PAULA DEEN'S FROZEN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

Ingredients
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 quart, plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon chocolate creme liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 premade pie shell
Chocolate chips, for topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prick holes to bottom of pie shell. Bake in oven for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons heavy cream and chocolate liqueur. Cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract. Mix and let cool.

In a mixing bowl combine sugar and 1 quart heavy cream. Whip as if you were making whipped cream. Slowly fold the chocolate sauce into the cream.

Next pour the mousse mixture into the pie shells. Add chocolate chips to the top of the pies.

Wrap the pie and freeze for a few hours or overnight

FRENCH SILK PIE

Ingredients

For the Crust
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Filling
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Whipped cream, for serving
Chocolate curls, for serving

Directions
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate; set aside. Grind pecans in a food processor, or chop very finely with a knife. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Press firmly into prepared pie plate. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add melted chocolate and the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed for five minutes after each addition. Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Just before serving, top pie with whipped cream, and decorate with chocolate curls.

BETTER THAN CAROL'S PIE CRUST (Paula Deen's)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
12 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar.

Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour.

Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter.

Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal.

Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.

When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough.

Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape.

Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

CARMELIZED MACADEMIA NUTS

Caramelized macadamia nuts -- one of the easiest things to make and delicious on their own or sprinkled on salads.

The caramel is simply castor sugar (I used just regular sugar, works fine) that's been gently heated in a heavy-based saucepan along with macadamia nuts. The whole process takes about 3 or 4 minutes (mine took a little longer). Once the sugar is melted and the nuts are coated, transfer them to waxed paper to cool. The next step is to break the caramelized nuts into pieces and that's it!

Ingredients:
1 cup of macadamia nuts, halved
1/2 cup of castor sugar (I used regular sugar)

Preparation:
Heat a small, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and macadamia nuts to the pan and stir.

Continuing stirring gently until the sugar has melted and caramelized the macadamia nuts.

Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool and then break into pieces.

LONGHI'S PANCAKES

When we went to Longhi's in Lahaina, we fell in love with their coconut, macademia nut banana pancakes. We went there several mornings and the cute waiter finally came back from the kitchen and gave us the chef's recipe (shhhh). Thus, this is a restaurant sized recipe. I split it in 1/4ths for the family.

ingredients:

16 Cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp baking soda
4 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp salt
4 Tbsp sugar
4 1/3 qt. buttermilk
16 eggs
2 1/4 Cups melted butter

Sift dry ingredients 3 times, to insure even dispersion of sodium. Combine wet ingredients, and then cobine with dry. Mix well, but batter should stil be slightly lumpy.

Let the batter sit for a couple of hours or overnight. Add a handful of carmelized macademia nuts (see recipe above) into the batter. Cook in buttered pan.

The best part of this pancake is what they put on top of it.

Slice a banana and lay slices over top and sprinkle carmelized macademia nuts over the top.

Serve with coconut syrup (or regular syrup, that was Rex's choice).

YUMMIE!!!

CADBURY EGG COOKIES

Recently discovered a chocolate cadbury egg cookie recipe on our best bites and thought i would try my own with a chocolate chip cookie recipe...and the result was delicious! We love Caburby eggs and we LOVE these!

ingredients:
1 cup {2 sticks} butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 10 oz bag cadbury mini eggs

directions:
Heat oven to 375.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy.

Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Crush up the cadbury mini eggs by placing them in a ziplock bag and beating with a rolling pin. stir in the cadbury pieces.

Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
these are simply fantastic and perfect for easter!

Enjoy.

LAYERED COCONUT CREAM CHEESECAKE BARS

Ingredients:

84 NILLA Wafers, divided
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2-1/2 cups cold milk
1-1/2 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, toasted, divided

Directions:
RESERVE 24 wafers. Crush remaining wafers; mix with butter. Press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Carefully spread over crust. Stand reserved wafers around edges.

BEAT pudding mixes and milk with whisk in medium bowl 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP and 3/4 cup coconut; spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining COOL WHIP and coconut. Refrigerate 5 hours.

How to Toast Coconut
Toasting coconut is easy. Just spread BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut evenly in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 7 to 10 min. or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Or, spread in microwaveable pie plate. Microwave on HIGH 3 min. or until lightly browned, stirring every minute. Watch carefully as coconut can easily burn!

HOMEMADE SOUTHERN BBQ SAUCE

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
3/4 chopped onion
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons yellow prepared mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons paprika
Pinch garlic powder
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

Stir all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Yields: 3 cups

BABY BACK RIBS (with Paula Deen's BBQ sauce)

Ingredients
2 racks baby back ribs (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Directions
1 recipe Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows:
Lemon wedges
Fresh rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the racks of ribs in half crosswise. Rub the ribs, paying special attention to the meaty side, with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Lay the rib pieces meat side down in an 11 by 13-inch baking dish. The pieces will overlap slightly.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the meat begins to pull away from the
ends of the bones and the ribs are just tender, about 1 hour.

*Cook's Note: You can bake the ribs up to a day before and keep them refrigerated. Bring refrigerated ribs to room temperature about 1 hour before you grill them.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.

Grill the ribs, brushing them with about half the remaining sauce, until they're crispy and heated through, about 10 minutes. Move the ribs around as they grill; the sugar in the barbecue sauce makes it easy for them to burn. Let the ribs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting them into 1 or 2-bone pieces. Put out the rest of the sauce for dipping or brush it over the ribs.

Barbecue Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
3/4 chopped onion
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons yellow prepared mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons paprika
Pinch garlic powder
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Stir all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.
Yield: 3 cups

PAPA BEAR OATMEAL

Ingredients
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
3 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup raisins (we DO NOT add raisins)
1 banana, sliced
1 cup sliced strawberries (only in season - we usually don't add strawberries either)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Brown sugar, for serving
Honey, for serving

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 1/2 cups water and the salt to a boil. Stir in the oats and simmer until almost thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the raisins and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more

Spoon the oatmeal into individual bowls and serve. Place the banana and strawberry slices, cream, brown sugar, and honey into the oatmeal bowl. Stir if desired.

PEACH PARFAIT (Paula Dean)

Ingredients
4 ripe peaches, diced (about 2 pounds)
4 teaspoons light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup crumbled Sandies pecan shortbreads (about 10 cookies), plus additional for garnish
Fat-Free whipped topping (recommended: Reddi Whip)

Directions
In a medium bowl toss the peaches with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Place a layer of the peaches in the bottom of a parfait glass.
Sprinkle the peaches with a large pinch of cookie crumbs and top with the whipped cream.
Repeat with two more layers of each ingredient and garnish with an additional sprinkle of the cookie crumbs.
Repeat with the remaining parfait glasses and serve immediately or chill up to 4 hours before serving.

Cafe Rio SWEET PORK SALAD

I promise, we are VERY VERY picky about our Cafe Rio pork and this tasted EXACTLY like it. We also played around with the rice, the beans, and the ranch. At dinner tonight, we felt like we were having Cafe Rio take-out. However, we liked our recipe even BETTER!!! Don't believe us? Try it out for yourself and you will see!

It really is easier than it looks. It only took me about an hour to make (after the pork was in the crock pot). The rice and beans are SUPER easy, you definitely want the beans and rice to get the whole experience! Also, be generous with the cilantro! Try it and let me know what you think! I KNOW you won't be disappointed!!

6 large Tortillas (click HERE)

Shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Cafe Rio Rice (click HERE)

Cafe Rio Black Beans (click HERE)

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (click HERE)

Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)

Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)

Guacamole (click HERE)

Sour cream

Tortilla Strips (click HERE)

Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)

Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch (click HERE)

OR

***NEW*** Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (click HERE)

Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)(scroll down to see the rice, beans, pork, and ranch recipes all together...)

SWEET PORK:

2 pounds pork (we like to use boneless pork ribs)

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can diced green chilies

3/4 (1o oz) can red enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)

1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry).

Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:

1 c. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Remove from heat.

In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro.

Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 c. tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.

Add beans, tomato juice, and salt.

Continually stir until heated through.

Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

(**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

CILANTRO RANCH:

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlicjuice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!