BANANA CRUMB PIE CRUST

1/2 ripe banana
6 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the ingredients together until well mixed, using your hands. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Fill with your favorite banana pie filling recipe.

 

 Note: File Photo

CRANBERRY QUENCHER

1 gallon cranberry-apple juice, chilled
1 can (46-oz) pineapple juice, chilled
3/4 cup lemonade or orange juice concentrate
Pineapple tidbits for garnish, optional
Fresh cranberries for garnish, optional
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish, optional

Combine the cranberry-apple juice and pineapple juice in a large container or punch bowl. Stir in the lemonade (or orange juice) concentrate.

Garnish cups or glasses as desired.

Yield: 6 quarts

Note: Best served chilled without ice.

BRENDA BLAKEMAN OWENS' APPLE WALNUT BREAD

 This year I joined a facebook group called Olden Days of Christmas Town Recipes, Memories & More.  I have really enjoyed this group of people from around the world sharing stories and recipes. Today Brenda posted this recipe and the story of how she always made this for her parents who both passed away this year.I thought this was a recipe worth sharing here in honor of Brenda's parents.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. apples diced very fine
1 c. chopped walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare one large loaf pan or 3 small. Spray pan(s) with non-stick spray and put parchment paper on the bottom of the pan(s).
Beat together first 4 ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients mixing well and scraping sides of the bowl.
Fold in the apples and the nuts.
Pour batter into loaf pan(s).
Bake for 60 min. (large) and 35-40 min. (small)
Let cool on a rack.

INDIVIDUAL TOFFEE PUMPKIN PIES

20 Single-Serve Graham Cracker Crumb Crusts
1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits; divided
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
2 Eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Canned Pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) Evaporated Milk
Sweetened Whipped Cream or Whipped Topping
Kisses Acorn Treats

Ingredients for Kisses Acorn Treats
Royal Icing or Decorator's Frosting (recipe follows)
HERSHEY'S KISSES Milk Chocolates
Mini Vanilla Wafer Cookies
REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips or HERSHEY'S Butterscotch Chips

Directions:
ROYAL ICING: Stir together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon warm water and 1-1/2 teaspoons pasteurized dried egg whites (meringue powder). Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until spreadable. Add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to get desired consistency. Transfer icing to pastry bag with desired tip. Cover icing and tip of pastry bag with damp paper towel to keep icing from drying out. This makes about 1/2 cup icing. 

Prepare ROYAL ICING and place in pastry bag with small tip. Remove wrappers from milk chocolates.
Place mini vanilla wafer cookies on tray or plate with flat side of cookie toward the top. Squeeze small amount of icing onto bottom of milk chocolate piece. Immediately press chocolate bottom onto vanilla wafer cookie. Allow icing to set.
Place small dab of icing on bottom of peanut butter chip or butterscotch chip; immediately attach to top of cookie to finish acorn.

Pie Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place individual graham crusts on baking sheet. Place 2 teaspoons toffee bits into bottom of each crust; set aside.
Stir together sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger in large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk, stirring until well blended. Gradually add 1/4 cup pumpkin mixture to each prepared crust.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into pie centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prepare KISSES ACORN TREATS. To serve, top each pie with dollop of sweetened whipped cream, "acorn" and additional toffee bits, if desired.

Note: This recipe is from Dollar General.com

File Photo

PEPPERMINT SPOONS

Peppermint candies
Silicon Spoon Mold
Chocolate for dipping, optional
Candy Sprinkles, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a ziplock bag, crush the peppermints using a kitchen mallot or other tool such as a wooden rolling pin.

Using a teaspoon, fill the spoon mold with the crushed peppermint. Add extra in the following places as they tend to break easily - top of the spoon and neck of the spoon.

Place in the oven and cook about 8-10 minutes or so until the peppermint melts. You may have to add more peppermint in areas and cook a little longer.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Very carefully remove the mold sides from the spoons. If one breaks just add some more peppermint and bake a little longer.

If using chocolate, place into a glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave for a few seconds, stir, microwave longer and stir again until completely melted. Dip spoon half to three-fourths up the spoon and sprinkle with candy sprinkles, if using.

Place on waxed paper until chocolate is completely dry.

File Photo

Note: I got this recipe idea and photo from Good Housekeeping.