Pecan cheesecake pie

I love cheesecake and pecan pie, so I was thrilled to find this recipe online. It’s cheesecake on the bottom and pecan pie on top. And it is all delicious.

I whipped this up for dessert at Christmas, using a refrigerated pie crust and a spring form pan. This made the pie look more like a tart – yes, it was so fancy we had to eat the pie with our pinkie fingers sticking out.

Here is a link to the type of pan I used – it is called “leak proof,” but never believe that. I carefully assembled the pan and put the whole arrangement on a baking sheet for extra safety. No one wants to clean baked on pecan pie filling out of the oven, period.

Here is what you will need:

 

1 refrigerated pie crust (or a scratch-made one)

8 ounces cream cheese

4 eggs, divided

3/4 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans

1 cup light corn syrup

Unroll the pie crust and place it in the spring form pan (or regular pie pan) that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Center it in the pan and press crust against the sides. Beat the cream cheese, one egg, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour into the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until partially set. Remove the pan from the oven and arrange the pecans on top, like this:

 

Then, blend together the corn syrup, 3 eggs, remaining ¼ cup sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Pour over the pecans and bake for 30-35 minutes until set. Yield: 1 pie.

I served mine with Cool-Whip and coffee. And it was terrific!

You don’t have to arrange the whole nuts like I did; it makes the finished product pretty, but it is harder to cut. Feel free to use chopped pecans, which also are cheaper.

 

Sparger's Pecan Pie

Last week I had the profound pleasure of speaking at a book club at the Marion, Va., branch of the Smyth-Bland Regional Library. The library is top-notch, as were the ladies who make up this club. I came home with an autographed copy of “Blood on the Constitution,” by R.S. Sukle. Sukle was an occasional letter writer when I was opinion page editor at the Bristol Herald Courier and it was a pleasure to meet her in person, and talk to the club about regional programming by Blue Ridge PBS.

My trip also included an in-person visit to a longtime friend, Becky Sparger, who invited me for dinner at her home after the library event. I met Becky when she joined the reader advisory panel of the Bristol Herald Courier about two years ago. She continues to serve on this panel, and deserves praise for driving from Marion to Bristol for the monthly night meetings. I enjoyed wonderful hospitality in Marion and the pleasure of meeting Becky’s husband, John; her parents, Dr. and Mrs. James Patterson, and Ellen Bane Hull, another book club member. Becky and John hosted this crowd at their home, where we enjoyed London broil, twice baked potatoes, broccoli, angel biscuits and a delicious pecan pie.

Becky was gracious to share the recipe. It is nutty and luscious, with a fantastic homemade crust. It was a perfect way to end a perfect meal.

Becky and John Sparger’s Pecan Pie

For the crust:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Crisco (occasionally I use butter, my son always does)
5 - 7 or so tablespoons ice cold water

With a pastry blender, mix the flour and salt, then add the Crisco. Cut in until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add water and stir until a soft dough, then wrap and chill or freeze. If using frozen dough, let thaw but still be cold. Roll the dough on a floured surface, then place in a 9-inch pie pan.

For the pie
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 c white sugar
1 1/3 cup dark brown corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup pecans, slightly chopped

Mix all together and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Pie will still jiggle when you get it out. Don't worry. It is best made one day ahead of time to give it a chance to "set." You can add 1/2 to one cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup bourbon for a Kentucky Derby Pie. Add an extra egg or use 3 large eggs to compensate for the extra fluid. Cook the same way, same temperature (350 for one hour).

Start Your Ovens: The Best Carrot Cake

I made this cake last month when my parents, brother and niece and nephew came to Bristol for a visit. It was a huge hit, especially with the kids. This recipe is from "Start Your Ovens: Cooking the Way it Ought'a Be," the official cookbook of the Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Best Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl and mix well. Combine the sugar, oil and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the carrots and nuts.

Spoon the batter into two greased and floured 10-inch cake pans or three greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the layers test done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I used a Bundt pan and cooked the cake for about 40-45 minutes.

Cream cheese frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Evaporated milk

Combine the powdered sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat until creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in enough evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve spreading consistency. Spread the frosting between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake. Yield: 10-12 servings.

No-Bake Cookies

I found this recipe in a worn folder that used to be either orange or red, but today it is ruddy and slightly torn. Oh, the treasures inside! Classic Pecan Pie. Amish Friendship Bread. Broccoli Salad. And this old favorite: No-Bake Cookies.

This recipe comes from a dear friend, Debbie Isom, who lives in Wise County. She made these cookies years ago for an open house at The Coalfield Progress and I was intrigued. How do you make cookies that aren’t baked? Well, they aren’t cookies in the classic sense. They are a hybrid creation – you cook them on the stovetop and drop them like candy onto waxed paper or aluminum foil.

I hadn’t made this recipe in many years. In fact, my youngest said he had never had them. Looking at the recipe I had to chuckle: My oldest had scribbled all over the recipe using a green glitter pen. There are hearts and checkmarks and more hearts written in the margins, along with her name, written in tentative cursive. Fourth grade, I’m guessing, and she is 16 now.

Don’t wait years to try this recipe. It is easy, nearly foolproof and makes a huge amount. I plan to make a batch for my husband’s family reunion in August. Because of its ease, it is a great recipe to make with children.

No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
½ cup baking cocoa
½ cup milk
½ cup butter, margarine or oleo
Mix these ingredients together in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, then let cool slightly.
Add the following to the warm mixture:
½ cup peanut butter (creamy)
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Stir ingredients to blend completely. Drop by rounded teaspoons on a cookie sheet or waxed paper. Let cool approximately one hour.
I used nearly 4 cups of oats to get the mix to the thickness I wanted. I also used chunky peanut butter (it's what I had in the pantry). Also, you can add 1 ½ cups of coconut flakes, if you like them.

Let the cookies sit until they are firm. They are chewy and chocolatey and sure to be a hit at with the reunion crowd next month.

Grandma Grace's Strawberry Pie

Four gallons of strawberries is quite a haul, but that is what I was grateful to receive from my in-laws during our Memorial Day trip to Wise, Va. I washed, hulled and froze most of them, so I can use them in the future. But I had to make one of my favorite dishes from childhood, an easy strawberry pie recipe from my maternal grandmother, Grace Fakler.

On a scale of 1 to 10, my youngest gave this an enthusiastic 10.

Grandma Grace's Strawberry Pie

1 quart of strawberries, washed, capped and sliced
1 cup sugar
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
One baked pie shell

I used a prepared pie shell, removed it from the freezer and baked it. Be sure to prick the unbaked shell so it will not rise.

Cool the shell and add half the strawberries to the crust.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until strawberries have cooked slightly and sauce is thick. This will take about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and cool nearly to room temperature, stirring regularly.

Pour the strawberry glaze over the fresh strawberries in the shell. Serve the pie with whipped cream or topping; refrigerate leftovers.

I always struggle getting the first slice cut cleanly, but refrigerating the pie helps. This recipe has delicious, fresh strawberry flavor and is so easy. Try it!

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

My older son, Nelson, had a birthday this week, so I wanted to post a recipe for his all-time favorite birthday cake. (This year, he got yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing, but this recipe is his true favorite.) I got this gem from Janette Rodrigues, who I worked with at the Virginian-Pilot. This was her signature cake for special occasions and we were fortunate to enjoy it many times at our office in Chesapeake. Janette actually got the recipe from a Houston Chronicle reader, Casandra Yazdanpanah, of Katy, Texas. It's title really is Best Chocolate Cake Ever, and I think you will agree.

The recipe is rich beyond description; it’s full of sour cream, eggs and real butter. I never frost this cake. All it needs is a sprinkling of powdered sugar. This cake freezes well and I have even made mini Bundt cakes, frozen them and pulled them out for various occasions. If you have mini Bundt pans, this recipe will make six.

1 package devil’s food cake mix (chocolate)
4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups sour cream
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate minichips
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan. Stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Add sour cream, butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat on low speed. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be very thick. Pour into Bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Banana pudding

Banana pudding is a favorite with my children, and something I remember fondly from my own childhood. My aunt, Terry White, always made a huge bowl of the stuff for my brother and me when we came to visit the farm where my dad was raised in Sampson County, N.C. It was always special because it was a treat we never got at home. I thought it must have been quite exotic or difficult – until my aunt let me help her whip up a batch. I assume now that my parents weren’t fans, since it is one of the easiest desserts to make and an ideal recipe for making with children.

My children love the stuff, so I have been making banana pudding more recently. I have made it with cooked pudding, but prefer the easier preparation of instant pudding. I also love that you can make this with skim milk. My children get something sweet, without a ton of sugar or fat.

Banana pudding

4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk (I use skim or 1 percent)
20-25 vanilla wafers
2-3 bananas

In a medium bowl, mix the pudding mix and milk until fully blended. I use a whisk to eliminate lumps. After about 3 minutes of stirring, the pudding will thicken. In a medium bowl, place a layer of 8-10 vanilla wafers, then a layer of sliced bananas. Add half the pudding. Add another layer of 8-10 vanilla wafers and another layer of sliced bananas. Add the remaining pudding, then top with 4 or 5 wafers. Chill completely. This version makes about 4 servings. You can easily double it for a crowd. Don't top it with sliced bananas, unless you are going to eat it promptly -- they will brown.

Cinnamon, apples and oats

My mother has made apple crisp countless times; it was a recipe she did by sight and feel, over any real measurements. The ease of this recipe, and the fact it is made from common ingredients most cooks have on hand, makes it a good go-to dessert. I changed it up a bit by adding pears. My youngest son doesn’t like apples (I have no idea) so I mixed in some chopped pears hoping he would eat the whole thing. The joke was on me: He ate the pears and left the apples behind. (No, I am not sure how he could tell in the finished dish, but he did.)

Apple and pear crisp

1 large baking apple, like Granny Smith
1 large Bosc pear
½ cup quick oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter

Chop the apples and pears and place in a medium casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. I used a beautiful glazed dish from Williams-Sonoma; it makes everything taste better! I do not peel the fruit.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, sugar and cinnamon. Blend in butter with a fork until it is combined.

Put the oatmeal mixture over the fruit…

Then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Whip this up and put it in the oven as you sit down to eat. Dessert will be ready once dinner is over.

My husband loves his with vanilla ice cream, a classic: