Raspberry Ice Cream

This summer we had a big family reunion at my grandpa's farm.  He has the most delicious raspberries I've ever tasted, so we thought it would be appropriate to use the most delicious raspberries to make the most delicious dessert (ice cream, of course).  And it was sooo delicious!

Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream
by: 5boysbaker.com

2 c. fresh raspberries
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, stir together the raspberries and 2 Tablespoons sugar and slightly smash them.  Put them in the fridge until you are ready to use them.  In a mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, milk, 1 1/4 sugar and vanilla and stir it until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the raspberries to the cream mixture and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Pour it into your ice cream maker and then make it according to your ice cream maker's instructions.  If you want it to be hard ice cream, put it in the freezer until it is more set.  We ate it soft and it was so good!

Mango Rice Pudding

Jen, Lynnette and I were all given a Thai cooking class by our husbands, for Christmas last year.  It was a really fun class, with delicious food to make and eat, plus we got a lot of new recipes that hopefully someday we'll try again!  One of the recipes I did try pretty soon after, and it was just as delicious as it had been in the class.  Mango Rice Pudding is one of my favorite treats, and this recipe is so easy and so much cheaper than buying it at a Thai restaurant.

Mango Rice Pudding
by: Meiling Dawson

4 c. cooked short grain white rice
2 cans coconut milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk 
fresh mango, cut into small chunks (to equal 2 cups of mango chunks)

In a large pot, combine the rice, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk.  Cover it and cook it on low heat for about 20 minutes.  Let it cool for 10 minutes, and then stir in the mango chunks.  You can eat this warm or cold, and store the leftovers in your fridge.  When it is chilled, it will become more firm, and you can add milk to make it softer again.

Amazing Banana Cream Pie with Salted Caramel Sauce

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!

Peanut Butter Pie

This was Avery's choice for pie this year.  It sounded so rich and sweet that I thought it would be too rich, and too sweet.  But, I was wrong!  It was just enough.  So delicious!  It was the favorite pie of all that we made.

Peanut Butter Pie
adapted from: allrecipes.com

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. container of Cool Whip
24 crushed Nutter Butter cookies
4 Tbsp. melted butter
chocolate fudge ice cream topping

In a small bowl, stir together the Nutter Butter crumbs and melted butter and press into the bottom and sides of a pie plate.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until it begins to look golden brown.  Set it aside and let it cool down.  In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat it with an electric mixer until it is smooth and creamy.  Add the peanut butter and vanilla and do the same.  Stir in the cool whip until it is well combined (also, smooth and creamy) and spread the whole mixture over the cooled Nutter Butter crust.  Squirt a little of the chocolate fudge ice cream topping over the top of the pie and refrigerate until you are ready to eat it.

Scotcharoos

My neighbor, Virginia, makes the most delicious scotcharoos.  This week she brought over an entire 9X13 pan for me.  To eat all by myself.  Just kidding.  Those were not her instructions.  But I did consume enough in one sitting to put myself into a sugar induced coma for the next couple of days.  The above picture is of hers, but I want and need to have this recipe documented for my further use.  So we get to see her beauties.  

Scotcharoos
by: My neighbor Virginia

3/4 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. rice crispies
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips

In a large pot, over medium high heat, stir together the sugar and corn syrup, just until it begins to start boiling.  Don't let it cook too long!  I put an exclamation point there, because I did let it cook too long and my scotcharoos were as hard as a rock.  My neighbor says that it really needs to just barely start boiling.  Then add the peanut butter and stir it until it is just melty.  Those are her words.  Stir in the rice crispies until well combined and pour it into a greased 9X13 pan.  In a glass bowl, combine the bag of milk chocolate chips and the bag of butterscotch chips.  Cook them for 30 seconds and then stir.  Repeat as many times as needed until they are melted.  Pour them over the top of your rice crispy mixture and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Decadent Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

I was looking for a good excuse to try a new dessert, and the 4th of July seemed like a great opportunity!  I had tasted an ice cream sandwich cake before, and so when I saw this one, I thought it would be fun to try.  It was very delicious, and super rich.  Everyone seemed to love it!

Decadent Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
from: allrecipes.com

24 ice cream sandwiches
2 containers cool whip
1 jar caramel sauce
1 jar hot fudge topping, warmed
1 butterfinger bar

Line a 9X13 pan with half of the ice cream sandwiches.  Spread a layer of cool whip over the top, and then drizzle the caramel and hot fudge topping over the top of that.  Repeat the process and then sprinkle the top with the crushed up butterfinger.  Freeze for 30 minutes before serving.

Easy S'mores Treats

Years ago, when my girls were little, I made this treat up for a change from rice crispy treats.  It is just as easy, and so delicious.  It is like having s'mores, without the mess or the open fire.  Although those are both great things about s'mores. :)

Easy S'mores Treats
by: Carolyn

1/4 c. butter
5 c. mini marshmallows
6 c. Golden Grahams cereal
1 c. milk chocolate chips

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the marshmallows and melt them while stirring constantly.  Pour in the Golden Grahams and stir until they are all covered with the marshmallows.  Take it off of the heat and dump it in to a 9X13 pan.  Smooth it flat and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  They will get very gooey after a few minutes.  You can either cut into it and eat them in their gooey state (more s'more like) or let them cool and eat them then.  Either way, it is delicious!

Coconut Cake

My sisters and I made this dessert one night when Nicole was in town.  As I am obsessed with all things coconut right now, it sounded delicious.  It was delicious.  However, there are a few changes that I will make when I make it again someday.  And I am going to put them into the recipe. One thing is that the original recipe calls for almond extract, but I thought it overpowered the coconut flavor.  So I say, leave it out! Or even add some coconut extract.  Also, I made mine in a bundt cake pan, but it would be so yummy as a layered cake, with whipping cream in between each layer.  Mmmm.  

Coconut Cake
adapted from: allrecipes.com

3 c. cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. white sugar
4 eggs
1 c. coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
1/2 c. shredded coconut
fresh whipping cream for topping

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Stir in the eggs, one at a time.  Alternate stirring in the flour mixture and the coconut milk until it is all added and well combined.  Stir in the vanilla, coconut extract and shredded coconut.  Pour your batter into a greased and floured cake pan and bake it at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  After it has cooled, serve it with fresh whipped cream.   

Another Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

This chocolate chip cookie recipe was given to me years ago by my good friend, Amber.  We already have a couple of chocolate chip cookie recipes on here, but this one is a little different than the others.  This one is a smaller batch size--really the perfect batch size.  My other two recipes are huge.  This recipe is easy to whip up, and delicious, and also calls for an entire bag of chocolate chips!  With that much chocolaty goodness in there, you really can't go wrong!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
by: Amber Severts

2/3 c. butter (room temperature)
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar (I always use a little less sugar than it calls for)
1 c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 package chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar and white sugar.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix it well.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir it to combine.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Drop them by teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake them for 8-10 minutes, or until they just start to brown.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Jello Dessert with Pretzel Crust

I have a great friend who is an awesome cook and loves to share her food with others.  She has randomly brought me dinner, or dessert, a number of times, and I have never been disappointed.  She brought me this yummy concoction last fall, and I finally made it a few weeks ago for Easter.  It is sweet and salty and oh so delicious!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Jello Dessert
from: allrecipes.com

2 c. crushed pretzels
3/4 c. melted butter
3 Tbsp. white sugar
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
2 (3 oz.) packages strawberry jello
2 c. boiling water
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen strawberries (I used fresh strawberries and cut them up the night before and put them in the freezer so that they would be frozen, to help set my jello)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed pretzels, butter and 3 tablespoons of white sugar.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish.  Bake 8-10 minutes, or until it is set.  Then set it aside to cool completely.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Spread that mixture onto the cooled crust.  Make sure that you spread it all the way to the edge of the pan (and up against the edge) so that your jello (next step) doesn't leak through to your crust.  In another bowl, dissolve your jello in the boiling water.  Stir in the frozen strawberries and allow it to begin to set (the original recipe says to wait until it is the consistency of egg whites before you pour it on).  Pour it over the cream cheese layer and spread it evenly.  Put it in your fridge until the jello has set completely.  Then serve and enjoy!

Jello Poke Cake

This is a classic recipe for a jello poke cake.  Did everyone's mom make this when they were growing up?  It definitely reminds me of my mom.  The other day I needed to make dessert on St. Patty's Day.  I was going to make coconut tres leches cake, which is fabulous, but I ran out of steam with my busy day.  Instead, I did this poke cake, using lime jello.  It was an easy way to do a lightly sweet, delicious cake, and it was green!  Perfect!

Jello Poke Cake
this is really from my mom, but I got my measurements from kraft.com

1 white cake mix
1 package (3 oz) jello, any flavor that you want
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. cold water
1 tub whipped topping

Mix and bake your cake, according to the package directions.  Let the cake cool.  Using a fork, poke the cake all over.  In a bowl, mix the jello with the 1 cup of boiling water.  Stir it for 2 minutes, or until it is completely dissolved.  Stir in the cold water.  Pour the liquid jello all over the cake.  Put it in the fridge for a few hours.  Spread your whipped topping over the top before you serve it.

Super Moist Almond Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (Which Can Be Done Gluten Free!)

My mother-in-law is gluten intolerant.  She is in town this week and so we tried out a new cake one night.  This is a semi-homemade cake, and it is really only gluten free because of the gluten free cake mix that she bought.  You could make the cake non-gluten free by using a regular old cake mix.  And it would probably still be delicious.  But, if you can't do gluten, this ended up being easy, moist and delicious.  My mother-in-law says she will never make gluten-free cake any other way now!

Almond Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
adapted from: allrecipes.com

1 yellow cake mix (we used a gluten free cake mix)
1 package instant vanilla pudding (the small box)
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 c. water
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. almond extract

Almond Glaze
I didn't really measure my ingredients for this glaze, but I used appoximately:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix, pudding mix and poppy seeds.  Make a well in the center and add in the water, oil, eggs and almond extract.  Mix it for 30 seconds on low speed and then 4 minutes on medium speed.  Pour it into the cake pan.  Bake it for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, almond extract and stir it until it is smooth. Drizzle it over your cooled cake.  In a small frying pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until light brown.  Then sprinkle them on your cake.

Quick & Easy Homemade Donuts (Using Canned Biscuit Dough)

The other day I was looking for a fun treat to make for our Family Night.  We were having neighbors over to join us, and I wanted something different and exciting for my kids.  Monica told me how she had recently made homemade donuts and what a hit they were.  But her recipe took over night to accomplish (the dough had to rise, and refrigerate, and multiply and replenish, etc.).  This conversation took place at about 2:30 PM, on the day of our Family Night, so that idea was out.  However, she also knew of friends who had made donuts using canned biscuit dough.  I searched and found this recipe on food network, ran to the store, bought some Grands Biscuits, and we had (semi) homemade donuts that night!  They were so easy and really so delicious.  In fact, the comment from my neighbor was "This is the best homemade doughnut I've ever had!"  Wow!  And it was such a fun cooking project for us all to do together.  I had as much fun as the kids did!

Quick & Easy Homemade Donuts
adapted from: foodnetwork.com

1 package of canned biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury Grands)
cooking oil

For Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a large pot, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees.  Cut the centers out of your biscuits.  Fry the biscuits (and holes that you cut out) in the oil until they are golden.  Using tongs, flip the donuts and fry the other side until golden.  Take them out and set them on paper towels.  In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until it is smooth.  While the donuts are still warm, dip them in the glaze.  You can then sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar or sprinkles, or just leave them alone.  And then hurry and eat them!  They were so delicious while they were still warm.  We had some leftovers the next day, and they were definitely better fresh.

Lemon Bread

There seems to be a lemon theme going on right now.  Three of the last four posts I've done have the word lemon in them.  Maybe lemons were on sale recently...  So, if you haven't gotten your lemon fix with tilapia or soup, go ahead and try it in dessert form!  

Lemon Bread
slightly adapted from: www.food.com

1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
rind of 1 lemon

For glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
juice from 1 lemon

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.  Stir in the milk.  In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind and stir it well (this helps your rind to not clump together when you mix it in with the liquid stuff).  Pour the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and mix well to combine.  Pour it into a greased bread pan and bake it at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  During baking, in a small bowl stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice and set it aside.  (As a side note, my lemons must have been extremely juicy, because I had to add quite a bit more powdered sugar to get the sweetness that I wanted.  Be aware and taste it before you pour it on your bread).  When the bread is done, remove it from the oven to a cooling rack.  While it is still hot, poke holes in the top with a toothpick or fork and then pour the glaze over the top of the holes.  Let it cool completely and then slice and serve!

Strawberry Apple Crumble

We had a big bag of apples from my brother-in-law sitting on our counter, and I decided I should make something with them.  I keep losing all my apple crumble recipes, so I found a new one to try tonight.  I modified this from a recipe on AllRecipes based on some user comments and what I had on-hand.  I'm still kind of in heaven over how good it was.  Even Jim loved it and he typically doesn't like apple desserts.

8-10 apples, peeled and sliced (I actually used 7 apples but I think it could have used a little more)
1 package strawberry flavored Jell-O (I used a 3 oz pkg but the original recipe called for a 6 oz pkg)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
heavily sprinkled cinnamon
light sprinkling of nutmeg

Slice your apples and lay them out in a 9 x 12 baking dish (I put mine in two 8 x 8 dishes).  Sprinkle your dry Jell-O package over the apples.

Melt your butter, and mix it with the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  I didn't measure the cinnamon and nutmeg but I used a lot of cinnamon and sprinkled the nutmeg 3 or 4 times (so 3 or 4 dashes)?   The original recipe didn't call for cinnamon or nutmeg but I couldn't imagine apple crumble without them, and I'm glad I added them.

Sprinkle the topping over the apples, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or some kind of whipped cream topping.

Chocolate Tacos

In celebration of Cinco De Mayo (which we have never actually celebrated before, but then again, we've never found a recipe for chocolate tacos before, either!) we made chocolate tacos.  These were awesome!  They were kind of like chewy, thin brownies.  It's like having an amazing banana split, or hot fudge sundae, in the palm of your hands.  So yes, it is a little messy.  But totally worth it.  I've been thinking about using this recipe to make homemade waffle cones or bowls.  We opted to drizzle a little melted chocolate and sprinkles on our tacos.  Then we put them in the fridge until the chocolate hardened.  Chocolate on your chocolate?!  Si!

Chocolate Tacos

from: www.lovefromtheoven.com & www.myrecipes.com

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. flour

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. egg whites (I used about 1 1/2 egg's worth)

1 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla

cooking spray

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. canola oil

sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, flour, cocoa, cornstarch and salt and stir it well.  Then mix in the egg whites, milk and vanilla.  Coat a baking sheet with the cooking spray and draw six five inch circles with your finger onto the pan.  These will be a general outline for your batter.  Drop 1 tablespoon of batter onto each circle, and using the back of the spoon, spread the batter into your circle shape (I couldn't fit all six onto one pan, so I did it in two shifts).  Bake it for 6 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.  While they are baking, find some wooden spoons and suspend them over deep bowls, as shown below (just imagine them without tacos draped over the top):  

Working quickly when the tacos are cooked, carefully loosen the edges of the tacos with a spatula, drape each taco over a suspended wooden spoon and gently shape them into the shape of a taco.  They are pretty delicate, but even with some helpers, ours all remained intact.  Let them cool completely in this shape.  When they are completely cooled, you are ready to add more chocolate!  In a small glass bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and canola oil for 30 seconds, then stir it until it is smooth.  Dip the edges of the tacos in the chocolate and then sprinkles (and drizzle the leftovers on, for good measure).  Put them in the fridge until it is hardened.  

When you are ready to eat, take them out, add some ice cream scoops and any toppings that you want and enjoy your chocolate taco!

Smooth & Creamy Coconut Cake

I made this for a Christmas party this weekend.  It is a delicious cake, even if you are not a huge coconut fan.  The coconut flavor is mild and creamy and by only lightly sweetening the topping, it is a great compliment to an already sweet enough cake.  Plus, it looks so snowy and festive with the coconut all over it!  It is a great Christmas-y cake.

Smooth & Creamy Coconut Cake
adapted from: allrecipes.com

1 white cake mix
1 15 oz. can cream of coconut (not coconut milk-you find this in the mixer section of the grocery store)
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. powdered sugar (maybe a little more-to taste)
1-2 c. shredded sweetened coconut

Bake the white cake according to the package directions in the pan of your choice.  I used a 9X13 pan, lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray.  While the cake is cooking (or cooling) pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium bowl and beat it on high speed with an electric mixer, for 3 minutes.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat it until stiff peaks form.  Put it in the fridge until you are ready for it.  When the cake is done, cool it completely, then slice it in half for a layered cake (or leave it as is, or if you have 2 round cake pans, ignore this instruction).  Place one layer, face down, on your serving platter.  Using a fork, gently poke holes all over the cake, but don't poke all the way to the bottom of the cake.  Pour 1/2 of the can of cream of coconut on the top of the cake, and using a knife, spread it and kind of work it into the holes.

Apply a thin layer of your prepared heavy cream.  Lay the other layer of cake on top of that one and poke holes all over it, also being careful not to go all the way through the layer.  Now do the same thing with the second half of the cream of coconut.  Spread the rest of the heavy cream on the top and sides of the cake.  Using your hands, gently press coconut all around the top and sides of the cake.  Store it in the fridge and serve it chilled.

4-Layer Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting

I had a birthday.  And I wanted to make my own cake.  I've never done that before, but it may be a new tradition that I've started.  I picked a cake that I thought sounded delicious, but that I knew none of my other family members would let me make for their birthdays.  And doesn't a 4-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese whipped cream frosting sound lovely?  It was lovely.  And, as a side note, not one of my children even tasted this cake on my birthday.

4-Layer Red Velvet Cake
adapted slightly from: Joyofbaking.com

2 1/2 c. sifted cake flour (I used a little more than 2 c. flour and a little less than 1/2 c. cornstarch as a substitute)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 Tbsp. red food coloring (I did not use this much)
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two round pans with wax paper or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  I actually used my 9X13 pan and when the cake was done I cut it into fourths.  In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt and cocoa.  In another bowl, beat the butter for 1 to 2 minutes.  Then add the sugar and mix it for another 3 or 4 minutes.  Add each egg, mixing it well after each one.  Add the vanilla and beat it all until it is light and fluffy.  In a measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and the red food coloring.  Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture in three additions (you better not make it four, or else! :).  In a small cup, stir together the vinegar and baking soda and let it fizz.  Then fold that into the batter.  Quickly pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  When the cake is done, cook it completely, then gently tip it upside down and dump it out of the pan.  Carefully peel the wax paper off, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for an hour.  This will make it easier to frost.  While that is in the freezer, make your cream cheese whipped cream frosting.

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting
adapted slightly from: Joyofbaking.com

16 oz. softened cream cheese (pop it in the microwave for about 1 minute and it will soften)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. cold heavy whipping cream

With a mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat that until it is smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the heavy cream and beat it on high speed until it thickens and is spreadable.  If needed, add more sugar or cream to get the right consistency.  I actually thought the frosting could have been slightly sweeter, so taste it and add a little more sugar if you think it needs it.

When the cake is sufficiently frozen, remove it from the plastic wrap and slice it in half, horizontally.  For the 9X13 pan I cut it in half lenthwise, then cut each half in half horizontally.  Place one layer upside down on your serving platter and frost the top with the frosting.  Continue to layer and frost each layer and then frost the tops and sides of the cake.  If it is a little lopsided (like mine was), don't worry too much.  It will have four pretty layers when you cut a piece. Just don't show anyone the whole cake. (You'll notice I have no whole cake pictures on here :).  Happy Birthday!

Lawry's Coconut Banana Cream Pie

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is putting our pinterest to good use and choosing delicious pie recipes that make us drool as we browse the endless sea of "so good!", "the best!", and "delicious!" that pinterest has to offer.  This is one of the (4) pies that we made this year!  It was my favorite for sure, and the favorite of many of our family members too.  The direct quote (that I kept because I'm too lazy to change what other people write when they pin it) from when I pinned it is: "Heads up coconut lovers, this pie is amazing, totally decadent, and the coconut crust is absolutely awesome. The crust takes it from ordinary to sublime."  Okay, if a recipe has amazing, decadent, and absolutely awesome in its description, it's got to be good.  No one would be that liberal with their choice of words unless it was true...

Well, luckily for me it was true.  How embarrassing to make a pie at Thanksgiving that is only "really good".

This pie was pretty awesome.  Absolutely awesome, if you will.  The coconut crust almost made a cookie or macaroon-ish crust that was so yummy.  The homemade vanilla pudding was great too.  If I ever want to make this pie in a crunch (most of the time comes from letting things chill before putting it together), I will just do a boxed vanilla pudding, although it wouldn't taste quite as yummy. 

So, thanks to Jan Can Cook, who took the time to scout out this recipe from L.A. Food Times, we can all enjoy "absolutely wicked awesome decadence" in the form of this pie. (You can quote me on that.)

Lawry's Coconut Banana Cream Pie 
adapted from Jan Can Cook

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours chilling 

Coconut Pie Shell 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for pie plate 
3 cups sweetened flake coconut 

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside. 

Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. Press the coconut firmly and evenly in the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling. 

Pie Filling 

4 egg yolks 
3/4 cup sugar, divided 
3 tablespoons cornstarch 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup flour 
3 cups half-and-half, divided 
Yellow food coloring 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 bananas 
1 cup whipping cream 
1 tablespoon powdered sugar 

Combine the cornstarch and flour.  Pour a little at a time into a tightly sealed container with 1 cup of the half-and-half.  Shake vigorously until there are no lumps.  Continue to add the remaining flour/cornstarch mixture until no lumps remain.  Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add the half-and-half mixture and whisk.

Combine the remaining 2 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute. 

Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 drops of food coloring and the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool. 

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Pour the filling into the shell. 

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing. 

*Notes from my experience: 

It seemed like the coconut was going to be way too much to fit in the pie pan as a crust.  I got wax paper and pressed firmly until it resembled a crust.  This worked but it was a little hard to cut into afterwards.  Some readers from this website, Jan Can Cook, said the same thing, but others didn't have a problem with that.

Also, I changed the directions slightly to make the pudding recipe.  It said to mix the egg yolk with the dry ingredients, two of them being cornstarch and flour, which I did, then to mix them into the cup of half-and-half.  It wouldn't mix in with the liquid at that point.  It just made egg yolk clumps at the bottom of my bowl.  I had to scratch that and start over.  It worked well to mix it first with the cornstarch and flour, and then add the other ingredients. 

Creamy Dreamy Pudding Pie

I had to give this an exciting name, because although this is the best way to make a pudding pie, you can't tell from this picture.  Just trust me.  Once you make this switch, you will never go back to regular, pasty pudding pie. I'm not sure where this came from, maybe the back of a pudding box years ago, but it is the only way I ever make a pudding pie now.

Creamy Dreamy Pudding Pie

1 small box of instant pudding, any flavor
1 1/4 cup milk
1 8 oz. carton cool whip
1 prepared pie crust
shaved chocolate, mini chocolate chips, toasted coconut, bananas or whatever you want to garnish your pie with

In a large bowl, mix the pudding and milk until well mixed.  Add approximately 2/3 of the cool whip to the pudding and stir it gently.  Pour it into your pie crust and smooth it out.  Spread the remainder of the cool whip over the top.  If you would like, sprinkle something yummy on the top of the pie.