For all the bakers among us, it’s dessert week. Enjoy!
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Banana cream pie
Crust:
2 C graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp. butter (melted)
1/4 C sugar
dash of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. water
Filling:
2 C heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3.4-oz. box of instant vanilla pudding
1 C milk
8 oz. cream cheese
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 bananas (divided)
1/2 C coconut (toasted)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Combine with a fork. Add melted butter and water and continue to combine until crumbs are well blended. Press into sides and bottom of a 9-in. deep pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.
For filling, combine pudding mix and cold milk and set aside. In mixer, whip cream, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Set aside. In mixer, beat cream cheese and slowly add sweetened condensed milk. Add to pudding and combine. Fold in half of whipped cream, reserving the rest.
Spread a small amount of cream mixture over graham cracker crust, and top with 3 sliced bananas. Spoon rest of the cream mixture over bananas and top with whipped cream. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill at least one hour. Before serving, top with one sliced banana and toasted coconut.
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Peanut butter pie
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C smooth peanut butter
2-3 tbsp. heavy cream
1 C powdered sugar
1 large very ripe banana
whipped topping
chocolate sauce
4 mini graham cracker crumb shells
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and cream. Mix well with a hand mixer until incorporated. Spoon into pie shells until ¾ full. Slice banana into very small disks and cover top of peanut butter mixture. Pipe or dollop desired amounts of whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with chocolate sauce just before serving.
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Apple pie bars
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 C butter, softened
3-1/4 C flour, divided
10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced (about 9 C)
1-1/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 C powdered sugar
1 tbsp. water
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add 3 cups flour, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Shape into 2 balls. Place 1 ball on large lightly floured sheet of waxed paper; flatten slightly. Cover with second floured sheet of waxed paper. Roll out dough to 15-1/2×10-1/2-inch rectangle. Discard top sheet of waxed paper.
Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray; invert over rolled-out dough. Flip dough and pan together. (Pan will be on bottom.) Remove second waxed paper sheet; gently press dough onto bottom and up side of pan. Toss apples with combined granulated sugar, cinnamon and remaining flour; spread onto bottom of crust. Repeat rolling out of remaining dough ball to make second rectangle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper; carefully flip dough over apples. Discard waxed paper.
Tuck edges of dough down sides of pan to enclose apples. Cut several slits in top crust to vent steam. Bake 35 to 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool 15 min. Mix powdered sugar and water; drizzle over dessert. Cool 30 min. before cutting into bars.
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She said, “I never make the same mistake twice. I make it five or six times, you know, just to be sure.”
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)