Thanksgiving week is here. 2020 has been so awful for so many people. Terrible things have happened to a lot of people. And the burdens some of you carry are immense. My hope is that the burdens are eased and that better days are ahead. I wish you love and peace and joy. One of my favorite quotes when life gets hard is from one of the greatest songwriters, Bruce Springsteen “tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and all this darkness passed.” May it be try for any of you suffering or struggling.

Today’s treat, a request from my husband – caramel pie, with an oreo crust and a chocolate ganache topping. I used both golden and regular oreos for the crust. I made the caramel filling (not difficult at all) and let’s face it – ganache is really a fancy word for melted chocolate. The Oreos for the pie crust need to be crushed. You can use a food processor, or a rolling pin on a countertop.. Or you can put them in a freezer bag and smash them with a rolling pin (I may or may not have done this, in anger after a particular sports competition outcome).. Or you can use a ready made Oreo, or graham cracker crust.

• Crust ingredients and directions
• 40 Oreos, finely crushed
• 8 tbs butter melted
• Combine and press into a pie pan

• Caramel filling and directions
• 8 tbs butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Whisk and melt butter and brown sugar to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Blend in cream. Let set for 15 minutes. Pour into crust. Chill 1 hour in fridge.

Ganache ingredients and directions

• Ganache ingredients and directions
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• Heat cream in a microwave-safe container in 2, 45 second increments in microwave. Pour over chips. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir smooth. Pour over Caramel filling. Chill 1 hour. Store covered in fridge.

Part two of my Thanksgiving dessert post features a peanut butter pie in an Oreo crust. I opted to use butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and powdered sugar for the filling. I used crushed Oreos (courtesy of my food processor). You can also put them in a freezer bags and smash them with a rolling pin. 🙂

• Crust ingredients and directions
• 40 Oreos, crushed
• 8 tbs butter , melted
• Combine and press in a pie plate. Chill 1 hour.

• Filling ingredients and directions
• 2 cups peanut butter
• 8 tbs butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Milk
• Cook and stir peanut butter, butter and brown sugar over low heat, just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar. You can add milk 1 tbs at a time until you get the consistency you want. Press on top of crust. Top with melted milk chocolate. Store in fridge.

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These cookies, affectionately known as “the franks,” named after a friend of ours, are Rob’ s favorite cookie. So he asked for these as the Monday Bills victory treat (in addition to the cookie cake I am bringing in). The win was a big one and worthy of double treats! I stood the entire time I watched and yelled. A. Lot. And maybe used some bad words. 7-2!!! Also the Sunday ticket is a blessing and a curse!

• Ingredients
• 3/4 cup Crisco
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup white choc chips
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cream Crisco, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, baking soda and vinegar. Add egg. Blend in flour. If dough seems too dry, add a tbs or two,of water. stir in chips. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough. Scatter on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. (There will be light golden patches on top ). Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Today’s Bills win over the Seahawks (one of the best teams on the league) was worthy of two victory treats. For the first, I present chocolate chip,cookie cake with cream cheese frosting. It is made in a 9 inch springform pan. If you don’t have one, try using 2 – 9 inch round cake pans if you have them, dividing the batter evenly. If you don’t want to make cream cheese frosting, you can make regular vanilla or,chocolate frosting.

• Cake ingredients
• 12 tbs butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbs vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Add chips. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center basically comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert on a plate and cool completely.

• Frosting ingredients
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used neufactel, which is lower in fat and calories)
• 2 tbs butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Heavy cream

Directions – cream butter and cream cheese. Blend in powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Add enough heavy cream to get the consistency you want. Frost cake. Store in covered container.

These cookies are a perfect one for fall – pumpkin sugar cookies with a cinnamon sugar buttercream.   Quick note – these call for canned pumpkin, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, and cream of tartar so make sure you have them in stock. You can probably use cinnamon if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, but don’t substitute the other things.   The cookies don’t spread much either, so you may want to flatten them slightly if you want a flatter cookie.  Remember to scoop your flour into your measuring cup so you get the right amount and preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking. 

• Ingredients
• 1/2 cup Crisco or butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• Cinnamon sugar

Directions – cream butter or Crisco, oil, sugar and powdered sugar.  Add eggs and pumpkin.  Blend in dry ingredients. Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Chill 1 hour or so.  Preheat oven to 350 for 20 minutes.  Scatter on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.  (They will seem a little undone, will be lightly golden on bottom).  Cool completely. 

• Frosting ingredients
• 2 tbs butter, melted
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Milk or heavy cream

Frosting directions – combine and frost cookies. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Store in covered container.

A lot going on with this week’s Bills victory cookies. Today’s win was quite stressful and came down to the last minute. Only the 3rd win,in the last 21 at home versus New England! Nothing ever easy with this team, but 6-2 after 8 games is one good thing in an awful year. So I am here for whatever goodness we have. I wanted to make peanut butter cookies.. And I had brownies leftover (I made some for Rob and he ate a grand total of one, per usual). And I also wanted to use up the rest of my mini M&Ms. And Rob suggested putting melted chocolate on top. So that is how we can to this cookie.

• Ingredients
• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbs milk
• 1 tbs vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup mini m&ms
• Brownies, baked, cooled and cute into smalls squares

Directions- preheat oven to 375. Cream Crisco, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add eggs,vanilla and milk. Fold in flour and baking soda. Stir in m&ms.

Scoop out a tbs of dough, slightly flatten.

Place a brownie square on top

Place another tbs of slightly flattened dough on top.

Completely cover brownie.

Scatter on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners. Bake 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Top with melted chocolate. Store in covered container.

We had a little debate at work during one of the shows yesterday regarding candy corn. Some think it’s great. Others (like me) think it is sugar wax. Saturday is Halloween, and I need an appropriate holiday treat for football Friday (go Bills), so I am bringing in candy corn (sort of). Actually, they are sugar cookie bars cut into triangles ans decorated with white, orange and yellow frosting. ☺

• Ingredients
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbs vanilla
• 5 cups flour

Directions – preheat oven to 350 for 20 minutes. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour. Press evenly into pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes. They will seem undercooked. Do not cook too long because they will be on the dry side. Cool completely. Cut into triangles. Frost with white frosting on top, orange frosting in the middle and yellow on the bottom. Store in covered container.