Frozen Key Lime Pie

Easy, cool, refreshing goodness!

1 (12 oz) container cool-whip (thawed slightly)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
1 prepared pie crust (graham cracker, vanilla wafer, or shortbread all work well)
grated lime zest for garnish (optional)

Mix sweetened condensed milk and lime juice together. Mix in cool whip until well blended. Spoon into pie crust. Freeze until firm 1-3 hours. Remove crust from tin and cut into 6-8 wedges. Garnish with lime zest and/or cool-whip. Enjoy!

Pastry Puffs!

These small bundles often referred to as profiteroles -- are a one-of-a-kind treat. The dough used to make them, called pâte à choux, is light and airy, yet sturdy, so it's perfect for filled goodies such as éclairs.

Ingredients

FOR THE PUFFS

1 cup water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced

1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 lightly beaten egg for coating

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Move the oven rack to a position slightly below the center and heat the oven to 375°. Lightly coat two baking sheets with butter.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove the pan from the stove top and stir in the flour until well blended. Return the pan to the stove top and cook on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the stove top once more and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the 4 eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated.

While the dough is still warm, use a tablespoon-size cookie scoop to place 1 1/2-inch-wide mounds on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows to give the puffs room to expand as they bake. Gently brush the top of each with the beaten egg.

Bake the puffs until golden brown, 25 to 28 minutes. (Don't remove them from the oven before they're fully baked, or they'll collapse.) Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the chocolate sauce, bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and pour the cream on top. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes, then whisk it until it's smooth. Add the butter, then whisk again.

To assemble the dessert, cut each puff in half, place a scoop of ice cream on the bottom, replace the top, and drizzle with the warm chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

Tips:

The pastries are pretty healthy for a dessert, but it just depends what goes inside. You can add ice cream whipped cream, or even just serve with powdered sugar and fruit. Also for an easy quick topping just drizzle chocolate syrup on top! Seriously easy and yummy!

Also, without the sweet toppings you can serve alongside dinner as a delicious dinner roll!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

• 2 tablespoons CRISCO® Oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Enchilada Sauce.
2. Enchilada Sauce: Heat CRISCO® Oil in large saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Makes three cups of sauce.
3. Enchiladas: Mix together chicken, green onions, 1/2 cup Cheddar, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack, sour cream, chiles and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup Enchilada Sauce; stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Heat 1/2 inch CRISCO® Oil in large pan.
5. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until soft (10 seconds per side). Drain well on paper towels.
6. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with CRISCO® No-Stick Cooking Spray. Spread a small amount of Enchilada Sauce over the bottom of dish.
7. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll up. Place enchiladas, seam side down, side by side in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over. Top with remaining cheeses.
8. Bake until bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 3 cups enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• CRISCO® Oil, as needed
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• CRISCO® No-Stick Cooking Spray

Yummy bacon and cheese dip!

1/2 c. mayonnaise (the REAL stuff..not Miracle Whip OR Salad dressing)

1-8 oz package cream cheese, softened (I unwrap mine from the foil and put in the microwave for 30 seconds)

1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 t. cayenne pepper (optional...if you don't want a kick, don't add it)

1 bunch finely chopped green onion

1/2 bag crushed Frito corn chips

1/2 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled (cook while the dip is in the oven so the bacon will be warm when the dip is done cooking)

In a mixing bowl, combine mayo, cream cheese, grated cheese, cayenne pepper and green onion. Mix with an electric mixer until fluffy. Spoon into a 9x9 baking pan. Top with crushed corn chips. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and top with warm bacon crumbles. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite cracker.

Zesty Beef Enchiladas

Approximately 16-18 tortilla shells (we like corn shells, but you can use flour if you prefer)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained

3-4 c. grated cheese (more or less according to your likes)

1 c. sour cream

1 can cream chicken soup

1 1/2 c. green enchilada sauce

1 small can diced green chilies

Cook meat, drain and set aside. In a large frying pan, with a small amount of cooking oil, brown tortilla shells (this helps them to not be so stiff when rolling the meat and cheese up in them). Place a small amount of meat and cheese down the center of the cooked tortilla shell, roll up and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Continue until all shells are rolled and pan is filled. Set aside.

For sauce~ In a medium saucepan, combine cream chicken soup, green enchilada sauce, sour cream and green chilies. Heat until warm, stirring so that it won't scorch. Pour over prepared enchilada's and top with remaining cheese...add more cheese if you need or WANT it (the more the better I say). Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.