Pumpkin Cream Pie

FOR THE CRUST:
1-½ package Graham Crackers (about 15 Cookie Sheets)
½ cups Powdered Sugar
1 stick Butter, Melted

FOR THE FILLING:
1 box (3 Oz. Box) Vanilla Pudding (Cook And Serve Variety)
1 cup Half-and-half
½ cups Heavy Cream
Pinch Of Cinnamon
Pinch Of Nutmeg
Pinch Of Ground Cloves
½ cups (plus 3 Tablespoons) Pumpkin Puree
½ cups (additional) Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Extra Graham Cracker Crumbs, For Garnish
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grind graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don’t have a food processor, place them in a large ziploc and pound ‘em with a rolling pin.) Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and “set.” Remove from oven and allow crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Place lid on pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely.

When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

Recipe From Pioneer Woman

Review: I was really dissappointed with this pie. I have heard so many great things about it but nobody in my family liked it, not even my dessert loving kids. Maybe we were just not in the mood or something but I don't think I'll be making this again. :(

Oreo Turkeys- (ht)

Oreo Cookies
Candy Corn
Whoppers
Peanutbutter Cups
Chocolate frosting
Yellow Frosting
Optional: Red frosting
Optional: black sprinkles for eyes

*For these kinds of things I love to use the little pre-filled tubes of colored frosting you can buy in the baking isle. The chocolate is easy to make, and homemade actually works a little better because you can make it stiff. However for the colored details like yellow and red, these little tubes are great. It doesn't really matter what they taste like and they last forever (which is both cool and disturbing at the same time.) I'm using store-bought tubes for everything here purely for convenience- works great!

First step: Grab a cookie. You don't have to put frosting in there, but I like to because it holds in the candy corn a little better. Just give it a little squeeze of chocolate.

Then stuff in your candycorn. If you're in some sort of candy corn shortage, you can cut off the white tips to use later for your beaks. I think the candy corn sticks in better with the tip so I leave it on. Go ahead and do all of the cookies through this step.

Next put a dab of frosting on the opposite end of the cookie and secure it to the "base" cookie. It helps to place them next to a wall as they dry so they stay put.

While those are drying, unwrap your PB cups. Take a sharp knife and cut a sliver off of one end. (I don't need to tell you what to do with the sliver, do I?) It helps to gently cut in a sawing motion so you don't break the PB cup. (Although I wouldn't have to tell you what to do with a broken one either, would I?) Cut it from the bottom like I show here:

Once those are ready, flip your cookies over, but you may find it's easy to keep them next to the wall. My frosting was a bit soft, so they needed the extra support.

Place a dab of frosting on the pb cup, and place it on the cookie like so:

Now those little guys will need heads, so glue a whopper on there with frosting as well. I put frosting on the side of the whopper that hits both the cookie and the PB cup. Wouldn't want a turkey running around with its head cut off, would we??

While they're still laying there, use a dab of frosting (I use yellow) and glue on the white tip of a candy corn for a beak. Put two yellow dots on for eyes, and for the black spots in the eyes you can use a dab of chocolate frosting, or a mini chocolate chip, or a little sprinkle like I've used. A sprinkle is really the perfect size if you have them.

Once the beak stays put you can flip them over and draw on some little yellow feet. If you have red frosting too (usually comes in a set with the tube of yellow) you can add a little gobble gobble. Or whatever that thing is called. What is it called? I'm too lazy to google. Extra giveaway entry for the first person who can tell me. Okay not really but I'll think you're awesome.

And there you go, cute as can be!

These make really cute place card holders too, for either a kid, or adult table!

Recipe From Our Best Bites

Apple Dumplings- (ht)

2 sticks butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tubes crescent rolls
2 granny smith apples
12 ounces of Mountain Dew
Cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream

Directions: Peel and slice your apples. Wrap each slice in a crescent dough triangle and place in sprayed (greased) pan. In a bowl, melt your butter and stir in sugar and vanilla. Pour over top of the wrapped apples....or spread on top with a spoon. Pour the Mt. Dew all around and sprinkle with Cinnamon. Place in 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with ice cream!

Recipe From Or So She Says

Gingerbread Pudding Cake Recipe- (ht)

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon Spice Islands®, All Natural, No Corn Syrup Added, Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup water
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING:
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water
2/3 cup butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg white and vanilla. Combine molasses and water. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in pecans.
Pour into a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Combine hot water and butter; pour over batter (do not stir).
Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Turn off heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Recipe From Taste of Home

Sour Cream Apple Pie- (ht)

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter

Stir together 2 tablespoons flour, salt, 3/4 cup sugar and nutmeg in bowl. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples and spoon mixture into unbaked or par-baked pie shell (depending on preference).

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F (205 degrees C) oven 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake 30 minutes more. Remove pie from oven. Increase temperature to 400 degree F (205 degrees C).

Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter until crumbly, using a pastry blender.
Sprinkle crumb topping over pie. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes more. Cool on rack.

Recipe From Taste and Tell