Aaron's Banana Cream Pie

My youngest, Aaron, cobbled this recipe together from 3 other recipes that he found on the interwebs one day while he was hungry in class. He came home and made it for us. Cynthia, his older sister, cried when she took her first bite because it tasted so good. I made it for my coworkers and got a very consistent response, which was (paraphrased) "This is great! When can I have the recipe?"

Well, this is it. The crust is from The Spruce Eats, the filling is from Allrecipes, and the whipped topping is from my French Silk Pie recipe.

Here are the crust and filling recipes. I don't recommend making the topping until the crust has been filled and it has cooled, so once you're at that point, head over to that recipe.

Vanilla Wafer Cookie Crust Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fine vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (about 30-35 cookies worth)

2 tbsp granulated sugar (vanilla sugar is good here, but regular is just fine)

5 tbsp softened unsalted butter

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add vanilla wafer cookies and sugar to a food processor an pulse until crumbs are fine (about the same as commercial bread crumbs.) Add the butter and pulse until combined. Turn out crumb mixture into a 9" pie tin and press into the bottom and sides of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes and cool completely before filling (it should be cool by the time the filling is done).

Banana Cream Pie Filling Ingredients

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (don't substitute vanilla sugar-it doesn't work)

Up to 4 bananas, sliced (enough to cover the bottom of the pie crust)

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (if not already hot.) Cover the bottom of the pie crust with banana slices. Place egg yolks in a small heat resistant bowl and beat them thoroughly.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, cook over medium-low heat until it boils and begins to thicken, then let it simmer for two more minutes while stirring constantly. I mean stirring constantly! This stuff desperately wants to burn to the pan and ruin itself. Do not stop stirring thoroughly while it's on the heat!

Remove the milk mixture from the heat and whisk about 3 tablespoons into the beaten egg yolks, then whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat for two more minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and mix in vanilla and butter.

Pour over banana slices and level the pudding in the pie pan. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour before topping with a whipped topping.

It's quite good if you sprinkle toasted almond slices or some toasted reserved cookie crumbs over the whipped topping.

I intend to try making the filling in the top of a double-boiler just to see if it's easier. I'll update this recipe later with the results.

The Best Brioche French Toast

This is an easy recipe for a cold morning! It is our family's traditional Christmas Morning breakfast. And the absolute best thing about it is that you can fix a lot at once and freeze slices in individual sandwich baggies and heat them in the microwave for breakfast all week (you can warm it in a toaster or oven after it thaws if you want it crispier.) Best served warm, fresh, and with butter or cream cheese and syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 2 cups milk
• 1 or more loaves sliced Brioche bread (Trader Joe's has a good one)

In a small casserole dish or flat-bottomed bowl, whisk together eggs and cinnamon with a wire whisk or hand blender until thoroughly mixed. Whisk in milk. Heat a nonstick pan or griddle (or cast-iron with nonstick spray) over medium-low heat. Briefly (as in "oops! I dropped my brioche in egg and milk mixture!") coat both sides of enough slices of the bread to cover the bottom of the pan or griddle without touching, placing each slice on the hot surface as you pull it from the egg mixture. Cook each side for about 3 minutes or until just golden, flipping once.

Note: Cinnamon incorporates best with just the eggs. If you add it after adding the milk, the cinnamon tends to clump. You can substitute pumpkin pie spices for the cinnamon, or powdered cardamom, or allspice. Experiment and have fun!

Perfect Homemade Biscuits

You know how I usually go out and find a recipe and then modify it? Well, this morning I went looking for a new biscuit recipe for breakfast, and found a recipe that already had so many variations that I had trouble finding one of my own to try.
I did, but it was work.
I found This recipe at https://www.momontimeout.com/perfect-biscuits-every-time-recipe/ and it has distinct advantages over either my buttermilk biscuit recipe from the now-defunct Meemo's Kitchen, or even baking mix biscuits. It doesn't take anything I don't usually have in my pantry or refrigerator, it's as fast to make as baking mix biscuits (nearly) and it is easily modified. The stock recipe comes out very soft, and rather flaky. I'll include some suggested changes at the end of the instructions.
Here's the recipe for Perfect Homemade Biscuits!

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 3/4 cup COLD butter
• 1 egg (optional)
• 1 cup whole milk (skim works too)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• The secret to excellent biscuits is COLD BUTTER. Really cold. Many times the biscuit dough gets worked so much that the butter softens before the biscuits even go in the oven. Try cutting the butter into small pieces and stick back in the fridge pulling out only when ready to incorporate into the dough.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
• Use a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into flour mixture. Don't go too crazy here - you want to see small, pea-sized pieces of butter throughout the dough. 
• Add in the milk and egg and mix just until the ingredients are combined. The dough will be sticky but don't keep working it. You should be able to see the butter pieces in the dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on to the top of dough so it won't stick to your fingers and knead 10-15 times. If the dough is super sticky just sprinkle on some additional flour.
• Pat the dough out to 3/4 - 1 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass. I ended up with nine this time but depending on who is snacking on biscuit dough, I can get up to 12 biscuits. [I got 12 on my first batch, 14 on my second, and who snacks on raw biscuit dough?-Edly]
• Place the biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• For extra yumminess, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter... [Your arteries will slam shut in delight!-Edly]

Modifications and notes:

Some of the ingredients are considered optional by the source.  They claim it is safe to leave out the cream of tartar, and that the egg is optional. They also say you can use buttermilk instead of whole milk, but you will have to use more because of how thick it is. UPDATE 12/20/2020: They're right about it taking more buttermilk. Today I made this recipe with the following modifications: 1 cup buttermilk instead of milk (I could have used a bit more.) 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda instead of 4 teaspoons baking powder (1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, and buttermilk is slightly acidic, which activates the baking soda.) No cream of tartar (I couldn't find any.)

The first time I fixed them today (I made them for breakfast and dinner both) I made them exactly as outlined in the recipe above, only choosing not to brush the biscuits with additional butter after baking (there's so much butter in them already!) The second time I added about 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to the one cup of skim milk I almost always use in my cooking. They came out a bit moister that way.

Either way, these are best eaten hot and straight from the oven. They are not nearly as good if allowed to cool.
After testing: You can make these biscuits ahead of time and freeze them before baking them, just like Pillsbury frozen biscuits. Place the already formed biscuits into a baking sheet and place it into the freezer for an hour or two, then put the frozen biscuits into a freezer bag and store them for up to several weeks and make them as you want them!

Updated Quiche Recipe

I've been making this recipe since my kids were still little, as you can see from reading my old posts, since after our trip to Disney World in Florida.
I never leave a recipe alone, and I figured it was time to update it. I found that the old recipe made too much for one quiche, not quite enough for two. So this is just a modified version of my old recipe.
Enjoy!

Quiche

2 prepared 9" deep-dish pie crusts or 3 regular 9" pie crusts
6 strips of cooked crispy bacon, coarsely chopped, or 2 cups chopped ham, or 1 cup cooked and thinly sliced bratwurst, or 1 cup cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage, or 1 cup diced cooked chicken or turkey breast, or 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (or any combination. Just go nuts.)
2/3 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons diced green onions (optional)
3 cups shredded Swiss/mozzarella/Jack cheese (any works)
1/4 Cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups milk or half-and-half (anything from skim milk to half-and-half, you can combine milk and sour cream or plain yogurt for additional flavor)
9 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide the  meat/artichokes, minced onions, optional green onions, and Swiss cheese amongst the pie crusts. Whisk together the other ingredients and pour into the pie crusts, and top with the parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300 degrees and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool for ten minutes before cutting into eight slices and enjoy while still warm.

Eleanor's Peanut Butter Cookies

If you ever wondered how I started cooking, or where I got my tendency to change the recipes of others, this is where both started. You see, this is my mom's Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe. She took the recipe from a '60's-era Betty Crocker Cookbook, and changed it by a single ingredient. The original recipe calls for a combination of butter and shortening, but she found that if you used more butter instead of the shortening (a 1 for 1 substitution) then the cookies came out softer, and more flavorful.
Here's my mom's variation of the Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe:

1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup softened butter
1 egg
1-1/4 Cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together sugars, peanut butter, butter, and egg until smooth. Add all other ingredients and thoroughly mix them in. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Set oven temperature for 350 degrees. Shape the dough into 1 to 1-1/4 inch balls by hand or using a melon-baller, placing them 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press a checkerboard pattern into the top of each cookie with a fork. Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
Remove from the cookie sheet and allow cookies to cool on a platter (they tend to fall apart if cooled on wire racks, unless supported by parchment paper.)
Optional: dip the fork into granulated (white or party-colored) sugar between pressing the checkerboard pattern into each cookie for an added decoration.
Tip: This recipe makes a lot of cookies, but you don't have to bake them all at once. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or four to six months in the freezer. I like to make them into balls using a melon-baller, and then freeze them in a zip-seal freezer bag labeled with the expiration date. When I want fresh cookies, I put the frozen balls on a cookie sheet, press in the pattern, and bake them as directed.

Quiche Lorraine

Folks-
We just got home a couple of weeks ago from our family vacation in Florida (it was a blast!) While visiting Epcot at Disney World, my daughter had a Quiche Lorraine for lunch at the France Exhibit at World Showcase. She enjoyed it so much that I decided to make one tonight for dinner. I started with this recipe at allrecipes and modified it from the suggestions in the comments. I actually made two at once due to the amount of ingredients I had, with the intent to freeze one. We'll see if that plan lasts through tomorrow!
In any case, here's my recipe:

Quiche Lorraine

1 prepared 9" deep-dish pie crust, or 2 regular 9" pie crusts
12 strips of cooked crispy bacon, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1-1/3 cup half-and-half
6 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the bacon, minced onions, and Swiss cheese in the pie crust. Whisk together the other ingredients and pour into the pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300 degrees and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool for ten minutes before cutting into eight slices and enjoy while still warm.
Tip: This recipe works well with ham instead of bacon. Deli ham is acceptable. Cooked spinach is also good in it. You can change out the Swiss cheese, substituting in mozzarella or Monterey Jack in its place.

Fool Proof Pie Crust

Folks-
It's been a while since I've updated the site with a new recipe, and that's because I use the site as my own personal recipe card file. If I haven't needed an old recipe, have been experimenting much in the kitchen, and haven't found a new recipe that I need to add to the old card file, then I don't update.
Well, one of Zhenie's old high-school friends (she went to school in The Philippines, so how did one of her old friends end up living only a mile away?) dropped off a whole bunch of pairs at our house. I was thinking pie, but didn't find my mom's old pie crust recipe online. Time to fix that.
Here's a recipe that my mom got from one of the cooks at the school she retired from:

Fool Proof Pie Crust

Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 ¾ Cups or 335g *Shortening
½ Cup Cold Water
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1 Large Egg

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender just until mixed in and crumbly. Do not overdo it or the liquids won't mix in! In a separate bowl, mix together the water, vinegar, and egg. Add liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients just until a kneadable dough forms. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. If making an uncooked pie, be sure to poke the bottom of the pie crust multiple times with a fork before cooking to prevent bubbles.

Notes:
1. Shortening is getting harder to find these days. I intend to experiment with a coconut oil soon as a replacement. If I do, I'll let you know the results. Update: It works, but gives it a strong coconut flavor. This might work for some pies. I recommend sticking with shortening or maybe ghee.

2. It is best to get the liquids ready first then leave them in the refrigerator until ready. In fact, it's best to make this recipe when it's cold, and store it in the fridge until ready to roll out.

3. I made this for hand-pies recently using lard instead of vegetable shortening and it came out stronger than using the regular shortening. It still refused to seal (especially around the blueberry filled ones.) I may try a completely different recipe for hand-pies. (7/5/25)

Egg Noodles

Folks-
My chicken and Turkey noodle soups are well known in my circle. The real secret to them is the homemade noodles. Since I haven't figured out the measurements for the soup ingredients yet, I'll post the recipe for the noodles first. It's my moms recipe, with a variation at the end from my dad. I prefer the egg yolk version over the whole egg, but it takes so dang many eggs! Both versions are easier than most people would think. Give them both a try and see which you prefer!

Here it is, my mom's homemade noodle recipe!


Egg Noodles
E. Pearl

6 Egg Yolks
1 Whole Egg
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Flour

Mix together in the order above until very stiff. Roll out dough on a well floured board to 1/8" thickness. Cover with a towel and allow to dry for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Roll the dough into a cylinder and slice first once along the length of the cylinder, and then across the cylinder to make noodles of about 1/4" width. Boil for up to 45 minutes.
You can substitute 3 whole eggs for 6 egg yolks and 1 whole egg.

Classic Cheesecake

Folks-
Here is my variation of the Classic New York Cheesecake recipe I found at Food Network's website. This is just a little bit easier than the method Food Network suggests but comes out just as good. (Baking in a water bath? Really?) Also, this version of the recipe makes use of the Vanilla Sugar I taught you how to make a few months ago (glad you were paying attention now, aren't you?)

Ingredients:

Crust:
6 Tablespoons Butter (Unsalted Optional)
1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker crumbs
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Pinch of salt (no, really, a pinch)

Filling:
2 Pounds Cream Cheese at room temperature (about 4 packages)
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cups Sour Cream
6 large eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Sugar
About 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest, finely ground (about 1 lemon)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt the butter. Brush a 9 inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter into the Graham Cracker Crumbs, Sugar, and Salt and press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes and cool.

While the crust is cooling, beat the cream cheese on medium speed in a good stand mixer until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters as necessary. Slowly beat in the sour cream and eggs one at a time, the vanilla sugar and the lemon zest. Do not whip the mixture. Pour into the cooled crust. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour, 10 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to continue to cook in the cooling oven for another hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the edge and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.