{Swoon} Chocolate Pecan Pie {or Tarts}

I wasn't going to post again before Christmas...but then this happened.  I think you'll understand my urgent need to share.

A dear friend of mine brought four desserts to our Thanksgiving dinner.  Her dessert spread included a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. I'm not a huge fan of pecan pie (although I like it) but this pie was AMAZING. I mean, chocolate just makes everything better, right? I procured the recipe a day or two later and then made it within the week (omitting the bourbon).  That's how much I enjoyed it.

As I was thinking about Christmas cookies, it occurred to me that I could make a chocolate version of pecan tarts.  And so I did, using her recipe.  Below you will find both recipes- the one for the pie and, if you want a cookie version/love a bigger crust to filling ratio, the tart version.

Chocolate Pecan Pie (a friend's recipe, slightly adapted)

a 9-inch, deep crust pie crust in a pan, unbaked
1 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup butter
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Spread the chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie crust.  In a glass bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together until fully melted and combined.  Stir in the sugar, the eggs, and the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the pecans in the pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until set.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Tarts
Makes 48 tarts

To make the pastry dough:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, cold and chopped
4 or 5 tbsp. ice water

Using your food processor or pastry cutter (I opt for my cutter all the time- less dishes to wash), combine the flour and salt.  Add butter pieces and combine/process.  Drizzle in the ice water and mix until it comes together nicely into a soft dough.  Don't over combine.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in fridge for 1 hour.

To make the filling:

1 cup chopped roasted pecans
2 tbsp. butter
1 oz. baking chocolate (unsweetened)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten well
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

In a small glass bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave until fully melted and combined.  Stir in the sugar, beaten eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and salt.

To assemble:

Coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray (mine makes 24 mini muffins).  Set aside.

Divide the pastry dough in half, returning one half to the fridge.  On a floured surface, roll out the other half to pie crust thickness (roll it thinner if you want the filling to shine, thicker if you love crust).  Use a cookie cutter shape or a glass with a 2 1/2 to 3-inch diameter to cut out the shapes/mini pie crusts.  Place them into the muffin tin, gently pressing to fit.  When the tin is full of mini pie crusts, place the pan in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.

Now you have a choice:

If you like a nutty cookie and don't have a big sweet tooth, fill each mini crust with 1 tsp. of chopped pecans.  Over the top, measure in 1 tsp. of the filling over the pecans.

If you want less nuts and more sweet, place 1/2 tsp. of chopped pecans into each mini pie.  Over the top measure in 1 and 1/2 tsp. of filling- be careful not to overfill or it will bake over and make them hard to remove from the tin. Aim to fill them like the ones below.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Gently remove the tarts from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat the process with the remaining chilled dough or save/freeze it.  It will make one pie crust.

And now... I can leave you all in Christmas peace:-).

Blessings,

Jane

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{Still!} Our Favorite Christmas Treats

Originally posted November 20, 2013.

Just because we're waiting until the week before Christmas to bake, doesn't mean you are.  You all are much more disciplined about not sneaking them from the freezer or gobbling up half a dozen while they're still warm, right?  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  Of course.

In the event you're already baking or will be baking soon, I wanted to offer up our favorites.  If you've been around here for awhile, you'll see that our list hasn't changed much.  That's because these are the cream of the crop, in my opinion, and improving on the list would be tough.  That said, I'd love to hear what your favorite Christmas cookie is.  Would you tell me?  Please, please, please?

Almost all of these recipes below can also be found here.

First off- Lemon Bars. Oh, how I love them.  My infatuation began in our college cafeteria where I ate them for the first time.  Imagine how I now enjoy these in contrast with the albeit tasty cafeteria version (they actually baked them there, I believe).

Next, we have my mother-in-law's Caramel Popcorn.  Hers is the best I've ever had- well-coated, not grainy, just melt-in-your-mouth heavenly.

These Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are my favorite cookie in the world and I'm not exaggerating.  I could eat them every day at every meal.  Boldly spiced and chocolaty, they are divine.

Ahhhh.  These are my mother's Chocolate Mint Brownies.  You can add green food coloring to the mint layer to make them more festive, but I like leaving them pure white so your unsuspecting company is wowed by the flavor punch.

Such a classic- Peanut Blossoms.  These were my favorite growing up.  I'd always eat the peanut butter cookie around the kiss, saving the chocolate for my last bite.  Hmm.  Come to think of it, that's exactly what I still do:-).

This Gingerbread Cookie recipe came from my mom.  She use to pipe white icing on her gingerbread men, giving them faces and little pants, shirts and shoes.  Several years ago, I decided to decorate them by dipping them in melted chocolate and then let the kids decorate with sprinkles.  As you may have noticed above, I love the chocolate-gingerbread combination, so these are my second favorite cookie.  And I can still give the illusion of little pants, shoes and hats.

Do you know about Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies?  Well, I am happy to introduce you.  The bark can totally stand alone as a treat (or sweet gift wrapped in a cellophane bag), but add them to chocolate cookies?  Be still my beating heart.

In the back of Beth Morre's Bible study book on Esther comes this recipe for Haman's Ears.  Soft, sweet cookie is wrapped around your choice of filling- we use apple butter and different flavors of jam.  Not only are they delicious, but they remind our family of the way God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Lastly, Homemade Marshmallows.  If you've never tried these, you really must.  They are surprising easy to make and taste so much better than the store bought variety.  And!  Your kids will love dropping one big giant marshmallow into their hot chocolate instead of those of itty-bitty ones.

Happy baking, loves!

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Thanksgiving at Home

We were unable to travel this year because of Jamey's work schedule.  While we did miss seeing extended family, we had a wonderful time with friends and my cousin's family.

I *love* hosting big meals. Yes, it's a lot of work BUT if you let your guests pitch in and bring some of the food and if you don't set your house cleaning standards too high, it can be totally manageable and enjoyable.

Another thing that simplified things immensely this year is that we roasted our turkey the day before. My mother-in-law gave me excellent instructions and even lent me her oven roaster (which is now on my wish list).  We roasted the turkey on Wednesday afternoon and Jamey carved it Wednesday evening.  He commented on how well it went.  We realized it went well for a few reasons. One, we let it sit for over an hour so it wasn't so very hot to handle.  Two, it was less stressful because there weren't a zillion things going on in the kitchen at the same time.  And, three, the kids were already in bed and there were no conversations/visiting that he was missing out on while he was carving.

He placed the carved turkey pieces right in the insert of the roaster and we filled it halfway with the juices from the bird (reserving the rest for gravy).  We roasted a 20 pound turkey and all but a small bowl of it fit inside the 6 quart roaster (there were two layers).  Once the turkey had cooled, we placed it in the fridge.

The next day, I set the insert back in the roaster (with the lid on) two hours before we were planning to eat and set the temperature for 250 degrees.  Once I could tell it was heated through, I turned it back a bit.  The turkey was so nice and moist.  We are definitely going to do it this way again.  A big bonus is that it frees up oven space on the big day as well...and boy did we use it!  Here's what we had (please remember this wasn't all me)!

turkey
gravy
stuffing
streuseled sweet potatoes (recipe to come)
baked corn
green bean casserole
mashed potatoes (made by my cousin's 12-year-old son- they were awesome!)
brie and cranberries with crackers
applesauce
cranberry sauce/salad
chocolate swirl cheesecake
apple pie
chocolate pecan pie (recipe to come)
pumpkin pie
vanilla ice cream
sugared cranberries (recipe to come)

While the food was wonderful, it truly is the relationships and the air of thankfulness that really makes this holiday special.

To God be the glory, great things He has done. Pin It

What Today Should Be About

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;

    before the gods I sing your praise;

I bow down toward your holy temple

    and give thanks to your name 

for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;

    for you have exalted your name and your word

    above everything.

On the day I called, you answered me,

    you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,

    for they have heard the words of your mouth.

They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for 

great is the glory of the Lord.

For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;

    but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

    you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;

you stretch out your hand,

    and your right hand delivers me.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalm 138:1-8, NRSV

(italics mine)

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends.  
I give thanks for you.

Love,

Jane

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Planning a Big Meal?

I shared this a few years ago but was reminded of it once again as I think about hosting Thanksgiving this Thursday.  Below you will find the words written by Mary Emma Showalter that can be found in the back of the Mennonite Community Cookbook (copyright 1950).

May you feel encouraged.  Unless it makes you feel more overwhelmed...oh, dear.  I hope I didn't make things worse.


"This bit of information was found in a quaint, old handwritten recipe book from my Great-grandmother's day. It is included here mainly for the purpose of giving us a peep into the past. As many of us know, a "barn raising" was quite an event during those early years. When a new barn was built, all the friends and neighbors came on the specified day to help put up the framework of the barn. This policy is still carried out in some communities where neighbors are neighborly. Homemakers of our day will no doubt be astounded at all the food consumed in one day. What is more difficult to believe is that it was all made in Great-grandmother's kitchen.

Here is the list I found:

115 lemon pies
500 fat cakes (doughnuts)
15 large cakes
3 gallons applesauce
3 gallons rice pudding
3 gallons cornstarch pudding
16 chickens
3 hams
50 pounds roast beef
300 light rolls
16 loaves of bread
Red beet pickle and pickled eggs
Cucumber pickle
6 pounds dried prunes, stewed
1 large crock stewed raisins
5 gallon stone jar white potatoes and the same amount sweet potatoes

Enough food for 175 men."

And in case this makes you feel a little underwhelmed with your responsibilities this week, you could make these little cuties.

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Undone

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I have nothing to pack.

For the first time in forever, I will not be at my childhood home Christmas Day.  I will not pack up gifts, clothes, snow pants, sleeping bags and toiletries.  We will not have to rush through our little family's pre-Christmas celebration.  I will sleep in our bed.  I will watch the fire in our stove.

It will be decidedly quiet compared to all the normal festivities of extended family celebrations.  Part of me will miss it terribly.  The other part of me needs the relative quiet.  I need the good night's sleep.  I need to gather just us (in all our messy glory) around our table.  I need to help us focus on the last of our Advent devotional reads (which we never seem to get to).  We need the stability and predictability of being at home.

This past year has been one of many changes and much emotional stretching for all of us. It only seems right that we slow up, hunker down and rest as we usher in God's miraculous gift to us.  He's been giving us gifts all year long that have felt down right extravagant.  To focus on the Gift of Christ almost makes me come undone.  And I want to be home if I am to come undone.  It's just what I need because I know that the grace, peace and love that will put me back together makes me stronger than I was before.  And I need all the Holy Strength I can get.

Whether you're traveling or staying home this Christmas, my prayer for you is that you will allow yourself to come apart a bit.  Contrary to what the world tells us, this week is not about gifts or food or even family.  It's about ushering in the most amazing event of all time.  Be present for it.  Allow it to break and strengthen you and draw you ever closer to the Holy Gift Himself.

Grace, Peace and Love,
Jane


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Our Favorite Christmas Treats

Originally posted November 20, 2013.

Just because we're waiting until the week before Christmas to bake, doesn't mean you are.  You all are much more disciplined about not sneaking them from the freezer or gobbling up half a dozen while they're still warm, right?  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  Of course.

In the event you're already baking or will be baking soon, I wanted to offer up our favorites.  If you've been around here for awhile, you'll see that our list hasn't changed much.  That's because these are the cream of the crop, in my opinion, and improving on the list would be tough.  That said, I'd love to hear what your favorite Christmas cookie is.  Would you tell me?  Please, please, please?

Almost all of these recipes below can also be found here.

First off- Lemon Bars. Oh, how I love them.  My infatuation began in our college cafeteria where I ate them for the first time.  Imagine how I now enjoy these in contrast with the albeit tasty cafeteria version (they actually baked them there, I believe).

Next, we have my mother-in-law's Caramel Popcorn.  Hers is the best I've ever had- well-coated, not grainy, just melt-in-your-mouth heavenly.

These Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are my favorite cookie in the world and I'm not exaggerating.  I could eat them every day at every meal.  Boldly spiced and chocolaty, they are divine.

Ahhhh.  These are my mother's Chocolate Mint Brownies.  You can add green food coloring to the mint layer to make them more festive, but I like leaving them pure white so your unsuspecting company is wowed by the flavor punch.

Such a classic- Peanut Blossoms.  These were my favorite growing up.  I'd always eat the peanut butter cookie around the kiss, saving the chocolate for my last bite.  Hmm.  Come to think of it, that's exactly what I still do:-).

This Gingerbread Cookie recipe came from my mom.  She use to pipe white icing on her gingerbread men, giving them faces and little pants, shirts and shoes.  Several years ago, I decided to decorate them by dipping them in melted chocolate and then let the kids decorate with sprinkles.  As you may have noticed above, I love the chocolate-gingerbread combination, so these are my second favorite cookie.  And I can still give the illusion of little pants, shoes and hats.

Do you know about Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies?  Well, I am happy to introduce you.  The bark can totally stand alone as a treat (or sweet gift wrapped in a cellophane bag), but add them to chocolate cookies?  Be still my beating heart.

In the back of Beth Morre's Bible study book on Esther comes this recipe for Haman's Ears.  Soft, sweet cookie is wrapped around your choice of filling- we use apple butter and different flavors of jam.  Not only are they delicious, but they remind our family of the way God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Lastly, Homemade Marshmallows.  If you've never tried these, you really must.  They are surprising easy to make and taste so much better than the store bought variety.  And!  Your kids will love dropping one big giant marshmallow into their hot chocolate instead of those of itty-bitty ones.

Happy baking, loves!

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Free Cookbook Deal for Christmas Giving

It's that time of year again!  We're keeping our eyes peeled for gifts for the special people in our lives OR we're trying to think of things to add to our own Christmas list for loved ones who want ideas from us.  Well, I hope that I can help.  Not only that, I want to give some gifts away!  So....

From now until December 15th, every 5th purchase of one of my cookbooks will be free.  In other words, if you order a cookbook and it happens to fall on a multiple of 5, you will be charged for the cookbook and shipping but! within the next day, I will reimburse you the cost of the cookbook (you will still pay shipping and tax, if it applies). 

The cookbook is spiral bound with a clear plastic cover.  Go here and scroll down the page to read more details as well as reviews.

If you happen to order two cookbooks and one of them falls on a multiple of 5, you will get one of the two for free.  If you order five cookbooks, you'll be guaranteed to get one free, etc. This applies to the coil-bound cookbook version only (not the e-version).

Also, just so you know, I am going to start the free giving at a random number between 1 and 5 which means that the first, second, third or fourth order that comes in will be the first free one.  I will go with every 5th from there. Click here to order yours.

Blessings, friends. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Jane Pin It

{Non-Technology} Gift Ideas

The past few years I've moved most of my Christmas preparations (gifts, cards, etc.) to before Thanksgiving.  When I'm successful, it lets me truly focus on Advent during Advent- a crazy concept indeed! It allows time for more meaningful Christmas preparations- those of the heart and mind. December is still full of neighborhood gatherings, special church programs and concerts but in between there is peace (depending on your household- the concept is relative:-)).

This is why I'm thinking about gift-giving already.  And I thought you might appreciate some gift ideas that have proved to be wonderful finds for our family- and none of them require batteries or wifi.  Some I've mentioned before and some are new treasures.  Click on the pictures to find further descriptions and additional information (like reviews) but feel free to check other stores and websites to find yourself the best deal.  And don't forget to use your Swagbucks or Ebates earnings to make them even more affordable.

Storytime Toys- These are really sweet little playsets. We have the Goldilocks one below as well as the Three Little Pigs set.  They come in very sturdy carrying cases (with a handle) where the sets can be stored in between playing marathons.  This is one of the things I like best about them- they can be taken apart and stored compactly.  I rotate toys often and these sets make that easy to do.

 

Peek-a-boo Blocks- I have fallen in love with these blocks.  We didn't have them when our kids were little but I purchased a used set on ebay for our foster child.  The photo below doesn't quite do them justice.  Each block "does" something when you shake it, turn a little dial, etc.  For example, the chick in the egg below makes a peeping sound when you press the one end of the block.  Our big kids (and I) enjoy playing with them, too.  They are on the expensive side, so find a set that suits your fancy and then keep an eye out at yard sales and sites like ebay.

 

Dutch Blitz- This is a fast-paced group card game that is so much fun.  Young kids can start learning early as all they need to do is match colors and count to ten.  The skill comes in with how fast you can place your cards down while everyone else is vying for some of the same spots.  We play this game a lot at our house- often with neighbor kids.

 

Playmobil- Ah, playmobil. Every year we continue to add new sets to our collection.  Often our kids use their saved up allowance money to buy the sets themselves.  These are toys worth saving for the next generation (and the next!).  I love the imaginary play that the sets inspire.  While legos tend to appeal to boys, in our house, our girls gravitate to playmobil.

 

Alphabet Blocks- This was another semi-recent purchase at our house.  In the photo below you can see the different colors in the box which are not shown in the pyramid.  They are beautiful. The cost reflects the "investment" mentality in these blocks.  This is another toy that will be enjoyed for generations.  Each block has a letters, numbers and a picture of an animal on it and the box is a sturdy place to store them when they're not in use (or in our case, a giant plastic pretzel container:-)).

 

Radio shows like Adventures in Odyssey (young and older kids), Ranger Bill (older kids), Little Orley (young kids) and The Sugar Creek Gang (older kids) are great for car trips (in place of DVD players or hand held devices) and for listening to as they wind down before bed.

Colonial Williamsburg Dolls- Our girls share three of these dolls which can also be found here. These dolls are sweet, well made and very reasonably priced.  Their layers of period-accurate clothes can be removed for re-dressing.

 

Heart to Heart Dolls- These are an exceptional alternative to American Girl Dolls.  They are extremely well made and represent the beauty of many nations- including Ethiopia, Mexico and Afghanistan.  And the price isn't nearly as extreme.  Browse around because some of these dolls are significantly cheaper than others.

 

I Never Forget a Face game- This is a darling memory game where faces are matched.  On the back of the box, it tells you where each child is from.  The tiles are sturdy- our game has been well loved for many years and is still holding up beautifully.

 

Sewing Kits- Sadie takes sewing lessons and her little sister, Miriam, wishes she could, too.  While we wait for her to get a little older, I've been picking up these sweet little sewing kit projects. Everything you need is included (except scissors).  With sewing holes punched in the felt, it makes these projects perfect for beginners and tiny hands. I've taken these kits along places where we needed to wait- it's a perfect quiet activity to make the time pass quickly!

 

If you're looking for book ideas, do not fear!  I will tell you a little secret.  Use the Sonlight website! I know both homeschoolers that don't use the Sonlight curriculum and folks that don't homeschool at all who use their website for excellent book ideas.  What's best is that you can browse by grade. You can then shop directly from their site or find the book elsewhere.  Here's how- follow this link, hover over "By Grade" at the top and choose the grade. Under the picture of all the books, click on the picture of the globe, then scroll down the page to see all the books.  Sonlight uses real literature so mostly what you'll see there are excellent novels (and a few textbooks).  Click on the ones that interest you for more details.

What are some of your family's favorite (non-technology) gift ideas? Pin It

October Thus Far

Where does the time go?!  I actually know right where it goes I just wish it I could control the speed of it all. You know- to fast forward through the laundry and dishes and vacuuming and press slow motion during the sweet times with kids, friends and family and those rare, rare moments I have to myself to recharge.

Here are a few glimpses into our last few weeks.

I'm sorry this photo is blurry.  I just wasn't willing to get any closer.  Sadie had run inside saying there was a huge raccoon by the red raspberries.  To make a long story short- it was acting really strange so I called animal control and a ranger came out and put it down.  It was a beautiful animal but the safety of our kids trumped its sick self.

We traveled to Jamey's parents' house for applesauce making and when we drove in the driveway, they were well on their way!  They had all the apples and jars washed, many apples were cut and a large vat of applesauce had already been turned through the strainer.  Three cheers for my amazing in-laws!!

After making applesauce and celebrating Jamey's birthday with his family, we traveled north into Sullivan County, PA, where my family is part owner of a hunting cabin (where I've been going since I was very young).  We like to travel up this particular weekend for the local Fall Festival.  If you ever have a chance to go, you must!  There are craft and food booths galore but what we enjoy the most are the lumberjack competitions- log rolling (above), chainsaw carving, ax throwing, spring boarding, hot saw competitions, etc.  Jamey would love to enter one of the competitions some year. Pharmacist lumberjacks are a rare breed, I would think:-).

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying family (particularly my newest nephew who we met for the first time), taking walks and playing in the creek. Oh, and eating. We do a lot of that there as well.

Walking with my {almost 12-year-old} boy.

At home, the rest of the garden was brought inside- white potatoes, sweet potatoes, dry beans (Scarlet Lady Runners below), butternut squash, some surprise tomatoes and peppers, and...

...a huge bowl of shiitake mushrooms.

With the garden gleaned and the applesauce made, our harvest season is complete...except for our pig. But she's a story for another time.

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