Rum Drunk Peach Pie Pockets

One thing about being in the military environment is that you have the ability to make friends fairly easily and in many parts of the country and world for that matter.

Not only that but when you have varying interests other friends tend to recommend their friends to you! LOL! Did that just make any sense at all??

Let me try to break it down a bit more. My friend S knows that I love to cook. She has a friend, Schnookiemuffin, who loves to cook and homestead. So S introduced us through Livejournal and Facebook.

One day Schnookiemuffin posted a picture of some of the rum peaches she had just canned. I immediately had to have some. Luckily, she sent me four jars of those wonderful rum peaches!!

As soon as the peaches arrived I tore into the box and was extremely excited to have them. Then reality set in. What do I do with four jars of rum peaches??

Well, my thought was to make rum drunk peach pie. But the jars weren't enough to fill a whole pie. So I made pie pockets instead. Here's how:

Ingredients: 2 jars rum peaches (about 5 or 6 regular peaches), brown sugar, flour, salt, sugar, nutmeg and one recipe pie crust.

Start by slicing all your peaches and tossing them into a bowl.

Toss in your brown sugar, sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg.

And mix it all up.

Take your pie crust and roll it out in two large circles. Place one each on a baking sheet.

Place half of the peach mixture in the middle of each pie crust.

Fold up the edges of the crust around the peach mixture, like a little pocket.

Top with a few pats of butter.

Then throw in the oven and bake until they are a nice golden brown.

Slice them up like a pizza...serve and enjoy!

Rum Drunk Peach Pie Pockets
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Flat Apple Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 jars rum peaches (5 or 6 regular peaches)
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 recipe pie crust
• A few pats of butter 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Slice rum peaches (if using regular peel and slice).
3. In large bowl mix peaches, flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt. (If using regular peaches add a Tablespoon of lemon juice and set aside about 30 minutes.
4. Roll pie crust into two large circles, place each pie crust on a separate baking sheet.
5. Place half of peach mixture on each pie crust.
6. Fold edges over peach mixture; top with pats of butter.
7. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. 
8. Slice like pizza, serve and enjoy!

Penne a la Betsy

I'm sure if you are a regular reader of this blog you know I have this little thing for The Pioneer Woman. I mean, she's pretty much amazing. If she hadn't given birth to four of her own babies I might just offer to have hers for her...that's how deep this love goes.

So when I found this recipe for penne pasta with shrimp, creamy tomato wine sauce and basil I knew I had to try it.

Can you believe The Hubble was actually skeptical about this meal?? I mean really?? As if The Pioneer Woman would ever steer me wrong!!

This meal was nothing short of fabulous! The wine, mixed with the tomato sauce, mixed with the cream made a heavenly sauce that I wanted to bathe in. The addition of fresh basil and sauteed shrimpies just pushed this dish WAY over the top. I highly suggest you run out and try this meal as fast as you possibly can.

You can click on the link below to witness the amazing skill this woman possesses. She takes you step by step through the process of making this meal. So good!!

Penne a la Betsy
Retrieved from The Pioneer Woman 

Ingredients

• ¾ pounds Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ cups White Wine (or To Taste)
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Fresh Parsley, to taste
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

1. Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.
2. Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.
3. Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
4. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).
5. Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.
6. Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.
7. Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Tres Leches Cake...Almost

Once upon a time (about 3 years ago) in a land far, far away (New York) my brother in law, The History Teacher, decided he would come visit us.

Now, knowing that I married into an Hispanic family, and knowing the good things (fajitas and margaritas) and the bad things (menudo) that come with this culture, I decided to try to surprise him by making a Tres Leches Cake. I've never been a fan of the cake myself, but I knew he loved it. I had just watched Alton Brown make one on the Food Network channel and I thought I would try out his recipe. Let me tell you, the whole thing ended in utter disappointment. The cake wasn't spongy and the milk did NOT absorb. I was sad and so was he.

Fast forward several years later and I find myself living in Texas again. I have become a bit more experienced with baking and cooking and I discover The Pioneer Woman website. I decide that I need to make her Tres Leches Cake recipe. I mean, how can I go wrong right?? She has picture instructions!!! Well, we all know how well I do with instructions.

Either way, I forged ahead. Determined to conquer the Tres Leches Cake (and the wet cake in general) and I'm pleased to say that it wasn't a COMPLETE failure. Granted, it wasn't the best, but it wasn't a complete failure either. The milk didn't completely soak into the sides and the whipped topping was a bit droopy (and I didn't add the cherries because YUCK!) but I did it...almost.

The Hubble, who is also a big fan of Tres Leches Cake, said the parts that were Tres Leches were actually quite tasty. I don't know if I will try wet cakes again. I think they hate me. And that's the end.

Tres Leches Cake
From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Sugar, Divided
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ⅓ cups Milk
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
• ¼ cups Heavy Cream
• _____
• FOR THE ICING:
• 1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
3. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
4. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
5. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
7. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
8. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
9. Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Toast

Recently I found out that I have been making cinnamon toast wrong for my entire life. I have always been in the school of people who would toast my bread in a toaster oven, pull it out hot, butter it, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. My older sister actually craves my cinnamon toast. We have never seen a problem with it.

Then Then Pioneer Woman posted about the right (and wrong) way to make cinnamon toast and I was alerted to the fact that my way of making cinnamon toast was not only the WRONG way but apparently also the WAY GROSS way of doing it. So I figured...let me try hers and see what she's talking about.

Oh my. I can't believe how wrong I have been!!! How could I have ever thought my measly cinnamon toast was anything compared to the heavenly pieces I was able to make today! I had asked The Hubble earlier in the day if he wanted some and he said no. Just as I was taking it out of the oven he came upstairs and said it smelled like cinnamon and sugar. I showed him the piece as I took a bite. All I could do was stare at him and chew. There were no words. I reluctantly offered him a bite and he took a cautious nibble. He looked at me with surprise in his eyes and quickly took a manly (i.e. HUGE) bite. He then stole a piece of my cinnamon toast and ran. My Little Monster saw this and asked for a bite as well. After I gave her a bite she took the rest of the piece out of my hand as she danced away singing about how much she liked it. I stood in the kitchen in shock for a few moments then quickly called my older sister and told her she must make this cinnamon toast NOW. Do you want some too???

Sorry, mine is gone. But I highly encourage you to run to your kitchen and make this cinnamon toast right this very minute. The recipe makes a huge batch but I made the amount of butter stuff the recipe called for and only made a few pieces. The rest will be kept in my fridge until I eat it all. Then, I will have to replace it. I will always need the makings for this in my kitchen. Must. Have. Cinnamon. Toast!!!

The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Toast
Retrieved from The Pioneer Woman     


Ingredients:

• 16 slices Bread (whole Wheat Is Great!)
• 2 sticks Salted Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar (more To Taste)
• 3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract (more To Taste)
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Smush softened butter with a fork. Dump in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, if using. Stir to completely combine.
3. Spread on slices of bread, completely covering the surface all the way to the edges.
4. Place toast on a cookie sheet. Place cookies sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbling. Watch so it won’t burn!
5. Remove from oven and cut slices into halves diagonally.
6. Serve and enjoy!!!!