Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies

.  So Easter…

I am neither prepared nor ready to admit this lovely family holiday is fast approaching.  It most definitely crept up on me, to say the least.

So what do you know...Easter has come and gone and this post surely did not make it out before the Easter holiday.

I whipped up these cookies a few weekends ago [the second I pinned them] in hopes that I’d [go gaga over them and] get the chance to share them with you all for the holiday.  But as you can see, that most definitely did not happen.  And I'm not happy with myself.  But hopefully there will be some reason for you to include these delish chewy cookies in your upcoming entertaining repertoire.  For they most certainly deserve to be.

You may recall that I've made Bake or Break’s Hummingbird Cupcakes many a times before, they were actually one of the very first recipes I ever posted on LSM.  Which I’m sure I've told you.  Several times before.  But to this day, they continue to be one of my go-to and all-time favorite recipes.  And I can now vouch that my baking blog idol, BoB, has done it yet again.  But this time in cookie form.

These perfectly sized chewy, chewy cookies contain all of the traditional Hummingbird flavors: ripe bananas, sweet pineapple, fragrant spices, and crunchy pecans.  With a dollop of rich cream cheese frosting to top it all off [literally and figuratively], these cookies are near perfection.

And outright addicting. 

A sure crowd pleaser for any holiday brunch, lunch, or dinner. 

Or any ol’ time for that matter.  Because they’re good year round.  You’ll see  .

Adapted from Bake or Break

Ingredients:
Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 medium ripe banana, mashed
1-1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. chopped dried or candied pineapple

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Banana chips, chopped pecans (garnish; optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. For cookies, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract until combined, then add banana and mix until combined.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.  Stir in oats, pecans, and pineapple.  
4. Drop dough by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.  Flatten each cookie slightly. 
5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on pans before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.
6. For frosting, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth.  Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
7. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of frosting on cookies and garnish, if desired.  

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Sunday Special: Bagel & Lox Breakfast Casserole

.  I know, what is going on at LSM?

I don't think two savory posts in a row has ever happened here.  But not to worry, I have absolutely zero intentions of changing my focus to cooking.  Sorry, not happenin', Robbie.

But you know how sometimes you can just kind of 'sweet' yourself out?  Probably not, because most likely you don't live with a baker.  But trust me, it can happen.  Hard to imagine, but it can.  And I think I made just one [or three] too many sugar-coma goodies in the past few weeks.

But why haven't you seen any of these creations?  Well...they were flops.  Not sure what was going on in my baking world as of late, but I had a couple of misses I didn't think were blog worthy [e.g., Oreo Cream Brownies].  So in addition to making a lot of desserts, the fact that they didn't turn out was a little disheartening.  Thus, apparently my taste buds turned to the savory to give myself a break.

Plus, Robbie recently started on his new audit client, which happens to be out in Northbrook, IL.  Though only a short 20-some miles away, horrendous Chicago traffic turns the drive into about an hour long [or more].  Hence, Robbie leaves at the crack of dawn just to make it in to work on time.  Thanks Deloitte...

So in efforts to pull ahead in the race for fiancé of the year, I made this casserole twice in the past two weeks as Robbie's on-the-go breakfast.  Throw it in a microwavable bowl/cup and voila: a hot, easy, travel-size breakfast for the car ride.

But let's get into the deets of what actually makes this dish so desirable that Robbie requested I make it again [because the first time he didn't have a choice].  

Bagels.  Smoked Salmon.  Cheese.  And Chives.

All mixed together [with a few other tasty ingredients] recreating the ever-so-famous NYC Bagel & Lox combination in one dish.  A truly hearty, yet healthy, flavorful breakfast that Robbie seriously couldn't get enough of.

I, on the other hand, might have smoked salmon myself out.  So I'll be making some cookies today ☺️  .

My Notes:

• Since the bagels are a main component, use the best quality bagels you can.  Also, don't be afraid to try out different flavors of bagels, too!  But for the first go around, going plain is probably best and then you can adapt next time.
• To go along with those bagels, also be sure to use the best quality salmon you can.  Yes, smoked salmon is not cheap.  But it will make a difference in this dish that will last you quite a while!

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter, melted

8 c. (about 4 to 6) plain bagels, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 (3 oz.) package smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded

4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 c. snipped fresh chives

8 eggs, beaten

2 c. milk

1 c. cottage cheese

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Place melted butter in 13x9-inch baking dish to cover bottom.  Spread bagel pieces evenly in prepared dish.  Sprinkle smoked salmon, cheese, and chives evenly over bagels.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, cottage cheese, and pepper, and whisk until combined.  Pour over bagel mixture in pan.  With back of a large spoon, gently press down bread pieces to make sure all of the ingredients are moistened.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours up to overnight.
3. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350ºF.  Bake 45 minutes or until set and edges are puffed and golden.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Per Serving: Calories - 267; Total Fat - 14g; Cholesterol - 176mg; Carbohydrates - 16g; Fiber - 1g; Sugar - 3g; Protein - 17g

Sunday Special: Grandma's Creamy Baked Macaroni 'n' Cheese

.  Okay, this isn't my Grandma's recipe.

Neither is it my typical healthy Sunday recipe post [that I seemingly forgot about as of late....].

But guess what?  It just makes it sound better, more nostalgic.  So we're keeping it.

As you may know, Robbie was in Omaha for almost all of February.  Yes, seriously.  What a joke, huh?  Stupid job.

But as the weeks wound down and it was finally time for the fiancé to return back to Chi-beria, a home-cooked meal seemed like the ticket.

See, in Robbie's line of work, what they call 'busy season' goes on every year from about January to April/May.  And busy seasons entails days, weeks, and months of never-ending work.  As in, those poor accounting soldiers spend every waking minute of their day at the office.  From about 8 AM to 12/1:00 AM.  E'ry day.  Except Sundays...

Which means that they have take-out.  A lot.  

And I'm all for take-out.  But I'm sure you can agree that sometimes it just gets old after...29-too  many meals.

So prior to his arrival on a late Friday night a couple of weeks back, I decided Robbie needed a comfort-food greeting.  And while I keep telling myself Robbie was glad to be back home to see me, I could see his eyes light up at the sight of the surprise mac 'n' cheese sitting on the stove.  Dang it.

But this dish is comfort-food-Paula Deen-esque to a 'T'.  A casserole of chewy elbow macaroni covered in creamy, cheesy goodness.  Then finished with a toasted layer of bread crumbs adding that ever-so-perfect crunch.

Crunchy topping.  Rich, gooey, cheesy sauce.  Chewy al dente macaroni.  

Please tell me what could be better?  .

My Notes:

• I [still] don't know exactly what Vermont cheddar is, so I went for the regular ol' cheddar cheese.  But use whichever type you like best or can at least find!
• The original recipe used individual servings in ramekins but I opted for the casserole style.  But if you want to serve this decadent dish as a side, the ramekins are absolutely perfect! 

Adapted from Simply So Good

Ingredients:

scant 8 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni

3 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. all purpose flour

2-1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. salt

Pinch of nutmeg

Black pepper (to taste)

2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese or aged Vermont cheddar cheese

1 c. bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Follow package directions to cook macaroni in pot of boiling water.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and place macaroni into a large bowl; set aside.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Heat oven to 350ºF.  In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk until smooth.  Add heavy whipping cream and whisk until sauce thickens (this takes several minutes).  Add salt, nutmeg, and pepper, and continue whisking until combined.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese.  Whisk until smooth and most of cheese is melted.
3. Pour cheese mixture over macaroni and stir until completely covered.  Pour the macaroni 'n' cheese into prepared baking dish.
4. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and mix with bread crumbs in a small bowl.  Evenly sprinkle bread crumbs over top of macaroni 'n' cheese.
5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until edges are bubbling and bread crumbs are golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve.

Yield: 12 servings

Secret Recipe Club: Frosted Sugar Cookies

.  It's been months since I last participated in SRC.  Must I mention that it's only because my forgetful self forgot to fill out the participation form?  Oops...

But we're back at for February, my very first SRC of 2014.  And what better way to start off a brand new year than with a holiday celebration?  And the most lovey-dovey, gooshy-wooshy holiday, to boot!

Valentine's Day.

I love it.

This month's SRC assignment was the Authentic Suburban Gourmet, which I must start out by saying that Lisa [the blogger] is on another level.  Like, she ain't joking about the 'gourmet' piece in her blog name.  She is quite legit.

From appetizers [like Wild Mushroom Crostinis, Chutney and Cheese Stuffed Dates, or Double Pesto Grilled Cheese Bites],  to entrees [think Coconut Crusted Tilapia, Beef Wellington, or the Mezzetta Italian-etta Sandwich], and even desserts [such as Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Salted Caramel Sauce or Sticky Toffee Pudding], Lisa brings her A-game.  Each and every time.

However, fortunate for me, I went into this assignment with clear direction.  And all I was seeing were hearts.

Valentine's hearts, that is.  Because even though our SRC reveal day is occurring post Valentine's Day, it didn't mean I wouldn't be bringing in treats for my co-workers on this red and pink strewn holiday.  So I was immediately on the hunt for something Valentines-ey.

And I found it immediately.

A tender, buttery, subtly sweet sugar cookie topped with a lathering of ultra sweet frosting?  Yes, please.  And my co-workers were all about it, too.  Hence, I came home with a crumb-free plate.  A.k.a. no cookies for me...

Lisa's Conversation Heart Cookies were exactly what I needed to celebrate Valentine's Day the right way.  The cookies themselves were a piece of cake [not literally] to make and the one-bowl frosting was almost just as quick to whip together.  So needless to say, the pairing of this almost shortbread flavor-like cookie with a creamy, classic, sugary-sweet frosting was quite divine.

But although I did my best to brighten my co-workers Valentine's Day, a very special someone also did his part to make my day very memorable.

I think I mentioned that Robbie is in Omaha all of February for work.  Therefore, he was no where to be found on Valentine's Day.  And because of that, I got this at work....

Yes.  Three dozen roses.  And about 20 minutes later, a 3-foot Vermont Teddy Bear arrived at my desk.

You can bet my face was a complete cherry at the arrival of all of these gifts and co-workers ooh-ed and aww-ed the entire rest of the day, it was most definitely a holiday I'll never forget.  Not to mention that the bear I got is now my new favorite cuddle buddy.

So even though the holiday of love has passed, I hope everyone had the chance to spend it with their loved ones.  Or at least send them a text, note, or even a teddy bear, to let them know you're thinking about them.

Love you all!  .

My Notes:

• I didn't have any meringue powder on hand, so I opted to use a frosting recipe I've used before.  It's very sweet and tops these subtly favored cookies perfectly!

Adapted from Authentic Suburban Gourmet and Taste of Home

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookies:

1 c. butter, at room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

1 large egg

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. almond extract

Frosting:

6 tbsp. butter, at room temperature

3 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 to 4 tbsp. milk

Food coloring, sprinkles, etc. [for decorating]

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy [about 3 minutes].  Add egg and salt and mix together until incorporated.  Add vanilla and almond extract and combine.  Slowly add flour, one cup at a time, until incorporated.  
2. Take dough out of the bowl and onto a cutting board.  Knead together any extra bits.  Divide dough into two balls and flatten into a 1-inch disk.  Wrap individually and chill for 30 minutes.  
3. Heat oven to 375ºF.  Sprinkle clean work surface with flour.  Unwrap one of the discs and use a rolling pin to roll out until ¼-inch thick.  Use a 2-inch heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until bottom edges are slightly golden brown.  Remove to cool onto a wire rack.  Repeat with scraps and remaining dough disc.
4. For frosting, combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk, in a medium bowl and beat until smooth.  Add food coloring [if using] to desired shade.  Frost and decorate cookies as desired.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

An InLinkz Link-up

Oatmeal Creme Pies for My Love

.  Cheesy post alert.

Okay, just kidding.

But you must know that Valentine's Day is this Friday!  Can you ba-lieve it?  And if you didn't know, you're welcome for reminding you.  At least you still have a couple of more days to get a present for that special someone...

But read this post first.

Unfortunately, my future hubby and I won't be together for Valentine's Day because as of this last Sunday, he will be in Omaha for the rest of the month for work.  Stupid busy season 😑

But before he was off to the Nebraskan 'Good Life', I had to make something to hold him over for the month.  Which means...a lot of something.  Portable.

So cookie sandwiches it was!

Robbie loves anything and everything vanilla or cream.  Or both!  And he can vouch, I did good on this one.  Or rather Bake or Break [BoB] did.

These Oatmeal Creme Pies are meant to resemble the cookie sandwiches from back in the day.  But I'll be quite honest, I'm not sure I'm old enough to remember these?  Or my parents were just plain cruel and hid them from me.  You decide.

Regardless, we hit the jackpot with this recipe.  But I am not one bit surprised since the recipe is from BoB, one of my all time favorite blogs.  Think Hummingbird Cupcakes, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake, or Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.  Each one a guaranteed pleaser.  Cross my fingers.

And this treat followed suit.  All the way from the chewy, chewy, cinnamon-ey oatmeal cookies to the über sweet creamy vanilla filling.  You just can't. go. wrong.

And I'm extremely proud to say that the container filled with these wondrous creme pies made it safely across the Midwest to the Hilton where Robbie will spend the next few weeks.  He better think of me every time he dips his paws in that container...

So although these cookies aren't sprinkled with pink confetti or packed with red filling, I made this treat with my [forever] Valentine in mind.  So I hope he's happy with my V-day contribution 💘

I wish everyone a lovey-dovey Valentine's Day, and hoping you spend it with the ones who mean most to you.  Plus it's on a Friday, so you have no excuse to not make some plans!

Love you all!  .

My Notes:

• The original recipe only yielded 18 cookie sandwiches, but I managed to squeeze out two dozen.  The serving size will depend on generous you are with your scooping!
• I honestly didn't think half of my cookie sandwiches would receive frosting but that stuff went a long way!  You don't need much in each sandwich because it's definitely sweet.

From Bake or Break

Ingredients:

Oatmeal Cookies:

1-1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 c. quick-cooking oats

Vanilla Cream Filling:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.  Grease baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. For the cookies, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy [about 3 minutes].  Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well.  
3. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and oats.  Gradually pour in flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
4. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets [about 2-inches apart].  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and centers are basically set.  Cool on pan for a couple of minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.
5. While cookies are cooling, for filling, combine butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and beat together until smooth.  Spread about 1 tablespoon of filling on half of cookies and top with remaining half of cookies to create sandwiches.

Yield: 2 dozen cookie sandwiches

Peppermint Fudge Cookie Sandwiches

.  Okay, this is getting serious.

Christmas is less than 5 days away and I still have some serious Christmas recipes to share.  So in part to the fact that I have little to no time to pump out these posts...let's get right to it.  Short and sweet.

First.  These cookies are ah-maze.  And I'm not joking.  They very much remind me of the dark chocolate lava cookies that seem to melt away in your mouth.  I mean, I named these 'fudge' cookies for a reason, right?  And for an extra special touch, you're getting a double dose of chocolate with the mini chocolate chips studded throughout.  Because who doesn't need more chocolate?  Plus they add a subtle crunchy texture to these luscious, seemingly creamy, cookies.

But the true holiday spirit comes when you get to that buttercream.  The candy cane buttercream, mind you.  Yes, real candy canes are crushed and added to a classic vanilla buttercream, upping the holiday ante.  And who would have guessed the chocolate/peppermint combo was so downright addicting?  Because neither Robbie or I could stop eating these little things.

Not to mention they're just too darn cute.

Well, I hope that everyone has a wondrous holiday and ends 2013 with a bang.  I'll be spending the last couple of weeks of the year in Minnesota and Arizona with family and friends, so odds are this will be my last post.  For the year, I mean.

I already have loads to catch you all up on, particularly with wedding planning, so I can't wait for the New Year to roll around.

Love you all, see you in 2014!  .

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

Fudge Cookies:

1 c. plus 1 tbsp. all purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. mini chocolate chips

Peppermint Buttercream:

3/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2-1/2 to 3 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. candy cane dust (about 9 candy canes)

Directions:

1. For cookies, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, and continue to melt in 30 second increments until fully melted and smooth; set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla extract; set aside.  With electric or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).  Beat in brown sugar and sugar, scraping down the sides, until mixture is granular.  Mix in egg mixture until incorporated.  Add chocolate and beat until combined.  Add dry ingredients on slow speed.  Fold in the mini chocolate chips (do not overmix!).  Chill dough for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 350°F.  Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a slightly flattened ball.  Place onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 10 minutes or until cookies have just begun to set with the centers still appearing very soft (they will set as they cool).  Move to wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, for buttercream, place candy canes in food processor and crush to a fine dust.  
5. In a medium bowl, beat butter for 1 minute.  Add 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar and mix on low speed.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream.  Beat for 1 minute.  Stir in candy cane dust with a spatula and add heavy whipping cream as needed if buttercream requires loosening.  
6. Frost half of cooled cookies and top with remaining half of cookies to create sandwiches.

Yield: 2 dozen cookie sandwiches

Caramel Apple Streusel Pie

.  How has Thanksgiving already come and gone?  I haven't even had a split second to catch up with everyone to see how their food-filled day went.  And now it's almost Christmas...

But let's recap.  My Thanksgiving was spent out in Naperville, Illinois, where my aunt and her family live.  My parents [in Minnesota] and my brother [currently in Missouri for Army training] also made the trek to the Chicago suburb.  We're all over the place, huh?  But fortunately we were all able to be under one roof for one of my favorite holidays, if even for a short while.

But my Thanksgiving was off to a great start the moment I got to my aunt's house.

Right before our early dinner, my aunt asked me to grab the wine.  Unbeknownst to me, I snagged a bag in the fridge and brought it out to the table.  The next couple of seconds were a bit of a blur but I remember my mom asking me what kind it was.  I casually shrugged and started reading the label.

'Jess.'  'Bridesmaid.'  'Melissa.'

Those are basically the only three words I remember reading.  But as the utter confusion passed, I started piecing it all together.  My best friend, and Maid of Honor, was asking me to be in her wedding!

Mel is a huge wine connoisseur, so her 'invitation' was so completely her.  Absolutely perfect and I couldn't be any more honored to stand by my beautiful best friend on the biggest day of her life.

See?  A great start to my Thanksgiving.

Comically, the rest of the holiday went by rather quickly.  We apparently got right down to business and the first round of 'Thanksgiving' was over in all of about 35 minutes.  If that.  But I guess that only alludes to the delicous-ness of the our meal: we were all heads down, forks to mouths.  And then once we were done, we got back to catching up with everyone.

The aftermath of Thanksgiving.

And of course, there was dessert.  Made by me.  Unfortunately dessert is the only contribution I will ever have to any dinner party.  But I think everyone agreed, this recipe didn't let me down.

From the crunchy toffee crumble to the luscious caramelized-apple filling overflowing in a homemade crust, what's not to love?  And the fact that we only had a modest sliver left by the end of the night signifies there wasn't much we didn't love about it.  Plus my papa requested this pie for Christmas.  Musta been good then, huh?!

Well I hope everyone's enjoying the holidays, they always seem to fly by faster each year.  Like I said, it's been busy our way, too, and hopefully I can get caught up sharing everything.  But in the mean time...enjoy this pie!

Happy baking!  .

Adapted from Handle the Heat

Ingredients:

Crust:

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

2 tbsp. cold sour cream

2 to 3 tbsp. cold water

Caramel Apple Filling:

6 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

4 tbsp. butter

Toffee Streusel Topping:

1/4 c. all purpose flour

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. cold butter, cut into chunks

Scant 1/3 c. toffee bits

Directions:

1. For the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and sugar until combined.  Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with larger chunks of butter remaining.  Add sour cream and pulse to combine.  Drizzle two tablespoons of ice water over mixture and pulse until it just comes together without being wet, sticky, or crumbly (if dough doesn’t hold together when pinched between your fingers, add another tablespoon of water and pulse).
2. Place the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a disk.  Chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.  
3. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured work surface (keep turning dough after every roll to ensure it doesn’t stick to the counter and is of even thickness).  Roll out into a 1/8-inch thick 13-inch circle. Gently place the dough over a 9-inch pie pan and press into the tin.  Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang.  Crimp or decorate edges and pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.  Freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm.
4. Heat oven to 375°F.  Remove the pie shell from the freezer and place a double sheet of foil over the shell, pressing the foil gently across the bottom and up the sides of the pie.  Place two cups pie weights or dry beans over the parchment.  Bake 20 minutes or until crust is dry and light in color.  Carefully remove the parchment and weights and continue baking for another 12 minutes, or until just turning golden.
5. Meanwhile, for the filling, combine apples, lemon juice, light brown sugar, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream in a large bowl. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the apple mixture and cook 8 minutes or until the apples begin to soften.  Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust.
6. For the topping, in a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar.  Cut butter into the flour with a fork to form coarse crumbs.  Stir in the toffee bits and sprinkle over apple mixture.  Wrap the edges of the pie crust with a crust shield or foil.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Let cool before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

  

2013 Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up!

.  You've probably seen your fair share of recipe round ups across the blogosphere as of late.  But guess what?  It's that time of year.  So you can't blame us.

And obviously bloggers have your best interest at heart.  We all know how hectic and absolutely crazy the holidays can be.  So why not list out some of our biggest hit recipes for you to easily pick out goodies that will surely wow your family and friends?  The holidays are all about the food, so you gotta bring your 'A' game.

So whether you're looking for some quick fixes or perhaps something a little more elaborate [a 'labor of love' piece is a must], here are several of my favorite recipes perfectly suited for the Thanksgiving bustle.  

This will be my last post before the big Thursday feast, so I hope you all have a beautiful day with your loved ones.  Eat lots and be thankful for everything around you!  Love you all!  .

Bumbleberry Pie

This is still my most fav pie to date!

Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Rum Cinnamon Sauce

Apple Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Mascarpone Frosting

Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes

Pumpkin Pillow Cookies

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Spiced Apple Cheesecake Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

Apple Cinnamon Truffles

Apple Butter Monkey Bread

Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups