MoMo's (warm) Banana Pudding

Beware! One batch of this is NEVER enough, so you might want to consider doubling it if you are having company.

Mo used to receive requests to make this on a regular basis.

BEST.BANANA.PUDDING.EVER.

Cook the following over medium heat, stirring constantly:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 eggs (beaten)
2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla

While this is cooking, layer 'Nilla Wafters and ripened bananas in an 8" square dish. I recommend that you do a layer of cookies, a layer of bananas, and a second layer of cookies.

Pour the warm pudding mixture over the layers and SERVE immediately!

Trust me when I say:
BEST.BANANA.PUDDING.EVER.

Blackberry Cobbler

I am the cook that I am today because of my MoMo Fontenot. In fact, she has inspired almost every single thing that I prepare for my family on a regular basis. My ultimate dream is that as Corrie gets a little bigger, I will be able to pass along my love of cooking and the legacy of MoMo Fontenot to her.... After all, I AM MoMo 2.0, so it only seems natural, right?!

I lost MoMo Fontenot in August 2008, just 7 weeks after I moved to Denmark. And then in June 2013, I lost my mom, just 6 weeks after I moved back from Denmark. Some days my sense of loss surrounding my love for those 2 ladies is all consuming, and on those days, I cook. I cook something intentional, something that will soothe my soul and remind me of them. Yesterday, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, was one of those days.

The house was quiet and my heart was aching, so I pulled out my old recipe cards from Mo and decided it was time to fill the house with the smells of her Blackberry Cobbler. It was so familiar and it eased the ache in my heart just a little.

I was asked by quite a few friends and even a few family members to please share this recipe, so here you go! I hope that it brings as much happiness to you and your family as it does to me and mine! 

Mix the following to make your batter:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350. As soon as it reaches 350, put 1/4 stick of butter in the bottom of your baking dish (An 8" square pan works, but I use my Pampered Chef round stone deep dish baker.) and then place the baking dish in the oven to melt the butter. 

Meanwhile place 1 1/2 cups of fresh blackberries* in a saucepan with 3-4 TBSP sugar and 1/2 cup water. Heat until the sugar dissolves and the berries soften. Be careful not to break them as you stir.

Pull the baking dish out as soon as the butter is melted (make sure it does not scorch). Pour your batter into the dish on top of the butter. 

Once your berries are softened, add cornstarch to the saucepan to thicken it just a bit...making sure it's not too thick! 

Next, pour the berry mixture on top of the batter. It should seep through the batter, but do not stir it. It should ooze through the batter on its own.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

And if you have any leftovers, heat them in the microwave for about 20 seconds before serving. Trust me--this tastes BEST warm!

*Note: Mo always had blackberries in the garden because PaPa Fontenot always grew them to make his wine, but the kind you buy at the grocery store work just as well! :-) 

Kelli's Pecan Pie

There are SO many versions of Pecan Pie out there, so it would only make sense that mine has its own special kick! And since I can't put Slap Ya Mama in a pecan pie, I chose another "KICK"! Trust me...this is one of the easiest pecan pie recipes you will ever make!

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your pie crust (homemade or the refrigerated roll-out ones from the grocery store----either works just fine!)

Note: A 9" pie pan never seems to be big enough for my occasions, so keep in mind that this recipe is for a larger pie pan-- closer to 12".

In a large box mix together 1 + 1/4 cup of white sugar and 4 TBSP melted butter.

Add 3/4 cup of light corn syrup and 4 large egss (beaten). Mix until everything is well-blended. Now for the dessert-version of SYM-- add 3 TBSP of Bourbon (I actually buy the cheap stuff, so I am sure whatever you have on hand will be GREAT!)

Add 2 cups of Pecan Halves.

Pour into the unbaked pie crust.

Set on a cookie sheet (I use my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone and it works great!) and place in your 350 degree oven.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 300 and continue to bake until your middle is set... there is not a magical time for this. It depends on several things--like your altitude, the quality of your corn syrup, your oven... just watch it closely. Mine usually take about 20 more minutes on the lower temp to fully set....but keep your eye on it!

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until you are ready to serve.

Fruit Pizza

This one is an oldie, but a goodie! In fact, I have not made it since I moved to Denmark, but my daughter called me about it because she planned to serve it at a baby shower she was hosting. When I sent her the directions, I remembered how yummy it is! So whether you need something to serve at a shower or a brunch, or just a YUMMY treat for yourself, this dish is perfect!

When I lived in the US, I cheated on this recipe and used the "Pillsbury Refrigerated Sugar Cookie" dough as my crust, but my life in Denmark has forced me to make just about everything from scratch... but honestly, if we ever move back to the US, I am certain that I will keep doing things this way! They just taste better!

Step 1--Make your pizza "crust". (My suggestion is that you do this the night before you plan to serve the pizza so that it has plenty of time to cool before you complete steps 2 and 3.)

Step 2--Make your pizza "sauce".

Step 3--Add your pizza "toppings".

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The Pizza "Crust" Instructions:

Melt 2 sticks of butter. Add 1 cup of sugar, 1 TBSP of milk, and 1 egg. Mix until well-blended. Add 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 3 cups of flour. Beat this mixture until it begins to pull away from the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove from the fridge when you are ready to bake. Sprinkle the area where you plan to roll out the dough with POWDERED SUGAR (NOT flour!) Also, coat your rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll out the dough to fit your baking pan (I use a round pizza stone.), adding a bit more powdered sugar as needed. The goal is that your crust is about 1/4 inch thick. Grease your pan slightly. Don't forget this step or else your beautiful pizza will stick when you are trying to cut it the next day!

Bake 14-18 minutes at 375...or until the crust is golden.

Cool and then cover until the next day.

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The Pizza "Sauce" Instructions:

Soften 2 packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Mix with one package of powdered sugar (16 oz). Add 1 tsp of vanilla and mix until smooth.

Spread evenly on your cooled sugar cookie crust.

For an extra flair, sprinkle your "sauce" with poppy seeds just before you go on to step 3.

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The Pizza "Toppings" Instructions:

Choose your favorite COLORFUL fruits. I like to use strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and mandarin oranges (1 can, drained). Slice your strawberries as well as your kiwi. Now you are ready to place your toppings on your pizza. Be creative and arrange the fruits so that the pizza looks as colorful as possible.

Set in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes before you serve.

Slice with a Pizza Cutter and serve!

Bourbon Street Praline Cake

I wanted to do something really yummy and really unique for Mads' birthday cake this year! Especially since I am throwing him a "Mardi Gras" themed Cajun Birthday party.... so I poked around the websites of some of my favorite cooks, and used some of their ideas to create my own version of what I am calling the "Bourbon St. Praline Cake".

I made a trial run of this cake a couple of weeks ago for Mads to try..he LOVED it. In fact, he took some of it to the office and 2 of the ladies said it was (and I quote), "the best cake I have ever eaten"! It's not the kind of cake you can eat once a week... but it is definitely something you want to experience at least once!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup baker's cocoa
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of bourbon
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Grease a Bundt pan and preheat the oven to 350. In a small saucepan heat the butter, cocoa and water, stirring constantly until the butter melts and the cocoa is well-blended. Remove from heat and while it is cooling, add the following ingredients to a large bowl: buttermilk, bourbon, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Add the cooled butter/cocoa mixture and mix until well-blended. Add the sugar and mix well. Then gradually add the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing as you go.

Pour into the greased Bundt pan and bake 25 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick is clean). Cool completely on a wire wrack and then remove from pan.

Once the cake is cooled, you are ready to make your Praline Frosting.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of cream
• 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans

Place the first three items in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Stir in pecans and stir for about 2 minutes--be careful that it does not harden too quickly. As soon as your pecans are blended in, you are ready to frost the cake.

Poppy Seed Cake... the BEST EVER!

When we were in Texas in February to check on dad, one of my parents' neighbors baked us a cake... well, actually her neighbors fed us on several occasions, but the cake is what I remember the most because it was DIVINE!

Before we left, my sister and I asked for the recipe for the cake...figuring it was something complicated because it was so yummy! Then when I saw the ingredients, I could not believe it! It is the strangest combination of things, but let me tell you.. this is the MOISTEST CAKE I have ever eaten... and it STAYS moist for a week (if you can make the cake last that long!)

All you need is:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding mix

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 oil

1/2 water

4 eggs

1 tsp Almond Extract

2 tsp Poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 325. Mix the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, water and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the almond extract and the poppy seeds and blend into the batter. Pour batter into a Bundt pan that has been greased and SPRINKLED WITH a little CINNAMON/SUGAR mix. Bake 1 hour at 325. When you remove the cake from the oven, cover it with foil for 15 min.

SERVE and prepare to be asked to SERVE IT AGAIN!

Never Fail Pie Crust

If you live in a country that does not have Shortening, then you need a pie crust recipe alternative that tastes just as good! And here it is! In fact, if I move back to the US, I think I will keep using this one! It is so much more flaky than my old shortening recipe!

(Note: I double it because I almost always do a lattice top on my pies!)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice water

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight if you are not making your pies until the next day).

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Trim the excess edges with kitchen scissors. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Fill with something YUMMY!

I usually choose APPLES since that is the best AMERICAN dessert around!

Empanadas!

Not only is it a fun word to say, but a fun thing to make and eat!

Empanadas can be made as an appetizer, a meal, a

breakfast pastry, or a dessert! The options are limitless!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

12 TBSP butter, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

12 TBSP cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

4 TBSP ice water

1 egg, beaten

FILLING-- this is up to you!! Read my suggestions* below!

Directions:

Mix the salt and the flour together in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter and cream cheese. You can use your food processor to do this, but I prefer to use my hands! Mix and mix and mix until the mixture resembles a course cornmeal. Sprinkle with the ice water and mix a little more until the dough forms a ball.

Flatten out, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Flour the dough and roll out until it is 1/4inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter or a large glass, cut out as many

circles as your dough allows.

Then roll up the "scraps" and cut out a few more circles. Then take your rolling pin and roll each circle just a bit, so it is a longer, oval shaped. This extra step allows you to fill them up a little bit more! Beat one egg in a small bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly paint the edge of the oval. This will help keep it sealed better when they are baking!

Place a spoonful of your Filling* in the middle of

each oval, fold the dough over and pinch the edges closed. Use the tines of a fork around the edge of the empanada to seal it and add a little flair to it before baking.

Bake at 425 for about 15 min (or until golden brown).

How you serve them will depend on what filling you chose. (see suggestions below)

EMPANADA FILLINGS:

*Taco meat & grated cheese (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*Spinach dip

*Crab Meat (or your favorite crab dip recipe)

*Breakfast sausage (cooked) and scrambled eggs (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*BBQ pork (like the kind you eat on a pulled pork sandwich) (serve with a dollop of BBQ sauce)

*Marmalade/Jam (pick your favorite flavor!) (sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving)

*Apple (or any other fruit) pie filling (serve with ice cream)

*"Strawberry Cheese Cake"--Spread cream Cheese on the dough & then place a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle of it before folding over

As you can see, the options are LIMITLESS!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

This yummy dessert can be served by itself or it makes the perfect "cake" part of a homemade Strawberry Shortcake!

Ingredients:

1 tsp vanilla

6 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup sour cream

3 cups sugar (yes, I said THREE)

1 cup butter (yes, I said a cup... and no, I never promised this was a low-fat dessert!)

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a round TUBE PAN. Trust me on this one! It works WAY better than a loaf pan because it truly cooks all the way through!

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the sour cream and mix until well-blended. Add the baking soda, vanilla, and flour to the creamed mixture, and then add the eggs one at a time.

Pour the mixture into the tube pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 min, or until it's golden brown and passes the toothpick check!

SLICE, sprinkle with just a LITTLE powdered sugar, and SERVE!

TEXAS Sheet Cake AKA: Cocoa Cola Double Fudge Cake

A YUMMY TEXAS TRADITION!

WARNING: If you make this for your guests, they will BEG you to make it again!

Ingredients for Cake:

1 cup Coca Cola

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 stick of butter (8 TBSP)

3 TBSP cocoa

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan bring Coca Cola, oil, butter, and cocoa to a boil. Mix the sugar, flour and salt together and then pour in the boiling mixture and beat well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla and beat well. Pour into a greased "sheet cake pan" (larger than a 9x13 if possible!) and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Icing Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter

3 TBSP cocoa

6 TBSP buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1 lb. (16 oz) powdered sugar

In a saucepan combine the butter, cocoa, and milk and heat until the butter melts. Beat in the remaining ingredients and spread on the HOT cake. Cool completely and then serve!

Your guests will beg you to make it next time! I promise!

Pineapple Crumble

Want the simplest dessert on the planet???? But one that will make people think you worked all day??? And no, it's not Rice Krispie Treats!

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Pour a large can of CHOPPED pineapple in the dish, juice and all!

Evenly sprinkle one package of DRY yellow cake mix over the pineapple.

Evenly sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans over the cake mix.

Melt 3/4 cup of butter (1 1/2 sticks) and pour over the pecans.

Bake 25 minutes, or until golden!

Serve warm....your guests will be AMAZED!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Need an idea of what to do with those overripe bananas OTHER THAN making banana bread? Trust me, after you make these one time, you will always pick this recipe over the one you have for regular ol' banana bread!

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease the 12 cups of a muffin tin (In DK, I use Becel.). Don't use muffin paper cups.... it robs them of their moistness!

In a large bowl mix together:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In a 2nd bowl mix together:

3 overripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, melted

Add the ingredients from bowl #2 to bowl #1 and mix, just until it is moistened.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups.

In a small bowl mix together:

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 TBSP flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 TBSP butter (NOT melted!)

Crumble these ingredients together with your hands so that it looks like a course cornmeal. Sprinkle this topping over each muffin cup.

Bake 18-20 min, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Make a cup of tea and ENJOY!

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

This recipe makes about a dozen yummy muffins! Or you can use the SAME recipe to create a delicious coffee cake. Instead of a muffin tin, round cake pan--- I use a bundt pan!

In one bowl mix together:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

Cut in 4 TBSP butter. Mix with your hands until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.

In a second bowl, mix:

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Add this to the dry mixture, stirring just enough to moisten.

Peel, core, and chop 3 tart apples.

Add the apples to the mixture.

Grease the 12 cups of a muffin tin or a bundt cake pan. (I use Becel in DK.)

Pour the mixture in.

In a small bowl mix together:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans (in DK you have to use walnuts unless you can import the pecans!)

1 tsp cinnamon

Sprinkle this mixture on top of each muffin cup or on top of the cake batter.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Roasted Banana Bars with Butter Pecan Frosting

You should bake these just because of how they make your house smell.... it's DIVINE!

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 400 and mix together:

2 cups of ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 TBSP butter

Bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Bake another 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Step 2:

Reduce oven temp to 375.

Mix together in bowl #1:

2 1/4 cups of flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

Mix together in bowl #2:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Mix together in bowl #3 (yes it's a lot of dirty dishes, but SOOO worth it!!):

the banana mixture (slightly cooled)

1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix together contents of Bowl #1 and Bowl #2.

Once they are well-blended, add Bowl #3. It is important to add the banana mixture last.

Bake in a greased 13x9 pan for 20 minutes at 375.

Cool completely before frosting.

While the bars are cooling, you can make the frosting:

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan and cook until lightly browned (do not microwave...you want the effect of cooking it on the stove!)

Cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl- mix the melted butter, 3 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until well-blended. Spread over the cooled bars and then top with chopped pecans.

SHARE!!

And you will be a hit! I promise!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Living in DK, I have to import Brownie mix, JIF, and chocolate chips, but this recipe is SO yummy, I am willing to use my precious imports to make it! :-) Trust me!

Ingredients:
1 boxed brownie mix, prepared according to box directions
1 cup creamy peanut butter--I use JIF!
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 13x9 pan.
Mix Brownies according to package directions.
Prepare peanut butter swirl: Beat peanut butter, sugar, butter, flour, and egg until well blended.
Spread two-thirds of the prepared chocolate brownie batter into the bottom of the pan. Top with dollops of peanut butter mixture until it is all gone! Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the swirl mixture. Top with remaining 1/3 of brownie batter. With tip of knife, cut and twist through mixtures to create swirled effect.

Bake brownies 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. Serve warm! YUM! (Don't leave out the chips...they add a special surprise when you bite into them!)

MoMo´s Strawberry Pie

Note: To make this in Denmark, you have to bring a few things over from the US.... otherwise, it´s just not quite right.....

Ingredients:
Graham cracker crust
2 cups of freshed, sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 TBSP cornstarch
3 TBSP strawberry jello (powder)
Cool whip

Cook sugar, cornstarch and water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat, add Jello and allow to cool completely.

Add sliced strawberries to the mix and pour into the prepared Graham cracker crust. Set in the fridge overnight (or several hours) until set. Just before serving, top with Cool Whip and a few more sliced strawberries. It is SO easy, but your guests will think you worked all day on this!