How you doin’? This recipe was lifted from the pages of my book Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts. I love working with chocolate. I could sing the praises of cookies all day long. They’re easy to make, easy to serve, and tasty, too! There are a zillion different options. There is nothing better that Italian Christmas cookies.
 
Sarno's Hollywood was located on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, just about a half mile west of the old ABC Television Center. It was the first place that I knew of that served real espresso in the 1970’s. You could go there at any time of the day and see many of your favorite Italian heart throbs on break from the soap opera taping at the studio--General Hospital, The Young Marrieds or Day in Court. 
 
Aside from real espresso and great potato gnocchi (not chocolate) they had a fantastic array of Italian bakery delicacies and Italian cookies. My choice was always the Chocolate Crackle Cookies. These soft and crackly cookies were rich, with a deep chocolate flavor accented by the espresso which was the perfect ingredient complement to raise the level of chocolate flavor. There was also a touch of almond extract. While the almond is not completely authentic for this traditional cookie it adds an additional layer of flavor.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Chill time:  2 hours (or overnight)
Bake time:  30 minutes
Yield:  30 cookies
 
Ingredients 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I prefer Guittard)
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces chopped dark chocolate (72%)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I prefer Plugra)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
 
Directions

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl. Using the back of a spoon break up any of the clumped cocoa powder.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth, being careful not to burn.  Let the mixture cool while completing the next steps. 
3. In a stand mixer, cream the brown sugar and eggs on medium-high speed in a large bowl until thick; about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides.
4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat until well incorporated.
5. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
6. Scrape down the sides and refrigerate the dough until firm for at least 2 hours.
7. Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350° F.
8. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
9. Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl.
10. Using a small scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the dough and roll into balls.
11. Refrigerate half the dough balls. Toss the remaining balls in the confectioners’ sugar, coating them very generously… you shouldn't see any chocolate color from the dough.
12. Place the dough balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
13. Bake until the tops are cracked, and the edges are firm; about 13 to 15 minutes.
14. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
15. When the baking sheets have cooled, bake up the remaining dough balls.
16. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
17. You can freeze the dough and bake off up to a week later.

ChefSecret:  Make sure to let the melted chocolate cool so you don’t scramble the eggs.

Quip of the Day:  Today we will live in the moment. Unless it’s unpleasant in which case we will eat a cookie.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#ChristmasRecipes #Christmas #ChristmasCookies #ItalianChristmasChocolateCrackleCookies #Chocolate #Cocoa #Cookies #Dessert #Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
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                                                                    ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? A few weeks back I extolled the virtues of Benton Bacon. I continue to specify Alan Benton fine hams and bacon for several clients. The last shipment I received had some “secrets” on the right way to cook Benton Bacon—not too, crisp, not too limp… just about right. Here are some bacon cookin’ ways that will make your job easier to cook and clean-up.
 
First, stop trying to wrangle a hot grease-spattering skillet—the skillet will always win. Work smarter, not harder! The cleaner and easier way to cook bacon, that works every time, is in an oven. It's so simple you'll wonder why you haven’t been cooking bacon this way all along.
 
So, why should you cook bacon in the oven instead of frying it the old-fashioned way?
Here are ten good reasons for cooking bacon in the oven:

1. You can cook a whole pound of bacon at one time in just 20 minutes (more if you double tray). I like to keep cooked bacon on hand for convenience.
2. Baked bacon cooks flat and doesn't curl up (most of the time).
3. No need to turn the bacon.
4. No grease spatter burns on your skin.
5. No grease stains on your clothes.
6. No grease splatters all over your range top.
7. Free up space on your stovetop for other foods.
8. While the bacon is in the oven cooking itself, you can turn your attention to other things.
9. Clean-up is as easy as it gets (if you foil-line the pan).
10. Baking bacon makes it possible to make peppered or sweet southern bacon.

 
Equipment Needed
Large rimmed, heavy-duty sheet pan
Aluminum foil
Optional Baking rack—cooking bacon on a rack makes the bacon crisper and lets the grease drip off the bacon as it cooks. If you go the rack route, you should still line your baking pan with foil to make clean-up easy.
 
Following my easy directions will turn cold strips of smoked pork into delicious heavenly crisp bacon.
 
                                          Cooking Bacon in the Oven

Ingredients
1 pound thick-cut bacon--that’s all folks!
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400⁰ F.
2. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, making sure pan is completely covered. Make sure the foil extends up the sides of the pan so it captures all the bacon grease and clean-up is easier.
3. Arrange bacon strips on the prepared baking sheet or on the rack if you're using one. It's okay to overlap slices slightly because the bacon will shrink slightly as it bakes.
4. Place pan in on the middle rack in the pre-heated, hot oven.
5. Cook bacon for 15 minutes and check it to see that’s the way you like done. Remember, there is no reason to turn the bacon over.
6. If not quite done enough to your liking, cook it for not longer than another 5-minutes. Do not over-cook it.
7. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel-lined plates.
8. Let the bacon cool for 5 minutes and see it crisp up.

 
                     Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Cheddar and Bacon
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  15 10 20 minutes
Mix time:  5 minutes
Bake time:  20 to 30 minutes
Yield:  5 servings
 
Ingredients 
3 pounds russet potatoes
5 slices Benton Smoked Bacon, cooked crisp
4-ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon minced roasted garlic
1-1/4 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground course black pepper
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks.
3. Rinse off the starch and place in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches.
4. Bring the water and potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the cooking temperature to a simmer. Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes, return to the pan, cover, and set aside.
6. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and heat to re-crisp and brown them up. Alternatively, you can re-crisp the bacon in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drain any residual grease on paper towel and break the bacon into pieces.
7. Using a fork, mash the potatoes in the pan until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone, butter and sour cream, and stir until combined and smooth.
8. Add the chives, garlic, bacon pieces, 1 cup cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
9. Transfer to a buttered 3 quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are hot through, about 30 minutes.
10. Serve immediately.

ChefSecret:  No baking rack? Line the baking sheet, then crumple up some more foil and lay the bacon over it to hold it up out of the grease. Your baking time may differ because of the oven and the thickness of the bacon. Prevent oven splatters by placing a layer of foil over the bacon to keep grease from spattering all over the oven. Remove the foil for the last 5-minutes of cooking for crisping.

Quip of the Day:  Q: What do you call fake potatoes? A: Imitaters!
 
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #Baking #SideDish #MashedPotatoes #BaconMashed #Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                     ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? A lot of people think pie is just for holidays. I’m here to tell you pie is for every day. I consider pies—the way grandmother used to bake them—the quintessential American dessert for any time of year, but especially for the holidays. A slice of pie is so versatile it can be served with whipped cream, ice cream, creme anglaise or just naked, right out of the pie pan.
 
I think of pie as a food with a lid—a lid you can eat, with edible sides and base, too. When you think about it, the pie is a masterpiece of gastronomical engineering. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then, that 65% of Americans population eat a pie (sweet or savory) at least once a month. With fillings and pastry cases to suit all dietary needs, it’s a dish that can turn up on anyone’s plate and when you consider the history of the pie, it’s been on a long and fascinating historic journey.
 
The Ancient Egyptians were the first to invent a dish close to what we know today as a pie. They had a honey filling covered in a crusty cake made from oats, wheat, rye or barley. A recipe for chicken pie was discovered on a tablet carved prior to 2000 BC.
 
Later on, closer to the 5th Century BC, the Ancient Greeks were believed to invent pie pastry as it is mentioned in the plays of the writer Aristophanes and it was possible to work as a pastry chef in this era, a separate trade to a baker.
 
The Romans took the concept of pies even further. They would make a pastry of flour, oil and water to cover up meat, but this was intended to preserve the juices and flavors of the filling and was not intended to be eaten. A Roman cookbook from the 1st Century, called Apicius, mentions recipes that include pie cases. There is even one that we would recognize as a cheesecake, using pastry for a base, which has the interesting name--placenta.  With the Romans came roads, and thus their pies (and their recipes) eventually found their way around all parts of Europe.
 
The Oxford English Dictionary first records pastry as a word in use by the mid-14th Century and Medieval Latin included the word ‘pie’, meaning ‘meat or fish enclosed in pastry’ from around 1300.
 
In Britain, the first pyes had mainly meat fillings and, just as in Rome, the pastry cases were not necessarily for eating. They were to help food last longer on sea voyages, and also save space - having a hold stacked with pies was a far more sensible use of precious square feet than bringing a cook and dozens of livestock along for the journey.
 
By medieval times, cooks tried to outdo each other as pies became the centerpiece of exclusive banquets. Anything would be baked into them which would impress as the pastry lid was removed to reveal its unique fillings. Sometimes this would even include live actors reciting poetry (safely hidden inside after the baking process), or even a band of musicians… that must have been one rather larger pie!
 
Queen Elizabeth I’s reign will be remembered for such things as her defeat of the Spanish Armada and an age of literature which included William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.  Cherry pie was, allegedly, first served up to old Lizzy.
 
Pies were even becoming dramatic devices by this time. The William Shakespeare killed off two male characters in Titus Andronicus by having them baked into a pie as revenge for them attacking the title character's daughter. Titus then served the pie to his victims’ mother.
 
World exploration gathered pace and as people from England settled in America, so too did their pie recipes, evolving away from further British influences. Apple pie became a symbol of American life… the heavy American association dates back to the World War II when soldiers were asked why they were off to battle, they would often reply: “For mom and apple pie.”
 
Even today, pies continue to evolve as new cultures and trends affect the fillings we put inside them. Cases made from puff pastry, filo and short crusts are now popular and are just as important a part of the dish as what’s inside, no longer being treated as flour-based crockery. Butternut squash is now just as good a pie filling as a bit of Stilton or steak and ale.
 
With pastry now suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, as well as the sweet crusts which enrobe the richest of dessert fillings, it seems the answer to ‘who ate all the pies’ is clearer than ever—it’s all of us.
 
As you may already know, pecans are native to North America, which is why it makes sense that the pecan pie was created here as well. There are some who believe that the pecan pie originated in New Orleans after it was settled by the French, although that doesn’t seem to be the most accepted accreditation. Early pecan recipes first appeared in Texas cookbooks in the 1870s and 1880s. The first recipe that resembled a pecan pie was published in St. Louis in 1898.
 
My pecan pie recipe has the hint of Old Kentucky Bourbon. You can use more or less of it as you desire. It has great upper notes of caramel and butter along with the toasty pecans and hints of brown sugar and vanilla. Along with the crust recipe below, I consider this my best of the best nut pie recipes and worthy of a blue ribbon!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes (plus crust time)
Bake time:  1 hour
Yield:  5 to 8 servings / 1 (9 inch) pie
 
Ingredients 
1 cup white corn syrup (Karo)
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon (or more to your taste)
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk (yolk is for the egg wash)
1 tablespoon warm water
1-1/2 cups whole pecans
1 recipe pie shell for two (2) 9-inch crust pies (see recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Combine the syrup, sugar, salt, melted butter, vanilla extract and bourbon.
3. Slightly beat the whole eggs and add to the sugar mixture. Beat well.
4. For the crust, whisk the single egg yolk with 1 tablespoon warm water.
5. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with the egg wash.
6. Pour the pie filling mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
7. Sprinkle the pecans on top of the pie filling mixture.
8. Place the pie pan of a foil lined sheet pan to catch any sugary drips.
9. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.
10. Personally, I prefer a darker crust, but if the edges of the crust are getting too dark for your taste cover the edges of the crust with crust guards or aluminum foil.
11. When done, the center will be a bit jiggly but will firm up when cool.
12. Refrigerate any leftovers.

​ChefSecrets:  To make it a Chocolate Pecan Pie, add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the bottom of the crust before adding the pie filling.

                                            Sweet & Flaky Pie Crust
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes minimum
Yield:  2 single or 1 double (9-inch) pie crust
 
Ingredients 
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco) or lard (I prefer lard)
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
 
Directions

1. Cut the cold butter and shortening or lard into several small cubes.  Refrigerate the cubes while preparing the flour mixture.
2. Place a few ice cubes in a small measuring cup (1 cup) and fill with cold water. Stir and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
4. Scatter half the cubes of butter and shortening over the surface of the flour and pulse 15 to 20 times until the mixture resembles cornmeal with pieces of butter no larger than pea size. 
5. Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of ice water over the surface of the butter-flour mixture. Scatter the remaining butter cubes over the water-flour mixture. Pulse 4 times to combine.
6. Check to see if the dough is holding together by squeezing a bit in your hand; if it holds together and feels tacky, it's ready.  If it breaks apart easily, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time as needed and pulse. The final dough should have large clumps of dough, small pebbles of butter and should hold together when pressed.
7. Turn the pie dough out onto a clean, floured work surface. Divide the dough into two piles (about 13 ounces each). Use the palm of your hand to quickly gather and press each mound into a thick disk.
8. Wrap the disks in food film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
9. Unwrap 1 of the disks and place on a work surface dusted with flour. Sprinkle a rolling pin with flour. Working from the middle of the dough outwards, roll the dough into a round 12 to 13-inches in diameter (a few inches larger than your pie pan). Work the dough as little as possible.

If the dough cracks when you first start rolling, let it stand for a minute or two to warm slightly before rolling again. Use more flour if the dough starts to stick. Use a pastry scraper to lift the pastry from the work surface and make sure it's not sticking.

1. Sprinkle the top of the pie crust and your rolling pin with a little flour. Lay your rolling pin on one edge of the pie crust and begin gently rolling the pie crust over the rolling pin. When it's all rolled up, move it to the pie pan and gently unroll. Ease the pie crust into the corners of the pan.
2. Trim all but an inch or two of the pie dough from around the edge; use the trimmings to patch up any holes or tears.
3. Refrigerate the pie plate lined with dough for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pie pan with crust from the refrigerator and fill it with the prepared filling.

​ChefSecret:  Lard is the secret to a light, flaky crust.

Quip of the Day:  “Pecan pie is like duct tape; it fixes everything that ails you.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. 

#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #Baking #PecanPie #BourbonPecanPie #Bourbon #Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                    ​©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Corn is my favorite vegetable. Anything made with corn goes to the top of my like file. Even yesterday I had a dinner of fried chicken (breaded in cornmeal) and cornmeal waffles. That’s a SoCal dinner feast in East LA.
 
It stands to reason that I also like cornbread and Old-fashioned Spoon Bread. Spoon Bread is like a Southern mashup of cornbread and Yorkshire pudding—it’s a bread so creamy, buttery, and moist that you need a spoon to serve it up…  Hence, the name. You may have also heard it referred to as corn casserole or corn pudding. My version has a cakier texture but is still super light, spongy, and utterly irresistible.
Like a lot of American fare, spoon bread has Native American origins, although the food histories are a bit conflicted. It’s said to have evolved from awendaw, a similar, pudding-like dish of hominy grits and cornmeal that shares its name with an area of the South Carolina Lowcountry once inhabited by the indigenous Sewee people. In fact, the first published version of the recipe appears in The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge, 1884.
Spoon bread has been a culinary mainstay of Virginia, Kentucky, and the Carolinas for years. Chefs and home cooks have created numerous variations on its corny theme with additions like cheese, chiles, and even chorizo. This recipe, however, is all about the corn. It calls for not only cornmeal, but also frozen corn and creamed corn—a trifecta of sweet, creamy goodness. The creamed corn also works wonders with both sour cream and a stick of butter to make the crumb as rich and airy as can be. It’s a delightful juxtaposition to the delicate vegetal crunch of the whole kernels.
Spoon bread is a great side dish for everyday or holiday dinners—especially when you’re craving an extra helping of comfort food during these difficult times. It’s the perfect side dish alongside fried chicken and collard greens… or Thanksgiving Turkey. Please trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  40 to 45 minutes
Reheat time:  30 minutes (whole pan)
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided, plus more for rubbing the baking dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 8-ounce can creamed corn
1-1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, beaten
 
Directions
1.    Preheat an oven to 375° F.
2.    Butter a 2-quart or 8 X 8-inch baking dish with butter.
3.    In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, kosher salt and baking powder. Set aside.
4.    In a large bowl, mix together 8 tablespoons of the melted unsalted butter, together with the creamed corn and the thawed corn kernels.
5.    Add the sour cream and eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.
6.    Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
7.    Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish.
8.    Bake until the top is golden brown, the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
9.    Cool for 5 minutes. Brush the spoon bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store:  The spoon bread may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

ChefSecret:  Preparing Holiday dinner can be taxing with all that has to be prepared and come together at the same time. Spoon bread can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. You can reheat it by covering the baking dish with foil and slide it in a 300° oven until it’s warmed through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Quip of the Day:  “I was watering the other day when a nice old man asked me for a little spoon. So, I gently lay him down and hugged him from behind.” Get it? Spooning!
 
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #Baking #SideDish #SpoonBread #CornBread #CreamedCorn #Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Old fashioned is good; in fashion is better… and today, newfangled is best. There’s no question that mom’s pumpkin pie and other homemade holiday baked goodies are scrumdidlyumptious delicious. But we have to say, this easy pumpkin pie recipe goes far above and beyond all others. It only takes an hour and a half to make this mouthwatering holiday dessert just right.
 
Start with a mix of all the best ingredients, including milk chocolate chips for a chocolaty touch of something extra. This homemade pumpkin pie makes Thanksgiving and holiday dessert tables even more decadent. If you’re being honest, this pumpkin pie recipe may just become your new favorite— just don’t tell mom or Grammy!
 
Prep time:  30 Minutes
Bake time:  55 Minutes
Cool time:  1 hour (8 servings)

Ingredients 
1 packaged chocolate cookie crumb crust (about 6-ounces)
1 slightly beaten large egg yolk
1 slightly beaten large egg
1 can pure pumpkin (15-ounce)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14-ounces) (do not use evaporated milk)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, divided (I prefer Guittard)
1 can aerosol whipped cream
 
Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2. Brush the bottom and side of the crust with egg yolk to seal it.
3. Place crust on sheet pan and bake 5 minutes.
4. Mix the remaining whole egg, pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chocolate chips onto the crust.
6. Pour the pumpkin filling mixture over the chips.
7. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into a small microwave-safe bowl and Microwave at medium heat (50%) for 30 seconds; stir. If necessary. Microwave at medium for an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until the chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
8. Drizzle melted chocolate over the pie in decorative pattern.
9. Bake on sheet pan for 50 to 55 minutes or a cake tester inserted into center of pie comes out clean.
10. Cool for 1 hour.
11. Serve slices topped with whipped cream.
12. Garnish with additional milk chocolate chips, if desired.
13. Cover with food film and refrigerate any leftover pie.

 
ChefSecret:  Do this recipe justice… Please, please use real whipped cream instead of that “whipped cool stuff.”
 
Quip of the Day: “There are three things that I've learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and Granny’s Pumpkin Pie.”         ...Charlie Brown
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.
 
#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving  #PumpkinPie #ChocolatePumpkinPie #ChocolateLacedPumpkinPie #Dessert Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023