pumpkin creme brulee

My FAVORITE fall dessert!!

3 c heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla or rum
6 egg yolks
6 Tb superfine sugar
3/4 c finely pureed cooked pumpkin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 c brown sugar

Scald cream and vanilla or rum.

Beat egg yolks and superfine sugar until lightly colored and thick; beat in pumpkin, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly whisk in the hot cream. Pour into a 6-cup or an 8x8-inch refrigerator-to-oven dish. Place into a baking pan, and pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the dish.

Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 45-60 min, until the custard is set (time depends upon the height of the baking dish). Chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat broiler, and place an oven rack 8-10 inches below it.

Sieve the brown sugar and sprinkle it evenly over the custard. Place dish in a large pan, and surround it with ice cubes. Place on the broiler rack, and, watching carefully, let the brown sugar heat until it just begins to bubble, brown and melt.

Remove from the broiler; cool for 10 min. ENJOY!!

pumpkin chococlate chip cookies

My favorite fall time cookie and it is so easy that you will be devouring them in not time!!

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 (18 ounce) box spice cake mix
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together pumpkin and spice cake until well blended. Add chocolate chips to mix. Drop cookies on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes....ENJOY!

renee's chicken and dumplings

This is one of my families favorite meals and there is never any left overs :) It is a great dinner to have on cold and stormy nights!

1 egg
3 Tbsp. cold water
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 4-to 4-1/2-lb. broiler-fryer chicken, quartered
1 tsp. kosher salt
5 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced in half
3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
2 Tbsp. cold butter, cut in 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup whipping cream
Ground black pepper

For dumplings, I usually double the recipe because we love the dumplings...in medium bowl whisk together egg, cold water, oil, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in flour. Mix until well-blended and elastic. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Season chicken, including back and neck, with the 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside. In 6-quart Dutch oven r stock pot ocombine chicken stock, water, celery, onion, and pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Add chicken pieces, placing leg quarters and backbone first. Place breast, skin side down, on top. Reduce heat to just below simmer. Cover, leaving half-inch opening. Cook 30 to 45 minutes or until breasts are just done; remove. Continue cooking leg quarters 30 to 40 minutes until tender; remove chicken and vegetables. Set broth in pot aside. Discard vegetables. Set chicken aside. Cool. Remove skin. Pull meat from bones, tearing into large pieces. Set aside. Discard bones.

For dumplings, turn dough onto well-floured surface. Roll very thin, about 1/16 inch; cut in 1 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch pieces. Return broth to boiling. Season well with additional kosher salt. Add dumplings to broth, shaking pot occasionally. Do not stir. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved chicken. Reduce to simmer. Add butter, cream, and few grindings of black pepper. Gently lay hard-cooked eggs on top of other ingredients. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 10 minutes....Enjoy!!