Baked Potato Garlic Herb Sour Cream Topping

Sunny A.

Recipe Found Here

1 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh dill
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 Tablespoon flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Add the sour cream to a small bowl. Add garlic, dill, chives, parsley, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix to combine.

Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled until ready to serve. Slice potatoes in half and pinch sides to open. Add garlic herb sour cream and serve.

Amazing Pecan Pie

Recipe Found HERE

1 chilled 9-inch pie crust shell, unbaked 

1 1/2 cups pecan halves (I use a mixture of chopped pecans and halves) 

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

cinnamon, generous pinch 

1 cup light corn syrup 

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3 large eggs (room temperature) 

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Spread pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until toasted. Be careful not to burn them. 

 Remove pecans from oven and let cool. They will become crunchier as they cool. Set aside. 

In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. 

Add light corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract and stir with a rubber spatula until everything is combined and smooth. 

Add eggs to a separate bowl and whisk until uniform in color. 

Add the eggs to the mixture and stir until completely combined. 

Spread the toasted pecans on the bottom of the pie crust into an even layer. 

Gently pour on the filling. 

Let the pie sit for about 5-10 minutes until the pecans have floated to the top. 

Bake on the middle rack for 65-75 minutes (or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pie reads 200 F.) Tent loosely with aluminum foil at the 30-minute mark if the pie begins to get too dark. Be careful that the foil does not touch the filling or it may stick. 

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 2-3 hours or until the pie is at room temperature. (This is very important since the pie will be slightly jiggly in the center once removed from the oven and needs to cool in order to set. If the bottom of the pan is still warm the pie is not cooled enough.) 

When the pie has cooled completely, slice and serve. 

Refrigerate leftovers and bring the pie to room temperature before serving. 

-Tips For Making The BEST Pecan Pie Recipe Toast the pecan: Don’t skip this step! Toasting gives pecans a crunchier texture and deeper pecan flavor. 

-Let it cool completely. Seriously, don’t cut this pie until it is 100% cooled off. If the bottom of the pan is still warm, it’s not cooled off. I usually make my pecan pies a day ahead so that they sit in the fridge for a firmer set.

Best Pumpkin Pie

Recipe Found Here

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs, beaten
Canned  pumpkin (15 oz)
1 1/4 cups light cream (half & half)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, salt, and spices.

In a large measuring cup, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, and cream. Whisk into the dry ingredients. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the filling overnight before baking.

Lightly grease a 9" pie pan that's at least 1 1/2" deep. Roll the pie dough out to a 13" circle, and transfer to the pan. Crimp the edges above the rim; this will give you a little extra headroom to hold the filling when it expands in the oven. Refrigerate the crust while the oven preheats to 400°F.

When the oven is hot, place the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is set 2" in from the edge. The center should still be wobbly. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a rack; the center will finish cooking through as the pie sits.

TIPS
This recipe makes enough filling to generously fill a 9" pan that's at least 1 1/2" deep. If your pan isn't quite that big, you can bake any leftover filling in custard cups; it will take 25 to 30 minutes to cook.

Pumpkin pie filling is basically a custard; the eggs in the filling will continue cooking as the heat from the edge of the pie moves toward the center, which is why it's important to remove the pie from the oven before the center is completely set. Leaving it in the oven too long will cause the eggs to overcook, tightening the proteins and causing the pie to crack in the center.

Mixing the filling a day in advance (refrigerate until using) will improve the flavor of this pie by giving the spices' flavors a chance to blend.