Because it’s friday, I’m sharing a list of things I’m loving this week. Feel free to chime in and tell me about some of your favorite things in the comments!

Friday Pie Day

I’ve been working on a special story about sugar cream pie for work, so we decided to have a pie potluck today because the story aired tonight. Several of us brought in different varieties of pie to share and the sugar comas quickly commenced. We had peach, blueberry custard, coconut sugar cream, key lime, pumpkin praline and sugar cream pies. Every slice I tried was amazing, but the pumpkin praline was my favorite. It was like a pumpkin and pecan pie in one, which is the best of both worlds!

It Cosmetics face cream

When the temperatures drop, my skin gets extremely dry. It’s especially bad on my face and I have a hard time finding a lotion or cream that isn’t immediately sucked up. But, this confidence in a can cream is amazing! It keeps my face moist throughout the day without feeling oily. I’ve been using it both at day and night.

Marsala Meatballs

I stumbled across this recipe when reading through my favorite blogs and thought it sounded like the perfect dinner for a cold night. It was easy to put together, came together rather quickly and tasted absolutely amazing. The leftovers lasted less than 24 hours, so I’ll definitley be making this recipe again. I added a bit of garlic to the meatballs and sauce and cut back on the amount of butter in the recipe.

Facebook Flashbacks

I love the flashback photos that pop up on Facebook each day because they bring back so many fun memories. The one from today is a picture of James and me on the sidelines at a Notre Dame game. We met when we were both working as journalists in South Bend — he worked as a photographer for the newspaper and I was a reporter for a local TV station. We often worked opposite schedules, except for football weekends. While those work days were crazy, seeing him on the sidelines was always the highlight. Neither one of us has gone to a game when we weren’t working, so we need to make it happen next year!

The post Friday Favorites: Pie & Flashbacks appeared first on The Broadcasting Baker.

Happy Monday, all! Are you in full on Thanksgiving prep mode? We attended our first feast over the weekend, hosted by two of our lovely friends. And we still have two more Thanksgivings to go over the next week! We’ll get to spend time with both of our families, which is always a highlight.

In preparation for the holiday, I’m going to share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes over the next few days. If you’re like me, you’re waiting until the last minute to finalize your menu!

Every Thanksgiving meal we’re attending is potluck style. The hosts provide the turkey and main fixings and everyone else is responsible for bringing a side dish or dessert. This Maple-Walnut Cranberry pie is my contribution for all three meals. It’s just that good.

For years pecan pie and pumpkin bars were tied for my favorite Thanksgiving dessert. You can’t beat classics, right? But then I stumbled across this recipe in Cooking Light one year and decided it’d be worth trying something different. I’ve been making it every year since.

Pies intimidate me a bit because I don’t make them as often as I do cakes. I’ve had crusts crumble in my hands too many times to count! What I love about this pie is it’s so easy. And everyone always comments on how beautiful it looks when it’s done. Have you ever cut a cranberry open before? It’s proof that food is art — absolutely gorgeous!

When it comes to the crust, choose your battles. I prefer to make my own (mainly so I can get more practice), but a high-quality store-bought crust is just fine.

And, let’s talk about this whipped cream. I could eat regular whipped cream off of a spoon, but whiskey whipped cream is even better. It’s got the perfect amount of bite to round out this dessert. Just keep it away from the kids’ table!

Now tell me what you’re making for the holiday. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? Let me know in the comments!

Maple-Walnut Cranberry Pie with Whiskey Whipped Cream

from Cooking Light

Pie:

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 1 homemade (I like this recipe) or store-bought (such as Pillsbury) pie crust
• Butter for greasing pan
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, halved
• 3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

[/ingredients]

Whipped Cream:

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
• 3 Tbsp. whiskey
• 3 Tbsp. sugar

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter. Set aside.
2. Place pie crust on a lightly-floured surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the crust out to about 11 inches in diameter. Carefully place crust in pie tin. Trim off any extra dough and flute or crimp the edges of the pie.
3. Line the bottom of the dough with aluminum foil and top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for five minutes, then remove foil and pie weights and bake for an additional minute. Remove pie from oven and place on a cooling rack. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.
4. While oven cools, make pie filling. Combine maple and corn syrups, butter, cornstarch, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Stir in cranberries and walnuts. Carefully pour filling into pie crust.
5. Bake pie for 30 minutes then cover crust with aluminum foil or pie shields to prevent edges from overcooking. Bake an additional 15 minutes, or until filling is just set.
6. To make whipped cream, combine cream, whiskey and sugar in a large metal bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about three minutes. Serve pie topped with whipped cream.
   [/directions]

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There’s a tradition when it comes to birthdays in our newsroom. Whenever someone is celebrating one, I bake that person a cake of their choosing. Many of the requests are the same: Red Velvet, chocolate cake, lemon cake. But, every once in a while, someone requests something different.

When my co-worker asked for a Boston Cream Pie for his birthday, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a recipe I’d forgotten about and was so happy to rediscover.

There’s only one person I know who ever made Boston Cream Pie: Grandpa Cork. It was one of his signature dishes, often requested for birthdays and other special occasions. The best part was how he would present the cake — often with enthusiastic song and plenty of laughs.

I helped Grandpa make this Boston Cream Pie a couple of times, but I haven’t ever baked one on my own. In fact, I haven’t had this cake since Grandpa Cork died over ten years ago.

So, I pulled out the old Betty Crocker Cookbook of his that I have and flipped to the recipe. It was easier to make than I remembered and almost therapeutic to revisit a recipe that I associate with so many good memories. I found myself longing for my grandparents’ house in LaSalle, their witty jokes and the sound of their old clock chiming. It’s amazing how certain smells and tastes can transport us.

This cake was a hit in the newsroom. Many people said it taste like a giant, cream-filled donut, which is a pretty good description. I wish I got a picture of this thing sliced open — the thick custard filling is the best part!

Every bite reminded me of my childhood. I can’t wait to make this again. Why did it take me so long?

Boston Cream Pie

modified from Betty Crocker

Filling

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 2 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Cake

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Chocolate Glaze

• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 oz. dark chocolate
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1 1/2 cups milk. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, corn starch and salt until combined. Place over medium heat and gradually add egg mixture, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture starts to thicken and boil, still stirring constantly. Boil for one minute before removing from heat. Immediately cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. While filling cools, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together using an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
5. Add remaining cake ingredients to butter and sugar mixture and beat on low speed until smooth, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
6. Pour cake batter into pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and transferring it to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before assembling cake.
7. While cake cools, make the chocolate glaze. In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk powdered sugar into chocolate mixture until combined. Add vanilla and one Tablespoon of heavy cream to the mixture at a time until glaze is just thin enough to spread.
8. To assemble the cake, cut it in half horizontally using a cake leveler or large, serrated knife. Place the bottom layer cut-side-up on a cake plate and top with chilled custard. Place second half of cake on top, cut side down. Spread warm glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Refrigerate until serving.

[/directions]

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