Mini Pecan Pies

Same recipe as the large pie found here, but in a cute mini size. 

Ingredient

1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp Brown sugar

2 Tbsp melted butter 

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup pecan halves, chopped 

1 pie crust (see here for pie crust recipe) 

Directions

1. Beat eggs in a bowl,  Add all other ingredients except pecans.  Mix until well combine

2. Cut out 12 mini pie crust circles and place in a muffin tin, add a spoon full of chopped pecans to each 

3. Carefully pour filling over pecans in each mini pie

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 hour

Roasted Squash Bisque

 

Ingredients and Instructions 

1. Slice open, scrape out seeds and place on a baking sheet the following: 

 1 pumpkin pie, 1 honeynut squash (found at Aldi, can omit if you can't find it) 1 acorn squace, 

1 butternut squash

2. Drizzle with oil and roast at 400 degrees until tender

3. Scrape squash out of the skins and place in a blender 

4. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and blend (you may need separate into a couple batches if all won't fit in your blender at once) 

5. In a stock pot brown 1 cup of diced Prosciutto

6. Add the blended squash mix

7.  Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp salt (or to taste), 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning 

8. Serve and enjoy. 

Halloween Party Food Ideas

Here are the ideas I shared today on Great Day KC Fox 4. 

Sweet Potato Shepards Pies

1. In a skillet brown 1lb ground beef and drain fat

2. Add 1 tsp dried onion, 1 tsp streak seasoning, 1 Tbsp spicy yellow mustard, 1 Tbsp Worcester sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp beef boulion, 1 Tbsp corn starch and salt to taste

3. Simmer until sauce thickens

4. Meanwhile, peel, dice and boil 2 sweet potatoes until tender

5. Mix sweet potatoes with a little milk until they are smooth mashed potoatoes

6. Place 1/4 cup meat mixture in the bottom of some baking cups, then add some mashed potatoes on top, smooth out and use a toothpick to draw pumpkin lines

7. Cut black olives into Jack-o-lantern faces and place on top.  

8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 min.  

9.  Add a small piece of green onion for pumpkin stem

Caramel Apple Pretzel Bites

1. Place pretzels on a plate or baking sheet. 

2. Cut caramel squares in half and place on pretzels

3. Either bake or microwave until caramel is melty

4. Place an apple piece on the melted caramel. 

5. Allow to cool and then drizzle with white chocolate. 

Spiderweb Cupcakes

1. Bake and frost the cupcakes of your choice

2. Microwave a cup of mini marshmallows for 30 sec

3. Stir, use fingers to grab some marshmallow and stretch is out then place over each cupcake

4. Add plastic or gummy spiders 

Fall Flavored Hot Chocolate Mixes 

1. In a very large mixing bowl combine: 1 lb powdered sugar plus 2 cups, 1 box chocolate Nesquick, 1 container plain powdered coffee creamer, 1 quart box powdered milk, 1 container cocoa powder, 1 jar pumpkin pie spice. 

2.  Store in a container and add to hot water for hot cocoa

1. In a very large mixing bowl combine: 1 lb powdered sugar, 1 box chocolate Nesquick, 1 container caramel flavored powdered coffee creamer, 1 quart box powdered milk, 1 container cocoa powder, 1 package of freeze dried apples (finely crushed into a powder in a food processor 

2.  Store in a container and add to hot water for hot cocoa

Watch the segment here

Spooktacular Halloween Feast

 Jack-o-lantern Pasties 

Ingredients

2 refrigerated package of 2 pie crusts (or 2 recipe homemade pie crust)

1/2 lb cube steak

1 carrot

1/2 onion

1 potato 

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup water

2 tsp beef bullion (or 2 cubes) 

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp kitchen bouquet 

Directions: 

1. In a food processor mince potato, carrot, and onion. Then add beef and mince again.

2. Add Worcestershire and salt and pepper and pulse until well mixed 

3. I’m a saucepan combine water, bullion, cornstarch and kitchen bouquet. Whisk over medium heat until boiling and let it thicken into a gravy. 

4.Mix meat mixture and gravy in a bowl 

5. Unroll pie crust and cut 8 tops crusts and 8 bottoms bottom crusts

6.  Place about 1/3 cup meat mixture on the bottom crust, brush a little water on the pie crust edge to help with sealing.  Place the top crust on and seal edges

6. Brush top with milk

7. Bake at 400 for 30-40 min until crust is fully cooked. 

Jello Brains with Eyeballs

Ingredients

Brain Jello mold

2 large packages of jello (flavors that will create a light pinky peachy color)

2 cups boiling water

2 cups ice water

9-10 rambutans (fruit)

18-20 blueberries

Strawberry Syrup (optional) 

Directions

1. Fully Dissolve jello in boiling water (stirring), add ice water and mix

2. Pour into jello mold and allow to set in the refrigerator (a couple of hours) 

3. Peel rambutans, cut in half long ways and remove seed (some seed shell may remain that ok)

4. Place a blueberry in each seed cavity 

5. When jello is set remove onto a platter (setting the mold in hot water for a couple seconds can help release the jello from the mold)

6. Arrange "eyes" around the brains and drizzle strawberry syrup if desired for extra spooky. 

Halloween Party Drinks (non alcoholic)

 These 2 punches will be a surefire hit at your Halloween party

Witches Brew Punch

Ingredients

1 jug Green Berry Rush Hawaiian punch (or any green colored drink) 

1 lt lemon lime soda

1 container lime sherbert

Dry ice (for misty affect) ** Don't touch dry ice with bare hands, use tongs.  Don't put dry ice directly in the drink, only in a separate bowl underneath the actually punch bowl.  Pour water over dry ice to activate the misty effect. 

**If adding alcohol I would suggest green apple vodka

Blood Punch 

Ingredients

1 bottle grape juice

1 bottle cran-apple juice

1 bottle V8 Strawberry Banana juice

1 Lt lemon lime soda

1 container raspberry sherbert 

**If adding alcohol I would suggest raspberry vodka

Smashing Pumpkin Recipes 2

                           Having some fun with AI 

Pumpkin Cream Custard Recipe

1. In a saucepan over medium heat cook: 1 cup brown Sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup corn (or other) starch, 1/8 tsp salt, 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 2 cup milk

2. Whisk until smooth and cook until a thermometer reads 175 degrees. Then remove from heat. 

3. In a separate bowl beat 4 eggs add 1 can pumpkin and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. 

4. Temper the eggs by adding small amounts of the hot mixture while constantly whisking. Once you have done this with half of the hot mixture, pour the rest of the now egg mixture back into the pan and whisk until combine.  

5. Place back on the stove and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees or coats the back of a metal spoon. (optional add the seeds of a vanilla bean)

Frozen Pumpkin Custard

Place 1/2 of the mixture in an ice cream maker and freeze. 

Pumpkin Creme Brûlée

1. Divide the mixture into ramekins (if serving later cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge)

2. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp sugar over each ramekin and use a blow torch to melt the sugar into a crust. 

Smashing Pumpkin Recipes

                         Having some fun with AI

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting

1. In a mixing bowl place 1 cup pumpkin, 1 cup shortening, 1 cup sugar and mix
2. Add one egg and 1 tsp vanilla and mix again
3. Sift in 2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 tsp ginger and mix a final time
4. Spoon cookies onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 min.
5. For the frosting, melt 3 Tbsp butter in a sauce pan, add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup milk, stir until sugar is dissolved.
6. Place in your mixing bowl and add 1 tsp vanilla and about 3 cups of powdered sugar, mix until smooth, add a couple more tablespoons of milk to get the right glossy texture. 
Frost cookies and enjoy!
Makes about 2 dozen cookies. 

Pumpkin Apple Bread with Streusel Topping

1. In a mixing bowl place 1 can of pumpkin, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup softened butter 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, and 4 eggs and mix
2.  Add 3 cup flour, 2 Tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and mix again
3. Peel, core and dice 2 tart apples and fold into the batter
4. spray loaf pans and evenly divide the batter between them.
5. To make streusel topping in a bowl combine 2 Tbsp flour, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tbsp softened butter. Mix with a fork until crumbly. Spread over each loaf.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 min (until a toothpick comes out clean) up to 1 hour for large loaves 
Makes 8 mini loaves for 2 large loaves.

Pumpkin Popcorn

1. Pop 1/2 cup popcorn kernels or use a bag of microwave popcorn.
2. While it is still hot pour into a paper bag with 1/2 cup pumpkin chips and shake, shake, shake. (if the pumpkin chips aren't melting, you can microwave the paper bag for a 20 or so sec until they melt)
3. rip open the bag and allow the pumpkin to cool and harden a bit and serve.

Pumpkin Juice

1. In a blender pour 3 cup apple cider, 1 - 6 oz can pineapple juice, 1 cup pumpkin, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1 cup orange juice (you can sweeten with some agave nectar or honey)
2. Blend for 30 sec.
3. Store in a pitcher in the fridge. The pumpkin will settle to the bottom so stir before serving.

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

(This was a Martha Stewart recipe that I adapted and changed a little.  Here is a link to the original recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/344826/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-cream-cheese-f )

1. In a mixer place 1 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix
2. Then add 1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla and mix again
3. Sift in 1 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and mix a final time
4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and put batter into a prepare piping bag
5. Pipe out an even number of cookies (for sandwiches) and bake at 350 for 10 min. Allow to cool completely.
6. For frosting place in a mixing bowl 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 oz softened cream cheese, 3 tbsp softened butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla. mix until smooth
7. place frosting in anther prepared piping bag and place a dollop of frosting on 1/2 of the cookies. Top with other cookie to make the whoopie pies. Make about 3 dozen mini pies.
Store in the fridge in an air tight container with parchment paper as a liner for layers.