Fluffy Key Lime Pie

This key lime pie is light dessert that takes me to Key West, FL no matter if I’m eating it with a foot of snow on the ground or on Easter Sunday.  Let’s just say it’s almost as good as a margarita in that respect.  Although, I doubt I’ve ever had a margarita on Easter Sunday, mimosa maybe, but no margarita.

Like the majority of my recipes, it is super easy and super delish!  It’s a bright, light, fluffy dessert that makes a great ending to a heavier supper. 

Start by making the crust (or purchase an already prepared crust).  Combine 1½ cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar and press into a pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 – 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup key lime juice, and 1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip.  After the crust has cooled, spoon the mixture into the crust.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

* For extra flavor, add 1 teaspoon lime zest to the lime mixture.

Gooey Butter Cake

I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t like gooey butter cake.  It is my perfect go-to dessert.  It is homey and delicious and perfect to make for any occasion.  It has a soft, chewy crust and a gooey, cheesecake-like topping.

Mix together 1 box of yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1 stick melted butter and press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  In a separate bowl, mix together 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1 box powdered sugar.  Pour cream cheese mixture on top of cake mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.  Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

* Can substitute chocolate cake mix for yellow cake mix.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Looking for an easy dessert to feed a small crowd?  Well look no further.  This is a simple, delicious dessert that is sure to please. 

Don't let the name fool you, while this is tasty to serve for Thanksgiving, replacing the traditional pumpkin pie, it is great for all seasons as well.

Mix together 1 large can of pumpkin, 1 large can of evaporated milk, 3 eggs, ¾ cup sugar, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt.  Place mixture in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and top with yellow cake mix (dry mix only, not prepared), 1 cup chopped nuts, and 2 sticks melted butter.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.

Serve plain or with whipped cream.

* Make sure you layer the cake mix, nuts, and butter.  Don’t mix them together before topping the pumpkin mixture. 

Beer Bread

Let’s talk about a cheap and easy addition to supper, beer bread.  It comes together very quickly and tastes super yummy.  When entertaining, it’s a simple way to impress your guests since it’s the starter at many quality restaurants.  It’s so easy it only takes three ingredients and doesn’t have the traditional bread hang-ups – needing, rising, punching down, etc.

Mix together 3 cups of self-rising flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 12 ounces of room temperature beer.  Bake for an hour at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you don’t have self-rising flour, don’t worry, you can substitute 3 cups all purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and 1½ teaspoon salt. 

Crème Brûlée

I love, love, LOVE crème brûlée!  Maybe it’s because saying its name gives the illusion I speak French.  Maybe it’s because the world sees it as a sophisticated dessert and therefore, I feel chic and refined eating it.  Or, maybe it’s because it’s just plain delicious.

To be honest, I’d have to say the reason I am so head over heals for this little cup of heaven is because of all the reasons I mentioned above.  Let’s face it; calling this dessert burnt cream does nothing for its appeal.  And, I wouldn’t order plain custard at a restaurant.  Put that burnt sugar crust on top, however, and I’ll take one, no, make that two.

Follow my directions carefully to make sure you end up making crème brûlée instead of scrambled eggs.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Start by putting 1 pint of whipping cream in a sauce pan on the stove.  Heat it slowly until small bubbles form on the surface. 

While waiting for the cream to heat up, cream (beat) 4 egg yolks and ½ cup granulated sugar.  The egg mixture will be a light yellow color when it is ready. 

Slowly add a small amount of the hot cream to the egg mixture while stirring with a spoon.  Continue to add small amounts of cream while continuing to stir with a spoon until all cream has been added.  Make sure to use a spoon and not a wisk.  If you use a wisk, you take the chance to slightly whip your cream which will make the crème brûlée taste greasy.   

Lastly, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla to the custard and pour into six 6 ounce custard cups (I highly recommend pouring mixture through a mesh strainer to catch any cooked egg).  Place a baking pan in the oven and place the cups in the pan.  Add enough water to the pan so it comes half way up the side of the cups.  Bake until set, about 45 minutes.

Refrigerate until set or overnight.  Sprinkle each cup with approximately 2 teaspoons of sugar and using a kitchen torch or your oven broiler*, burn the sugar until it is light brown.  Serve cold.

* If using the broiler to char the sugar, make sure to allow extra time for the crème brûlée to chill again

** When making this recipe, I almost always double it.  Twice the pleasure without twice the pain :-)

Oatmeal Scotchies

Oatmeal scotchies are one of my favorite cookies of all time!  I like to eat them for dessert when they are soft and chewy and I like to dip them in my coffee and eat them for breakfast when they are crisp and crunchy.  Cookies for breakfast, you ask.  Why not?  They do have oatmeal in them and oatmeal is a breakfast food, right? 

If I have one complaint about oatmeal scotchies, it is that they fall apart.  Put a dozen cookies in a bag and they quickly become oatmeal scotchie bits.  To solve my dilemma, I updated the recipe found on the back of the butterscotch morsels bag. 

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temp.

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

11 oz. pkg. butterscotch morsels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine 1^st four ingredients in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla extract.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Using a blender or food processor, grind 2 cups of oatmeal into a fine powder.  Add the oatmeal (2 cups ground oatmeal and 1 cup old-fashioned oats) to the cookie mixture.  Stir in butterscotch morsels. 

Bake 8 – 9 minutes for chewy cookies.

Bake 9 – 10 minutes for crispier cookies.

* I prefer to bake my cookies on a cookie/pizza stone.  I also prefer to drop my cookies using an ice cream scoop.