Two Nights of Baking

I love to bake.  I have always wanted to own a little bakery showcasing delectable desserts and beautifully assembled pastries.  We attended Thanksgiving at Josh’s aunt and uncle’s house in Eagan, MN.  When the list of ‘what to bring’ came out I quickly put my name by desserts and pies.  For Thanksgiving I made Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake (I make this every year), Bourbon Pecan Pie (a request from Josh), and Pumpkin-Spiced Whoopie Pies with Ginger Cream.  Josh was craving bread pudding and since we had all of the ingredients I assembled a dish of pudding as well. 

Day 1

I had to split the baking duties into two nights.  After arriving home from work I decided to get right to work.  While making dinner I quickly mixed together the ingredients for the bread pudding and made the pie part of the whoopie pies.  Since this didn’t take as long as I thought I decided to also make the pecan pie.  The bread pudding turned out great and the pecan pie not only looked good but tasted wonderful!

Bread Pudding

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Whoopie Pie Shell

 Bourbon Pecan Pie

Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon
• 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell, unbaked

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, eggs, pecans, and bourbon, and stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell, and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Bread Pudding

www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 6 slices day-old bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.    Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.

3.    In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

4.    Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Pumpkin-Spiced Whoopie Pies with Ginger Cream

www.kraftrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup  canned pumpkin

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup  water

3 eggs

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

1/3 cup  finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tub  (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1/2 cup Halloween sprinkles

Directions

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT first 7 ingredients with mixer until well blended. Scoop into 32 mounds, 3 inches apart, on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, using about 2 Tbsp. for each.

BAKE 12 to 14 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool on baking sheet 2 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

BEAT cream cheese, marshmallow cream, ginger and cinnamon in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP. Spread 3 Tbsp. onto flat side of 1 cake; top with second cake, flat-side down. Roll edge in sprinkles. Repeat with remaining cakes. Keep refrigerated.

Day 2

Day 2 brought the creation of the Turtle Cheesecake and the filling and assembly of the whoopie pies.  The whoopie pie cake part tured out sticky so they stuck together in the tupperware.  After I assembled them they didn't look the greatest but tasted really good.  They tasted like little cream filled pumpkin pies.  The Turtle Cheesecake is a process to make but it was worth all of the work.  Each dessert turned out tasty and I would make any of them again. 

Crust and Filling of Turtle Cheesecake

Assembled Whoopie Pie

Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake  

http://www.kraftrecipies.com/

Ingredients

• 24 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
• 6 Tbsp.  butter or margarine, melted
• 1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels
• 1/2 cup  milk
• 1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
• 3 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp.  vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 squares  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Directions

1.      HEAT oven to 325°F.

2.      MIX crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch spring form pan.

3.      MICROWAVE caramels and milk in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 3 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Stir in nuts; pour half into crust. Refrigerate 10 min. Refrigerate remaining caramel mixture for later use.

4.      BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over caramel layer in crust.

5.      BAKE 1 hour 5 min. to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

6.      MICROWAVE reserved caramel mixture 1 min.; stir. Pour over cheesecake. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cheesecake.