French Silk Pie

It's Friday! Therefore, we should definitely eat chocolate pie.

French Silk chocolate pie, to be specific.

I have made this several times, and I love making it because it's fun to make!

And it's a totally bizarre process.

Here's what you do. Mix up some butter & sugar, pour in some melted chocolate (cooled, please), and then crack in an egg every five minutes while your mixer is on.

So the pie filling takes over 20 minutes just to make. Four eggs x 5 minutes between each egg (plus a couple minutes to beat the sugar & butter together). I mean, that's weird. Who in the world figured out that you could get a fabulous, fluffy pie filling this way?

I mean, who has that much time on their hands?

I don't actually really care. I'm just thankful that someone made this discovery and that I made the discovery of this recipe on Pinterest.

Actually, my mom has known about this pie for decades. I can't believe she was holding out on me. When I mentioned that I was going to make this pie, she casually said, "Oh, yeah, I used to make that pie."

Really. Thanks for enlightening me. Spread the fabulousness around, y'all. Don't hold out on those that you love. Make this pie for them.

French Silk Pie

2 sticks butter (yes, I said a cup of butter), softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled
4 eggs
1 baked pie shell, cooled
Whipped cream, for serving (make the real stuff or use the canned Redi-Whip but please don't ruin this delicious pie with Cool Whip)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat it on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla and chocolate and combine.  Set your mixer on medium speed and add an egg every 5 minutes (this will take 20 minutes to add the eggs). Scrape the bowl well (especially the bottom) each time you add an egg. Beat for another 5 minutes. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Roasted Cauliflower & White Cheddar Soup

Cauliflower is so cool now. I mean, for a vegetable that used to not be the cool kid, it certainly has turned its life around.

Just ask Pinterest. There you can find cauliflower-turned-pizza-crust. Or cauliflower that supposedly tastes exactly like rice! Allegedly.

Well, I made some soup with the vegetable. And it was really good.  I think it was good because I roasted the cauliflower.

I. Love. Roasted. Vegetables.

All of them.  Well, most of them.  Like roasted Brussels sprouts. We're really into those right now.

Anyway, this soup was really good. It doesn't boast any absurd claims, like a chocolate chip cookie made from cauliflower or anything. But that's okay. It just is a soup made with cauliflower, some other veggies, and finished with some half-and-half and cheese. Believe it or not, it was very delicious.

Oh, and I used fat-free half & half.  Whatever the heck that is.

I must say, though…not bad, my friends. Not bad.

Roasted Cauliflower & White Cheddar Soup
Adapted from Cooking Classy

1 head cauliflower
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 T butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped or shredded
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Heaping 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk (I used 1 cup fat-free half-and-half)
10 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded

Break apart the cauliflower into florets, trimming the hard part of the stem off and discarding.  Spread the florets on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until it is tender and has some brown edges.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pot. Add the celery, carrots and onion. Sauté for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir, cooking for a minute. Add the salt & pepper.  Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat and add the roasted cauliflower, milk & cheddar. Stir to combine and to melt the cheese.

You can puree this soup for a finer texture. I used a hand blender and pulsed just a few times to break up some of the chunks but I didn't want it pureed into a smooth texture. It is also good just the way it is!

Green Chile Egg Puff

I had to take an egg casserole to MOPS last week. I needed something different.

So I consulted my friend Pinterest.  And this is what I found.

I made it. I took it to my friends. I liked it. They liked it.

I'll make it again.

You already know my philosophy regarding any recipe containing a pound of cheese.

I'm too tired to say anything else right now.

Green Chile Egg Puff
Adapted from Smell Good Kitchen

12 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
1/2 stick (4 T) butter, melted & cooled
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (this is 4 cups shredded; I have also used a combo of Pepper Jack/regular Monterey Jack)
8 oz. can chopped green chiles

Crack the eggs in a large bowl.  Whisk in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes until set when you jiggle the dish.