Dessert | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: Dessert
- Fabulous All American Blueberry Pie
  
  Posted at 9:30 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 7th
  Blueberries are my favorite fruit! If I can stop eating all the fresh blueberries long enough, I love to make blueberry pies. I love so many wonderful blueberry pie recipes, but this one is perfect for the 4th of July! Perfect for a backyard barbecue or to take along to a family reunion, just so wonderfully delicious! If you are short on time or just don’t want to make your own crust, use store-bought refrigerated pie crust, which you can find in the dairy section of your grocery store. I like Pillsbury.
  
  Fabulous All American Blueberry Pie
  
  Crust:
  
  2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  1/4 cup sugar
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/2 cup shortening
  
  1/3 cup sweet butter (love my Cabot!)
  
  7 tablespoons cold water
  
  Filling:
  
  6 cups blueberries, rinsed and picked over
  
  1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  
  1/2 sugar
  
  4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  
  3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  
  1 tablespoon sweet butter, cut into small pieces
  
  Glaze:
  
  1 egg yolk
  
  1 teaspoon whipping cream
  
  Crust: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt with a pastry blender, cut in shortening, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle water over the top and mix it together with a pastry blender or fingers until it comes together to form a ball. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  
  Filling: Place rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 F. (I like to put a piece of aluminum foil down or a baking pan on the bottom of the range to catch any drips and keep my oven clean.) Place blueberries in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except for the butter. Add dry ingredients to blueberries and gently toss.
  
  Divide pastry in half. On a floured surface, roll one of the pastry halves into a 12 inch round. Fit into a 10-inch pie plate, letting the pastry hang over the edge. Fill with blueberry mixture. Dot with butter. On a floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to 12 inches round. Place over pie. Seal edges and crimp to form a decorative rim.
  
  Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and cream. Brush the top of the pie with glaze. Cut vents into the pie top. You can use mini cookie cutters for a more decorative top.
  
  Bake pie for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake pie for 35 or 40 minutes longer or until nicely glazed. Cool on rack.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, BLUEBERRY, Dessert, desserts, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Mediterranean diet, One Pan Meals, Pastry, Pie | Tagged American Pie, barbecue, Blueberry Pie, Cabot Butter, Family reunions, July 4th, Plisbury Pie crust
- Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs
  
  Posted at 9:20 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 2nd
  These easy to make chocolate covered Easter Eggs will delight all your family members young and old alike. I sometimes omit the coconut and just make cream eggs and peanut butter. You can serve them plain or decorated with purchased sugar appliqués. However, you choose to embellish these candy eggs will be a big success.
  
  CHOCOLATE COVERED EASTER EGGS
  
  EGGS
  
  8 tablespoon butter softened
  
  4 cups confectioners sugar
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  
  3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
  
  7 ounces sweetened coconut
  
  2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  
  CHOCOLATE COATING
  
  1 package(12 ounces) Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  
  6 tablespoon butter
  
  2 tablespoon heavy cream
  
  Sugar decorations
  
  Cream butter gradually with confectioners sugar. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Mix until combined. Divide sugar mixture in half adding coconut to one half and peanut butter to the other. Shape cream mixtures into small eggs. Place on wax paper
  
  Place chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl. Then, microwave one minute on high. The chocolate will look shiny; stir to combine butter. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until totally smooth. Chocolate continues to melt once you take it out of the microwave. If you microwave the chocolate until it looks completely melted, you risk burning the chocolate.
  
  Add cream to chocolate mixture until combined.
  
  Roll eggs in chocolate and place on wax paper. Don’t coat the underside of eggs. Use a small spatula to smooth out the chocolate and cover the eggs of the filing. Decorate. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. The eggs can be made ahead and frozen. Makes 36 eggs.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, desserts, Easter Recipes, entertaining, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Holiday Celebrations | Tagged Chocolate easter eggs, Easy recipes, Ghirardelli Chocolate
- Easter Chocolate Milk Chocolate Cake
  
  Posted at 9:31 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 29th
  Easter deserves a special cake, and I make a basic chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting decorated with Cadbury Mini Eggs. These delightful candied chocolate eggs are only available during the Easter Holiday.
  I eat all the mini eggs before I can decorate the cake, and I run out to search for one last bag to use on the cake.
  
  Easter Chocolate Milk Layer Cake
  
  1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  
  3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
  1/4 cup light vegetable oil
  
  2 large eggs, room temperature
  
  2 1/2 cup cake flour King Arthur
  
  1/4 cup dried nonfat milk
  
  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Ghirardelli Chocolate
  
  1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  
  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
  6 ounces milk chocolate, melted
  
  1 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  
  Chocolate Fudge Frosting (Recipe below)
  
  Crushed Cadbury Milk Chocolate mini eggs
  
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9-in round cake pans.
  
  2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat in a bowl butter, sugar, oil and eggs at medium speed until well combined about 2 minutes.
  
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, dried milk, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk in thirds starting and ending with flour. Beat until well combined. With mixture at low speed add chocolate, vanilla and almond until chocolate is combined. Ddivid batter between prepared pans.
  
  4. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. remove from pans, and let cook completely on wire racks. Spread Chocolate Fudge Frosting between layers, sprinkle with half crushed chocolate eggs. Place remaining cake layer on top, frost top and sides. Garnish with remaining crushed chocolate eggs.
  
  Milk Chocolate Frosting
  
  12 ounces mild chocolate, chopped
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  
  1.Combine chocolate, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl.
  
  2. In a small sauce pan heat cream over medium heat until just boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for one hour.
  
  3. Beat chocolate with whisk attachment of stand mixture at medium speed for 3 minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
  www.buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in Baking, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, desserts, Food | Tagged Cadbury Mini Egs, chocolate cake, Easter recipe, Ghiradelli Chocolate
- CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU CREPE CAKE
  
  Posted at 9:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 16th
  An outrageous luscious cake that will wow your guest! I loved creating this cake and had so much fun making the crepes that I hadn’t done many years. Years ago, when crepes were extremely popular, I purchased a Sunbeam M’sieur Crepe maker. To my surprise, I found the maker in a cabinet in my basement; unfortunately, it no longer worked, so I used an omelet pan to make the crepes. This cake should be started two-three days before you want to serve. The cake is time-consuming yet easy to make. And your guest like mine will be so impressed with the cake because it looks and tastes fantastic,
  
  INGREDIENTS
  
  Crepes
  ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
  
  ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  
  ¼ cup granulated sugar
  
  2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
  4 large eggs
  
  5 large egg yolks
  
  1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  
  2 cups whole milk
  
  3 tablespoons cognac
  
  Tiramisu Filling
  1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
  
  4 cups mascarpone cheese
  
  1/4 coffee liqueur
  
  1/4 cup natural cocoa powder plus 2 tablespoons for topping
  
  1 cup heavy whipping cream
  
  2 tablespoon powder sugar
  
  DIRECTIONS
  
  1. Make the crepe batter: Sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the butter, then the milk and cognac, until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  
  2. Set an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Gently stir the crêpe batter, then pour ¼ cup of batter into the skillet. Holding the skillet by the handle, tilt and turn the skillet to quickly disperse the batter. Cook the crepe until the underside is golden-brown, about 1½ minutes. Lightly jerk the skillet to loosen the crepe, then flip the crepe over using a spatula, a more vigorous jerking motion or your fingers. Cook on the other side until golden-brown, about 30 seconds, then slide the crepe onto a plate. Top with waxed or parchment paper to prevent crepes from sticking together. Repeat until all of the batter is used (you’ll end up with about 20 crepes total, and will need 18 for the cake). Refrigerate the crepes on a plate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  
  3. Make the tiramisu filling: Sift the confectioners’ sugar. Add the mascarpone cheese, coffee liquor, and 1/4 cocoa. Combine the mixture at low speed until well combined.
  
  4. Remove the crepes from the refrigerator. Add 1 crepe to the bottom cake plate so it lies flat. Add ¼ cup of the tiramisu filling to the center of the crepe and use a small offset spatula to evenly spread the filling over the crêpe. Repeat with the filling and 17 more crêpes. Refrigerate the leftover filling; you’ll use it to finish the cake. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
  
  Place the sugar into the mixing bowl and add the whippingcream. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff peaks.
  
  Fold whipped cream into remaining tiramisu cream just until combined and no white streaks remain.
  
  Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Spread the remaining tiramisu cream on top and sides of the cake. Add the cocoa powder to a fine-mesh sieve and sprinkle it over the top of the cake. Slice and serve.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Cake, Dessert, desserts, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged cake, crepe, Mardi Gras, tiramisu
- Red Velvet Heart cookies just in time for Valentine’s Day!
  
  Posted at 9:06 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 11th
  Red Velvet is all over lately, even Dunkin Donuts has Red Velvet lattes and Red Velvet Drizzle Donuts for Valentine’s Day. I’m still not tired of this delicious flavor. What could be more appropriate for Valentine’s Day than Red Velvet Heart cookies? These little gems are fun and easy to make just screaming Be Mine!
  
  Red Velvet Heart Cookies
  
  1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
  2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  
  1/3 cup sugar
  
  1/2 cup butter
  
  1 tablespoon red food coloring
  
  3 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, coarsely chopped
  
  1 1/2 teaspoon shortening
  
  1. Preheat oven to 325F. In a medium bowl sift flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside
  
  2. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Add red food coloring gently hand mixing until the dough is red without any chocolate streaks.
  
  3. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until 1/2 inch thick. Using a 1inch scalloped heart cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  
  4. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
  
  5. In a small heavy saucepan cook and stir white chocolate and shortening over low heat until melted and smooth. Drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Let stand until white chocolate is set. Makes about 24 cookies.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, cookies, Dessert, Food, Holiday Celebrations | Tagged Cookies, Red velvet cookies, Valentine Day
- French Macarons
  
  Posted at 9:49 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 10th
  I’ve never met a holiday that I didn’t love to celebrate. Valentine’s day happens to be one of my favorites. I love decorating, pulling out all my dishes, plates, teacups, pots, and more. I collect china, silver, and crystal, which I use all the time, and especially on Valentine’s Day, I have an assortment of heart shaped tableware.
  
  For Valentine’s Day, I baked up some treats to share with my family. I made French Macaron cookies and Red Velvet Heart cookies. Perfect to say Be My Valentine!
  
  These delectable little treats are worth all the work. I also like to fill the shells with other flavored fillings to change it up!
  
  French Macarons with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  
  Makes 24-30 shells or 12-15 macarons
  3 large egg whites, at room temperature for three hours
  1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  2 tablespoon sugar
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  Red food coloring
  Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw 1 inch or 1 1/2 inch circle. (Depending on the size you want the macarons) Turn parchment paper over; set aside.
  2. Combine almonds and 1 tablespoon of the confectioners’ sugar, pulsing until finely ground. (Do not over process.) Add remaining confectioners’ sugar until combined. Set aside.
  3. Using a mixer or medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating at high speed until peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and desired about of food coloring: mix well.
  4. Add almond mixture to egg whites, folding gently until well combined. Place batter into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Pipe batter into drawn circles on prepared baking sheets. Tap baking sheets on the counter 5-7 times to release air bubbles. Let sit at room temperature 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
  5 Preheat oven to 275F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool completely on baking sheets until ready to fill.
  1. Place Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted small round tip. Pipe mixture onto the flat side of macaron, and top with another macaron, flat sides together, pushing gently down and twisting slightly so that filling will spread to edges. Repeat with remaining macarons and filling.
  Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  3 egg whites, at room temperature
  3/4 cup sugar
  1 cup butter
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  1. In a medium bowl, combine egg whites and sugar. Using a mixture at medium speed, whisk together. Set the pan over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture registers 140 on an instant-read candy thermometer. Remove from heat and beat at high speed with whip attachment for 10 minutes. The meringue should be tripled in volume.
  2. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, Dessert, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Holiday Celebrations | Tagged Buttercream filllng, French Macarons, Valentine's Day
- Eggnog Cheese Cake with Cranberry-Cherry Topping
  
  Posted at 9:23 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 5th
  Who doesn’t love cheesecake? That rich, creamy taste savored with each bite, a sweet treat that is the perfect finish for any meal! The variety and texture of cheesecakes are endless. Cheesecake can be very dense and heavy or light and fluffy. You can use graham crackers, chocolate cookies, or pastry for the crust and fill it with your favorite recipe. I guess you can tell I love making all types of cheesecakes. Also, flavorings and toppings are endless to create wonderfully tasty cakes for special occasions.
  
  At Christmas, I like to make an Eggnog cheesecake topped with cranberries and cherry preserves for a festive dessert table.
  I like this recipe because it is light with a baking method that ensures the cheesecake doesn’t crack. I made either a fruit topping, or if you prefer, you can make a whipped cream topping sprinkled with sparkly candied crystals.
  
  CRUST
  
  2 ¼ cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
  
  ½ cup (112g) salted butter, melted
  
  3 tbsp (39g) sugar
  
  1/2 tsp nutmeg
  
  FILLING
  
  24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
  
  1 cup (207g) sugar
  
  3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
  
  1 cup (230g) eggnog
  
  3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  
  4 large eggs, room temperature
  
  TOPPING
  
  1 12-ounce jar cherry preserves
  
  1 cup cranberries
  
  1 tablespoon brandy or rum
  
  CRUST
  
  Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
  Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
  Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
  Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.
  
  CHEESECAKE FILLING
  
  Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).
  In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar,
  
  and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  
  Add the eggnog and nutmeg and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
  Pour the cheesecake filling into crust and spread evenly.
  
  Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
  Bake for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes.
  
  Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with the door closed for 30 minutes.
  
  Crack the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
  Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight
  
  TOPPING
  
  Cook and stir cherry preserves and cranberries in a small saucepan over medium heat until preserves are melted and cranberries start to pop. Stir in 1 tablespoon of brandy or rum. Cool for 30 minutes.
  
  Remove the cheesecake from the pan. Spoon topping over prepared cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Cake, Christmas, Christmas Recipes, Dessert, desserts, Elegant, entertaining, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Holiday Celebrations | Tagged Cheesecake, Cherries, Christmas Dessert, Cranberries
- Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Pie
  
  Posted at 10:12 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 26th
```
If you know me or follow my blog, I love to cook, decorate, and entertain! So this might seem a surprise that I am hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner at my home. Yes, you heard, right.  


Thanksgiving is the one holiday that you will not find a large group gathered around my dining room table. Traditionally I spent Thanksgiving at my parent's home in Pennsylvania, the one holiday that we were all together again. After my grandson was born, we celebrated at the home of my daughter-in-law's parents, beginning a new phase in our life.


This year due to the pandemic and staying safe, Thanksgiving dinner will be a small group of seven. Individuals that are in our pandemic circle. And I am going to make sure that this is a memorable as every other Thanksgiving!  


I've decided to plan my meal backward, beginning with dessert! Growing up, my mother baked a traditional pumpkin pie, which is still my favorite. This year I decided that we are going to have a spectacular Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl pie. And I drizzled chocolate over the pie! 


Pumpkin pie is easy to make. To make the pie special, I've added an extra step with the chocolate batter and the drizzle. I've included a basic butter crust recipe, or you can purchase refrigerated pie crust too.
An easy, show-stopping dessert to sweeten up our Thanksgiving dinner even if we are missing sharing with our large family! 






Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Pie


1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 
1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3-ounce Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly


All Butter Pie Crust* or 1 (9-inch) Pillsbury Pie crust


Chocolate drizzle


2-ounce Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted Cabot butter






Pre-heat over to 425 F. Wish together pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until smooth.


Transfer 1 cup of the filling into a bowl and whisk in the melted chocolate. Pour pumpkin filling in the crust. Dollop the chocolate filling on top and swirl with a butter knife.


Bake Pie for 15 minutes. Reduce3 over temperature to 350 F and continue baking for 35 for 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool.


Make chocolate drizzle. Melt chocolate and butter in a safe microwave bowl at 50 percent for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, depending on your microwave. 


Drizzle over pie. 


The pie can be refrigerated overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.




*All Butter Pie Crust


1 1/4 cup King Arthur's all purposed flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons Cabot unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed


In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pause until mixture from lima bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist but not wet.


Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.


On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch round a scant 1/4 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim the edge to 3/4 inch; fold the dough under itself and crimp decoratively.


Enjoy!
```
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  Posted in Autumn, Baking, Baking, Chocolate, Dessert, desserts, Elegant, entertaining, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Holiday Celebrations, Pie, Thanksgiving | Tagged Cabot Butter, Chocolate pumpkin pie, Eagle Brand, Easy recipe, Ghiradelli Chocolate, Pillsbury Pie crust, Thanksgiving dessert, Thanksgiving dinner
- PUMPKIN-PECAN CHEESECAKE
  
  Posted at 11:50 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 3rd
  I discovered Southern Living magazine on a family road trip through the south to visit my mother-in-law’s family in southern Georgia. During one of our many stops for gas, I wondered to a magazine rack, searching for a new read for the trip, and was drawn to the cover of Southern Living. After a quick skim through the pages, I purchased the magazine and when I returned home to Boston, I ordered a subscription. Thirty years later and I continue to feel enthralled by the pages of this magazine.
  
  If you are a novice or even more experienced cook, the pages are packed with ideas for food, entertaining, decorating and traveling with an irresistible southern vibe. Hospitality is the core of the southern style of entertaining. And I learned on that long-ago trip, the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality. Pineapples can be found throughout my home decor and at Christmas, I decorate over my front door with Williamsburg Christmas fan containing a pineapple surrounded by red apples.
  
  The recipes populating the pages of Southern Living are clear, concise and easy to duplicate. I made this cheesecake recipe with one change, I added pumpkin pie spice and my guests raved about the taste.
  
  CHEESECAKE
  
  2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  
  1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
  
  5 tablespoons butter, melted
  
  3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  
  4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
  
  1 cup granulated sugar
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  4 large eggs
  
  1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
  
  1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  
  1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
  PRALINE TOPPING
  
  1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  
  1/3 cup whipping cream
  
  1/4 cup butter
  
  1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  Garnishes: coarsely chopped Pecan Pie-Glazed Pecans, fresh sage leaves
  
  Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together the first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  
  Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. (Pan will be very full.)
  
  Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with the door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around the outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of the pan. (Do not remove sides of the pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
  
  Remove the sides and bottom of the pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Prepare Praline Topping; immediately pour slowly over the top of the cheesecake, spreading to within 1/4 inch of edge. Garnish, if desired.
  
  Praline Topping
  
  Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Use immediately.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Dessert, Elegant, entertaining, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Thanksgiving | Tagged pecans, Pumkin Cheesecake, Thanksgiving dessert
- Spectacular Fall Desserts
  
  Posted at 8:38 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 5th
  In New England, we are love to celebrate the fall season. Cool morning with warm sunny days, jewel-tone leaves, farm roadside stands bursting with the last of summer’s bounty all signal the change in the seasons. Nature’s premier show on display for all to enjoy. Fall baking is one of my favorite past times and I especially love to make apple desserts. Going through all my post I realized I’m kind of obsessed with apples, cakes, pies, cupcakes and more. When I’m creating a new cake or pie the fall just inspires me like nature to give it my all and go wild! Here are a few of my fall favorites that I have posted over the years.
  
  Candied Apple Fudge Bundt Cake
  
  Candied Apple Fudge Bundt Cake
  
  FANTASTIC APPLE PIE
  
  Fantastic Fall Apple Pie
  
  CANDIED APPLE CRUMB CAKE
  
  Candied Apple Crumb Cake
  
  FALL APPLE PIE
  
  FALL APPLE PIE
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
  buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in Apples, Baking, Dessert, desserts, Food, Uncategorized | Tagged Apple cake, Apple Pie, apples, fall baking, fall desserts
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