Chocolate Cream Pie

• 1 pie crust baked and cooled
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C cornstarch 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 C whole milk
• 4 e
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 1/2 oz, weight chocolate (I used semi-sweet, but may try milk chocolate for my kids)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp butter
• whipped cream, for serving

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir or whisk together. 

Pour in milk and egg yolks, and whisk together. 

Stir over medium heat until the mixture just barely comes to a boil and becomes thick, about 6-8 min (could be less or more, so watch carefully). The second it starts to bubble and thicken (it should look like thick pudding) remove it from the heat. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and butter. Stir until everything is beautifully combined. 

Pour the pudding into the pie crust. (If there is extra, spoon into small dishes) and place in the fridge to chill for 4 hours uncovered. 

Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream!

Banana Cream Pie

• 1 C sugar
• 1/4 C cornstarch 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 C milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
•  1 pie shell baked (I make my own pie crust)
• 2 large firm bananas
• 1 C heavy whipping cream, whipped

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into eggs; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. 

Remove from heat. Gently stir in butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard; refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes. 

Spread half of the custard into pastry shell. Slice bananas; arrange over filling Pour remaining custard over bananas. Spread with whipped cream. Refrigerate 6 hours of overnight. 

White Chocolate Cranberry/Cherry Cookies

• 2 1/2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C unsalted butter
• 3/4 C sugar
• 3/4 C packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 C dried cherries (or craisins)
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 6 oz. white chocolate chips 

Beat butter, add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and then the sifted dry ingredients. Bake on a silpat or nonstick cookie sheets at 350 for 11-13 min. 

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 C butter
• 1 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 3 C Oats
• 1 C raisins
• 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350'. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and mix together. 

Refrigerate dough. 

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto nonstick cookie sheets or sil-pats. Bake 10-12 min until golden brown. Cool 1 min on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. 

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies (or Strawberry Lemon Thumbprint)

Cookies:

• 1 C unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 C granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 almond extract 
• 2 C + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C raspberry jam

Glaze:

• 1 C confectioners' sugar
• 1 Tbsp cream or milk
• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Directions:

Make the cookies: Using a mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add in the sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat at medium speed. Pour the flour into the wet ingredients. Mix on low and beat until a soft dough is formed. Press the dough down to compact it and tightly cover with plastic wrap to chill until firm, at least 4 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350'. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or sil-pat. Shape the cookie dough into balls (about 1 Tbsp of dough per ball). Make sure they're smooth. Re-refridgerate if needed. You don't want soft dough. Make an indentation with your thumb into each ball. The dough may crack slightly when you press your thumb into it. Smooth it out with your fingers. Fill each with about 1/2 tsp of jam or as much as each cookie can hold. 

Bake the cookies for 14-15 min or until lightly browned on the edges. The cookies will puff up and spread slightly. Don't overtake. Bake a minute or two less if you like your cookies soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 min before glazing. 

Make the glaze: Stir together glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more liquid to thin out or add more confectioners sugar to thicken to your desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Glaze will set within a couple hours. 

Store cookies at room temp for 3 days or refrigerator for 6 days. Shortbread dough may be frozen up to 2 months. Baked cookies (without glaze) may be frozen up to 2-3 months. 

*For Strawberry Lemon cookies : I have used lemon extract in place of almond extract. And substituted my homemade lemon strawberry jam in place of raspberry jam. They are delicious. 

Egg Nog Pancakes

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 C eggnog (I make my own)

Heat a little vegetable oil on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. 

Whisk dry ingredients. Stir eggnog into the dry ingredient mixture until batter is smooth. 

Pour about 1/4 C of batter onto griddle. Flip when the batter bubbles and bottoms brown/golden. 

I make these with my leftover eggnog from New Years. These pancakes come out beautifully and my children love them!