Hi Ya Everybody!

Strawberry Cake Pops for a Mickey Mouse Birthday Party

First Communion Cake

Easter Cookies

 

Bunny Crunch

I saw this in a gift shop last week, and decided to try my own.  Well, there are a million and one different recipes for Bunny Crunch or Bunny Bait, but I wasn't loving some of the ingredients in their recipes.  So, here is our ideal Bunny Crunch- popcorn, caramel, chocolate, and egg shaped  M&M's.  This was a total waste of a decorative box, because it was gone almost instantly.

Strike!

Chocolate and Vanilla Cake Pops for a Bowling Birthday Party

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

This time of year I start looking for good cream pie recipes and I had really been craving this pie since I saw it on Pinterest.  It was a win win because coconut cream is my husband's favorite.  I got the original recipe from this site, JanCanCook and made some changes.

Lawry's Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours chilling

COCONUT PIE SHELL

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for pie plate

3 cups sweetened flake coconut

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. They should be golden brown. Press the coconut firmly and evenly in the pan to form a shell. Chill the crust 30 minutes before filling.

PIE FILLING

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar, divided

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-and-half, divided

Yellow food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, salt and flour in a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of the half-and-half.

Combine the remaining 2 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart saucepan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook and stir until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 2 drops of food coloring and the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Pour the filling into the shell.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Spoon in dollops or pipe with a pastry bag around the edge of the pie. Chill 2 hours before slicing. 

Changes I Tried

-made the crust out of unsweetened coconut chips, you only need about 2 cups

-used whole milk instead of half-and-half, it still sets up wonderfully

-did not add the food coloring, farm fresh eggs give it a wonderful yellow

-used regular sugar and added vanilla bean paste to the whipped cream topping

My husband loved it. Overall, I thought it was good but had way too much coconut and I missed the traditional crust.  Next time, I'm going to make a traditional pie crust and then top that with coconut before adding the bananas and cream filling.  All of the other changes were keepers.

A New Buckaroo...

Party Favors for a Western Themed Shower