Terry's Favorite Easy Chicken Pie

Submitted by Amy White

2 (9 inch) pie shell
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 c. cooked, diced chicken meat

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a large mixing bowl combine soup and softened cream cheese. Mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in vegetables and chicken. Pour chicken mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with top crust. Seal and cut steam vents in top. Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil halfway through baking to allow edges of crust to brown. Check often late in cooking time to ensure crust is not burning.

Chocolate Chess Pie

Submitted by Melissa Maxwell

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
9 in. pie crust
Whipped cream

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients (except whipped cream). Gradually add chocolate mixture. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let cool.

*Note: It can be hard to tell when this is done. When you take it out of the oven, it will be puffed up, but as it cools, it will collapse and solidify. Let it cool for at least a half hour.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Pie

Submitted by Mandi Cooper

4 oz. (3 c.) broken pretzel sticks
3/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 c. whole milk
4 egg yolks
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. heavy cream
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a food processor combine pretzels, 1/4 c. brown sugar and butter; blend until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press mixture firmly into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake crust until fragrant and just turning golden, 10 - 15 minutes. Cool.

2. In a medium saucepan whick together 1/2 c. brown sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, salt, and milk. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar is just dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks. Cook, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and just boils, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla. Place pan in a bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until custard cools.

3. Pour custard into cooled crust and press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until firm, 4 hours or up to a day.

4. Whip cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Spread over pie and garnish with extra pretzels and chocolate shavings.

White Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

Submitted by Laura Lopez

Graham Crust:

1 1/2 c. finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. white sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended. Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool.

Pie Filling:

1 1/4 c. cold milk
2 Tbsp. hazelnut cocoa mix
2 pkg. (4 serving size) white chocolate instant pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Mix milk, hazelnut and pudding with 1/2 whipped cream with whisk for 1 minute. Pour into cooled crust, top with rest of whipped cream. Serve or refrigerate.

White Chocolate & Peppermint Popcorn

Submitted by Kristi Jarvis

16 oz. white chocolate (can use white chocolate baking morsels) or almond bark
1 cup finely crushed (like sand) peppermints (about 10-12 candy canes or 40 mints) - I crush my peppermints in my food processor. The mints will scratch the plastic.
4 quarts popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup corn kernels) - I used this to pop my corn, so it had salt. If you are using air popped corn, throw in a pinch of salt when you sprinkle in the crushed peppermints.

Slowly melt white chocolate or almond bark in the microwave or on stove-top with double boiler. Stir often to keep chocolate from burning. Stir 1/2 cup crushed peppermints into the white chocolate. Place popped corn into a large bowl. Pour melted white chocolate and peppermint mixture over the popcorn. Gently stir to coat popcorn while sprinkling remaining crushed peppermints over the popcorn. Pour out onto parchment paper and allow coating to harden.

Cookie Salad

Submitted by Julie Ingermanson

1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 c. buttermilk
1 container Cool Whip
1 can pineapple, drained
1 large can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 package Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies

Mix pudding & buttermilk (will be thick). Fold in Cool Whip. Add fruits & broken cookies.

Sugar Cookies

 

Dough:
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 c. flour

Mix together and refrigerate over night.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. Crisco
milk
powdered sugar
vanilla
salt

Mix butter and Crisco and then add the rest to taste.  Bake dough at 350 for 10 minutes.  Makes 55-60 cookies.  ENJOY!

Sweet & Salty Almonds

Submitted by Melissa Maxwell
From Seven Bums Kitchen

2 c. raw almonds
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (my favorite is using sea salt)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Spread raw almonds on a large baking sheet so that they are just one layer. Put in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Roast the almonds for about 15 minutes or until you can smell them.

While the almonds are roasting, put the honey, water and vegetable oil in a large skillet. Whisk until everything is combined, then put it on medium heat. Let it bubble for a few minutes, then add the roasted nuts to the skillet. Coat the almonds with the honey mixture and heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. (You shouldn't have any liquid left in the skillet when the almonds are done.)

Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Put about 1/4 c. of the mixture into a 9 x 13" baking dish. When the almonds are coated with the honey mixture and are done cooking, transfer them to the 9 x 13" baking dish. Pour the rest of the sugar/salt/cinnamon over the almonds and stir everything up so that all the almonds get coated with the sugar mixture. Transfer the almonds back to the baking sheet and spread them out in one layer again to cool. After they've cooled, break them up a little bit.

Eat them all.

Gingersnaps

Submitted by Rachel Mecham

¾ c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
¼ c. molasses
sugar (for rolling dough in)
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix wet ingredients first. Then mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine dry with wet ingredients. Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 15 min. at 350 degrees F. Makes about 30-40 cookies.

Snowball Cookies

 Submitted by Laura Hintze

1 c. margarine, softened
½ c. powdered sugar + extra to roll cookies in
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. nuts, finely chopped
 
Mix margarine, ½ c. sugar, and vanilla thoroughly. Sift flour and salt together and stir into mixture. Stir in nuts by hand. Chill dough 3-4 hours. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until set but not brown, about 8-10 minutes. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Yield: 35 cookies