Kicking of December with Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Nothing like a red velvet whoopie pie to get you in the holiday mood. The color of these just makes you happy. Whoopie pies are cake like and got their name from the sound that people make when they eat them. I was a little skeptical of the marsmallow in the filling so I made a cream cheese frosting as well. Although I liked the cream cheese frosting a little better, I did a taste test with John and he couldn't tell the difference between the two fillings. They were both good. If you like red velvet cake you will love these.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
by Better Homes and Gardens

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)

Whoopie Pie Filling
1/4 cup softened  butter
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
7 ounce jar Marshmallow creme

OR

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened
2 cups (8 ounces) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
splash of milk if needed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined. Stir in food coloring.

3. Spoon batter in 1- or 2-inch diameter rounds, about 1/2-inch high on prepared baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between each round.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes for 1-inch cookies or 9 to 11 minutes for 2-inch cookies, or until tops are set. Cool completely on baking sheets on rack. Remove cooled cookies from baking sheets.

5. To fill, dollop Whoopie Pie Filling or Cream cheese frosting on flat sides of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down. Makes 60 one-inch or 42 two-inch cookies.

6. To store: Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

I first tasted this back in college at one of those Pampered Chef parties and had to get the recipe. It's simple but has great flavor. I always stuff more pepperoni than is called for because my family likes it that way. It's hearty enough to be dinner but the way we roll it's usually an appetizer!

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

by Pampered Chef

1 package (3.5 oz) pepperoni, diced (I usually do around 5 oz)

1 can (3.25 oz) sliced olives, drained

2 T. snipped fresh parsley

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 T. all purpose flour

1 garlic clove, minced

2 packages (11 oz) refrigerated French Bread dough

1 egg

1 tsp. Italian seasonings

2 T. fresh Parmesan

1 can (15 oz) pizza sauce

diced green pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine pepperoni, olives, parsley, mozzarella cheese, flour, and garlic. Place breaddough seam sides up, cut lengthwise, open up and sprinkle with a little flour to keep from sticking. Roll and create a well to put in filling. Spoon mixture in well. Gather up edges and seal. Leave opening in the center of the twist. Brush egg white and seasonings on twist. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Slice and serve. Dip slices in pizza sauce.

The Perfect Apple Crisp

My husband John is always on the search for the perfect apple crisp. He orders it at every restaurant and is always disappointed...not enough crumble on top, too dry, apples too mushy...you get the drift. This apple crisp, however, he loved. I have always thought it's bold to label a dish as "the best" or "perfect" because you set some really high expectations but I have no qualms about calling this the Perfect Apple Crisp because it was just that good.

If you aren't good at pie crusts, try this for Thanksgiving instead of apple pie. Trust me...you won't miss your pie a bit.

The Perfect Apple Crisp

adapted from Allrecipes

10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used about 6 Granny Smith apples)

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, nutmeg, and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples.

3.Combine the oats, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

5. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Here's a pie that would make an excellent addition to your traditional pies on Thanksgiving. It can be prepared the day before so it's perfect. It's so good. Even as I am blogging it now I want a piece. It has a graham cracker crust with chocolate and creamy peanut butter filling. When you think mousse you think light and fluffy. This is not. It's dense and rich...just like I like it. Don't judge it by my pictures. I got impatient and tried to take pictures before it was completely set up. It's does take time to chill each layer but it's worth the wait. I took this to Bunko but before I made it out of the door John had 2 slices. Kind of ghetto to bring a pie to an event that already has slices missing but if you taste this pie you will understand why. 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie
seen on My Kitchen Cafe

Graham Cracker Crust:
12 to 14 whole graham crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups crumbs)
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Dark Chocolate Layer:
¾ cup heavy cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Peanut Butter Mousse Filling:
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups milk
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup creamy or chunky peanut butter

Topping and Decoration:
Sweetened whipped cream
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter, stir until well blended. Using the palm of your hand, press the moistened crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Bake in the center of the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust turns lightly golden. Set the pie crust on a wire rack to cool completely.


Prepare the chocolate layer: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. *Mine was really runny I think because I used chocolate chips. It did set up when I froze it but next time I will try Baker's chocolate. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust, smoothing it over the bottom and slightly up the sides. Freeze for 1 hour, or until the chocolate layer is firm.

Prepare the mousse: In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add ½ cup milk and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until the custard comes to a boil. Still whisking, boil for 1 minute until very thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter. Pour the mousse into the baked pie crust. Chill for 1 hour, or until firm. Before serving, decorate the pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips, if desired.