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We made a lot of really delicious pies for Thanksgiving this year. This was one that my girls and I found and decided that we really needed this on Thanksgiving. It was super easy, very creamy and delicious, and probably my favorite of all that I tasted.
Banana Cream Pie with Salted Caramel Sauce
adapted from: thisgalcooks.com
1 baked pie crust
1 c. chopped vanilla wafers
2 small bananas
1 8 oz. tub of whipped topping, divided
1 1/2 c. milk
1 5.1 oz box of instant banana cream pudding
dash of lemon juice
salted caramel sauce
In a large bowl, stir together the banana pudding and the milk until thick and creamy. Fold in 1/2 of the tub of whipped topping. Slice your bananas and sprinkle them with a dash of lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Stir the banana slices in to your pudding mixture. Pour it all in your cooled pie crust. Refrigerate the pie until the pudding is set (I made mine before the Thanksgiving meal started, and then added the rest of the ingredients just before we ate pie). Spread the remaining whipped topping over the top of the pudding mixture. Sprinkle the chopped vanilla wafers on top, and then drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the top of the wafers. Serve it immediately and enjoy!
I made this pie for Thanksgiving this year. And it is much more than just a graham cracker crust and some caramel. But, I think I must have taken a picture of the final product with someone else's camera at Thanksgiving. So, to my family members who were there, if you have a picture of my pie, could you send it to me? This was a super rich, sweet and very delicious pie. Try to imagine it covered in bananas and whipping cream. Yum.
Banoffee Pie
from: many different websites, but mostly, food.com
1 graham cracker crust
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 bananas
1 pint heavy whipping cream
sugar and vanilla, to taste
The night before you need your pie (or at least a good few hours before), turn your sweetened condensed milk into dulce de leche. I followed the recipe for this on Our Best Bites, but there were many different ways to make it. Pour your can of sweetened condensed milk into a shallow baking dish, like a pie plate. Make a water bath by setting the pie plate inside a larger dish (like a roasting pan). Pour water in the outside dish until it is about halfway up the outside of the pie plate. Cover the pie plate tightly with tin foil. Bake it at 425 degrees for an hour and then check it. It should be a nice, brown, carmel color. If it isn't put it back in for another 20 minutes, or so and check it again. Once it is ready, stir it until it is smooth and then let it cool a little before pouring it into the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate it over night (or a couple of hours). Prepare your heavy whipping cream by mixing together the cream, sugar and vanilla (I usually add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla, but taste it and add more if you want). When you are ready to serve it, slice the bananas onto the dulce de leche and then spread the whipping cream over the top of that. Grate a chocolate bar on top. Serve it immediately. And have a big drink of milk ready!
I don't think I have ever made carmel popcorn until recently. And since discovering this method of cooking it, I have made it multiple times. This recipe is nice because it tastes great, and instead of baking it for an hour and a half, it takes 4 minutes of cooking in the microwave (with some shaking in the middle of that time). And then your clean-up is a snap! Just throw away the paper bag! Not only that, but it is delicious. Perfectly carmel-y and crispy and so easy. In fact, it was so easy that I made it for neighbor treats, teacher treats, and family treats!
Quick & Easy Carmel Popcorn
adapted from: allrecipes.com
1/2 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
5 quarts popped popcorn
In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt and stir it constantly until it starts boiling. Reduce the heat to medium low (make sure it stays boiling) and let it boil for 4 minutes without stirring it. Remove it from the heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. Stir it until it is a pretty golden color (like carmel!). Pour it over your popcorn and stir it gently to coat. I found that using two bowls for the popcorn worked the best. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly evenly coated on your popcorn. It will all get coated well in the microwave. Pour the popcorn into a large paper bag. If your bag isn't really big (not all store paper bags are the same size), use two bags. Cook it in the microwave for 4 minutes, shaking the bag every 30 seconds. When it is done, lay the bag on the counter and using scissors, cut it open and lay it flat. Spread the popcorn a little if you need to. Let the popcorn cool and then break it up. At this point, you can drizzle it with chocolate and then sprinkle it with peppermint, or sprinkles, or other fun things. I sprinkled Christmas sprinkles on it right when it came out of the microwave to give it a little color. Then I put it in little paper bags and tied them up with ribbon and a bow to look like a little gift! Slap a tag on it and there is the easiest neighbor treats I've ever done!
