Day #9 of Thanksgiving Posts: Mississippi Mud Cake

This just looks so good, I had to add it!! I've only had this type of pie once, and it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!!!

Ingredients:

1pkg. chocolate fudge or Devil's Food cake mix
1C chopped pecans
3C miniature marshmallows
1C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 13x9in baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare cake according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40min. Take cake out of oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return pan to oven and bake 5 minutes longer; place on wire rack.
4. Place chocolate chips in resealable bag. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Snip off a small corner of the bag with scissors. Drizzle chocolate over cake.

Day #8 of Thanksgiving Posts: Coconut Cream Pie

One of my most favorite pies... and my VERY favorite cream pie.... COCONUT CREAM. Bet you're surprised there, eh?! I LOVE coconuts!!! "Put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up..."
And the best thing? This recipe calls for 5 ingredients!!

Ingredients:

1pkg. Instant Vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 C cold milk
1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
3/4 to 1C flaked coconut, toasted, divided
1 crust (pastry shell, baked or graham cracker)

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, beat pudding and milk on low speed for 2 min. Fold in half of the whipped topping and 1/2 to 3/4C of coconut. Pour into crust. Spread with remaining whipped topping, sprinkle with remaining coconut. Chill.

Day #7 of Thanksgiving Posts: Pumpkin Pie!!

Mmmm... my mouth is watering. I cannot wait for a slice of pumpkin pie. Pumpkin, to me, is like coconut, but in the winter-time. I love everything Pumpkin, in the fall. In the warmer months, I love everything coconut. Mmmm... I thought for sure I'd have a dang delicious Pumpkin Pie recipe on hand... but alas, I had to go searching for one. I just love the site Simply Recipes. And today's recipe comes from there.
If you end up making it, let me know how it is, would ya? I will be pretty busy the next 3 days making cookies and my surprise for Day #10 I won't be making any other desserts before the big day. I'd love to hear of any of your favorite Turkey Day recipes as well... so please, send me your stories/recipes/blunders/mishaps... really anything you want to share! My email is stacilee84@gmail.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin* or from canned pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 good crust

* To make pumpkin purée from a sugar pumpkin: start with a small-medium sugar pumpkin, cut out the stem and scrape out the insides, discard. Cut into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft. Scoop out the pulp from the skin. Or you can bake whole or halved in a 350°F oven until fork tender. Optional - put pulp through a food mill or chinois to make extra smooth.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F.

2 Mix sugars, salt, and spices, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir in cream. Whisk all together until well incorporated.

3 Pour into pie shell and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

4 Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Day #6 of Thanksgiving Posts: Apple Pie

Mmm... I love pie. Especially when it's apple with a BIG dollop of whip cream! Yum!

Ingredients:

1pkg. refrigerated pie crust
6C peeled, cored and sliced apples
3/4C plus 1TBS sugar, divided
2TBS all-purpose flour
1 1/2tsp apple-pie spice
1/4tsp salt
2TBS butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 1/2TBS milk or cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Fit 1 pie crust into a 9in pie dish.
2. Mix apples, 3/4C sugar, flour, apple pie spice and salt in large mixing bowl until apples are coated.
3. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie dish; spread evenly. Scatter butter pieces over top of mixture.
4. Fit top crust over apple mixture. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust around edges. Press edges together to seal; flute.
5. Brush top crust with milk. Make slits in top crust with knife to create steam vents. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake pie until golden, 40-45minutes.

If you don't have apple pie spice, you can mix together:
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1/8tsp ground allspice
and 1/8tsp ground cloves