Pure amazing decadence... that's what this pie is. This is a copycat of O'Charley's Caramel Pie. I found the recipe online about 15 years ago to make for my mother for her birthday. And the best part is that you only need to be patient and attentive to make this. No skills required. I mean literally none. This is the easiest, most decadent dessert you can ever make, just don't think you're going to do it quickly.
2 cans Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
1 graham cracker pie crust
Whipped cream, mini-chocolate chips, and pecan pieces for topping
Pay close attention, because this is the hardest part of this pie. Find a pot large enough to accommodate the cans of sweetened condensed milk. Cover with water. Bring to a boil.
Boil the cans for 3-4 hours turning frequently and ensuring that the water level stays above the cans. Turn off heat and place pot in the sink. Run cool water into the pot slowly displacing the boiling water until the water is cool. Let sit for an hour or so until cans are cool enough to handle. Open cans and fill in the graham cracker crust, smoothing the caramel.
Cover and chill the pie for several hours or it won't hold up well when cut. Top with whipped cream then sprinkle with the mini-chocolate chips and pecan pieces. Revel in the decadence and just don't think at all about how many calories are in it. I promise, this pie is worth every single calorie.
This recipe is awesome. Not just a little bit awesome, but really, really awesome. And, it's pretty old to. This recipe for Banana Nut Bread actually was not found on Pinterest as so many of mine are these days, and it isn't a family recipe. I do owe a big thank you to a very special lady - Mrs. Brown. I don't remember Mrs. Brown's first name, but she was our downstairs neighbor when we lived in Wildflecken, Germany. I babysat for her periodically, and she let me help her in the kitchen as well. She shared this recipe with me, and my copy is still in my 11-year-old handwriting. As you're looking through the blog, please don't be scared by how many ingredients you see. The recipe is for a single loaf, but when I prepared it and took photos, I made a quadruple batch. The recipe is very simple and straightforward and very easy to make. You really should try it out, and when you do, let me know how it works for you!
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2-3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Peel and mash your 2-3 bananas. I mash mine quite a bit, because I prefer less texture. Mash to your preference.
Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add oil and eggs, and mix.
Mix in bananas and nuts.
Pour into 9"x 5"x 3"pan sprayed with baking spray (or greased and floured) or fill muffins with liners about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour (for loaf) until golden brown. Muffins bake for a much shorter time, 15-25 minutes.
Enjoy warm or cooled for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack. It really is that good!
So, my daughter may be boycotting blueberries soon. Recently, a local grocery store greatly reduced their blueberries cost from $0.99 for a 6 oz container, which was awesome anyway, down to two-6 oz containers for $1.00!!! I bought a lot of containers - more than 20 with three different visits. I froze a bunch of them in 1 and 2 cup servings, and then I made a bunch of blueberry muffins and this blueberry syrup. I had never made anything like this before, so I perused Pinterest and saved four different recipes that I used to help me decide how to make mine. The four I looked at were: Blueberry Syrup, Blueberry Syrup, Homemade Blueberry Syrup, and Homemade Blueberry Sauce. The lemon I used just add a beautiful brightness to the blueberries, and the addition of almond extract along with the vanilla just adds a little something that you can't quite put your finger on. Here's how I made it:
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup water
Combine the blueberries, sugar, and lemon zest in the pot. Whisk the cornstarch with the water and lemon juice and stir into ingredients in the pot.
Heat blueberries until they come to a boil.
Simmer for 10 minutes stirring frequently until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and incorporate the vanilla and almond extracts.
You can use this syrup on just about anything you wish - french toast, waffles, pancakes, yogurt. What might you use it on?
