Pumpkin Spice Pie & The Jif Giveaway Winner

 

I make pumpkin pie every year but I've never blogged about it. Maybe I feel it's so common it's not worth a post of it's own? Or perhaps I think everyone has their own recipe for it already? Or maybe I just never got a good picture of the pie? I don't really know the answer, but today I'm sharing my version of this pie. 

There's a BBQ joint here in town that sells pumpkin pies around the holidays. No one in my family thinks they're that great except for my brother. He buys them in multiples and eats 2-3 whole pies just by himself. A couple years ago I set out to make him the best pumpkin pie I possibly could. I researched several recipe and combined bits of each to create this one. You can make your own pie crust recipe or use a frozen or refrigerated crust. It's up to you and no one will judge you for choosing one over the other. Today we are simply talking about pumpkin pie filling. 

This pie uses brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. That's the little surprise ingredient that makes this pie special. It adds an extra bit of spiciness, that you can't quite pinpoint but you know there's something a little different about it. I also like to refrigerate the pumpkin pie filling overnight before baking it. Some chocolate chips cookie recipes call for the same step- it allows all the ingredients to meld together and makes it that much better. If you're short on time you can skip the refrigeration step but if you have the time, try it! This pie is silky and creamy and while it's got some quirky aspects to it, it's very traditional. My brother still likes his store bought pies but I found out he likes them dry and firm and I'm not willing to make dry pie. haha! 

Pumpkin Spice Pie from Lick The Bowl Good

Printer Friendly Version 

• 1- 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1  1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1- 12 oz. can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar and spices. Whisk the ingredients together together then add the eggs one at a time until just combined. Gradually add the evaporated milk to the pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine.  

Optional Step: Refrigerate the pumpkin pie mixture overnight to intensify the flavors. Otherwise, continue on with the next step. 

Pour the pumpkin pie mixture into a deep dish unbaked pie shell. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes then reduce the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes. The pie might be a little jiggly in the center but it will firm up as it cools. 

Place pie on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

The winner of the Jif giveaway is commenter #99 Elle who said: 

"I am incredibly thankful for my family, specifically my Mother who has always supported me and loved me through everything and who has always been my personal cheerleader in life."

Congratulations Elle! Please email me with your address. Thank you all for entering the giveaway.

~Monica 

Almond Butter Pie And A Giveaway!

In honor of my 600th post and my 7th year of blogging at Lick The Bowl Good, I have an awesome giveaway for you today! I received a few jars of Jif Almond and Cashew Butters recently. We had a few snacks incorporating the butters but I was itching to make something with it, so I made pie! In my opinion, pie is perfect any time- it's a casual, comforting dessert. When searching for the right recipe to make, I wanted something easy and something my 3 year old and my 34 year old husband would like. Enter Creamy Almond Butter Pie. 

First there's a crunchy buttery crust, then a toasty, nutty, creamy filling and then it's topped with more whipped topping and a sprinkling of sliced almonds for texture. My husband said this reminded him of an ice box pie and he liked his slightly frozen. Hayden and I liked ours straight from the fridge. If you can't find Jif almond butter, you could certainly use Jif creamy peanut butter. That cream cheese and almond filling is delicious together, though. If you want you could always make a chocolate crust instead of the graham cracker, maybe even add a layer of chocolate ganache in there. Yum!

Creamy Almond Butter Pie adapted from Jif

Printer Friendly Version

Graham Crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Almond Butter Filling: 

• 1/2 cup Jif Creamy Almond Butter
• 1- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1- 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 3 Tablespoons sliced almonds

For The Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter until thoroughly blended. Press mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, bringing crumbs evenly up the sides up to the rim.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. While crust is cooling, prepare the filling.

For The Filling: In a large bowl, beat the almond butter, cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and blend until combined. Blend in 2/3 of the  whipped topping, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Pour the almond butter filling into the cooled crust. Spread the remaining whipped topping onto the filling. Top with sliced almonds. Chill at least one hour or until pie is firm. Serve chilled. 

I promised a giveaway, so one lucky winner will receive a prize pack from Jif, including:

• Jif Creamy Almond Butter
• Jif Crunchy Almond Butter
• Jif Creamy Cashew Butter
• Jif Crunchy Cashew Butter
• $200 Visa Gift Card
• Jif Note Pad
• Recipe Cards Using Jif Almond and Cashew Butters

To enter, tell me what or who you are thankful for this year. Leave me a comment on this blog. Giveaway open to US residents only. One winner will be chosen this weekend. Please leave your contact info with your comment. One entry per person. 

Thank you for entering and good luck!

Thank you to each and every one of you for encouraging me, supporting me and inspiring me in my blogging over the past 7 years.   I wouldn't be where I am without you. I look forward to choosing recipes, making them, photographing them in just the right light, adding the little details here and there, and sharing them with you. I  feel like you are all my friends sitting at my kitchen table and indulging with me. So thank you  for being you!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

Here's a simple yet delicious and equally impressive pie I made a couple weeks ago. I found the recipe from Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything. I read the reviews on Allrecipes and made some tweaks. I also made my own graham cracker crust. A graham cracker crust consists of graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter- three very simple ingredients yet it tastes so much better than the premade store bought crusts. I also added more spice, pumpkin and a little sour cream to the cheesecake part of the pie. This pie was excellent. So good it was gone after one evening and everyone that had some, wanted a second slice. 

This pie does need a little refrigeration time, so make it the night before, or early on the day you want to serve it so it has time to properly chill and firm up. Oh and serve with plenty of sweetened whipped cream! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Have a great weekend, and while you're shopping might I remind you that my cookbook, Lick The Bowl Good makes a great gift :-). Look for it in Barnes & Noble book stores and online. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie 

adapted from Allrecipes via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Printer Friendly Version

Graham Crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling: 

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For The Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter until thoroughly blended.

Press mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, bringing crumbs evenly up the sides up to the rim.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. While crust is cooling, prepare the filling. 

For The Filling: Reduce the oven to 300 degrees F. 

Beat the cream cheese til creamy and there are no lumps. Then add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. 

Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Add sour cream to one half and mix until well combined. 

Pour the sour cream/ cream cheese mixture into the bottom of the prepared, cooled crust. Spread it into an even layer. 

Add the pumpkin puree and the pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cream cheese mixture. Blend well and gently pour the pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer. 

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. The center of the pie may jiggle slightly. Turn the oven off, crack the door open and let cool in the oven for 30 minutes. Refrigerate pie until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. 

An Exciting Announcement

Hi Everyone, 

I've been MIA lately on my blog, but I am baking. I'm baking a lot actually. In December, I signed a contract  with Skyhorse Publishing to write my own cookbook. I am so very grateful for the privilege because I know many people work their butts off for an opportunity like that, and here it was just handed to me. Yes, I have worked hard on this blog to get where I am and I know I am deserving, I just don't want to take this experience for granted. I have a humble heart and I am so appreciative that the people at Skyhorse believe in me and have faith in my abilities as a self taught baker. That being said, I wouldn't be where I am without each and every one of you and all the encouragement and support that comes my way. 

My blog has changed over the years and I went from taking pictures of food at night, with the flash on to using props and daytime lighting and pretty linens. I strive to be better and I try to not only make the food look appealing, but more importantly taste good. I want what I put out on this blog to be achievable and something that you can be proud to serve your friends and family. That is my ultimate goal. With that in mind,  I will do my very best and put all those efforts into the cookbook. I am on a time crunch and I'm baking and photographing about 3 recipes a week. I'm tired y'all and I've only just begun. It's a good tired though and I welcome the challenge. I will try and post as often as I can on Lick The Bowl Good, but please bear with me  as I may be scarce at times. 

I wanted to share with you a few photos today. I baked two pies yesterday- one to be photographed and another to be hacked into pieces, until I found the perfect slice! Some might say, I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. :-) Who wants a piece?!

You have to do this....

...To get to this!

And you get a picture of Hayden, just because I think the look on his face is hilarious! Something tells me he is going to be as opinionated and expressive as his momma. Watch out world! 

~Monica h

Playing Catch Up With Lots of Random Photos

I was going to share with you my top recipes of 2012 but I haven't gotten my act together and compiled that list yet. Instead I thought I'd share some pictures that I've taken over the last couple months of recipes that I've made, sunsets from my backyard and a few pics of Hayden thrown in for good measure. And a caterpillar- can't forget him! Sound good? Here we go!

I photographed this breakfast casserole for a holiday magazine. This time I made it with ham and cheddar. Looks good enough to eat! One of my favorite casseroles to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

This boy loves marshmallows and steals them out of the pantry every chance he gets. This particular time, it was for breakfast. Busted!

I made this pecan cheesecake pie for Thanksgiving but never got around to taking any more photos of the completed pie, then it all got eaten and there was nothing to take pictures of. It's a pecan pie with a layer of cheesecake filling in it. It was yummy served cold!

My little man stirring up something delicious. 

 

I searched high and low for the perfect pumpkin pie recipe. My brother absolutely loves it and every year he buys several pies from a BBQ restaurant here in town. To be honest they're really not that good. They're kind of dry and bland so I made sure to make an extra special pie for him. And you know what? It was delicious and spicy and creamy and tender. One of the best pumpkin pies I've ever eaten, actually. My brother said it was good but immediately followed it up with a criticism. That's pretty typical. Come to find out, he likes cheesecake and pumpkin pie to be hard and dry in texture. That's his personal preference, but if you like smooth and creamy and spicy pumpkin pie with a special ingredient, this pie is for you!

Fuzzy little guy!

I made these for Christmas as plate decorations for the neighbors to go along with their Christmas cupcakes. I also had a few with cocoa. :-) These are so easy to make. Just like your pan with wax, parchment or a Silpat. Put your mini candy canes together to form hearts, fill with melted chocolate and sprinkle with non-pareils. Allow to set up at room temperature and you're done. 

 

Didn't have time to get family photos done this year, so I took some of Hayden by himself in from of the tree to use on our Christmas card. He's a pretty handsome guy, if I say so myself!

Here we are Christmas morning, before opening gifts. I set the time on the DSLR and kept running back and forth to make sure the lighting and composition were set up correctly. About 50 pictures and a not-so-amused-husband later, I realized I didn't even bother to brush my hair. Oh well. Merry Christmas!

And lastly, my Aunt Mary's Sugar Cookies. Made with powdered sugar instead of granulated so they're extra tender. These really aren't the kind you top with icing, but they're still fun to decorate with colored sugar and sprinkles. I make these every year with different cookie cutters. 

Hope you enjoyed my catch up post. Have a great rest of the week!

~Monica

Because Sometimes You Just Need Pie

Pie is just one of those comforting desserts that warms your heart and soothes your soul. It doesn't matter if it's warm from the oven crumb topped apple pie or pucker up cool and tangy key lime pie eaten al fresco in the middle of Summer. Pie is just a comfort food, for me at least. So last month when we (The Cake Slice Bakers) were faced with the challenge to make a peanut butter and chocolate mousse "cake" I knew I'd be turning it into a pie. I use the term "cake" loosely, because there's not one part of this recipe that goes into the oven. You start with a cookie crust, layer in some fluffy peanut butter and chocolate mousse and glaze it with a healthy dose of deep, dark and rich ganache. Sounds good, right?

Peanut butter and chocolate go hand in hand. Most people love that combination, I've just never been a huge fan of it. I know you're all looking at me like I'm crazy, but it's true. I love peanut butter and I love chocolate, separately, on their own, not together. My brother LOVES it though so I made this pie for him. Lately we've all been dealing with some financial stuff. It seems everywhere I turn someone is. This economy is just rough and you do what you have to do to get by. If you're not struggling in some way, kudos to you! For my brother, he had to sell his beloved truck. He is a car "collector"- his favorites being old Cadillacs. He needed some cash flow and this truck needed to find a new home. He was kind down in the dumps about it so this pie was made for him. It was a "I'm sorry this economy sucks and you had to sell your truck, but I still love you" kind of pie. And sometimes we all need that. 

In fact right now, I could use about a dozen of these kinds of pies. If you're in the same situation, consider this pie for you! There are several steps to make this pie and several dishes to wash! There's a bowl for the crust, one for the whipped cream, another two for the mousse layers and another for the glaze, plus a food processor a saucepan and any measuring tools and spatulas. But is it worth it? heck yes! It seems rather lengthy and involved but each step is fairly simple and straightforward. It just takes time and patience but in the end you'll be rewarded with a creamy and decadent pie sure to warm your heart even if you never turn the oven on. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Printer Friendly Version 

For The Chocolate Wafer Crust: 

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Oreos, with the filling scraped out)
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For The Peanut Butter Mousse: 

• 2.5 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

For The Chocolate Mousse: 

• 2.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz. milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 Tbsp whole milk 
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For The Chocolate Glaze: 

• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

To Make The Chocolate Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs and the melted butter. Stir until well combined. Pat the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Refrigerate the crust while you make the peanut butter mousse. 

To Make The Peanut Butter Mousse: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Add the peanut butter and salt and mix until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Set bowl aside while whipping the cream. 

In a large clean bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold 1/2 cup of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until almost blended. Fold in another 3/4 cup of the whipped cream until completely blended and no white streaks appear. 

Scrape the peanut butter mousse into the prepared pie pan and spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate while you make the chocolate mousse. Cover the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate ready to use. 

To Make The Chocolate Mousse: Place both chocolates in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Leave the chocolate in the food processor. 

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. With the food processor running, pour the hot milk through the feed tube, and process until the chocolate is completely melted. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, and process until well blended. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. 

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold 1/4 of the reserved whipped cream into the mousse. Fold in the remaining cream until completely blended. Scrape the mousse onto the peanut butter mousse layer and smooth the top using an offset spatula. Refrigerate the pie while making the chocolate glaze. 

To Make The Chocolate Glaze: Place finely chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. 

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil.  Pour cream over the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Add the vanilla, then gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. Do not over mix or you'll incorporate air bubbles. Let the mixture cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. 

Pour the cooled glaze over the chocolate mousse layer. Using a small metal spatula, spread the glaze evenly over the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top with peanuts if desired, for garnish, before the glaze sets. 

Chill the pie for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Loosely cover pie and store any leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. 

Creamy Oreo Birthday Pie and A Winner!

Happy 17th Birthday Aaron!

We are on our way out of town for a long weekend to visit family. My aunt had a baby a couple weeks ago and we can't wait any longer to meet him! As thrilled as we are about being there, we are not so enthusiastic about the 9-hour road trip that follows. We usually just travel across town with Hayden and last October we even went to the pumpkin patch, about an hour away, but that's it. I'm trying to stay composed but internally I'm freaking out! 9 looooooong hours...

I know people travel all the time with kids and I'm sure things will be just fine, I'm just concerned about keeping him entertained for that long. And napping, and feeding. haha! My mom, brothers and cousin are coming with us so we will have help, I'm just praying there are no meltdowns. And I don't mean by Hayden :-) How does one travel without packing up the entire house? I don't think I realized how much "Stuff" that little guy has. 

This Oreo pie has nothing to do with our trip, but it was delicious. I made it for my brother's 17th birthday back in May and forgot to blog it. It was tangy and creamy and sweet, and loaded with chopped up Oreos. After refrigerating the pie, the cookies soften and become one with the cream cheese filling. My brother and Mr. H both loved this birthday pie and one of the best parts about it is that you don't have to turn the oven to make it. This pie is super rich so a small slice goes a long way. A glass of icy milk helps wash it all down. Enjoy and wish us luck this weekend! I'll let you all know how it goes when we get back.

Creamy Oreo Pie adapted from Kraft

Printer Friendly Version 

• 36 Oreo Cookies, divided 
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups whipped cream
• Additional Oreos and whipped cream for garnish, optional

Crush 26 of the cookies into crumbs. Mix with butter until well combined then press firmly into the bottom  and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing the filling. 

Chop 10 of the remaining cookies and set aside. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the chopped cookies and whipped cream, stirring gently until well blended. Spoon into prepared crust. 

Garnish with mounds of whipped cream and additional Oreos. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm, before serving. 

And the winner of the $25 Walmart gift card is commenter #65  Sharon B who said...

My perfect steak dinner is one with my husband. We work in different cities right now and only see each other on the weekends. Some of the best times we have these day are over dinner!"

Congratulations Sharon B! Please email me with your mailing address and I'll send your gift card right out to you. 

Bad Day Pie

We all have bad days. Hayden happened to be having one when I made this pie back in December. I remember the day pretty well- he was fussy from the getgo. He was hungry, but didn't want to eat. He was tired but didn't want to sleep. When he did sleep, it was for 15 minutes at a time, then he'd wake up crying because I had put him down. He spit up several times throughout the day, which meant he was constantly wet and stinky. All that made for one cranky baby.

My grandma was in town and had stayed the night to help out. I think we scared her. haha! Hayden is generally a happy baby and only cries when he is tired, hungry or in pain. He doesn't just cry because he needs something to do. But that was the first time my grandma really spent time with him and I don't think she was prepared for it. This pie only takes a few minutes to put together but it took me over an hour to make because I kept having to take breaks to soothe Hayden. Melt the chocolate, take a break, stir in the cream cheese, take a break, fold in the whipped topping, take a break, pour into crust, take a break. You get the idea.

After several hours of crying baby, I had a mini breakdown and retired to the bathroom to soak in the tub in peace. Mr. H and my grandma were tending to Hayden and all I could hear from across the house was his crying. I tried to relax and just couldn't. Mr. H tried to soothe Hayden and couldn't so he brought him into the bathroom to see me. He got in the tub with me and we played in the water for over an hour. He loved floating and splashing and returned to his usual happy self. All this to say that even after a long hard day, something sweet can still come out of it and I'm not talking about the pie.

Hayden with his Great Grandma (GGma) in December 2011

This pie was creamy, slightly tangy from the cream cheese, light and mousse-like. You can switch it up by using different chocolate, or whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, just be sure to use a homemade crust- I used store bought and was disappointed in it's flavor but the filling was great. If you're having a bad day, take a break or ten, and make pie.

German Sweet Chocolate Pie from Let's Dish

Printer Friendly Version

• 4 ounces Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) Cool Whip topping, thawed
• 1 graham cracker or chocolate pie crust

Heat chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted. Beat sugar into cream cheese; add remaining milk and chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and blend until smooth. Spoon into crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Garnish with additional whipped topping and chocolate curls, if desired. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving then refrigerate any leftovers.