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