Hi everyone!  I hope that all my lovelies are doing well!  I am doing ok, but I have been super busy. But even when I am busy, I want to bake.  In fact, I think a hectic life makes me want to bake and cook more because it is my stress reliever.  Sometimes, I make up excuses to bake. Sometimes I really want chocolate chip cookies, so I make them ostensibly because I need to take a treat to work when I really just want to eat raw cookie dough.  I know, I have a cookie dough monkey on my back. But I do share whatever I make so it’s all good.

And, speaking of monkeys (who happen to like bananas), one of my favorite excuse-recipes is Best Ever Frosted Banana Bars.  I buy bananas every week and we often throw the last couple away after they have passed the point of no return. If I remember in time, I will peel and freeze them so that I can use them for baking or just eat one frozen with a little chocolate sauce. Yumolicious! So, when I see that I have too many overly ripe bananas or too many bags of frozen bananas I make these bars. I mean, after all, waste not, want not, right? It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I just plain love them.

These bars are a wonderful treat for kiddies or coworkers.  They are great to take to potlucks. And, while they keep pretty well on the counter for a few days, they keep even better in the frig for a week or more.  The bars are loaded with banana flavor and are incredibly moist. The browned butter frosting adds a layer of super sweet to the more subtle sweetness of the bars.  Everyone seems to love them, unless, of course, they just plain don’t like bananas. But, if you are a nanner fan, give them a try. You don’t have to wait for a time of banana over-abundance or make an excuse for baking this delicious treat, but you can totally steal that move from me if you want. I won’t judge you at all.

Hey Everyone!  How are ya? I hope that the answer is FANTASTIC!  Spring is finally here. Warmer weather is finally here.  Mushrooms are finally here (well, where I live, they are)!  It seemed like the winter would never end. The older I get, the longer it takes for the leaves to pop out and the grass to green up.  I have even been out to clean up some of the gardens where the perennials are poking through the earth. I love gardening and I regret that these days I don’t have the time that I would like to devote to my flowers.  The only thing that I do not like about spending time with my plants is the chance that there will be some slithery reptile in amongst the foliage.

I absolutely hate snakes!  Well, actually, I have a phobia of snakes.  I can’t even get close enough to one to hate it.  You see, I grew up on a farm. There were lots of snakes on that farm, including in my yard.  I remember stepping on them with bare feet (I never wore shoes if the weather was warm)…yeeech. Mom’s philosophy was that the only good snake was a dead one. She would run over them with the lawn mower repeatedly just to be sure there was no chance for recovery. I also had a little frog farm in the basement window well and those serpentine uglies would get in and eat my frogs.  Upsetting, to say the least. My brother would kill the snakes for me, but the damage was done. Now, full disclosure, I have eaten fried snake. My husband once assisted in killing a Rattler and brought it home.  His dad fried it up along with some chicken. I did try it and enjoyed it. It tasted kind of like fried chicken. But I must admit that I like this dish much better. It is delicious and doesn’t creep me out.  The recipe that I wanted to share today has a title that is completely deceptive. It is called Rattlesnake. Now, there are no reptiles involved in this dish. Believe me, I would not make it if snakes were involved.

This dish is actually beef.  I have no idea why it is called Rattlesnake.  I do know that it is very tasty. The bite-sized morsels of breaded and fried beef are dipped in a luscious tangy sauce.  The result is an incredibly satisfying and rich entrée. The dish is elegant enough to serve for a special occasion but simple enough for a weeknight meal.

A hundred years ago, when I was a teenager, there was a restaurant in a nearby town that served this dish.  It was kind of a fancy restaurant, relatively speaking. I thought it was fancy, but I was an unsophisticated farm girl.  Anywho, when I did get to that restaurant, I would always order Rattlesnake. It is bite-sized bits of tender beef that are breaded and fried.  Ok, nothing too marvelous about that but the dipping sauce really makes this dish unforgettable. Years after that dining establishment closed, I saw this recipe in a community cookbook.  I nearly jumped for joy! I could make one of my favorite dishes at home. And now, you can too. It is really super easy and can feed many people. I have tweaked the recipe just a bit. The original from the cookbook called for round steak but it would be kind of costly to get enough of that for a whole family.  So, I used charcoal steaks which are a budget-friendly cut at my local grocery store. So, you can use any cut that you want as long as it is tender enough when fried. I think that any beef cut that would be tender enough to grill would be perfectly fine for frying.

Hey Everyone!  Long time, no see!  I am back at it! Sharing recipes old and new!  Today we have a new one! It is actually new because I made it up…sort of.  I created a recipe that is very similar to one that I found online a while back.  It was really really good but, for whatever reason, I didn’t make it again. Then, recently, I was trying out another new recipe that was in the same genre and was reminded of it.  I decided to give it another try with some tweaks of my own. And so, I came up with Sherry’s Cinnamon Donut Pie. Yep, you read that right! Cinnamon. Donut. Pie. A pie made from donuts.  I know, insane. Insanely delicious that is.

I gotta admit that I am not a huge cake donut fan.  I mean, I like them and all, but I don’t crave them and can even pass them up pretty easily  However when I put those same donuts, or in this case, donut holes in a pie shell and add a delicious gooey vanilla filling, I can’t resist.  

The original recipe came from The Domestic Rebel.  I am a big fan of her website and her recipes. Her original pie called for plain donut holes.  I decided that I wanted to have some cinnamon flavor and would use cinnamon sugar donut holes. But, when I went to the store to purchase said holes, I discovered a package that had three flavors, plain and cinnamon and powdered sugar.  Jackpot! This combination is heavenly. You can use any flavor that you like. I would say the chocolate-glazed kind would probably not work well. That waxy glaze would not allow the filling to soak in and create a beautiful moist cakey consistency.  I believe that you could also use mini donuts just as easily if you can’t find the holes or the flavor you want. Oh hey, that just gave me a thought. One of the brands of mini donuts in my local stores has a multitude of flavors like red velvet and carrot cake.  That would be an interesting experiment. I guess I will be adding those to my shopping list this week.

I also tweaked the filling and I added more so that most of the holes were covered in the shell.  I like the look of the bumps of donut arranged in the shell like some delicious lumpy cloud, however, I also like to have filling in every bite.

This pie is super easy and would be a great dessert for those times when you are having company but don’t have a lot of time to invest.  It can be made ahead and served at room temperature or warmed briefly in the microwave. Sherry’s Cinnamon Donut Pie is part pie and part coffee cake.  It has a wonderful moist center with a delicious vanilla and cinnamon flavor. The addition of glaze to the top of the pie adds a touch of elegance and another level of yum.

Don’t you just love recipes that are super easy but always have that “wow factor”?  I do. I really, really do. Whenever someone takes a bite of something that I have made and then show some immediate sign of appreciation it really strokes my cooking ego.  I don’t mean that they have to totally swoon. A smile or a simple, “mmmmmmm”, will do. I admit that I am all about making people happy with my cooking and I love the attention.  Does that make me needy and weird? Probably, but who cares.

The recipe that I want to share today is one of those easy recipes that never fails to get a smile.  It is no secret that I have an absolute love for chocolate chip cookies and this recipe takes those flavors to a more adult and dressed-up level.  You probably already have the ingredients to make Toll House Pie in your kitchen. The only exception might be the pre-made pie crust, but you can certainly make a regular pie crust yourself.  This pie has all the wonderful iconic flavor of a chocolate chip cookie but in pie form. It is a buttery crust filled with a moist and soft cookie that is crammed with chocolate chips. I always use semi-sweet chips, but you can use your favorite or a mixture of chips.  This recipe can be easily personalized with different flavors of chips and can be decorated with a little bit of buttercream frosting piped on top. I have used this pie as a substitute for birthday cake many times. It is one of Cody’s favorites, so I like to make it for his birthday.  It is a wonderful addition to a potluck table because it travels like a champ. There is no refrigeration required and the pie works well at room temperature. Warming your slice and adding whipped cream or ice cream takes it to the next level of delicious.

Now, I freely admit that I am no pie making expert.  In my house, the husband makes the fruit pies and does an outstanding job.  Fruit pies are not my favorite, although, soon I will be sharing a recipe with you for individual fruit pies that I do really like.  I am more of a cream pie, custard pie, pecan pie, chess pie, type of person. Someday soon I hope to conquer meringue and old-fashioned butterscotch pie.  I do have a very good crust recipe that I pull out occasionally but for this recipe, the store-bought version works very well. I always use the Pillsbury kind that comes in the little roll.  They are nice and buttery which works wonderfully with this rich filling. I crimp mine around the edge of the pie plate so that I can feel like I can take some credit for the crust anyhow. If you feel that you just have to have a homemade crust, I say, go for it.

Hi Everybody!  How Ya’ll Are? Spring is slowly working its way into my brain.  By late February and early March, I am getting pretty desperate for the winter to end.  I’m tired of gray skies and brown landscapes. I’m tired of my winter clothes and being cold.  I’m even tired of the fires in the fireplace. I am just over all of it. When Valentine’s Day has come and gone, I finally begin to see the glow of the coming Spring on the horizon.  The promise of Easter is in the air but before that comes Fat Tuesday. Now, when I was a kid, my family did not celebrate this day. I actually did not really know much about it until I was an adult and working at Illinois College.  I knew about Mardi Gras, of course, but was unfamiliar with the concept of feasting on Fat Tuesday. I have always been drawn to Cajun and Creole cooking. Actually, I have always been interested in anything with French American or French Canadian aspects.  I once took a Canadian Culture class in college and we sampled some wonderful foods that were prepared by my professor. The dishes were such that this Midwestern farm girl had never experienced and I loved them.

After I started work at IC, my boss at that time, Steve, decided to introduce the idea of a Fat Tuesday potluck in our department.  Steve always made a crockpot Jambalaya to share. It was so good and he was nice enough to give me the recipe. Steve has since retired but I have made that dish for our Fat Tuesday potlucks several times.  

My current boss, Patrick, and I will use any excuse to have a potluck or celebration, so we still carry on the Fat Tuesday office event.  I am a huge advocate of sharing a meal with people and I love, love, love making something delicious to contribute to the meal. For these late winter soirees I have also made Bananas Foster and King Cake.  This year I will be making a King Cake again. Hint – my King Cake is really my Cinnamon Sugar Tea Ring with Mardi Gras colored sugar as decoration and a little plastic baby inserted inside. Check out that recipe here.  I want to bring a side too but I can’t decide what that will be. I am leaning heavily toward hushpuppies or crawfish cornbread. One of my co-workers (Kelsi) will bring Mardi Gras chili so I think I will skip the Jambalaya this year.  

However, I still wanted to have something warm, comforting and Cajun this weekend at home so I decided to make some Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.  I am no expert on Cajun cooking and so I don’t really know what the differences are supposed to be between gumbo and jambalaya and I think that what I make is a combination of both.  It doesn’t matter to me as long as it is delicious and warming to the tummy and soul. This weekend it was bitterly cold here in Illinois so we definitely needed it. We always enjoy this wonderful soup that is full of chicken, bacon, sausage, veggies and tomato spiked broth.  It has a huge amount of flavor and a little bit of spicy heat. It makes you want to say Ayeee!

You may not have noticed from my past posts, but I have a sweet tooth.  Actually, I think that every one of my teeth is a sweet tooth. I have read a lot lately about sugar detox and giving up sugar for extended periods of time.  I’m just gonna say right up front…ummmmm no. I applaud the discipline of those who are able to do it but I’m not even going to try. One of the greatest joys in my life is producing some delicious and sweet concoction.   In the past several years I have developed a special satisfaction when I can make something that someone special in my life really enjoys. Consequently, I always think of that person when I make that recipe again. It becomes their recipe, in my mind.  This is one of those recipes. In my mind, it belongs to my sister, Brenda.

First off, I must tell you that I did not develop this recipe.  It was on the side of a cake mix box many, many years ago. In fact, I still use the little piece of cardboard when I make these bars.  I have never bothered to write up a recipe card. I kind of enjoy pulling that tiny piece of box out and thinking about how old this recipe really is.  It is from a Betty Crocker cake so I must credit that company for sharing these wonderful bars with me. Aside from the cake mix you will also need a tub of cherry frosting.  Now, I must say that finding that frosting in my local stores was probably the most difficult part of this whole baking procedure. I finally found it, but I was a little panicked, thinking that I could never make these bars again.  

I first made these Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake Bars years ago for a family gathering.  I’m sure that most of my family members enjoyed them but Brenda’s reaction really stuck with me.  And so, they became her bars. I must admit that I put that little box panel away in my tin of recipes and forgot about it.  I have a really bad habit of trying new dishes all the time and so I don’t have time to go back to favorites as much as I should.  You know how some people are impulse shoppers (my hand is raised in acknowledgement here)? Well, I am an impulse cooker and baker.  It is kind of ridiculous but relatively harmless.

So, a few months ago, I was rummaging around in that old tin full of recipe clippings and found it again.  I put it with some other recipes that I wanted to make but didn’t get to it very soon. Finally, I had an opportunity to make treats for a family gathering and whipped them up.  They were just as good as I remembered and that is high praise coming from me because they are not chocolate. I have been known to say that a sweet that is not chocolate is just a waste of calories for me.  I will definitely make an exception for these. These bars have a slightly crunchy crust with a creamy, sweet cherry cheesecake on top and then a sprinkling of crunch as a finale. They are super easy to make with just a few ingredients and keep well in the refrigerator for days and days – if they last that long.  My prediction is that they will not. Just saying.

Hi Everybody!  The Kitchen Wench is back from a short hiatus.  You know how life gets crazy sometimes? At least, my life gets crazy.  Most of the time, I can handle it. I’m a world-class multitasker. I actually feel weird if I am not doing more than one thing at a time.  Lately, however, I have been trying to juggle too many bowling balls and got whacked on the head a few times. So, I have had to put a couple of things on the back burner (Ha!  See how I stuck that cooking reference in there?) Unfortunately, blog posts had to be put aside briefly. I was still cooking and baking…a lot…so I have some recipes to share as soon as I can get all the production work done.  The one that I am sharing today is a doozy and I have been anxiously awaiting a time when I could share it.

One of the bowling balls that has been hovering over my head was a move of my younger son, Alex.  He has some very dear friends who offered to rent a cute little house to him. He jumped at the chance.  He loved his apartment in downtown St. Louis. It had an amazing view and was within walking distance of Busch Stadium and lots of other great places.  But it was a pretty small studio apartment and he was craving some more space. So, we spent weeks preparing for the move. We quickly discovered that there is a huge difference in the amount of furniture needed for a studio apartment and a 2-bedroom house.  We began collecting furniture from family and second-hand stores and purchased a few new items. Alex had collected kitchen and decor items and stored them in our basement. We sorted through boxes and found lots of stuff that he could use in his new home. Sometimes, it pays to be a packrat.  Everything was moving along pretty smoothly until Alex had a car accident the week before the move and consequently totaled his car. Well, then, we had to scramble to get all the insurance stuff taken care of and get a rental car for him. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt. If I ever catch the semi driver who forced him off the road and into the guardrail, I am gonna do some serious butt kicking, though.  You know that the guy didn’t even stop to see if anyone was hurt? Jerk. And then, the weekend that we had chosen to move, the weather became terrible with bitter cold and snow. Thank goodness for the family and friends who came to help (Nino, Patricia, Gigi and Steve). We were able to get most everything in one trip with our sanity intact. We did have to run out and purchase a split box spring.  Queen size box springs and narrow steep staircases do not mix. Go figure. My husband and I stayed until about 10:00 that night and were able to get most of the boxes unpacked and all the furniture placed. Well, anyway, that is one of the reasons that I have been absent lately.

And, this recipe always brings Alex to my mind, so I thought it appropriate to share it today.  You see, I developed this by accident – or rather by good fortune. I had promised Alex that I would make a special treat for him to share with his co-workers for this birthday.  I ran a few choices by him, and he decided on a recipe that I am sure you have seen online or on Pinterest. It is called Knock You Naked Brownies and they do look fantastic. So, I got ready to make them and discovered that I did not have the correct ingredients.  Well, then I was in a pickle. I don’t live all that close to a grocery store and I was running short on time. I looked at the ingredients that I did have in my pantry and decided to come up with my own similar recipe. I was pretty unsure about the result. I sent the whole pan back to Missouri with Alex without even testing them.  The next weekend when I saw Alex again, he brought up the brownies. I was awaiting the negative review, but he said that they were the best thing I ever made. He said that he left them in a common area of his office where he could hear his co-workers’ reactions and there were many moans and exclamations of delight. Needless to say, I was incredibly happy and made another batch asap so that I could write down the measurements and method before I forgot.

I’m not sure exactly what magic happens in these brownies but the filling and brownie layers morph into a wonderful ooey-gooey and decadent love potion.  They are wonderful the first day but get better and better over time. And, they last for days and days on the counter! That magnificent filling keeps the brownie layers from drying out.  They are thing of beauty – even if I do say so myself. They also happen to be pretty easy to make. It does take longer than a regular old pan of brownies, but I promise that they are worth the wait.  

Happy Holidays!  I hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday season.  Mine has been very nice, thus far.  And, it isn’t over yet!  New Year’s Eve is fast approaching.  What do you all do on that special evening?  Do you party, stay at home and watch the ball drops on T.V. or host a gathering of your own?  I have never hosted a New Year’s party but always attend one at my sister’s house.  Marilyn always graciously has all of the family in for a massive potluck.  We eat way too much – several times.  I mean, we usually get there in the early evening and most of us stay until shortly after midnight.  So, we eat and then wait and then eat some more.  In between trips to the food bar we sit around her table and talk and laugh.  Dad and my Uncle Richard tell hilarious stories.  We all laugh until our tummies hurt.  And, we eat until our tummies hurt.  I know it sounds miserable, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world. 

Now, let’s talk about the food.  There are so many dishes that always make an appearance and then new ones get added.  Some are hits and some are misses.  I am usually the one who attempts something new.  I can’t help it.  I see a new recipe and I have to try it.  But then, there are some recipes that can’t be improved.  They are perfect as they are.  One of those for my family is Peanut Butter Bonbons.  My mom used to make these wonderful confections every year during the holidays.  I always absolutely loved them, as do most of my family.  I started making them shortly after moving away from home and I have done it every year since then.  These days, my boys help out.  I suspect that someday they will be making them in their own homes.  I usually mix up the filling ingredients in a big old bowl and then the boys help out rolling walnut-sized balls.  I freeze them for a bit and then recruit the guys for assistance when the time comes to dip them into chocolate and vanilla coating.  It is a super easy recipe but so delicious.  The filling is a combination of sweet and creamy and crunchy.  Dipped in rich chocolate with a hint of butterscotch or smooth vanilla, the result is an irresistible confection.  I love, love, love making (and eating) Peanut Butter Bonbons. And, I love the memories associated with this recipe.  I loved helping Mom make them.  I love spending time with Cody and Alex making them in my own kitchen. And, I love sharing them with family and friends.  We have even left one or two on a plate for Santa on Christmas Eve.  He loves them too!  I always make sure to have enough on hand to take to New Year’s.  Sometimes, that means mixing up a second batch because they don’t last long around here.  Mix up a batch with your family and take them to your next gathering.  Perhaps, you could take them to a New Year’s Eve gathering.  I know that I will be taking some to Marilyn’s house.

Hi Everyone!  Merry Christmas to you and yours!  I hope that you are all surviving the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  It seems to me that it gets worse every year. Right before Thanksgiving I have the feeling of confidence in my ability to get everything done but the days speed by and here it is, almost upon us and I am nowhere close to being ready.  Yikes! I think that I just try to do too much, honestly. But, I want everything to be perfect for my family and friends. I want for the decorations to be beautiful and magical. I want for the gifts to be thoughtful and perfect. I want to make delicious treats to share with everyone.  But mostly, by this time, I just want to take a nap. Don’t get me wrong, I am still pursuing all that perfection. I’m no quitter. I will be working my tushy off until the big event arrives.

I do have some very special help.  Both of my sons, Cody and Alex, are excellent and willing candy makers.  They each have their specialties and happily make batches each year to share with family and friends.  And, let me tell you, their treats are much requested. I don’t know how they do it but they consistently make complicated candies successfully.  Cody is so easy-going about it that it frustrates me. If I had that same carefree approach the candies would never turn out. The caramels would be rock hard and the fudge would be grainy.  Alex is more strict at following his recipes but still amazes me when his divinity turns out perfect – every stinking time. That is so not fair. But I appreciate their help in the holiday kitchen.  It takes some of the load from my weary shoulders.

There are some treats that we make as a family, year in and year out, never fail.  Christmas wouldn’t be the same without these sweet delicacies. Peanut Butter Bonbons is normally a collaborative project.  I will be posting about those very soon. But, the most anticipated baking project each December is Monster Cookies. We all absolutely love them and have such a good time mixing the dough.  We all gather around the kitchen island and take turns adding ingredients and mixing the dough. Cody and Alex do most of the hard work of mixing and stirring (by hand toward the end of the process) the massive amount of dough.  Of course, we make sure to have our traditional Fay’s Twelve Days of Christmas dvd playing all the while. It cracks us up every year, even though we have seen it sooooo many times.

I have been making this recipe for about 30 or so years I would guess.  I remember that the first time that I made these by myself was my first year of marriage.  The recipe was in a community cookbook. I did not doubt the list of ingredients – big mistake.  There was a misprint in the book and it said 8 teaspoons of salt rather than 1. Holy Cow! Salty cookies.  So many salty cookies. I still use that same book each year but have made the correction. It is always a reminder to me to use my own judgement in cooking and baking.  Do not blindly follow.

As I said, this recipe makes a huge amount of dough and then a huge amount of cookies from that dough.  The original recipe said to make the cookies very large but I do a moderately large cookie. I find that if I make the cookies huge, people are unwilling to partake because it might be too much.  I’m not one of those people who is frightened by a huge cookie but I respect the wishes of those that are. The ingredient list is not long but the quantities of those ingredients might intimidate you.  It takes a dozen eggs, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, peanut butter, quick-cooking oats, vanilla, corn syrup, salt, M&M’s and chocolate chips. You need to use a very large bowl or dishpan for this project.  I have a deep plastic dishpan that is only used for making these cookies. You will need a hand mixer as well. I have one that we got for a wedding shower gift 31 years ago and it is still chugging along. I normally use my stand mixer these days, but this recipe requires something more mobile.  You will also need a very sturdy, large and long-handled spoon for the last portion of the mixing. The mixer may not be able to handle the whole process. When mine starts to bog down and gets hot we shut it off and my strong sons take over the mixing with the spoon. I have made sure that each of them now owns their own big spoon.  You just never know when you are going to need one.

Once the mixing is complete, plan on baking for several hours.  This makes about 20 dozen cookies depending on how large you make them.  I do place my pan of dough in the frig between dipping out batches. I have never baked part of the cookies and then chilled the remaining dough for later but I suspect that it would be fine to do so.

These cookies are a wonderfully satisfying treat.  They are chewy with just a slight crunch at the edges but soft and gooey in the middle.  The irresistable combination of chocolate, peanut butter and oats is out of this world good.

The ingredients are a dozen eggs, 2 pounds of brown sugar, 4 cups of white sugar, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, 1 Tablespoon of white corn syrup, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 pound of butter, 3 pounds of peanut butter, 42 oz. quick oats, 1 pound of chocolate chips and 2 bags of M&M’s (at least a pound).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Hi Everyone!  I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know that I did. Lots of food and time with family.  We hosted Thanksgiving for my family, so we had a large group of people to feed.  Fortunately for me, my family all pitch in and help with the cooking. Everyone brings a dish of some sort and we divvy up the large-batch dishes so that no one person or couple is tasked with cooking every part of the meal for 40 or more people.  As much as I love the big gatherings for the holidays, I do not relish the idea of spending the entire day cooking and cleaning up afterward. That does not sound like fun to me. But anyway, we had the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and dressing with the addition of rolls and some sides.  It was all delish! And then, there were the desserts.  I cleared off my buffet in the dining room thinking that it would house all of the desserts easily. Well, let me tell you, we filled that sucker up with pies, cakes, candies, and cookies. It was truly a sight to behold. When I was planning my menu, I kept thinking of desserts that I wanted to make.  Of course, I didn’t have the time to make all of that, so I was stressing out (unnecessarily) about depriving my guests of these wonderful sweet treats. The husband does most of the pie baking at my house, so he made pumpkin pies. I made some cheesecake fudge and some puppy chow and a Kentucky Butter Cake. Alex made some peanut butter cup fudge the night before for a gathering with his friends and we set out what was left of that.  So, you see, it wasn’t like I had not contributed to the dessert table. I had – and then some. But there are some dishes that I have made for holidays past that I love to share with family. One of those is caramel pie. I have made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas and even for family reunions. Almost everyone that has ever tried it loves it. I say almost because I have had heard some people say that it is “too rich” and “they just can’t eat foods that sweet”.  I have never had that problem and so I am not sure what that even means. This is witnessed by the size of my thighs. I mean, I could totally understand if someone says that they just don’t like a food but to say that a food is delicious but “too rich” to eat is beyond my scope of understanding. I guess that my tastes and palate are not that refined. Ok, rant over. Let’s talk about this pie. There are very few ingredients and it is incredibly easy. It does take some time to make so plan accordingly.  You will need sweetened condensed milk (2 to 3 cans) and a graham cracker pie crust and some optional ingredients of whipped cream and crushed heath bars. That’s it!

You slow cook the sweetened condensed milk until it becomes a luscious, velvety caramel. You stir it well to make sure that all lumps are gone and then pour it into the graham crust. Chill the pie for a bit and then add your toppings as you serve up slices, if you wish. The result is a wonderfully smooth and flavorful sweet pie with a nice crunchy graham crust that is nothing less than luxurious.

I have seen a multitude of methods to make the caramel from the sweetened condensed milk.  This one, I think, is the easiest and pretty fool-proof. I do know of bakers that actually cook the caramel in the unopened milk can.  I have never done that, and I am not saying that you shouldn’t do it, but I am too chicken to try it. I envision exploding cans and cleaning caramel off the ceiling for the rest of my life.  So, I place the sweetened condensed milk in a glass bowl or jars in the crockpot surrounded by water. I used to have a great glass bowl that fit in my crockpot perfectly and held all the milk easily, but it broke and then I got a new crockpot which is not as deep.  So, this time I decided to use small wide-mouth mason jars (the pint size) and it worked perfectly. Now, in my pictures here you will see that I not only used regular sweetened condensed milk but also some chocolate- flavored as well. This was an experiment. I had a couple of cans of the chocolate flavor in my cupboard that I bought last year on clearance.  It was almost to the expiration date, so I thought, what the heck, I will try to make a chocolate caramel pie. As it turns out, this was very foolish. The chocolate version turned out so good that I wanted to make more but that flavor of sweetened condensed milk is no longer available. Rats! So, unless, someone starts making it again there will be no more chocolate caramel pies in my future, but, by the time I discovered this I had already taken all the photos for this post.

So, you will need a graham cracker crust and 2 or 3 cans of sweetened condensed milk.  2 cans for a regularly-sized crust is perfect. If I buy the crust that has the extra serving, I use 3 cans.  Note, you can use the fat-free version of the sweetened condensed milk.  It does not seem to become as thick as the full-fat version.  Sometimes, I swap out one can of full-fat for the fat-free.  When mixed together you will never know that it is not entirely full-fat and it will save you a few calories.  

You slow cook the sweetened condensed milk until it becomes a luscious, velvety caramel.  You stir it well to make sure that all lumps are gone and then pour it into the graham crust.  Chill the pie for a bit and then add your toppings as you serve up slices if you wish. The result is a wonderfully smooth and flavorful sweet pie with a nice crunchy graham crust that is nothing less than luxurious.