" KEY LIME PIE "

CRUST:

9 - inch single crust

FILING:

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks,

lightly beaten

1/3 cup key lime juice

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sour cream

TOPPING:

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

For crust;

Prepare, bake and cool.

For filling;

Soften gelatin in water in top of double boiler. Place over boiling water. Stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Stir in milk until smooth. Stir in egg yolks and lime juice. Add butter. Cook and stir on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin mixture slowly. Pour into large bowl. Chill 40 to 50 minutes. Fold in sour cream. Pour into baked pie crust. Chill hours.

For topping;

Combine whipped cream and confectioners sugar. Beat until stiff. Spoon over top of pie.

Notes;

Lemon juice can be used instead of lime juice.

" GLAZED PEAR SHORTCAKE "

1 - 16 oz. can sliced pears in heavy syrup; drain and reserve all pear syrup

1 - 3/4 cup all propose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

1 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a non-stick cooking spray onto a 8 - inch cake pan.

Drain pears and reserve all the syrup. Pat pears dry with paper towels.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mix well. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour 3/4 cup pear syrup into flour mixture and mix gently with wooden spoon just until blended. Don't over mix. Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Arrange sliced pears over batter in a circular pattern. Brush with some of the reserved syrup. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and cake is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Brush with more reserved syrup. Invent cake onto a plate, remove from pan. Return to an upright position onto wire rack to continue cooling. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Yields: one 8 - inch shortcake

Notes: Other can fruit can be substituted, like sliced peaches or pineapple rings.

SHRIMP AND BOK CHOY

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 - 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large bok choy, cut into 1/2 - inch pieces ( about 8 cups )

1 large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 - inch slices

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1 - inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

cooked white rice, optional

In a bowl, blend broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and cornstarch, set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and salt; stir-fry 4 minutes until shrimp is cooked through. remove to plate and keep warm.

Add remaining oil and stir-fry bok choy for 5 minutes. Add red pepper and scallion and cook an additional 3 minutes.

Add broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Add shrimp; cook for 1 minute until heated through. Stir in cilantro and serve with rice if desired.

Serves: 4

" MAD HATTERS MUFFINS "

2 cups all-propose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 - 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

2 tablespoons sugar plus 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Butter twelve 3 by 1 - 1/2 inch muffin cups.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl cream together butter and brown sugar until lightly and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Spoons mixture into prepared muffin cups.

Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly over muffins.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.

Yields: 12 large muffins

" PEACH CUSTARD PIE "

If not apple pie, than it's peach pie. Both are my favorites. I use canned peaches in this recipe and you can't tell they are canned. I entered this recipe in the New Mexico State Fair and won a Blue Ribbon. The judge couldn't believe the peaches were canned. This is an easy recipe. If you have trouble making a crust, just make the filling as a peach custard. That's what my mom does and everybody loves it. Baking with Lots of Love comes from all your heart n soul. Share this recipe or any one of my recipes with your family and friends and show them that you can also bake with Lots of Love.

Peach Custard Pie

Crust: 10 - inch double crust

( see pie crust recipe post dated 5/24/2009 )

Preheat oven to 400 F

Filling;

Drain peaches and reserve 3 tablespoons of the peach syrup, Set aside.

1- 29 oz. can sliced peaches in heavy syrup

In a large bowl combine and mix:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Add and mix well:

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter; melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons reserved peach syrup

Stir in drained peaches until peaches are coated. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Moisten pastry edge with water and cover with top crust. Flute edges. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar.. Cut slits or designs on top of crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 45 minutes or until filling in center is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving.

If you don't want to use a crust. Make filling according to directions. Pour filling into a buttered dish and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Yields: one 10 - inch pie.

" COCONUT CAKE "

Cake:

3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 - 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 can ( 13.5 ounces ) coconut milk

1 cup sweetened flake coconut, finely chopped

Frosting and Filling:

1 package ( 8 oz. ) cream cheese

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box ( 16 0z. ) confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

1 - 1/2 cup sweetened flake coconut

Heat oven to 350 F.

Coat two 8 inch round cake pans with a nonstick cooking spray.

Cake:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add vanilla.

On low speed, beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with coconut milk. Beat well after each addition. Fold in chopped coconut. Divide batter equally between prepared pans.

Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans and cool completely.

Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. On low speed. beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Place one cake later on a plate. Spread top with preserves. Add remaining cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Gently press coconut onto sides of cake.

Refrigerate 1 hour before slicing.

" MY FIRST BLOG AWARD "

Thank you to SARAH for the " ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD " Now I get to pass it on to you.

I'm so excited to pass this award on ;

Judy @ THE FAJDICH TIMES

Amanda @ FAITH, FOOD and FAMILY

Kendra @ HADEN NEWS

Lucy @ LUCY'S KITCHEN

Carolyn @ THE MAWMAW

Amanda @ COPING with FRUGALITY

Elaine @ AT HOME 'N ABOUT

Shannon @ TALES from the FAIRY BLOGMOTHER

movingonlady @ CREATE, LIVE, LOVE

Jaynie @ VERBARRHEA

Connie @ THE COTTAGE LOFT

Liz @ CASABELLA WEST

Samantha @ SWEET SOUTHERN JOURNEY

Anissa @ OUR CHAOTIC LIFE

Leslie @ CONTENTED in WEST LAFAYETTE

These are all 15 blogs I love!

In accepting the award, you are asked to pass the award on to 15 other sites you love.

So if you accept this award from me copy the picture to your pc and pass it on to your 15.

Thank you again SARAH. Please take the time and visit her blog @ http://sarahmerrittblog.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by,

Geri

SUGAR AND SPICE MUFFINS

2 - 1/2 cups buttermilk pancake mix

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a medium bowl, stir together pancake mix, water, sugar, oil, egg and nutmeg

just until blended.

Spoon batter into a lightly greased or paper-lined 12 = cup muffin pan, filling two thirds full.

Make for 12 - 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To prepared the topping, melt butter and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon.

While muffins are still warm from the oven, brush on melted butter and them sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Makes 12 muffins