Showing posts with label advance prep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advance prep. Show all posts

Monday, June 5, 2017

CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIE

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/03/07/chocolate-sugar-cookies/#more-37880

CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES
These are really good.  Must chill at least an hour before putting into shapes.  Could make the day before.  Makes about 18 cookies.  Used frosting from "made from scratch" folder (see below).

  • 3/4 cup (172g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
  • 3/4 cup (63g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (or dutch process)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the baking powder and salt until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined.
  3. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment to about 1/4″ thickness. Stack the pieces (with parchment paper between) onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling is mandatory. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper. You can chill up to 2 days.
  4. Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. The amount of batches will depend on how large/small you cut your cookies. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a cookie cutter, cut in shapes. Transfer the cut cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes-- the cookies will still appear soft. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
  6. Make the icing and decorate the cooled cookies however you'd like. I did not color the icing, as you can see. Add sprinkles on top of the icing if desired. Once the icing has set, these cookies are perfect for gifts, sending, or munching on right away. I find they stay soft for about 5 days at room temperature.
  7. Make ahead tip: Unfrosted cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Frosted cookies do not freeze well at all. You can chill the cookie dough for up to 2 days (step 3). You can also freeze the cookie dough before rolling for up to 3 months. Then allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then allow to come to room temperature for about 1 hour. Then roll and continue with the recipe as directed.

VANILLA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

1 cup softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 T heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla or buttered vanilla bakery emulsion

Mix all together until creamy.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES & SLAW

BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES & SLAW
Abagail requested BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner.  I went to Pioneer Woman to see how she would do it.  I was telling my co-workers about it and how you do it before I did it.  They were like wow that seems like a lot of work.  It was but so worth it.  Yum!  Everyone loved it!  I bought a whole chicken and cut it up because I wanted to try doing it.  Next time I will buy one already cut up.  The slaw was okay.  Liked it a lot better about three days later.  I had a small bottle of the BBQ sauce we like so I made a 1/2 batch of the best bbq sauce on this blog and mixed them together.  Thought it was just the right amount of sauce.  It took about 3.5 hours from start to finish.  Would be faster next time if I didn't need to cut up the chicken.  Used my red pan.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/barbecue-chicken-sandwiches/

  • 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1 bottle (large) Barbecue Sauce
  • 1 whole Onion, Sliced
  • 8 whole Cloves Garlic (more To Taste)
  • Slaw:
  • 1/2 head Cabbage, Sliced Thin
  • 1/2 head Purple Cabbage, Sliced Thin
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 bunch Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
SLAW

Combine shredded cabbage and sliced jalapenos in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Pour over cabbage. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate two hours.

Before serving, toss in cilantro leaves. 

CHICKEN

Heat canola oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Season chicken, then sear on all sides until skin is golden brown and some fat is rendered. Remove chicken from pot and pour off excess grease. 

Add sliced onions and whole garlic cloves to pot and stir around to cook for 2 minutes. Pour in barbecue sauce, add chicken to the sauce, and place lid on the pot. 

Place in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is falling off the bone. 

Remove the whole garlic cloves from the pot and set it aside. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool enough to handle. Using hands or two forks, remove the meat from the bones. Finely shred the chicken using your hands or two forks. 

Carefully skim off the excess fat that has risen on top of the sauce. Return shredded chicken to the pot and stir into the sauce. Reheat so that it's warm.

Spread butter on kaiser rolls and toast on the griddle. 

To serve, place a good amount of chicken on the bottom half of the roll. Top with one or two garlic cloves, then a good helping of slaw. Top with the other half of the bun and dig in!

Thursday, August 4, 2016

ONE INGREDIENT BANANA ICE CREAM

I had heard of this ice cream but always hesitant to try it.  It was a hot summer day and we had lots of bananas (4 or 5) that needed to be used so I thought why not try it.  I was surprised how good it turned out.   I added peanut butter (1 T next time I would add more)  and mini choc chips.   The kids didn't watch me make it.  Abagail said, "I think next time it needs less bananas."  Haha...that cracked me up.

I put bananas in ziploc bag to freeze. Used food processor and then put mixture back in ziploc to refreeze.

Instructions
Start with ripe bananas: They should be sweet and soft.
Peel the bananas and cut them into coins: It doesn't matter what shape or size the pieces are in, as long as they are chopped up into evenly sized and somewhat small pieces.
Put the bananas in an airtight container: A freezer-safe glass bowl like this one is fine, or you can use a freezer bag.
Freeze the banana pieces for at least 2 hours: Freeze for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.
Blend the frozen banana pieces in a small food processor or powerful blender: Pulse the frozen banana pieces. We've found that a small food processor or chopper works best.
Keep blending — the banana will look crumbly: At first the banana pieces will look crumbled or smashed. Scrape down the food processor.
Keep blending — the banana will look gooey: Then it will look gooey, like banana mush. Scrape down the food processor.
Keep blending — the banana will look like oatmeal: It will get smoother but still have chunks of banana in it. Scrape down the food processor.
Watch the magic happen! Suddenly, as the last bits of banana smooth out, you'll see the mixture shift from blended banana to creamy, soft-serve ice cream texture. Blend for a few more seconds to aerate the ice cream. (If adding any mix-ins, like peanut butter or chocolate chips, this is the moment to do it.)
Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid: You can eat the ice cream immediately, but it will be quite soft. You can also transfer it back into the airtight container and freeze it until solid, like traditional ice cream.
Recipe Notes
Food processor vs. blender: We've found that a food processor works best for this, with enough room for the banana to get fully creamy and a little bit aerated. Some people do make it in a blender, but be careful; make sure your blender is powerful enough to process the frozen bananas.
Making a bigger batch: Yes, you can make a bigger batch with more than one banana! Just make sure your food processor is big enough (and powerful enough).
Mix-in Ideas
While the one-ingredient aspect of this ice cream is a big part of its charm, we don't think that loses much when it becomes two- or even three- ingredient ice cream. Here are a few favorite mix-ins to make it even more awesome.

Spoonful of peanut butter
Drizzle of honey
Handful of chocolate chips (mini works best)
A few almonds
Dollop of Nutella
Scoop of cookie butter
Tablespoon of cocoa powder
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

CHEESECAKE BITES

CHEESECAKE BITES
These were good but didn't like them as well as the peanut butter balls.  Would be a good choice to take somewhere if you were worried about peanut allergies.  Took a while to make due to the fridge time.  Abagail chose these for FHE treat from Pinterest.  These are a great gift idea to give someone.

Mix:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T butter, softened

Add:
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers (worked perfect in Vitamix - approx 3 full crackers)

Add 1 cup at a time
4 cups powdered sugar

Cover and chill overnight or at least 1 hour

Scoop into balls

Put in fridge 10-20 minutes on cookie sheet covered with parchment or wax paper.

Melt 10 oz chocolate (I like to mix 60/40 ratio of semi sweet to dark chocolate)

Dip

Return to fridge or freezer

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

NO MEAT (BUT I ADDED HAM) BAKED BEANS

NO MEAT (BUT I ADDED HAM) BAKED BEANS
We liked this but it was watery.  Next time only add 1/4 cup and watch to see if it needs more.  I added a ham hock and some Thanksgiving ham.

1# dried navy beans
6 cups water
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water (or less - see note) 
1 tsp dry mustard
2 T dark molasses
1 tsp salt
ham hock or diced cooked ham, optional 

Soak beans overnight in water in a large soup kettle.  Cook beans in water until soft about 1 1/2 hours. Drain, discarding bean water.

Mix together all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well.  Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours.


Sunday, May 11, 2014

OVERNIGHT COFFEECAKE

Made this for Mother's 2014.  Was really yummy!  Didn't cook in the middle really well but could have been because I cooked it with egg casserole?

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/overnight-sour-cream-coffeecake-recipe/

Overnight Coffeecake Recipe
Rating: 5
Yield: two 9-inch cakes
Overnight Coffeecake Recipe
Ingredients
    Streusel:
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup pecans, almonds, or walnuts, chopped
  • Cake:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
  1. For the streusel: Use your fingers to mix together the sugars, flour, butter, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the nuts and set aside.
  2. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable oil spray. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream, sugars, eggs, and melted butter together until smooth. Gently whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth and well combined, but do not over mix.
  3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of both cakes.
  4. Wrap the pans tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month.
  5. To Serve: Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap the cakes and bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes if baking right away, 30-35 minutes if refrigerated, or 40-45 minutes from frozen (do not thaw first). Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Do not try to put all of the batter into one large cake pan because it will not bake evenly.
- See more at: http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/overnight-sour-cream-coffeecake-recipe/#sthash.KEyFEm0T.dpuf

Friday, April 4, 2014

COWBOY OR COWGIRL PIE

COWBOY OR COWGIRL PIE - FREEZER MEAL
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-cowboy-pie-recipe/
We all liked this.  Used stew meat and had already cooked the day before in crockpot with some beef broth.  Was easy to put together.  Would love to try the cowgirl version.  Bet it would be super yummy!  Both Scott and Abagail really like this.  Goes well with cottage cheese and a fruit or veggie.

UPDATE:  My family likes the crust so well, I did a crust on the bottom (cooked for about 10 minutes before adding mixture) and on the top.

1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 T oil
1 T chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
---
1# cooked roast beef, cut into 1" pieces (or chicken if doing cow girl)
1 can black beans, rinsed (or pinto if doing cowgirl)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup beef broth (or chicken if doing cowgirl)
2 T cornstarch (forgot to add once and it still turned out okay)
---
1 or 2 pie crust

Preheat oven to 425. Microwave onion, bell pepper, oil, chili powder, garlic, and salt in a large bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  1. Stir in beef, beans, corn, barbecue sauce, broth, and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to 9-inch pie plate.
  2. Carefully lay pie crust over top. Tuck over-hanging dough underneath itself to be flush with the rim of the pie plate. Cut three 1-inch steam vents into top of dough.
  3. Bake until filling is bubbling and crust is browned, about 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool slightly and serve.
  4. Preparing for the Freezer:
  5. Before baking, wrap the pie with a few layers of plastic wrap, then cover with foil and label. Freeze.
  6. Prepare after Freezing:
  7. Preheat oven to 425. Keep the pie frozen. Unwrap the pie, then re-cover with one piece of foil. Place the pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake covered for about 30 minutes, until filling is warmed through. Then remove foil and bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is browned. Let cool slightly and serve.
Notes
Cowgirl Pie: Substitute 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken for roast beef, 1 can pinto beans (rinsed) for black beans, and 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth for beef broth.

- See more at: http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-cowboy-pie-recipe/#sthash.69ShDcyz.dpuf

Saturday, March 1, 2014

PIZZA CRUST AND SAUCE

This was really good.  I didn't do her method of cooking, but liked how the crust tasted and LOVED the pizza sauce.  I made the pizza sauce in the braun.  Was able to get one round pizza and one cookie sheet pizza out of the sauce.  I 1.5 the pizza crust recipe to make one round and one cookie sheet.  Judi had given us two fresh mozzarella packages.  They made the pizza a little bit wetter but it was good. We also did pepperoni, cheese, pepperoni and cheese, breakfast sausage with green peppers.

Homemade Pizza Sauce
This recipe is very adaptable so feel free to play around with the different seasonings and amounts. I usually forego all measuring utensils and just sprinkle in until it feels right.
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper (didn't add)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until desired consistency. I leave mine slightly chunky. You can adjust the seasonings to taste. This recipe is open to interpretation. Use what you like, taste it along the way and it is sure to be delicious!

Homemade Pizza – New and Improved
YIELD: MAKES 2 12-INCH PIZZAS OR 1 LARGE 16 TO 18-INCH PIZZA
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
DIRECTIONS
  1. Make the dough the night before or early the morning on the day you want to make the pizza. In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), mix the water, yeast, sugar, honey and oil. (If using active dry yeast, increase the amount of yeast to 2 3/4 teaspoons and proof the yeast in the water until foamy before mixing in the sugar, honey and oil.) Then mix in 1 cup flour and the salt. Continue mixing in all the remaining flour until you get a nice, soft dough. Knead until dough is soft and smooth, about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with a stand mixer.
  2. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly (with a lid or plastic wrap). Place the dough in the refrigerator to slowly rise until three hours before baking. Three hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, keeping it lightly covered.
  3. 45-60 minutes before baking, move the rack to the lowest position in the oven (if the lowest rack in your oven is nearly touching the oven floor, move it up one notch - you don't want it that close or the bottom of the pizza will burn), place the pizza stone on it and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Don't be nervous about a hot oven! I used to be scared to death to cook anything above 400 degrees but I promise 500 degrees is the only way to go when cooking pizza. If your oven is a bit sketchy at that temperature, bake at 475 degrees. Also,I think a pizza stone makes all the difference in good versus great pizza. I have this pizza stone and I love the rectangular shape. I have baked many a pizza on this stone and it is awesome.
  4. Here's a few different methods for making great pizza:
  5. Pizza Paddle/Peel: I have a wooden pizza paddle, like this, which I sprinkle with cornmeal and place the pizza dough on. I layer my toppings on the dough and slide the dough quickly onto the hot pizza stone. After about 8 or 9 minutes, the pizza is baked to perfection and I slide it onto a cutting board to slice and eat.
  6. Alternative Pizza Paddle/Peel: If you don't have a pizza paddle, you can use the underside of a baking sheet (I use an 11X17 size) or a large cutting board as a makeshift pizza paddle. Cover it lightly with cornmeal, flour or parchment paper, make your pizza on the floured baking sheet or cutting board and gently slide the pizza off of the makeshift paddle onto the baking stone when ready to bake (if using parchment paper, you can let the parchment paper slide onto the baking stone with the pizza). Bake for 8-9 minutes until the crust is nicely browned. Retrieve the pizza with a pair of tongs or a spatula and slide the baked pizza quickly onto a waiting cooling rack.
  7. Rimmed Baking Sheet: If you currently bake pizzas using cornmeal on a pizza paddle, you'll know how messy it can be - cornmeal everywhere. In fact, right now, my oven is in serious need of a good vacuuming. So, ofttimes, I'll still preheat my baking stone like normal and instead of using my wooden pizza paddle, I stretch the dough into an irregular shape on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet (I don't worry about pressing it into the corners to give it a rustic look), add the toppings, and slide the entire baking sheet on the pizza stone to bake. Bake the pizza for 9-10 minutes until the crust is nicely browned. This method still browns the crust nicely - and while you don't get the extremely authentic pizza crust, it is still mighty delicious and I can make more pizza at once rather than sliding them one at a time onto the baking stone.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

PUMPKIN OREO CHEESECAKE BARS & PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

PUMPKIN OREO CHEESECAKE OR BARS
YIELD: 
MAKES A 9-INCH PAN OF BARS

THIS WAS SUPER YUMMY!  I DID IT IN A 8" SPRINGFOAM.  THE THICKNESS WAS PERFECT!  COOKED THE CRUST A LITTLE LONG - WAS HARD IN SPOTS.  NEXT TIME PUT ON A COOKIE SHEET - MADE A MESS IN THE OVEN.  ABAGAIL LOVED THIS! MAKE DAY BEFORE.

UPDATE: Made for Thanksgiving 2016.  made with cinnamon bun oreos...yum!  It really complimented the flavor.  also spent the extra $ and bought libby canned pumpkin.  think it really made a difference.  again parts of the crusts turned hard.  cook less next time??
You can sub 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in the recipe. I haven't tried this recipe with low fat cream cheese or light sour cream.
A 9-inch springform pan would also work here; the layers might be a bit thinner. As I noted below in the instructions, make sure your 9-inch baking pan has sides nearly 2-inches tall. The pan will be very full. If I were wanting to make this in a 9X13-inch pan, I wouldn't double the recipe (I think it would be too thick), instead, I would 1 1/2 the ingredients (I haven't tried this yet myself, just thinking out loud about the best way to go about it).
Keep in mind these bars need to chill for at least 8 hours (they make a perfect make-ahead dessert!).

INGREDIENTS
    Oreo Crust:
  • 1 package (about 14 ounces) Oreo cookies (or similar chocolate sandwich-type cookie, 36 cookies total)
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Pumpking Filling:
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) - Libby works best!
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Topping:
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream (not low fat)
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with at least 1 3/4-inch or higher sides (preferably aluminum but glass will work, too) with two strips of foil that overhang on all four sides (to easily lift out the squares after baking/cooled). You can omit the foil step and lightly grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray if you don't want to lift out the bars after baking.
  2. For the crust, pulse 26 of the Oreo cookies (reserve the others for topping) in a blender or food processor until they are fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are wet and sandy in texture. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. (try 5 minutes)
  4. For the filling by beating the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer (handheld or stand) until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, eggs, flour, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and mix until smooth. Pour the filling onto the crust and spread evenly.
  5. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the sides are set but the center (about a 4-inch radius in the middle) still jiggles slightly.
  6. Remove the bars from the oven but leave it on.
  7. Whisk together the sour cream and powdered sugar for the topping and spoon it in dollops across the top of the bars (if you pour it all into the middle, it will be hard to spread). Quickly spread it evenly across the top. Bake the bars for another 10-15 minutes until the edges of the sour cream topping are set.
  8. Let the bars cool on a rack for an hour or so. Cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Chop the rest of the Oreos and sprinkle them on top before serving.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/pumpkin-oreo-cheesecake-bars/

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

This was incredibly easy to make.  Used fresh pumpkin cooked & pureed (got pumpkins at Trader Joe's).  I thought it was okay.  Scott said it was better the next day and blog worthy.  Used Dulce de Leche from Our Best Bites Cookbook.  Needs a lot of cooling time/fridge time.  Make early in day if having at night.  

1
can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1
package (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into 16 pieces, softened
1/4
teaspoon vanilla
3
eggs
3/4
cup sugar
1/2
cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/2
teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1
cup caramel topping, if desired
Pecan halves, if desired
top with whipped cream, pecans and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

In blender, place all ingredients except caramel topping and pecan halves. Cover; blend on high speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. (Or beat in medium bowl with hand beater 2 minutes.) Pour into pie plate.

Bake about 45 minutes or just until puffed and center is dry (do not overbake). Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours until chilled. Drizzle servings with caramel topping; garnish with pecan halves. Store covered in refrigerator.
No pumpkin pie spice? Use 3/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg.