Tinfoil Chef

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With the holidays upon us, a lot of thoughts turn to assorted desserts and other goodies even more so than during the rest of the year. It’s the time that we’ll spend the most time at our (real or virtual) recipe bookshelves looking for just the right thing for the occasion.

One of the long time favorites is of course, Apple Pie, the only problem with it is that it’s the kind of thing that can easily be a problem for diabetics (or anyone that wants to watch their sugar intake). That’s what makes this diabetic friendly deep dish apple pie such a good item to have in your recipe file.

Combine your favorite sugar substitute equal to 1/3 cup of sugar with a tablespoon of cornstarch, a half teaspoon of grated lemon rind, 2 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and four small apples sliced. Place the mixture in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate on a baking dish and set it aside.

Combine a cup of all purpose flour (sift it first) and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut in 1/4 cup of butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Blend in 3 tablespoons of water with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it out on a floured surface and put it on top of the apple filling.

Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until it’s brown.

Sugar substitute to equal 1/3 c. sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 sm. apples, sliced

1 c. all purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. reduced calorie margarine

3 tbsp. cold water

Technorati Tags: sugar substitute, pie apple, all time favorites, holiday treat, apple pie recipe, deep dish apple pie, apple pie, diabetic friendly, assorted desserts, recipe

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It’s fast approaching Thanksgiving Day and of course that means it’s time (maybe past time even) to trot out all the holiday recipes and make sure we’ve got all our best stuff ready for the hungry crowds. Of course, the meal ends up being entirely too much for anyone to really have as much of any one thing as they would prefer and if you approach the holiday meals like a wine of the month club or a smorgasboard you’re much better off. That way you can make it a point to have enough of everything to actually try it and enjoy it without actualy having to overstuff yourself.

I first heard of Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie from a friend of mine who absolutely swore by it. He liked pumpkin pie well enough, but this little gem was by far his favorite.

While the oven is preheating to 350°F, combine a 15oz can of pumpkin pie filling, a 15oz can of candied yams, a half cup of brown sugar, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, a half teaspoon of salt, a half cup of milk, two tablespoons of melted butter, two large eggs and 3 tablespoons of rum in the bowl of a food processor and process/blend/mix until the mixture is smooth.

Fill a 10-inch pie crust with the mixture annd bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Most recipes I’ve seen for this call for it to be set aside for at least 20 minutes before serving, noting that it’s supposed to be better when chilled, however my friend from years back disagreed. According to him, it was best served warm with cool whip or ice cream on top

1 15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling
1 15 oz. can candied yams
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoon melted butter
2 large eggs
1 refrigerated pie crust
3 tablespoon of rum

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Before I get to the Apple Dumpling Dessert, I’m going off topic briefly to talk a bit about Saint Xavier University’s Online Master of Science in Nursing program. That’s right, it’s an online course for an online MS nursing CNL (Clinical Nurse Leader) degree.

This school isn’t some fly-by-night outfit run from somebody’s web server either. It’s an established, accredited school that first opened it’s doors in 1846 and is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. All content and direction of the online courses are still overseen by their faculty and instructors.

Their MS-CNL program was designed to meet the needs of today’s Nurses with the flexibility of online delivery which makes it easier for people with busy work schedules to still fit in higher education.

Graduates of their online Master’s degrees find themselves prepared for wide variety of demands of the field and the changing needs of employers. Combined with a weekend of applied campus experience, the online course’s flexibility is designed for today’s busy students. These online programs give students the flexibility to complete a degree around the busiest of personal schedules.

Now, since all of that studying and degree earning has no doubt made you hungry, it’s time to reward ourselves with that Apple Dumpling Dessert.

Start out by peeling, coring and then thinly slicing 2 1/4 pounds of cooking apples. Then put the apple slices in a 12 inch skillet and add 3/4 cup sugar, a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir well.

While that’s heating up, stir together 1 cup of biscuit mix and 1/3 cup of milk until the mix is moistened.

When the apple mixture gets to boiling, dumpling mixture in 6 portions over the apples. Let that simmer uncovered for another ten minutes. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Then cover and simmer until the apples are tender and the dumplings are cooked all the way through (about another 10 minutes).

Apple Dumplings:
2 1/4 pounds of tart cooking apples
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 cup of biscuit mix
1/3 cup of milk

Topping:
1 tablespoon of sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

I know they’re technically a dessert, but I think they’ll go just great with a hot morning coffee.

Technorati Tags: dessert, recipe, apple dumplings, treats

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It’s getting colder out and that brings on more thoughts of baking things if only just to have an excuse to start the oven. Never mind the fact that doing so often means baking and baking means assorted goodies for all. Next thing you know you’re wishing you’d bought the ingredients in bulk at one of those wholesale places.

Anyway, this recipe for pumpkin crunch custard is a dessert recipe that’s just made for the job. Not only do you get to crank up the oven for around 45 minutes or so but when it’s all done you’ve got a great snack to munch on. Preheat the oven to 325 and let’s get started.

For the custart part, beat 3 large eggs and then add a can of pumpkin, a can of evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of brown sugar (packed) 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and a teaspoon of vanilla and mix until it’s all blended well.

To make the crunch topping, add 3 tablespoons brown sugar(packed), 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add 4 teaspoons butter cut into small pieces and cut it in with a fork (or pastry blender) until it resembles coarse crumbs and then stir in 1/3 cup of chopped pecans.

Pour the custard mixture into an ungreased 2 quart baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until the sides begin to set. At that point, remove the custard from the oven and sprinkle with the topping mix. Bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until it passes the knife test. Cool on a wire rake and searve warm or at room temperature. It’ll keep in the refrigerator 5 days but you’ll probably not have it around that long.

Technorati Tags: pumpkin recipe, pumkin crunch custard, recipe, pumpkin dessert, custard

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This is one of those desserts that’s sure to go over good enough that you might consider installing security systems on your refrigerator to keep ‘em safe until it’s time to serve them.

Mix a cup of flour with a half cup of softened butter and 1/3 cup of chopped nuts. Press this into a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350. When it’s done set it aside to cool while you get the rest of it ready.

Mix 8oz of cream cheese, a cup of confectioners’ sugar and a cup of cool whip or other whipped topping. Spread this over the cooled crust.

Next you need a couple of 3 3/4oz instant lemon pudding mixes. Make up the lemon pudding according to package directions and then pour it over the cream cheese layer and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set. Finish it off with a layer of your favorite cool whip-alike and then chill until you’re ready to serve.

The best security with all good desserts of course is to get ‘em made up and safely put away while nobody else is around. Then again, maybe a padlock on the fridge wouldn’t be a bad idea sometimes ‘eh?

Technorati Tags: lemon pudding, dessert, pudding, cream cheese, recipe

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If brownies are a long time favorite then Banana Brownies will quickly be in competition for the favorite variety. Yes, with actual fruit in it they’re going to be a bit better for you than the standard fudge brownies but don’t let that fool you into thinking you can just go nuts with them. Eat too much of these and you’ll be scrambling for your best acne treatments just as if you’d loaded up on the fudge kind.

That said, it’s time to make some. *grins and ducks*

Get the oven going at 350 degrees to preheat and coat a 9 x 9 pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl combine 1 cup of All Purpose Flour, 1/3 cup of unsweetened Coca, 1/4 cup of powdered Nonfat Dry milk, 1/4 teaspoon of Baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of Salt.

Put a large ripe banana, a cup of Sugar, the whites from 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup of buttermilk and a teaspoon of vanilla in a food processor and puree until the mixture is smooth.

Add the dry ingredients and pulse the food processor until everything is just nicely blended and pour it into the pan.

Bake ‘em for 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Cut ‘em into 2 inch squares and stand back, the won’t last long. (be sure to get one out for yourself *before* you tell the family they’re ready!)

Technorati Tags: recipe, dessert, baking, treat, snack, banana brownies

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Here’s an unusual variation on the basic brownies that we’ve all learned to crave. What makes these especially different is the addition of apples. If you’ve ever had caramel apples you can pretty well guess that it’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Just throw this together and bake off a batch and they’ll be gone quicker than you can apply for auto insurance online.

The basic recipe is probably what you’d expect. A half cup of soft butter, a cup of sugar and two well beaten eggs all thoroughly mixed until it’s smooth and creamy.

Then sift together a cup of flour, two teaspoons of cinnamon, a half teaspoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of baking soda and a half teaspoon of salt.

Stir the creamy mixture into the dry ingredients, add two cups of finely chopped apples and mix well. Either grease or use a non-stick cooking spray to coat a 9×9 pan and spread the mixture in it and Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Technorati Tags: apple brownies, snack, treat, dessert, recipe, brownies

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Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m not always after the best of the “good for you” kind of things. Sometimes you just want something that while it may not be good for you, it may even be a good way to give yourself an acne problem if you do too much of it but once in a while you just need to splurge. The key is in not making it a habit.

Combine 3/4 cup of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and set it aside for a few minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix 1/3 cup butter, a half cup of sugar and two tablespoons of water. Cook this in the microwave for for 1 minutes at full power, stirr it and cook for another minute.

Add a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a teaspoon of vanilla and stir until it’s smooth and the chips are melted.

Add two eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. Blend in the flour mixture and stir in the rest of the twelve ounce bag of chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into an 8 or 9 inch microwave-safe baking pan. Cook it at about 70% power for 10 minutes turning after 5 minutes. (microwave times and power settings may vary depending on your oven and altitude.)

Technorati Tags: recipe, treat, snack, dessert, chocolate, brownies

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I honestly would not have expected that a good cake could be made without sugar but then again, I’m probably thinking about the frosting that usually is loaded with sugar. This one looks interesting although I’d probably want to change out the prunes for something else. Maybe I could take a hint from the video in the previous post and just as they used post-it notes in place of butter, I could use erasers or some other office supplies in place of the prunes. (can you tell I’m not really thrilled with prunes? [grin])

Boil a cup of dates and a cup of prunes in the one cup of water for 3 minutes; add 1 stick of butter (melted) and a cup of raisins and let that cool.

While it’s cooling Mix a cup of plain flour, a teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 eggs, a cup of chopped nuts, 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg and a teaspoon of vanilla.

Add that to the fruit mixture and stir until it’s blended. Pour it into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes

Technorati Tags: diabetic, dessert, recipe, baking, diabetic friendly

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Here’s a simple cookie recipe that’s certain to have your taste buds thinking they’re all going on Disney cruises because of how good they are. Just do the rest of you a favor and don’t give the taste buds as much as they want or you’ll have to spend a lot of treadmill time to get rid of them.

Mix an entire boxed chocolate cake mix (18 1/2 ounces) with 1/3 cup of ripe banana (mashed), 1 egg and two tablespoons of water. Beat with an electric mixer on a medium setting until it’s smooth. Then add 6 oz of semisweet chocolate chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfulls onto a greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until done. When they’re done remove them from the baking sheets and cool ‘em on racks or aluminum foil. This should make about 3 1/2 dozen

Technorati Tags: recipe, banana, cookies, snack, dessert, fudge

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