Lizzie's Coconut Custard Pie

1 c grated coconut
1 c milk
1 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 unbaked 8 or 9 inch pie shell
· nutmeg, optional

How to make it :

Soak coconut in milk for several hours to make coconut very moist. Set in refrigerator until ready to use.
Stir together sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside.
Beat the 2 whole eggs plus the additional egg yolk slightly. Add coconut/milk mixture and vanilla to these eggs.
Combine dry ingredients with milk mixture. Mix well. Add butter. Mix.
Beat remaining egg white until frothy. Brush this on unbaked pie shell. (This keeps the pie crust from becoming soggy.) Then carefully pour custard into unbaked pie shell. If you like shake a bit of nutmeg on top of custard. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
If you like you can cover edges of pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent them from becoming too dark.

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Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies

1    cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½    cup powdered sugar
½    tablespoon vanilla extract
2    cups all-purpose flour
½    teaspoon salt
¾    cup maraschino cherries-chopped (spread cherries on paper towel to drain well or you can use dried maraschino cherries)
⅔    cup chocolate chips

How to make it :

Mix flour and salt, set aside.
Cream 1 cup unsalted softened butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, mix in vanilla.
Add flour and salt mixture and mix until it starts forming larger clumps.
Mix in chocolate chips and maraschino cherries.
Form the dough into the log and press it well or it will crumble when you slice the cookies (the log should be about 2 inch thick) Wrap it in the plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1-2 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the log into 1/4 or 1/3 inch thick slices (if the slices crumbles, press it back together with your hands) and place them onto baking sheet with one inch of space between.
Bake the cookies 10– 15 minutes (until they just start to turn lightly golden brown on top)
Let them cool for 5 minutes on a baking sheet before transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

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French Toast with Corned Beef Hash

CHEDDAR ONION BUTTER:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion (peeled, small dice)
1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter (softened)
12 ounces cheddar cheese yellow slices (pre-packaged)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
CORNED BEEF HASH:
1/2 cup olive oil (amount not specified)
1 and 1/2 cups green bell pepper (stemmed, seeded, small dice)
1 and 1/2 cups yellow onion (peeled, small dice)
3 Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled, about 1 and 1/2 cups)
5 cups corned beef (cut into 1/4-inch cubes)
SAVORY RYE FRENCH TOAST:
12 large eggs
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 loaf Rye bread (1-inch to 1 1/4-inch thick, 10 slices total)
1 recipe Corned beef hash
1 recipe cheddar onion butter (to garnish)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (for greasing)

How to make it :

For the Cheddar Onion Butter: In a small saute pan, over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and warm through. Add onions and cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and whip on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add cheese, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder and whip on low speed until fully combined.
Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add Worcestershire sauce and cooled onions. Stir to combine and transfer to bowl.
For the Corned Beef Hash: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until they have a little chew, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl to cool. Cut potatoes into a little less than a 1/4-inch dice and set aside.
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add olive oil. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Add boiled potatoes and corned beef and stir to combine. Cook until potatoes and corned beef are golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.
For the Savory Rye French Toast: Preheat the oven to 250ºF. Preheat a griddle pan over medium heat.
In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and whisk until smooth. Add pepper, salt and garlic powder and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in milk and heavy cream until fully incorporated. Set aside.
Add butter to griddle and melt completely.
Using tongs or hands, and working in small batches, dip bread slices into prepared egg mixture. Gently place slices onto griddle pan and cook, flipping halfway through until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes per side. Place finished slices onto a baking sheet and transfer to oven to keep warm until all slices are finished.
To Serve: Cut French toast slices on the diagonal and shingle onto a platter. Spoon warmed corned beef mixture over the top of the slices and garnish with dabs of prepared butter. Allow the butter to melt to create a sauce for the dish and serve.
Tip: Crunched for time? Substitute frozen and thawed hash browns for the potatoes to cut down on prep time!

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Crock Pot Strawberry Cream Cake

15.25 oz strawberry cake mix prepared
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/4 c sugar
1 t vanilla extract
topping: 12 oz tub cool whip

How to make it :

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray
Prepare your cake mix per the instructions on the box
Mix together your cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth
Pour your prepared cake mix into your crock pot and distribute evenly
Take a spoon and drop spoonfuls of your cream cheese mixture all over your batter
Drag a knife through your cream cheese mixture and batter to create a cream cheese "swirl"
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours, until it passes the toothpick test
Remove your lid and let the cake cool completely
Top with cool whip

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Heavenly Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
2 Tablespoons light olive oil
1 1/2 cups light sour cream or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups crushed ritz crackers (1 sleeve) or seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons melted butter

How to make it :

Preheat the oven to 350'F. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spread the olive oil over the foil.

In a medium bowl or zip style bag, stir together the sour cream, salt, onion powder, and paprika. Add the chicken to this mixture and turn the chicken so that all sides are fully coated.

Place the crushed crackers or breadcrumbs in a large bowl and dredge each piece of chicken in the crumbs so that all sides are coated.

Place the coated chicken on the prepared pan, drizzle the top of each piece with melted butter.

Bake at 350'F for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165'F.

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New York-Style Cheesecake

For the Crust:
2 cups graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter, melted
For the New York-Style Cheesecake:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, very soft
1 cup Full-Fat Sour Cream
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
For the Fresh Strawberry Sauce:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 small lemon, zested

How to make it :

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
For the Crust:
Lightly spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
In the body of a blender or food processor combine graham crackers, sugar, and salt; blend until the crackers have been completely pulsed to crumbs. Add melted butter; stir well to combine. Press down firmly into the prepared 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
For the New York-Style Cheesecake Filling:
In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream until completely smooth.
Add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add in the eggs and yolks; beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, mixing just until combined.
Quickly stir in the cream, mixing just until it's incorporated in the batter.
Pour filling into prepared crust, and spread evenly.
Wrap the bottom of the pan in tin foil (I recommend doing a few diligent layers here; no one wants a wet crust).
Place the cheesecake pan into a large, deep pan. Fill the pan up with hot water half way. This is your water bath and will help ensure your cheesecake comes out crack free.
Place pan in the oven and cook cheesecake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Turn oven off and let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for 55 minutes inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly.
Remove cake from oven, run a knife very gently around the edge of the cake, and let it sit in the pan for 15 more minutes before covering loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least 6 hours. When ready to serve, top with a dollop of whipped cream or fresh strawberry sauce and enjoy!
For the Fresh Strawberry Sauce:
Process 1 1/4 cups of strawberries, sugar and lemon zest in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium-sized bowl, stir in remaining sliced strawberries, and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

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BUTTERSCOTCH LUSH

1.5 cup graham crackers, crushed
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
1/2 cup sugar
Cream Cheese Layer ~
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
Pudding Layer ~
2.5 cups milk
2 small packages butterscotch instant pudding
Whipped Cream Layer ~
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbls powdered sugar
Toppings (optional) ~
Butterscotch ice cream topping
Chocolate bar, shaved

How to make it : 

Graham Cracker Crust ~
Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 8×8 baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
Cream Cheese Layer ~
Use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
Add in 2 cups heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks form.
Layer over cooled graham cracker crust.
Pudding Layer ~
Beat milk and pudding mix. If too thick, add a little more milk. You want it thicker than traditional pudding, but not so thick you can’t pour or smooth your pudding layer.
Spread over cream cheese layer.
Whipped Cream Layer ~
Beat heavy cream and powdered sugar, until it forms soft peaks.
Spread over pudding layer.
Chill 4 hours in the refrigerator, or until set.
Toppings (optional) ~
Drizzle warmed butterscotch topping across the top.
Sprinkle with shaved chocolate pieces.

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