Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 frozen unbaked deep dish pie crust, 9-inch

1 can (15 ounces) canned pumpkin

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheating the oven to 425°F. Place frozen pie crust on large foil-lined baking sheet.

Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from the crust comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

Eggnog Truffles Recipe

Ingredients:

16 oz white chocolate 

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ c powdered sugar

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp imitation rum extract

Instructions:

In a small bowl, cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar, nutmeg, and rum extract.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt half of the white chocolate for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave, stir, and repeat in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is completely smooth.

Add the chocolate mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.

Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until chilled and slightly more firm.

Melt the remaining chocolate.

Remove the cream cheese and chocolate mixture from the fridge, and roll into one-inch balls. Roll each ball in the white chocolate, and place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.

You can sprinkle the top with nutmeg as a garnish

Mashed potatoes (make ahead)

The Pioneer Woman has never steered me wrong.  These are great for Turkey Day.  I make mine a day ahead and they heat beautifully.

Ingredients:

5 lb.  potatoes

3/4 c. butter

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp black pepper

Directions:

1.   Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. A  fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

2. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

3.Turn off the stove and add butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper.  Then Mash.

4.  Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Add pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through. OR

If makinga day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.