Mini Cream Pies!

Cream pie filling is so versatile!  You can use it plain, add chocolate chips, coconut, the options are endless!  This is my mother's recipe that she used all the time I was growing up.


Basic Vanilla Cream Pie Filling:


2 cups of milk
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
Dash of salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla


Mix 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup milk together in a small bowl or cup and set aside.  Add all the other ingredients to a saucepan and whisk together to combine.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until it just comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add cornstarch/milk mixture and continue stirring until the pudding thickens.  Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chill.




For Chocolate Cream Pies:
Stir in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted and chill.  Fill a pre-baked pie crust.


For German Chocolate Pies:
Stir in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes until melted and combined and chill.  Fill a pre-baked pie crust.


For Banana Cream Pies:
Slice or chop several bananas and layer with the chilled vanilla cream pie filling into a pre-baked pie crust.


For Pumpkin Cream Pies:
Mix in 1 cup of canned pumpkin and add cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.  Chill and put in a pre-baked pie crust.




Pie Crust (Paula Deen's Recipe)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold (I used butter-flavored Crisco)
• 12 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

I combined all the dry ingredients with the butter and shortening into a food processor and pulsed until it looked like coarse crumbs.  Then I put in the water until the dough just came together.  Remove and separate into 2 disks.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  If you leave it in there longer, you will need to remove and warm up a little to roll it out.  For the mini-pies I used a biscuit cutter and placed them in the bottom of a cupcake pan.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes.  Cool and fill with cream pie filling.  Top with whipped cream (I used the canned stuff cause it made it look pretty!)

Mexican Rice

I have several ways I make this rice but it all stems from the same basic recipe.

You have to decide how much rice you are wanting to make and then follow basic proportion measurements from the rice bag/box/container.

In addition to the rice you will need:

1 Onion, diced

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

Chicken broth/stock measured for the amount of rice you are using

Salt to taste

Oil

The first thing you will do is place the dry rice, onion and oil in a skillet that has a lid.  Fry until the onions begin to turn opaque and the rice is toasty brown.  Once the rice is golden, add the chicken broth/stock and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook on low, covered, until all the broth is absorbed and rice is tender.

Another way I make this rice is to puree the tomatoes, onions and some of the broth in a blender.  Once the rice is golden, I add this mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce and cook, covered, until rice is tender.

I have also added frozen corn, canned corn, cumin, chili powder, garlic...the options are endless.  This is great with some homemade beans with enchiladas or any other Mexican feast!

White Cake with Strawberries and Cream Cheese Frosting

I found a recipe on Pinterest for a white cake that looked really good so I took that recipe and instead of the "Feather Frosting" I used my cream cheese frosting.  One thing that was a little different is I took some frozen strawberries, in sugar, and pressed out all of the juice.  I then placed half of the strawberries between the bottom and middle layer and repeated.  I then put cream cheese frosting over then entire cake.  I will say that the cake recipe was good but the time that it gave produced a cake that was a little dry for my taste.  I would probably bake it for 5 minutes less and/or use the strawberry juice to soak the cakes.  This is problematic because then the cakes are harder to frost.  Next time I make this cake I will also use twice as many strawberries because it just wasn't enough for my taste!  Hope you all enjoy!  


Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 stick butter softened (yes it must be butter!)
1 8 oz cream cheese softened
1 lb powdered sugar
milk to thin out just a little
1 tsp vanilla


Blend together and that's it!


The web address for the white cake follows:

http://sweetapolita.com/2010/12/pretty-in-pink-old-fashioned-party-cake/