OREO Ice Cream Dessert

Disclaimer: This recipe is easy, delicious, and addictive. Add it to your files.

This is one of the easiest desserts in the book and my Mom made it for Leigh Anne and Me in the summer all the time. We always called it "Oreo Ice Cream" There are many variations you can do (see bottom of the post) and they are all very good.

You will need:

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1 package original OREO

1 package Cool Whip

2 Oreo Pie Crusts (optional)

Note: You may notice I use name brand ingredients, full fat count. It will taste the best with these ingredients (for a party) but you can lower the fat count if you are just making it at home for your enjoyment.

Let the ice cream and cool whip sit at room temperature for about an hour. Transfer to a large bowl and let stand until you can easily work your spoon through it.

Meanwhile, crush the Oreo cookies. If you use a food processor, do not finely chop the cookies. The dessert is best with the chunks of the cookie in it. I put mine in a gallon bag and beat it with my rolling pin. (My Granny's technique)

Add cookies to the ice cream and cool whip. Mix very thoroughly.

If you choose to put it in a pie shell, it will make 2 pies. Normally, I just put the entire mixture into a 9x13 dish. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

You can also line the bottom of a 9x13 dish with mini ice cream sandwiches then put the mixture on top.

Sausage Biscuits

This is one of the best things I make. It is always a hit with everyone and the great thing is that you can make them ahead and freeze them.

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 pound hot sausage (very important)

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup whole buttermilk

1/4 cup warm water

1 package of active dry yeast

melted butter

Mix the first 5 ingredients together.

Brown and crumble the sausage.

Drain on a paper towel. Let cool.

Cut in the shortening to the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter.

Meanwhile, measure out 1 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup very warm water and let the yeast bloom in the warm water (about 5 minutes).

Add the cooled sausage to the flour.

Add the yeast water to the buttermilk.

Mix the buttermilk mixture with the flour and sausage mixture and dump onto a floured surface.

Knead the dough into a ball.

Roll out with a rolling pin to about an inch thick.

Choose the size biscuit cutter you would like and cut the biscuits. I like using a medium size, but large is good for breakfast with sides and small is good for a party.

At this point, if you are going to bake them right away, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 9-12 minutes or until the tops are ever so slightly browned. DO NOT overcook. I say this on every recipe, but you can always put them back in to cook a little more, but if you over bake, they will be dry and you can't undo it. :)

Melt butter and brush the tops with melted butter right away. Do not use low fat butter or margarine, as it will make the biscuits soggy.

Okay, now if you are going to freeze them, here is what you do. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place them in the freezer for about an hour. This is very important because if you place the soft biscuits in the freezer, they will stick together. This way, they will not stick together, allowing you to get a few out at a time.

Next, take them out and line a freezer container with parchment paper and stack them.

Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake, take the desired amount out and place them in a cold oven, set to 400 degrees. Bake until the tops are ever so slightly brown. Brush with melted butter.

Note: DO NOT bake on an "air" cookie sheet or insulated cookie sheet, as the bottoms will not be done. Use a good old fashion sheet pan. ENJOY!

Stuffed Mushrooms

This is my Mom's recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms (from her cousin Joy Lance). It is easy and delicious. It can be made early in the day, refrigerated, and then baked right before serving. You will need:

1 pound of mushrooms

1 onion, diced,

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove of garlic, minced

2-4 tablespoons of cooking sherry, to moisten

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup crushed corn flakes

salt and pepper to taste

To clean the mushroom, wipe down with a slightly damp paper towel. NEVER put mushrooms under running water to wash, the will turn to mush. Remove stems and hollow out mushroom cap enough to stuff. Reserve stems.

Place butter in pan on medium high heat. Saute chopped mushroom stems, onion, and garlic for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is done. Season with salt and pepper.

Add cooking sherry, corn flakes, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Add more sherry if needed to moisten the stuffing. You do not want it too dry so make sure to add enough. You can also add dry white wine if you wish.

Stuff the mushroom caps.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I am going to start posting some of my favorite and best recipes every week or so. I will try to post pictures with each recipe, as some of my recipes tend to have "Tori technique", which is not always easy to explain.

This first post is for my Aunt Tanti's Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. My Dad told me that Tanti (Granny's sister) would bake these and send them to him in Tuscaloosa when he was in school at Alabama. They were then made by my Mom for us and were always a favorite. They are quick and easy, but the key is to not cook them too long (they will be too hard) or too short (they will be too soft).

Ingredients

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

4 rounded tablespoons of cocoa

2 cups sugar

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan and cook dissolve on medium high heat.

Here, it is dissolved.

Slowly, bring to a rolling boil, and cook for 2 minutes exactly on medium to medium-high heat.

After 2 minutes, turn off the heat but leave pan on the burner. Very quickly add:

3 cups of Quick Cooking Oats

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Next, simply drop spoonfuls onto Parchment or Wax paper.

Let stand at room temp until they are firm. Do not refrigerate. They should harden at room temp very well. Depending on how hot your stove gets, if they are too firm, drop back the boiling time a bit and if they are too soft, simply cook a bit longer. Every stove is different but on my gas cook top, I cook for 2 minutes exactly. (I use a timer)

Pumpkin Bread

My sister, Leigh Anne, tagged me on her blog to share a recipe. I make this pumpkin bread this time of year and it is so good and very easy. It is great served hot out of the oven with butter or at room temperature for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

1 (15 ounce) can of Libby's pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 large eggs, room temp

3 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (8x5 inch) loaf pans. In a medium bowl, beat pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs and medium speed with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine. Pour into pans and bake for 1 hour. Let cool in pans 10 minutes and them cool on wire racks.

I am going to tag:

Candace

Lauren Baugh

Whitney