I Don't Know Why I Swallowed The Pie

Hello readers, I hope you all had a lovely week. I was rather busy preparing for Thanksgiving and I found it difficult to sit down and post. I did share photos on my Facebook page (Lady Toesocks), if you follow me on Facebook you might have seen my pictures of my many confections. The holiday has come and gone. I ate a ridiculous amount of food that day; enough to make me say "Well done!" Now that I have fully recovered from all of the excitement, I thought I'd share the photos here and tell you where you can find the recipes. The photo above is a pie called "Lemon Velvet Cream Pie" I discovered this recipe, a few years ago, in a November issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. When I saw the recipe, I thought that it would be fun to try. My mother used to make lemon meringue pie on Thanksgiving, which I liked, but I didn't want to bother making meringue. I tried this recipe and it was a huge hit; so much so, that it is requested each year. It is a keeper! It is very easy to make. It tastes like a dream, with a beautifully smooth texture. Oh gosh, I can't say enough about the pie. Whenever you have your first bite, you have a moment where words are impossible to assemble. You can find the recipe here: www.bhg.com/recipe/pies/lemon-velvet-cream-pie/

I call this pie "Gilligan Pie." It is a combination of banana cream pie and coconut cream pie. I created it many Thanksgivings ago, when I could decide if I wanted to make a coconut cream pie or a banana cream pie. So, I made both into one and created magic. Both of the pies use a basic vanilla custard base, which made it easy to combine. I used a recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook for coconut cream pie. I substitute coconut extract for vanilla and add half a cup of shredded coconut. At the bottom of the pastry shell, I slice two bananas and spread the banana slices all over the bottom before adding the coconut custard on top. My sister absolutely loves this pie and it has become a Thanksgiving tradition. Oh, about the name.. my sister asked me what the pie was called so I came up with "Gilligan" after the character from the show Gilligan's Island. I you've watched the show, you'll remember that Gilligan made an obscene amount of coconut and banana cream pie.

This year, I decided to make a few homemade candies. My nephews really take a fancy to things like fudge and Muddy Buddies. I found a recipe for caramels pinned on Pinterest which looked very easy. What peaked my interest about this recipe was that the candy was made in the microwave. This is appealing because it takes less time, doesn't require a candy thermometer and uses one dish. All of those elements are of interest to me on the day before Thanksgiving, since I already have a lot on my plate. I made these, following the instructions, and they looked great! I combined the ingredients and cooked it in the microwave for 6 minutes. I cooked at one minute increments, stirring between sets. After four minutes, the caramel looked ready, but I wanted to follow the instructions. So, I continued on. On Thanksgiving day, I tried to cut into the caramels and found it to be impossible. The candy was too hard and it would have been a nightmare on my teeth. I did, eventually, manage to cut some out after warming the dish in hot water. The result was similar to a Sugar Daddy. Imagine a giant Sugar Daddy, that is what was in my pan. I don't think the fault was with the recipe, rather I believe that my microwave was at a higher wattage than the microwave used in the recipe on the site (my wattage is 1000). Had I poured the caramel, while it was still hot, onto sticks, it would have been a huge hit. Next time, I'll trust my gut and stop at 4 minutes. Either way the caramel was tasty! The recipe for this can be found here: www.food.com/recipe/microwave-caramels-367414

Lastly, I made chocolate fudge. My nephew loves fudge! I like making it for him and for everyone to enjoy. I've tried numerous variations on fudge. I'm not a fan of using marshmallow cream in my recipes, as I think it creates a weird texture. There are two recipes that I like to use, depending on what I have in my cupboard. This recipe can be made in the microwave, too. Although the original recipe calls to prepare this on the stove in a saucepan. I find that combining the ingredients and heating in the microwave, for 1 minute at a time, works well. I like to use the classic Domino Sugar recipe for Nut Fudge, omitting the nuts. It is a tried and true recipe that is incredibly easy to throw together and it's a crowd pleaser. You can find the recipe here:  www.dominosugar.com/recipe/quick-nut-fudge-232

With any recipe, you want to experiment and make your own adjustments to create a perfect concoction. These are my favorite Thanksgiving treats that I contribute to the meal. These candy recipes I like to use on Christmas Eve, too. This is the last post of November. December begins tomorrow and I will be posting every day! You can stay updated on the posts on my Facebook page- Lady Toesocks. You can also find other bits from my world there, too! The next month shall be a productive and festive one and I look forward to it. Until next time~ Toodhaloo!