple of minutes, or until flavors are infused and the garlic starts to melt.  Salt & pepper a bit.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and about a Tbsp. of tomato paste.  Stir all together and add chicken broth until the desired consistency. Julienne the basil (about 10 leaves) thinly and add to the soup.  Then season well with Italian seasoning and salt & pepper (and I usually add a dash of sugar to balance out the acidic tomatoes).

Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down and simmer for at least 30-45 minutes or until you taste and all of the flavors are blended nicely and is cooked down just a bit.  (After adding the last ingredients is when you would add this mixture to the crock pot on low heat.) The longer you cook the soup (especially over the stove), the better it is.  Once it it about ready to serve, ladle about 1 1/2 cups out into a blender and puree.  Pour this mixture back in the pot and stir all together.  This will thicken the soup and give it a smooth texture.  If you don't want any chunky tomatoes in your soup you can blend all the soup and put it back in the pot.

Add a little bit of half and half to make a creamy tomato soup.  You can add as much as you like, but I just poured in not quite 1/4 cup.  You don't have to add any for a fresher and even healthier soup.  Ladle into bowls and add hot croutons on the top.  Garnish with more basil or cheese.  Yum!

Italian Croutons

Dice day old bread or whatever sandwich bread you have on hand.  (I have used anything from whole wheat bread to italian bread to plain white.)  Put in a bowl and add enough olive oil so that all the bread is coated well. Add Italian seaoning, garlic salt, finely grated parmesan cheese (optional) and a little pepper.  Stir together well and pour out in a single layer onto a greased , shallow pan.  Put in the oven on 400-425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until deep golden brown and crunchy.  These are delicious, and I make this all the time for my salads!

Orange Pecan Tea Bread

I made this one lazy Sunday afternoon as a pick me up with our coffee after a routine Sunday nap.  (Yes, I obey the Lord when He says to rest on the seventh day!)  I already had the orange marmalade which is something I don't normally keep, and I had the spices which is something I always have on hand.  The taste that comes from the combination of the citrusy-sweet orange marmalade and zest with the low fat buttermilk make this bread one that's so moist and tastes more rich and fattening than it really is.  There is not as much sugar in this quick bread recipe as most have, and I use fat free milk although it called for low fat.  The low fat buttermilk the recipe calls for is just ideal for enhancing baking.  It is also used in my Double Chocolate Christmas Cake that is so good!  The toasting of the pecans truly brings out their flavor in the bread and is "a must" to do. Be sure and save a few to sprinkle over the top.  The glaze is a simple mixture of the powdered sugar and orange juice.  I like to poke small holes in the top of the bread right after it comes out of the oven and drizzle part of the glaze on it to soak in and really make it moist.  After I take the bread out of the pan I will set it on a cooling rack and after about 15-20 more minutes, then I drizzle the rest of the orange glaze on the top of the bread.  This time it will not soak all the way in the bread, but will run down the sides a bit for a glossy and pretty presentation right before sprinkling the last chopped pecan on the top. Yum!!
This is a simple and rather healthy bread that's so tasty and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Orange-Pecan Tea Bread recipe

Pear Cobbler with Blueberry Streusel topping

 

So, my first Cozy Little Kitchen order was quite exciting to receive!  I was asked to bake something for some good friends to take home to their family Christmas dinner.  Family Christmas, Me?!?  So of course I was ecstatic and honored to do so.  How could I pass this rare opportunity to share my humble baking skills with my friends' loved ones?  Our friends requested the Pear Cobbler with Blueberry Streusel topping. I have this baked for them before and we all just loved it!  However...I must give credit where it's due; this is based upon a Tyler Florence recipe that I have from one of his cookbooks.  I love Tyler's cooking and recipes -- after he won us over with his Ultimate Chicken Parm recipe!  (That's for another blog....)

Anyway, you may be thinking, "Pears and Blueberries?...little bit of an odd combo."  The original recipe actually calls for using cranberries, which you know I love. The first time I made it I only had blueberries on hand so that's what I tossed in, and it turned out to be a perfectly delicious decision!  This cobbler, unlike most southern cobbler recipes I know, has the pears only cored and cut in halves and then delicately arranged around the dish.  I think this makes the dessert look more elegant while showing off the almost feminine curves of the pears.  (Also, saves you time on chopping!)

I love making this dessert!  This time I made it, I actually prepped some of the ingredients the night before to save on time the next day.  I put all of the dry streusel topping ingredients (everything but the butter and blueberries) together in a zip lock bag.  I did the same with the dry ingredients for the filling, and I washed the fresh blueberries and had those ready in the fridge.  I feel more organized whenever I prep what I can beforehand and the actual baking process doesn't seem as intimidating, especially when you are short on time.


There are a couple of things I would do differently the next time I prepare this wonderful dish. First, I wouldn't let the butter soften as the recipe says.  This may just be something I am doing the wrong way, but I have found that when it get softened it is much more difficult to make a crumbly streusel on the top.  Before I put mine in the oven, it looked a bit gobby and wet.  Although the outcome was quite mouth watering and they said it was delicious, I just got a little frustrated while I was cutting my butter into the dry ingredients.  Well, this is something that would be up to you -- but the next time I think I am going to try to keep the butter cold. Second, this dish will bubble a lot in the oven. Although mine never bubbled over, you may want to put a foil-covered baking sheet on the rack below just in case.

This enticing cobbler will fragrance your home of fruit and cinnamon like an Amish bakery, and after you take it out of the oven it will be a rustic beauty cooling on your stove top for all to see.  The deep purple hue of the blueberries that burst, melts into the golden buttery goodness of the topping making it look almost too good to eat.--almost!
It was a pleasure to make this delicious dessert for dear friends over the holiday season.  This cobbler is perfect to eat after a comfy supper on a chilly winter night.  Serve a warm scoop of cobbler with homemade whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream and enjoy!

Pear Cobbler

Unsalted butter, at room temperature
Granulated sugar
4 Bartlett Pears
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (or not)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8 by 8in. baking dish or deep dish pie pan.  Dust the dish with the granulated sugar and tap out any excess.

Peel the pears and cut them in half through the stem end.  Use a melon baller to scoop out the cores.  Put the pear halves in a large bowl and sprinkle with vanilla and toss.  Then sprinkle over the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and toss so that the pears are really well coated with the flavorings.  Set the pears in a single layer, cored side down, in the baking dish.

Now make the topping.  In the same bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt and mash it all together with your fingers.  Toss in the blueberries.  Crumble the topping mixture over the pears in a baking dish and bake until the topping is nice and crunchy and browned and the pears are very tender, 35-40 minutes.  (I baked mine the entire 40 minutes.) Let cool for at least 20 minutes and serve warm!

Decadent Double Chocolate Ganache Christmas Cake with Pecan Praline Icing

Just to look at this heavenly chocolate cake will make your mouth water!  Honestly, this is definitely one of the best cakes I've eaten. It's a triple layered moist chocolate cake with a rich ganache filling and a homemade toasted pecan candy-like praline icing on top that runs over the sides. In Ina Garten's words, "How can that be bad!?!"

This is such a wonderful cake to make.....the second time around.  The first time I baked this cake was for my husband whenever he graduated from his undergrad, in December '07.  I decided to make this particular cake because it looked like a very special cake meant for a Christmastime occasion.  This cake isn't only reserved for the best because it is simply beautiful and irresistible (although it is) but because it was a pill to make the first time around.  This was my very first totally made from scratch, and when working in a tiny apartment kitchen with little counter top space it was a challenge!  One mistake I made was not greasing and flouring the pans nearly enough, therefore causing some of the edges of the cake to stay in the pan. The cake turned out a little lopsided, but with all the frosting you couldn't really tell.  I do believe that baking this in a larger kitchen made everything a bit easier this time, and so it turned out straight and more beautiful!  I thoroughly enjoyed the baking process this time.  I love to roast nuts in the oven and allow them to fragrance my home, and licking the silky cake batter off of the wooden spoon after the cakes are in, and watching the bits of rich chocolate melt slowly into the cream and butter as the ganache comes together. *Sigh.

 I am learning more about this cake each time I make it.  The last time I made it the night before my husbands birthday, because I always think cake are better whenever they sit for a day or two.  The next time though, I think that I will bake the cake and spread the ganache on the night before, but I'm going to wait to make and put the praline icing on until soon before eating, or at least the day of.  You will know exactly why whenever you make this and you are pouring the hot pecan praline icing over the cake and it is still glistening and buttery.  The warm icing just about 1 hr. after pouring it on would be a perfect time to eat this cake.  So you will have the best of both worlds: a moist cake, and warm icing!

If you make this delicious cake, I hope that you enjoy every step of the process and take in all the delicious smells and tastes along the way.  Perfect with a hot cup of coffee or cold glass of milk.  Although we never want anything else, a scoop of butter pecan ice cream would make this dessert over the top! This cake reminds me of why I love chocolate and the holidays!

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1c. butter or margarine                
1/4c. baking cocoa
1c. water
1/2c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Chocolate Ganache
Praline Frosting
Garnish:chopped pecans

  Cook first three ingredients in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat. Cool.
  Beat buttermilk, and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended.  Combine sugar, flour and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating till blended.  (Batter will be thin.)
  Coat 3 (8 in.) round cake pans with non stick spray (I use the one specifically for baking) and line the bottoms with was paper.  Pour batter evenly into pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 22-24 mines or until set.    Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove carefully from pans and cool layers completely.  I do not remove paper from cakes until they are completely cooled.

  Spread about 1/2 c. ganache between cake layers; spread remainder on sides of cake only (not on top). Chill cake 1/2 hour.  Pour frosting slowly over the top of cake; spreading to edges, allowing some frosting to run over the sides.  Freeze if desired; thaw at room tempurature 4-6 hours.  Garnish with chopped pecans, if desired.
Makes 10-12 servings.

Chocolate Ganache
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 c whipping cream
1/4 c. butter or margarine, cut into pieces

I use a double boiler (a large bowl over a pan of simmering water) to melt the chocolate chips and whipping cream together.  Almost constantly stirring until the chocolate is very smooth.Gradually add the butter.  Cool, whisking often, 15-20 minutes or until spreading consistency.  Makes about 2 cups.

Praline Frosting
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3c whipping cream
1c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.  Boil for one minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add toasted pecans, stirring gently 2-5 minutes or until frosting begins to thicken slightly.  Pour immediately over cake. Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

*This is a candy-like frosting that hardens quickly, so make it right before pouring it over the cake.

Christmas Linzer Cookies

Christmas is a time for baking, giving, sharing good food and company along side the twinkling Christmas tree and a cozy fire. Welcoming friends and family into our home around the holidays especially means alot to my husband and I, so last year we decided to start a new tradition.  (Traditions are very important in my family, so I am excited to start one to include friends, as well.) A couple of weeks ago Heath and I hosted our 2nd Annual Cookies and Cocoa with the Cates' party! Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and always has been as a child, and so it only makes sense to throw a Christmas party with some of my favorite Christmas treats!  These Linzer cookies are a new addition to my holiday cookie collection, and I was surprised at how wonderfully delicious and beautiful these small confections were.  You can make these cut out hazelnut-spiced cookies in any shape, but I chose Christmas trees.  I thought the dusting of the powdered sugar would make them look like little snow capped evergreens, almost too cute to eat.  (Not quite!)

You may find other yummy recipes for these cookies that call for other nuts such as almonds, but I was drawn to the hazelnuts.  I have never baked with hazelnuts before and was drawn to their Dickens-esque quality and fragrance when roasted that makes you  wish you were in the snowy streets of 19th century London.  I am sure that I made the right decision, because these cookies couldn't be better!  As with any roll-out and cut cookies they are time consuming with the chilling the dough and after baking spreading the jam and dusting with sugar....but honestly I completely enjoying every step.  It's almost relaxing to me to get in the routine of something as simple as spreading delicious, sweet jam and then later letting the powdered sugar "snow" down on the finished cookie.  The  fact that each batch of cookies only take 4-5 minutes to bake was great, so the baking itself wasn't long at all!
These jewel toned, buttery, Christmas Linzer Cookies lit up the table and everyone just loved them!

*Tip- Though the original recipe calls for seedless raspberry jam, I used one with seeds and just loved the look of the tiny black seeds in the red jam.  They will not get in your teeth, and it tastes just the same.
       - About the baking sheets, I like to use a shiny metal or non stick cookie sheet the best, but when using a dark baking sheet, put parchment paper on the sheet first so the cookies with bake more evenly and not brown the bottoms too much in the oven.


3/4 c. hazelnuts
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 sp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar
1/2 cup raspberry jam

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread hazelnuts in ungreased shallow baking pan.  Bake uncovered about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Rub nuts in a kitchen towel to remove loose skins (some may not some off); cool 5-10 minutes. Turn off oven.

2.In a food processor bowl with metal blade, place nuts and 1/4 c.of the brown sugar.  Cover; process with about 10 on and off pulses, until nuts are finely ground but not oily.  I used a blender, and it worked well.

3. In a small bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.

4.In a large bowl,beat butter and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar with mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes 'til smooth.  Add nut mixture; beat about 1 minute or until mixed. Beat egg and vanilla.  With spoon, stir in flour mixture about 1 minute just until blended.  Shape dough into 2 balls and flatten each ball into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm.

5.Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Take out one of the dough disk and on a well floured surface roll the dough with a floured rolling pin until about 1/8 inch thick.  Cute with about a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter.  On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts about 1 inch apart.

6.Roll and cut other half of dough.  Using a 1 inch square or round cutter, cut out the center of half the cookies.  Reroll dough centers and cut out more cookies.

7.Bake 4-5 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.  Remove the cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool about 10 minutes.

8. Dust powdered sugar over cookies with center cutouts.  Spread about 1 tsp. of the jam over bottom side of each cookies. Top with a cut-out cookie.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Comforting Shrimp Creole

On a cold, rainy night at home when you are in your comfy clothes and have the fire blazing in the fireplace (or in my case, a few candles lit), you want comfort food.  Something that smells good, looks good and will warm you up inside!  Many of my favorites include a good pot of chili, potato soup, or creamy mac and cheese.  In the recent years I have added a new favorite that's in the form of a Cajun classic....Shrimp Creole!  With the spicy tomato based sauce full of cooked down veggies and shrimp piled up and soaked in a bed of hot rice it is just so comforting!   This is a dish my mother-in-law (whom I love!) introduced me to.  I have always loved the flavors of New Orleans and spicy dishes, so this dish was love at first taste!

There's quite a bit of chopping to prep for this dish -- but honestly, unless I am rushed for time, I enjoy getting out the cutting board and my sharpest chef's knife and dicing the vegetables. You will want them diced in about the same-sized pieces so they will cook evenly. I put onion in this dish, even though it doesn't call for it. I like the onion flavor with the garlic, and the onion with the bell pepper and celery is sometimes called the holy trinity in Louisiana cuisine. This combination is the base of other Cajun dishes, as well. Sometimes, onions really bother my sensitive eyes if they are very fresh so if I can't afford to lose my mascara, I will use frozen pre-chopped onions. They are a good thing to have on hand for those who don't like to dice or don't have much time.

When stirring the flour in the oil be a little patient to get the light brown color.  This is like a roux, which is traditionally flour stirred into melted (clarified) butter.  You could definitely do this instead of the oil to get an even richer, creamier base. A roux is also used to start many Cajun dishes.  I just added a bit of butter to my olive oil.  I use olive oil because it is the healthier option and I try to cook by making smart choices for our bodies! Also, I add more red pepper to this dish then it calls for.  We enjoy a kick to our food, and so you can adjust according to your taste.  The shrimp should be watched fairly carefully at the end, to ensure no overcooking.  Already have your rice finished by the time the shrimp is fully cooked and ladle the Shrimp Creole over a bowl of hot rice! Serve this with cornbread muffins or even just toast with some melted butter and garlic salt.  We always put Tabasco sauce on the table so you can add a couple dashes to your taste!  Enjoy this dish inside your cozy home no matter the weather, and feel the warmth of eating a beautiful meal in the comfort of our own home. Enjoy!

*Tip- To make ordinary rice really good, brown the rice in oil in the same pan you will be cooking it in, before adding the water and cooking.  This will really bring out the nuttiness and flavor of the rice.  Salt your water well; and after it's cooked, fluff your rice and stir in as much butter as your conscience allows and add salt and pepper. So good and rich!  (Not recommended if watching your weight!)

1/4 cup   oil
1/4 cup   flour
4  cloves garlic
1/2 cup   chopped onion (optional)
1/2 cup   chopped celery
1/2 cup   chopped green pepper
1/4 tsp.   thyme
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp.   black pepper
1/4 tsp.   red pepper
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 cans    tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs. frozen shrimp (whatever size you prefer, I like small)


1. Heat oil.  Add flour stirring constantly until smooth and golden brown.
2. Add garlic, celery, onion and green pepper.  Cook until tender.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings, and cook 15-20 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add shrimp and simmer 12-15 more minutes.

Makes about 6 servings.