Thanksgiving Archives — Bless this Mess

October 10, 2018

Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Quick and easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made with only 4 ingredients including a cake mix.

I’m sure that you’ve seen and probably even made this really easy cake mix pumpkin cookie recipe; it’s been floating around the internet for years. I wanted to share it with you today, not because it’s new, but because it’s awesome. And with my tips and tricks, it’s even better.

What’s my secret?! An EGG! The addition of one egg to the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and chocolate chips makes all the difference. That and not under-baking the cookies. Those two things are the secrets to these simple cookies. The egg acts as a leavening agent and helps to make the cookies less gummy. Cooking them a full 12-14 minutes also helps them to not be gummy and sticky either. Nothing too new or exciting but a few little things can make a big difference when it comes to a recipe with a super short ingredient list.

These cookies are so simple that my kids can make them almost on their own. My oldest loves to have friends over and bake. They’ve had many (MANY) kitchen disasters. I think it’s a great learning experience. But when I think it’s a good day to have a treat turn out, I’ll encourage them to make this recipe. It’s easy and you can’t mess it up. Nothing wrong with starting with a cake mix in my book (I use a cake mix in each of these recipes: Vanilla Sheet Cake, Homemade Soft Oreos, Grandma Shoaf’s Chocolate Sheet Cake, Cheater Brookies (Chocolate Chip Cookies + Brownies), Cheater Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake, Cheater Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars). See? There is a time and a place for cake mix. It’s a great starting point for new bakers and busy mamas alike.

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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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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 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.

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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.

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November 13, 2017

Five Ingredient Sides for Thanksgiving

Five ingredient sides will save you time on Thanksgiving – and there are 8 easy recipes for them here! Bonus: everything is easily made vegan/gluten-free.

So I know that I set you up with all kinds of pie recipes this week, and I had so much fun making them, but I didn’t forget about the rest of the holiday dinner! I feel like we need something healthy after all that dessert, don’t you? I have created 8 different healthy side dish recipes for you today, and all of the recipes have FIVE ingredients or fewer. How’s that for awesome!?

The beauty of these five ingredient sides is that you can serve them all fall and winter long. You could pick one or two to try for dinner this week. With fewer than 5 ingredients each, these are recipes that you are going to come back to again and again. I like to make a few of these for dinner when I have a whole chicken or a pork roast in the slow cooker. You could also make some or all of them for your family for a holiday meal. I can’t wait for you to try these healthy simple dishes. You are going to love them!

Bonus points for these recipes: all of these healthy five ingredient sides can be made gluten-free, vegan, egg-free, nut- and peanut-free, and just about all the other things-free. This is great because I know lots of us like to have some good gluten-free and vegan options for guests coming to our home. These recipes are super allergen-friendly, which is nice.

Easy Five Ingredient Sides For Thanksgiving (and all winter long!)

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November 10, 2017

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

These soft gingerbread cookies are sweet, soft, and lightly spiced. This is the perfect cut-out cookie recipe, and will quickly become a family favorite for the holidays!

Welcome to Christmas Cookie season! I’m so excited to share with you all kinds of Christmas cookie inspiration, because this is the most wonderful time of the year indeed. Whether you are attending a cookie exchange, taking treats to work/school/a party, giving goodie plates to neighbors, or just needing a weekend baking session with your people, I have you covered. These cookie recipes are some of my all-time favorites, and I can’t wait for you to try them in your own home.

I wanted to start cookie season out with a bang, so I’m sharing my favorite recipe first – soft gingerbread cookies! I thought about saving this for last, but who am I kidding? You need this recipe and you need it STAT! My brother and sister-in-law moved next door to us, all the way from Kentucky. My brother is working at our hardware store and his wife, Beth, is helping me in the kitchen! I wanted to get a jump on Christmas cookies, so we started baking in August to have a nice collection for you all baking season. Beth went to culinary school and her emphasis was baking! Seriously! And now she’s my neighbor. I’m using her and her skills to the fullest.

I’m not a huge fan of gingerbread in general, but these have changed my mind.

These soft gingerbread cut-out cookies are so very good. In fact, I like these so much, I’m planning on making a million of these for my neighbor goodie plates. I have lots and lots of gingerbread cookie cutters, so I’m hoping to cut out and decorate cookies for each member of the family. Wouldn’t getting a plate of personalized cookies be the cutest thing ever? I can’t wait!

Tips and Tricks for Making Soft Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies are sweet, soft, and hold their shape well. The spiced flavor is light and really pleasant. My kids love these, my husband loves these, and I had a bag hiding in the freezer that I have now eaten completely, so it’s pretty obvious that I love these too. These will make a gingerbread lover out of anyone.
If you like your gingerbread on the crispy side, roll it to 1/4″ thick and bake for 11-12 minutes. If you like it nice and soft (though still very sturdy), roll the dough 1/2″ thick and bake for 10 minutes. If you play around with the thickness of the dough and the baking time, you’ll discover a cookie that meets your liking. I really like these thick and soft.
Use real butter and don’t forget the resting time. The dough should be tacky but not gloopy when you put it in the fridge. When it comes back out of the fridge, it should be very firm. You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days before using.
This is not a good gingerbread recipe for making gingerbread houses. The dough is too soft. I love making gingerbread houses (here’s a post of a bunch I’ve made) and I normally use this recipe for a sturdy hard cookie that is good for construction.
If you are in need of a cookie cutter set, I’ve had this one for almost 11 years and we use it all the time.
The baked cookies freeze very well. Just bake and cool (but do not add icing), store in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 6 weeks. You can pull the cookies out as needed when guests show up, or thaw the whole batch for decorating all at once. I froze bags and bags of these to prep for my neighbor goodie plates, and loved having the baking done ahead of time.

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November 9, 2017

5 Easy Turkey Crafts for Kids

These 5 quick and easy turkey crafts for kids are made with things you already have at home. Great for preschool, a cold day in, or to make while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to cook!

My kids love to craft; I’ve trained them well. I wanted them to make some fun Thanksgiving-themed things for friends, grandparents, and our fridge. We ended up with a couple of different fun projects that I wanted to share.

I also like to have a few fun crafts ready for all of the cousins to work on while dinner is coming together on Thanksgiving Day, so some of these were our trial run for Turkey Day. I did some other fun fall crafts for kids awhile back, so if you are in the market, you’ll like those ideas too.

I hope you have time to make a few of these because they were quick to put together and really cute. Happy Turkey Day to you!

5 quick and easy turkey crafts for kids made with things you already have at home. Great for preschool, a cold day in, or to make while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to cook!

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