Christmas Archives — Bless this Mess

October 2, 2018

Basic Apple Pie Recipe (Using Fresh Apples)

Your go-to basic apple pie recipe using fresh apples in a homemade crust with very little added sugar.

A basic apple pie recipe is simple and the end results are just plain tasty. It’s a recipe that everyone should have in their collection. This apple pie doesn’t use a lot of added sugar and you don’t have to cook the apples before adding them to the crust. It has about an inch or inch-and-a-half of sliced apples inside the crust, which I think is a nice amount. I think apple pies that are 3 or 4 inches high and stuffed with apples are gorgeous, but I like a more even crust-to-apple ratio myself. When you don’t have that many apples in the crust, you don’t have to precook the apples because there are a lot less in there to shrink and put out extra liquid.

Need a crust recipe to make your apple pie? I got you covered!

I wrote a huge post all about pie crust! This basic apple pie recipe is a staple in our house and I hope you love it. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

There’s something magical about pulling a pie made from scratch out of the oven. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

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December 22, 2017

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Healthy pumpkin pie in a whole wheat crust sweetened with real cream and maple syrup. One of my favorite whole food pie desserts!

I LOVE naturally sweetened desserts and this pumpkin pie does not disappoint! The maple syrup pairs beautifully with pumpkin (without tasting too much like maple), and the cream used in this recipe makes the texture of the baked pumpkin filling heavenly. You are going to love this recipe! Want to make homemade pumpkin puree too? You can cook pumpkin in the slow cooker or the oven to make your own pumpkin puree, and it is delicious. I paired this pumpkin pie filling with a whole wheat and butter crust. Real food ingredients never tasted so good. If you are looking for a healthier homemade pie recipe, this is it.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Christmas table.

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December 19, 2017

Gooey Marshmallow Christmas Popcorn with Chocolate

The best gooey Marshmallow Christmas Popcorn with Chocolate is a treat that your whole family will love!

One more popcorn recipe before Christmas, OK?! I know my love of popcorn is bordering on addiction, but I also know that I’m not the only one who is so fond of the stuff. Popcorn lovers unite!

I grew up in a big family with tons of cousins close by. We would all descend on my grandma’s house on Sunday afternoons to play and enjoy the delights of family time. In the winter, grandma would stand over her stove with a stove-top popper that you turned by hand and then load metal cake pans full of hot popcorn that was a little greasy and a lot salty. I can still smell that hot oil and grain smell. Once in a while my Aunt Joanna would make some of the popcorn into caramel corn while Grandma was at the stove. She’d dump giant piles of caramel corn on the waxed-paper-covered counter and we’d swarm like sugar ants. We’d try to pick out the gooey-est pieces while attempting to avoid getting our fingertips burnt by the hot sugar.

Hmm. So maybe my love of popcorn is part genetic, part nostalgic, and part taste-driven.

I wanted to make a sticky sweet popcorn that wasn’t caramel, so I turned to my mother-in-law’s recipe for a sweet Chex mix she makes. I used the basics of the recipe and then swapped popcorn for the cereal. I added some mini marshmallows that started to melt a bit when they got hot from the sticky coating and then threw on some chocolate in the end. The results were just what I was looking for! Sticky, sweet, marshmallow pockets and bursts of chocolate mixed in with crunchy popcorn. You just can’t beat that in my world. Turn that into Christmas popcorn and I’m really sold.

Tips and Tricks for Making Marshmallow Christmas Popcorn

The goal is to not let the hot popcorn melt the chocolates, so if you need to wait longer than 2 or 3 minutes then do that. My kitchen is super cold and so it cooled pretty quickly. You need to stir the chocolates and sprinkles in before it cools too much though or they won’t stick.
Feel free to half the recipe if you don’t need tons. It does make a great and inexpensive gift to give though. Half for you and half for them?
Add more chocolate if you think it needs it; the recipe is yours to play with.
You have some options when it comes to popping the popcorn. I like to use my air popper (we use this thing multiple times a week; it’s one of the few single-use appliances I keep around), but you can also use this fun method of popping popcorn in your microwave. A stove-top popper/pot with a lid on the stove method will work well, too.
Other popcorn recipes that I love for the holidays are this sticky caramel corn that my mom makes (it’s so good) and this spiced white chocolate caramel corn (it’s not sticky). Both are great.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Gooey Marshmallow Christmas Popcorn with Chocolate

The best gooey Marshmallow Christmas Popcorn with Chocolate is a treat that your whole family will love!

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 cups

Ingredients

16 cups popped popcorn
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup salted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Christmas colored M&M’s
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the popcorn and mini marshmallows together and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 2 minutes while stirring often.
Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Let the mixture cool for 1-2 minutes.
Pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn and marshmallows and stir well until the popcorn is evenly coated.
Let the mixture cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes, and the add the M&Ms, mini chocolate chips, and sprinkles.
Stir lightly to combine and then turn the mixture onto waxed paper to cool.
Let it cool completely before enjoying.

Notes

The goal is to not let the hot popcorn melt the chocolates, so if you need to wait longer than 2 or 3 minutes then do that. My kitchen is super cold and so it cooled pretty quickly. You need to stir the chocolates and sprinkles in before it cools too much though, or they won’t stick.
Feel free to half the recipe if you don’t need tons.
Add more chocolate if you think it needs it; the recipe is yours to play with.

If you don’t have anyone to give this Christmas popcorn to, then you might want to just find the movie ‘Elf’, bring a bowl of this to the couch and go to town. I promise it won’t last long and resolutions don’t start for another week, right?!

I think Santa will be getting this instead of cookies at our house. Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for reading!

This post was originally published in December 2012 and was updated in December 2017.

December 18, 2017

Honey Pecan Slice-and-Bake Cookies

Honey Pecan Slice-and-Bake Cookies are simple to make with honey, pecans, and butter then rolled and sliced.

Slice and bake cookies are one of my favorites to keep around this time of year and through the cold winter months. There’s something so fun about being able to grab a roll of cookie dough from the fridge, slice it into little circles, pop them on a baking sheet, and bake until golden and hot. Warm cookies straight out of the oven are perfect with a cup of hot tea, to follow up an afternoon of sledding, or to have on hand when company stops by.

These honey pecan slice-and-bake cookies are an old recipe from my sister-in-law’s aunts who grew up in Alabama where pecans and honey were readily available. I love the flavor of the nuts and honey together with the sweet butter and sugar. These simple cookies are lightly sweet, just crunchy enough, and have a mild honey flavor that compliments the nuts just right.

You are going to love this easy recipe and make it again and again just to have something a little sweet waiting for you to bake it up.

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December 11, 2017

Easy Coconut Macaroons 3 Ways

Simple and easy Coconut Macaroons made three different ways – coconut, chocolate, and almond chocolate. You can make a few of each variety from one batch of cookies.

Easy Coconut Macaroons are one of my favorite easy cookies and I thought now would be a great time to share my recipes with you. They are sweet, a little toasty and crunchy, and you can make a few different variations from one batch of cookies which I think is a lot of fun. Having variations means that everyone can pick their favorite or try one of each. You can dress them up with dipped chocolate bottoms, chocolate chips, or nuts. If that’s not your jam, leave them delicious, simple coconut. You can’t go wrong with any of the variations.

I also like these cookies because you can make them a day or two ahead of time and they store really well. That’s a great cookie trait this time of year.

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November 30, 2017

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie made with dark chocolate, fresh cream, and an Oreo cookie crust.

Chocolate and fresh cream – what more do we need? I love making homemade puddings, and they are so much easier than you think. For this recipe, you simply make a homemade pudding with some eggs, milk, and sugar and when it’s done, you stir in chocolate chips to melt and make it chocolate pudding. You can put all the pudding on the bottom of the pie and all of the cream on the top, or do a little mixing and layering like I did here – it’s totally up to you. This is a simple pie that is a lot of fun to make and feels a little bit fancy with chocolate curls on top (I just use a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make the curls). This is one of my family’s favorite pies, and you don’t even have to roll out a pie crust.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust recipes, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – delicious Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie to go inside your favorite Oreo cookie crust.

There’s something magical about serving a homemade pie after dinner. It just says love. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

Looking for other great pie recipes? You can check out my post on 8 different pie recipes (including all the classics like cherry pie, apple pie, pecan, and more!) if you need a little more inspiration.

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November 21, 2017

The Best Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving! Made with lots of orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.

This is one of my all-time favorite holiday treats. I make batches and batches of it to put on my friend and neighbor goodie plates, take to parties, have for dessert when friends come over for mom dates, and every other excuse I can think of. A few weeks ago, I picked up my first bag of fresh cranberries and I had just enough to make a double batch of this bread after making the other recipe I had planned for them (I did a cranberry orange pork roast that was fabulous! The recipe is in my Freezer to Slow Cooker ebook). It was so exciting to be making this recipe because not only is it really really good, but it reminds me of Christmas and the holiday season and giving. I may or may not have been jamming to my Christmas station on Pandora while baking, too.

I’m planning on having an intentional Christmas this year. Doing things because they mean something and because I want to and not just because I should or can. I know it might be crazy, but I just love making dozens of goodie plates for neighbors every year and that is for sure on my list for this season. This bread has made the list to go on them again, too! That’s saying something!

I have made this recipe as traditional loaves, tea loaves (which are pictured), muffins, and mini loaves as well. It always turns out well and it always gets rave reviews. There’s something magical about those bright little pops of tart cranberry mixed in with all that sweet bread. Adding a little orange glaze to the mix really puts this bread over the top. You will love it!

Tips and Tricks for Making Cranberry Orange Bread

Isn’t it pretty? I got the tea loaf pan from King Arthur Flour last year for Christmas and I just love it. I do not like things that are battery or raw when they are supposed to be cooked (like undercooked pizza dough and quick breads; cookie dough is very much ok though). The tea loaf pan really helps to ensure a properly cooked quick bread and you bake it for less time, too, which is nice. No matter what you choose to bake this recipe in, adjust your cooking time as needed; it’s good all the ways.
Plan on buying a few extra cranberries for your cranberry sauce recipe. When they are hanging out in the fridge after Thanksgiving, you’ll be obligated to make this bread.
Mixing the orange zest with the sugar before you add anything is the secret of this bread. The sugar pulls the oils out of the zest and you are making orange infused sugar which really makes the orange flavor carry throughout the bread. Best trick ever!
Feel free to double this recipe; it works great.

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November 17, 2017

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie is a simple mix and dump pie that produces a rich, thick, sweet custard-like center when baked.

Easy, easy, easy. You only have to make a single crust and then you just mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl and dump them in. You really won’t believe how simple this recipe is. The filling bakes into a nice soft custard and is delicious. It definitely has a lemon flavor to it, too. I love lemon! My family, however, aren’t so much fans, so sometimes when I make this pie, I leave out the lemon zest. It cuts down on the lemon flavor significantly, so you are left with a baked custard pie with only a hint of citrus.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! This old fashioned buttermilk pie is a favorite in our house and I hope you love it. It’s fun to make because a lot of people haven’t tried it before. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

[Read more…]

November 16, 2017

Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Simple and delicious homemade coconut cream pie in a graham cracker crust topped with real whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Long live simple cream pie recipes! This recipe is a lot like a chocolate cream pie except you use coconut milk (the thick kind in the can) to make the pudding and then you stir in toasted coconut into it and top with more toasted coconut. If you don’t like the texture of the coconut in the pudding, just leave it out and only put some on top. It’s a preference thing. Top with some freshly whipped cream and toasted coconut, and you’re done. This comes in a graham cracker pie crust, which means you don’t even have to roll one out.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust recipes, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – delicious Homemade Coconut Cream Pie to go inside your favorite graham cracker crust.

There’s something magical about serving a homemade pie after dinner. It just says love. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

[Read more…]

November 14, 2017

The Best Pecan Pie Recipe

The best pecan pie recipe is made with a secret ingredient that you have in your kitchen right now – browned butter!

This pecan pie is the best. I’ve made a lot of different pecan pie recipes in my day, and I love this one. You brown the butter a little on your stovetop before adding it to the egg and sugar mixture, and it makes the pie extra rich and caramel-y. If you want to add a few pecans to the top, they won’t sink to the bottom. Also, the filling won’t overflow the pie crust (I have a problem with that for some reason and it makes such a mess in my oven). It is delicious and the only pecan pie recipe you’ll need.

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! This really is the best pecan pie recipe and I hope you love it. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

[Read more…]