New Year's celebration

I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the food! We had a party for New Year's Eve, and you'd think the three cooks involved hadn't eaten for weeks. We all cooked and brought our treats together. Here's the menu:

Appetizers:
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple
Stuffed Mushrooms
Spinach Dip

Main Course:
Many Bean Chili
Spinach, Chicken and Pasta Salad

Dessert:
Cream cheese Brownies
Haystack Cookies
Shortbread cookies
Oreo Rice Krispie treats

O000-eeeee! It was tasty! I find it absurd that the food was almost gone by 9 PM. We divided up the scarce leftovers for absent loved ones and everyone went home to start their New Year's off right -- fat and happy!

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

While our friends were in town, we had planned on having molten chocolate cake which I posted last week.

As is always the case, I found a better recipe just before making it and decided to try it instead. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman, it was a huge success. We loved it so much we made it again later in the week. I've tripled the Pioneer Woman's recipe. We baked it in a 9 x 13 pan and just scooped it out and served it with ice cream.

It probably would have been cooler in individual cups, but I don't have twelve of them.

Molten Chocolate Cake -- Pioneer Woman
12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup butter
3 cups Powdered Sugar
6 whole Eggs
6 whole Egg Yolks
1 cup, 1 ounce Flour

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray 12custard cups (or a 9 x 13) with Pam and place on cookie sheet.
3. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.
4. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
5. Divide between cups.
6. Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

If using a 9 x 13, bake about 2 minutes longer -- 16 minutes should do it.

Warm Melting Chocolate Cake

This recipe came in an email from Carnival Cruise Lines. It sounded good to me -- we'll try it for the first time next week.

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

8 oz semisweet chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

7 eggs, divided use

6 Tbs sugar

1/2 cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate and butter; cool 10 minutes.
3. In separate bowl, mix four eggs with sugar.
4. Whisk. Add flour and whisk.
5. Add remaining three eggs.
6. Add egg mixture to chocolate mixture.
7. Pour in individual ramekins.
8. Bake until just done, about 15-20 minutes (interior will be melting).
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Peach Pie

This recipe comes from my husband's aunt. It's so good! The crust is one of the strangest things I've ever made, but it turns out so sweet and is a perfect companion to the fresh peaches.

I'll post some pictures after I make it tomorrow, but I wanted to link up the recipe to my Sunday Dinner menu plan today.

Fresh Peach Pie

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
14 soda cracker squares
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans(optional)
6-8 peaches
Whipping cream or ice cream

Smash the soda crackers into small bits and reserve.

Lightly grease the pie pan.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff -- about 5 minutes.

Gradually add the sugar, beat in on high, stirring constantly from now on

Add the crushed soda crackers.

Add the baking powder, vanilla and chopped pecans.

Place the batter into the pie plate and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven -- it will be a light golden brown. Let it cool completely. The crust will seem gigantic -- about 4-5 inches tall. It will settle when the peaches are added.

Slice peaches into a bowl. Be sure to taste test the peaches -- add sugar if they are too sour.

Add the peaches to the crust. Top with whipping cream if desired, or serve with ice cream. If you're using Whipping cream, put it on top before refrigerating.

Either way, be sure to refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving.