French Silk Pie

French Silk Pie is very similar to chocolate pudding pie, except it has a lighter texture. The filling's texture is luscious, rich, and creamy. The flavor is sweet, chocolatey, and with a hint of vanilla. Serves  8-10 people
Ingredients:
1 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled. I like using Ghirardelli chocolate the best.
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pinch of table salt
2 large or extra large eggs
1 baked 9-inch pie crust

1. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the chocolate, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
2. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed after each addition and scraping sides of bowl constantly. Transfer to to the baked pie crust and cover the pie with plastic wrap. Chill 5-24 hours or until set. Top with whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings if desired.

From: The Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

  

Fruit Oatmeal Bars

These bars are easy to make and the flavor is much better than anything you could buy at the store The texture is crunchy on the outside and somewhat chewy in the center. The flavor is sweet, buttery, with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, and there is a caramel flavor too. Makes about 18 small bars.
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened for greasing foil
1 Cup firmly dried, cherries, raisins, or (packed) apricots.
1 1/2 Cups old-fashioned rolled oats. Don't use quick cooking oats.
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup firmly packed dark brown sugar. You can also use light brown sugar, but the flavor won't be as strong.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Use at least the minimum and add in more if you want.
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Melt your butter in the microwave at 40% power for 30 seconds. Do this 2-3 times until the butter is melted. Make sure your butter doesn't explode. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch aluminum square pan. (Some foil hanging over the edges is fine.)  Lightly grease the foil with the softened butter. Using kitchen scissors, snip the apricots or cherries (not the raisins) into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended and no lumps of sugar remain.
3. Add the fruit, melted butter, and vanilla to the oat mixture. Stir until well blended. The dough will be moist and crumbly. Dump the dough into the greased pan and press the dough into the pan with your fingers. 
4. Bake until the top is golden brown, 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack, until completely cooled. Remove the foil, then cut up into 1 1/2-by-3-inch  rectangles. 

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is an easy dessert to make and it is delicious too. Though the ingredients are simple, the flavor is slightly sweet and very vanilla tasting. The texture is creamy and the rice makes it interesting in your mouth. Makes about six 1/2 servings.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 Cups milk. For best results use 1%, 2%, or whole milk. You can use skim milk, but it will burn more easily and won't be creamy.
1/2 Cup long-grain white rice
1/4 granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. I usually add another 1/2 teaspoon.
1/8 teaspoon table salt

1. Put the milk and rice in a medium/large saucepan and set it over high heat. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring gently every 2 minutes. Simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is very thick with mostly the rice and hardly any milk is visible, 30-35 minutes. Remember to scrape down the sides of the pan regularly with the spoon.
2. Toward the end of the cooking, stir more frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking or scorching.  Once the pudding is done cooking, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt, until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour the pudding into a medium bowl. Put a large piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and press it directly onto the surface of the pudding.(to prevent a skin from forming.) Refrigerate until well chilled. You can also eat this warm.

Variations:

• I like to stir in 1/2-2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips 5 minutes before taking the pan off the heat. 
• You can also put some fresh berries on top before serving.
• Sprinkle either cinnamon or ground nutmeg on top before serving.
•  You can stir in raisins 10 minutes after the rice and milk have been cooking, so they will plump up and become somewhat "juicy".

From: William's-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook

Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is a delicious filling used in cream puffs éclairs. You can also use pastry cream to fill crêpes or you can simply eat it alone. This pastry cream is smooth with a pleasant vanilla flavor and a touch of sweetness. Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients:
2 Cups half-and-half
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and reserved. You can also use 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract just add it when you whisk in the butter.
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1. Bring the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar together in a small bowl, whisk until smooth.
3. Whisk about 1 cup of the simmering half-and-half mixture into the egg yolks to temper. Make sure you do it slowly at first and then increase the amount. Then slowly whisk the tempered egg yolks back into the simmering half-and-half mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface, about 30 seconds.
4. Turn off the heat, remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the butter. (If using vanilla extract add it in with the butter). Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps, if desired. Immediately press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate the pastry cream until cold and set, about 3 hours.

From: America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book 

Blueberry Muffins

Muffins are delicious and I think they taste better the day after. These taste buttery, with the sweet blueberry flavor, and a bit of citrus. These are also moist and a little spongy in texture. Makes about 12-18 muffins.
Ingredients:
3 Cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 Cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2  whole or low-fat plain yogurt, at room temperature. You can also use sour cream instead, but using yogurt is better.
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, about one large lemon
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 12 -cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, eggs, and lemon zest together until smooth. In a small bowl lightly toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour; set aside.Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, until just combined, then fold in the melted butter and blueberries. It is okay if there are lumps. Avoid over mixing, because that will cause your muffins to be tough.
3.  Using a greased 1/3-cup measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
4. Let the muffing cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Store the leftovers in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.

From; The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Meatballs

Meatballs can be really tasty if they are made right.  However, most meatballs that I have eaten have been either tasteless or dry, but not these.  The flavor of these meatballs is amazing, and they are also moist and tender. These meatballs are garlicky, savory, a little woodsy tasting from the thyme, and have a little spiciness. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out the meat mixture and rolling the weighed amounts into balls using your hands. You will get uniform looking meatballs this way, and even cooking throughout.  Makes about 30-33 meatballs.
Ingredients:
1 Cup unseasoned bread crumbs
3/4 Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 large eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon kosher salt, or 1/2 Tablespoon table salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper, ground
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of nutmeg

2 lb. ground chuck
1 Cup low-sodium beef broth to cover the bottom of your pan.

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Coat a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan with nonstick spray.
2. Combine the first 13 ingredients in a large bowl. Add the ground chuck and mix together thoroughly. Using either 2 spoons or a #30 portioning scoop, shape the meat mixture into balls (about 2'' in diameter or 1 1/2 ounces each). Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet or pan, and space the meatballs so they're not touching or crowded together.
3. Cover the bottom of the pan with the cup of beef broth. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

                                                     From: Cuisine at Home magazine

Marshmallow Crème

Homemade marshmallow crème is much tastier than store bought. The consistency however isn't near as light and fluffy, but the flavor and creaminess outweighs that. The flavor is sweet and very vanilla tasting, while the consistency is gooey and creamy. If you notice the flavor going away, refresh it by stirring in a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. You may find it hard to eat store bought marshmallow fluff after making this. Makes about 2 1/2 Cups.
Ingridents:
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup light corn syrup
1/4 Cup water
2 large egg whites, at room temperture
1/4 teaspon cream of tarter
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small, heavy duty saucepan and cook on high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy/fat thermometer.
2. Place the egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (You can use an electric hand mixer, but it is harder to use with this recipe). Start whipping the egg whites to soft peak on medium speed. (The goal is to have the eggs whipped and ready waiting, for your syrup to be drizzled in. If they are whipping faster than your syrup is coming to temperature, just stop mixing until your syrup is ready.)
3. When the syrup reaches 240 degrees F,  reduce the mixer to low and slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the syrup into the egg whites to warm them. (Make sure that you don't drizzle in too much at once, because it will cause the egg whites to scramble.) Slowly drizzle in the rest of the syrup. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula if needed before the next step. 
4. Increase the speed to medium high and whip until the marshmallow crème is stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Add in the vanilla and whip 2 minutes more. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

 

From Chow.com