7 Layer Bean Dip:

Ingredients:

• 1 can refried beans
• 2 tablespoons Jalapeno juice
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 large avocado
• 1 container of sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced olives
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

Heat refried beans on the stove top and add the jalapeno juice. Stir until nice and smooth. Add beans to a serving dish and spread out evenly.

Next make the guacamole. Combine 1/4 cup diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup diced onions, garlic cloves, lime juice and avocado. Stir until well combined and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread this mixture on top of the refried beans.

Next add the sour cream and smooth out evenly. Sprinkle shredded cheese all over the top and then sprinkle the remaining diced tomatoes, green onions and olives.

Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

I made a few substitutions with this cake. First of all mine was only two layers and not three. Didn’t really see the point in making a 3 layer cake and plus I only have 2 round pans, so there you go.  Secondly we all know Ms. Paula Deen and her 100 pound  butter fetish. So in my icing I only used about 1/4-1/3 of a stick of butter and cut the confectioners sugar down by half. The icing came out great and it’s not to sweet or over powering. And last but not least I don’t like using chopped pecans so I always use pecan chips. I like the smaller pieces and I think they work out better.

Banana Cream Cake:

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and prepare 3 (9 inch) round cake pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil and stir until incorporated. Stir in the bananas, pecans and vanilla. Divide the batter among the pans. Bake in preheated oven for 23-28 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack and cool before frosting.

For the frosting blend together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the confectioners sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Either stir the pecans in or sprinkle them over the cake. Fill and frost the cake when cool.

Adapted from Paula Deen.

Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 large eggs
• Candy canes, crushed roughly

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in medium bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Measure about 2/3 cup melted chocolate, transfer to a small bowl and reserve for later.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using a electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until nice and creamy. Add sugar, vanilla and peppermint extract. Beat until smooth. Add eggs and continue to beat. Slowly add the melted chocolate. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just blended. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Make little dough balls measuring about a tablespoon and place on prepared baking sheet. Place cookies about 1 inch apart from each other.

Bake cookies until cracked all over and when a tester inserted into center comes out with large moist crumbs attached. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Rewarm the reserved melted chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over the cookies. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the cookies. Allow to cool before eating.

Adapted from Bon Appetit.

Pumpkin Roll:

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Powdered sugar

Filling:

• 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 15×10 baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray paper with cooking spray.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and pumpkin spice into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar and brown sugar until it becomes thick. Add the pumpkin to the egg mixture and combine well on low speed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until it becomes stiff. This will take some time to do. Fold this egg mixture into the cake batter stirring with a spatula.

Spread the batter onto a baking sheet and smooth out. Cook for about 15-18 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, dust with powdered sugar. Then turn the cake out onto a kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the edge of the cake and roll the cake up. Cool completely with the seam side down for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime make the filling. Combine the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Combine well with an electric mixer until nice and smooth.

To assemble the cake unroll the cake and spread the filling evenly all over the cake. Roll the cake back up and place seam side down on a platter, dust with more powdered sugar and serve.

Try putting warm caramel sauce over the top or toffee pieces. You can also put this inside before rolling the cake back up.

Adapted from Paula Dean.

Since I don’t have enough room in my refrigerator the way I brine the turkey is I get two trash bags, place the turkey and brining solution inside the trash bags and then place this inside a ice chest and cover with ice. Works out great

Juicy Herb Roasted Turkey:

Ingredients:

Brine:

• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 springs thyme
• 4 springs rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 10-12lb turkey, insides removed

Turkey:

• 1 orange, sliced
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 1 apple, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 springs thyme
• 4 springs rosemary
• 1/2 bunch sage
• 3-4 springs parsley
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting

Directions:

In a large container or bucket, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water. Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, garlic, rosemary, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Place the turkey in the brining solution and cover and refrigerate for 24hrs.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place turkey in a large roasting pan, breast side up. Rub turkey all over with orange segments. Rub some butter all over the turkey and stuff some underneath the skin. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the orange, lemons, apple, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, turn turkey over and baste with 1/2 cup of stock. I like to also pour a little inside the turkey. Continue roasting with breast side up for about 3 hours or until thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted in the turkey thigh. Baste the turkey every hour with 1/2 cup of stock.

Remove from oven and cover with aluminium foil and let rest for 20 minutes before craving.

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse.