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Peanut Buster Oreo Perfection

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Peanut Buster Oreo Perfection!  This icebox treat will satisfy every craving you have, as long as it’s for something cold, salty, and sweet. The Oreo cookie crust is amazing! The layer of fudge nestled between natural vanilla bean ice cream and fluffy light whipped cream is a lip-smacking delight for the palate. The best advice I can give you is… SHARE. Otherwise, you’ll be tempted to eat the entire pan. 

PEANUT BUSTER OREO PERFECTION 

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreo cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream

12 ounces of hot fudge sauce

1 cup Spanish peanuts

8 ounces of frozen whipped topping

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom of 9″x13″ pan. Crush 24 Oreo cookies and mix well with the melted butter. Spread into the bottom of the pan making a thin, even layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice the ice cream and place in an even layer over cookie crust. Pour the hot fudge topping over the ice cream. Sprinkle peanuts over fudge sauce. Spread the whipped topping over all. Crush two more Oreo cookies and sprinkle lightly as garnish. Freeze overnight. Enjoy the perfection!

X-traordinary Pomegranate Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: X-traordinary Pomegranate Rice Cake! No matter the time zone you live in, your internal clock lets you know when hunger pangs are tugging at your tummy. Before you grab a sugar-glazed donut or soft chewy cookie, step back a minute to visualize all the possibilities a rice cake provides. As a base, rice cakes come in all varieties: multigrain, white rice, brown rice, apple cinnamon, caramel, honey nut, organic, salt-free and so on. Spreadable are just as surprising: whipped cream cheese, almond butter, hummus, cottage cheese, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, mashed avocado, frosting, or marshmallow creme. You get the idea. Lastly, the toppings can be anything from fresh fruit, smoked salmon, hard-boiled eggs, bell peppers, assorted nuts, coconut flakes, mini cucumbers, grilled veggies, radishes, and spices. The crowning feature is the garnish of course: fresh mint, chopped herbs, chia sprinkles, sesame seeds, bacon crumbles, crushed espresso beans, or capers.  If your mind isn’t spinning with ideas, you must not be hungry. No worries. Munchtime cravings have a way of stopping back to remind you. 

X-TRAORDINARY POMEGRANATE RICE CAKE 

Ingredients: 

1 puff rice cake, any variety 

1-2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese

1 heaping tablespoon pomegranate seeds

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions: 

Spread whipped cream cheese onto the puffed rice cake; swirl. Top with pomegranate seeds. Add mint leaf snips, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy. 

Very Berry Icy Sorbet

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Very Berry Icy Sorbet! ‘Tis the season for an abundance of fresh fruit!  This is the time to stock up on featured berries at the market. Pop them into freezer bags for easy storage. Later on, when looking for a refreshing dessert idea, combine the flavors of strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries! The presentation is elegant as well as delicious. Because I prefer the difference in shades of red, I prepare each berry recipe individually.  

VERY BERRY ICY SORBET

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries, slightly defrosted 

1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate 

2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon blackberry wine (optional)

Garnish: Whipped Cream

Instructions:

Using a food processor fitted with the metal blade, blend sorbet ingredients until smooth. Scrape sides as needed. Pour into a covered container and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Using a melon ball scoop, form bite size balls of assorted fruit flavors. Top with more fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream. 

Banana Bottom Parfaits

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Banana Bottom Parfaits! Three cheers for a dessert that will make everyone smile. It’s light and creamy with a touch of sweetness, and a fruit finish that has you pushing back from the table and saying, “Ahhhhh!” Whether you choose a mini shot-glass portion or a stemmed goblet, the presentation on this dessert is rated 5-star, according to my husband. 

BANANA BOTTOM PARFAITS

Ingredients:

Shortbread cookies, broken into pieces*

1 box 3.4 ounce Banana Cream Instant Pudding

2 cups cold milk

3/4 cup Cool Whip Whipped topping 

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

Carmel Pecan Topping (see recipe below)

Toasted Coconut for Garnish

French Vanilla Cookie Straws

* I used Kauai Kookie Banzai bite-sized cookies. 

Instructions:

Crush shortbread cookies into coarse crumbs. Using a hand mixer, beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Reserve 4 banana slices for garnish. Between the dessert dishes, layer a few banana slices in the bottom of each parfait glass. Add a spoonful of caramel sauce. Next layer the shortbread pieces.  Carefully spoon in the banana pudding, making sure the layers remain separated. Repeat layers ending with pudding on top.  Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted coconut, garnish with one banana slice, and a cookie straw. 

Hint: To prevent sliced bananas from turning brown, toss them with lemon juice. Pat bananas dry with paper towel before using.  

Pecan Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 teaspoons Crown Royal

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients except pecans, in a 2-quart sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook while gently stirring 5-7 minutes, or until thicker. Turn off heat. Add pecans. Pour into jar. Store in refrigerator. 

Whipped Feta Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Whipped Feta Rice Cake! Every once in a while a craving for a rice cake enters my mind. Sure, I realize they are basically like eating fat-free air pockets with a satisfying crunch, so I can somewhat rationalize this temptation now and then by adding delicious toppings. Feta cheese, when whipped into submission becomes smooth, rich, and creamy. Lemon adds a refreshing zing, which goes well with pitas and veggies like my favorite, cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add fresh herbs or dried peppers. There’s really no limit to what you can do. 

WHIPPED FETA RICE CAKE

Ingredients: 

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature 

8 ounces feta cheese

1/4 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons natural honey

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 lemon, zested

5.5 ounce package plain rice cakes

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

Micro greens, for garnish

Instructions: 

In a food processor, combine Neufchâtel cheese, feta cheese, water, natural honey, black pepper, sea salt, and lemon zest. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy. Spread the whipped feta onto a plain rice cake. Spoon the cherry tomatoes over the top. Garnish with micro greens. Repeat assembly steps for number of servings needed. Enjoy! 

Pina Colada Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Pina Colada Pie! Sometimes it’s necessary to serve your guests a dessert low in sugar. This one is perfect because it boasts tropical flavor with enough fruity sweetness to satisfy that sugar craving which follows at the end of a meal. Please note you may substitute a sugar-free graham cracker crust for the homemade cookie crust. 

PINA COLADA PIE

Ingredients for Homemade Cookie Crust:

2 cups Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix crushed shortbread cookies and melted butter. Press crumb mixture into a pie plate sprayed with nonstick oil. Bake 10 minutes. Cool before filling. 

Ingredients for Filling:

2 8-ounce blocks of Neufchâtel cheese

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Lemon Jello

1 small box Sugar Free/Fat Free Vanilla Instant Pudding 

4-ounce of Lite Cool Whip

1 8-ounce can crushed Pineapple in Natural Juices, do not drain

1 teaspoon Coconut flavor

Instructions:

Soften Neufchâtel cheese and add other ingredients. Stir until well blended. Pour into pie crust and chill for several hours or overnight. 

*Garnish: Toast 1/2 cup flake coconut in 350° oven for 4 minutes. Watch! Set aside to cool. Fresh strawberries also make an appealing garnish. 

Delectable Derby Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Delectable Derby Pie!  The race may be over, but this slice of pie is a champion all year long. The spirit is kept alive in a southern tradition of semi-sweet chocolate, Kentucky bourbon, and crunchy pecans.  Top it off with a dollop of whipped cream and you can find yourself cheering for this triple crown winner. 

DELECTABLE DERBY PIE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup white Karo syrup 

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 10″ unbaked deep dish pie shell

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter while gradually adding sugar. Add beaten eggs, Karo syrup, salt, flour, and vanilla. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and bourbon. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until set. Serve warm garnished with whipped cream. 

*TIP: Do not overfill pie crust. Extra filling may be baked in a ramekin for sampling later. 

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Milkshake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Old-Fashioned Strawberry Milkshake! We’ve all been there. Trying to remove the leaves and stems from a luscious strawberry without wasting half the berry. If you’re impatient, or in a hurry, you may grab a paring knife and start hacking, or at the very least completely cut off the entire crown. Been there, done that. If your kitchen drawer is full of gadgets, you may already own a neat little tool known as a Strawberry Stem Remover. Its pincher-like claws dig in, twist, and pull the stem completely out. One and Done. (My husband prefers that method.) Or you could be a little more refined and use the Plastic Straw Method. It requires cradling the juicy red gems and inserting the plastic straw in the bottom of the strawberry, while pushing upward until the leaves pop off. Maybe you have a method that works for you. If so, leave it in the comments below. Don’t mind me, I’ll be here slurping on the decadent treat while I wait. 

OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE 

Ingredients:

16 ounces fresh strawberries, tops removed

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1-2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Whipped Cream & Strawberry slices, for garnish 

Instructions:

In a blender, add fresh strawberries, reserving a couple for garnish, if desired. Next add vanilla ice cream, sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Pulse to combine. Leave small chunks for appealing texture and thickness. Do not over blend. When milkshake is “pourable”, divide the contents into tall glasses. Top with whipped cream and strawberry slice, for garnish. Serve immediately with a paper straw and parfait spoon. 

Unsweetened Cocoa Pudding

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Unsweetened Cocoa Pudding! For those who like to know exactly what’s in their food, check out this DIY recipe for homemade chocolate pudding. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. You’ll notice better flavor, a smoother creamier texture, a sweet dessert, and a bonus. You get to lick the spoon afterwards. Need I say more?

UNSWEETENED COCOA PUDDING

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

5 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream

Mini Chocolate Chips

Dash of Cinnamon 

Instructions:

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, cornstarch, and sea salt. Gradually add in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil for one minute, while stirring. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla extract. Pour pudding into four dessert cups. Lightly press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for two hours. Garnish with whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, and a sprinkling of cinnamon powder.