Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Ganache & Salted caramal Sauce

 We found this recipe for Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Ganache & Salted Caramal Sauce 

It was inspired from  The essential New York Times Cookbook.

We totally enjoyed this pie.  It has the chocolate ganache on the bottom and caramal sauce on top.

 

 

Ingredients

  Graham cracker crust

1 14 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 or 11 whole crackers)

1 tsp. sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Ganache Layer

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate ( about 1/2 cup chcolate chips)

Pastry Cream

1 2/3 cups whole milk 

1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp. sugar

1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out and reserved

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup whipping cream, whipped with 1/4 cup sugar 

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp. water

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. fleur de sel (or kosher salt)

Directions

Make Crust:

Preheat oven to 325F. 

Combine the graham crumbs and sugar in a bowl.  Add the butter and mix until crumbs are moistened.  Pour mixture into 9" pie pan and press evenly on bottom and up side.  Press with flat bottom measuring cup to firm in place.  Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.

Make the Ganache:

Set the chocolate into bowl.  Heat heavy cream to boiling point and pour over chocolate.  Let stand a few minutes, gently stir until fully incorporated and glossy.  Cool to room temperature.  Pour over the cooled pie crust and put in frig.

 

Make the Pastry Cream:

Combine the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla bean and seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over med. heat.

In a small bowl, sift the remaining 3 tbsp. sugar together with cornstarch. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and yolks.

When milk comes to a simmer, strain out the vanilla bean pods.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the eggs and whisk until combined.  While whisking, slowly pour in about 1/4 of the milk to temper the egg mixture.  Transfer this mixture to the saucepan, set over low heat, and simmer, whisking constantly, until it reaches the consistency of thick pudding. 

Remove from heat and stir in butter until incorporated.  You can put mixture through a sieve if not smooth enough.  Pour into a shallow bowl, place plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and chill.

To finish off pastry cream, fold in some freshly whipped cream and cut up banana. 

Make the Caramel Sauce:

In a heavy saucepan set over medium high heat, stir together sugar and water, bring to a boil.  Let boil until amber-colored.  Keep eye on it, it turns quickly.

Immediately add butter and stir to incorporate.  Remove from heat, add cream and salt and mix well.  Let cool to room temperature.    

Assembly:

Take out crust and pour ganache on bottom, then add sliced bananas.  Add a layer of the caramel sauce over the bananas.  Then add the pastry cream and whipped cream banana mixture, smoothed out.  Swirl the rest of the caramel sauce onto the top.  Add sliced bananas and it is ready to eat.  

     

Christmas Cookie Bars

 Christmas Cookie Bars

My son found this recipe on  this is not diet food.

The recipe was easy to follow and was very good.

 

 Ingredient

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

3.4oz vanilla pudding mix

17.5oz. Betty crocker sugar cookie mix  

1 cup milk cocolate christmas M&M's

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F

Place softened butter, eggs and pudding mix into a large mixing bowl, beat until smooth.

Add sugar cookie mix to bowl, continue to mix until a sticky dough forms.

Place dough into a greased 10X15 baking sheet, I used a 10X13 baking dish.

Press dough out evenly to cover entire pan.

Sprinkle M&M's on the top of the dough.

Bake in overn until a toothpick inserted comes out clean about 10-12 minutes.

Remove pan from oven allow to cool before slicing and serve. 

Ham Vegetable Strata and oriental casserole

 I have a collection of Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks.  I have made these receipts many times over the years. These come from the Better Homes and Gardens: Meat Stretcher cookbook.  Ham vegetable strata and oriental casserole.

 

 

Deviled Pork Chops

On American Test Kitchen they made this recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

  The recipe is very good, enjoyed and will make again.

Deviled Pork Chops

Ingredients

 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tsp. packed brown sugar

1  1/2  tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic, mined to paste

1/4 tsp. Hungarian paperika

4 boneless pork chops

Directions

Preheat oven to 275F and put rack in middle position.

 Melt butter in 10" skillet over medium heat.

Add panko and cook, stirring frequently until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer to bowl and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt.

In another bowl combine Dijon, sugar, dry mustard, garlic, paperkia, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper until smooth.

Pat pork chops dry with paper towel. 

Place chops on baking pan, brush mustard mixture onto the tops of the chops. 

( leave bottoms uncoated)

Spoon the toasted panko evenly over the top of each chop and press lightly to adhere.

Roast meat until it registers 140 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. 

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Peach, Blueberry Crumble

This recipe came from Ina Garten 

 

 Peach, blueberry Crumble

 Ingredients

For the Fruit filling 

2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the crumble

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup cold butter, diced

 

Directions for fruit filling

Preheat oven to 350F

Peel and slice peaches into wedges and place in large bowl. 

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and flour.

Toss well.

Gently mix in blueberries.

Allow the mixture to set for 5 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into ramekins or small baking dish.

Directions for the topping

Combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter into a bowl.

combine until mixture resembles peas.

Sprinkle evenly over fruit.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until tops are evenly browned. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

I saw this on Reddit and had to  try it.  

Cinnamon Roll Cake

2 cups self rising flour

4 eggs

1/2 cup crisco

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup milk or buttermilk or a mixture of both

2 tsp. vanilla

Beat sugar and crisco, add eggs and beat.  Add flour,  milk and vanilla, beat 1 to 2 minutes.  Spread 1/2 of this into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.

Filling

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix this and sprinkle evenly onto layer in pan.  Then pour and spread rest of batter on the filling. Swirl with a knife.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Icing

2 cups powered sugar

3 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup cream cheese (I added, it needs this)

Heat milk and butter, add sugar and vanilla.   Poke holes in the cake. Pour icing over warm cake.

Meat and Pickle Sandwiches

 

Deviled Ham and Pickle

 Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped ham (1/2 pound)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 cup minced cornichons

Directions

Using a chopped add the cubed ham and pulse until minced.

Add to a medium size bowl.

Add the cornichons to chopper and mince.

Add to the bowl with ham.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well store in container and store in frig.