Chattavore

What I ate, plate by plate.

My Grandmother’s Christmas Pie

Christmas pie is my grandmother’s classic recipe, and it is simplicity in a pie dish. That may be what makes it so beautiful and delicious! Sugar, egg whites, gelatin, milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, and coconut in a baked pie shell – that simple! This is an easy and classic Christmas dessert that is a family heirloom!a photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with a whole pie in the background and coconut sprinkled on the background

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Salty or Sweet?

Which do you prefer – sweet or salty? Most of us in my family are pretty balanced between having a sweet tooth and a salty tooth (though I have to admit that it would be a rare occasion that I would choose a cupcake over a bag of nacho Doritos or some stovetop popcorn). My dad, though…he does not care much for sweets (he’s been digging into the desserts a little bit more over the past few months, and I am sure he’d deny that).
A photograph of a Christmas pie with coconut and crushed pineapple sprinkled on the backdrop

Christmas Pie

One dessert that he can’t say no to, though, is my grandmother’s Christmas pie. It’s something that she made every Christmas, and I am sure that’s why. You know, the whole childhood/nostalgia thing. I mean, besides that fact that it’s delicious, of course.

My grandmother was a phenomenal cook. Everything she made was delicious. And visually perfect. I wish I had her eye for detail. Maybe one of these days I’ll have the time to perfectly measure my cookie dough then roll it into perfect little balls so that every cookie is the same size and shape. Not that she wasn’t busy, but perfection in the kitchen was important to her.
an overhead photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with a whole pie in the background and coconut and crushed peppermint sprinkled on the backdroup

Christmas Dessert Recipe

Anyway, back to Christmas pie. Honestly, I do not remember it. Not.One.Bit. I don’t remember her ever making it, though I’m told (as I mentioned before) that she made it every Christmas. As a kid I hated coconut, so that’s probably why I don’t remember this pie.

It’s okay, though. When you have an aunt who loves to cook as much as you do and as much as her mother did, and who has amazingly organized binders of all of her favorite recipes, you can always ask for the recipe. That’s just what I did.
an overhead photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with white chocolate stars on the plate and coconut and crushed peppermint sprinkled on the backdrop

Easy Christmas Recipe

This Christmas pie recipe is just as my grandmother made it. I did add a little decoration, you know, for pictures. Everything else, though…it’s exactly as my aunt wrote it down. No cheating here, and no embellishment.

Really, this Christmas pie is so simple, it just reminds you that food doesn’t have to be difficult or fancy to be perfect and tasty. This delicious Christmas dessert takes a little time, but every step is so easy! Definitely worth it to bring back my dad’s childhood memories.

I hope that you enjoy my grandmother’s white Christmas pie!

Shared on the Weekend Potluck on Served Up With Love!

Click here to save this recipe on your Pinterest  Christmas baking board for later!

a close-up photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with a whole pie in the background

Yield: 1 9-inch pie (about 8-10 servings)

My Grandmother’s White Christmas Pie

25 minPrep Time:

40 minCook Time:

1 hr, 5 Total Time:

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Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust (use your favorite recipe or a store-bought crust)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (or mix 1/2 cup sweetened coconut and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut), plus another 2 tablespoons for decorating the top.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Form the pie crust in the dish and press a sheet of aluminum foil into the crust. Fill with pie weights. Bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely.
  2. Fill the sink with about 3 inches of water and 4 cups of ice (2 ice trays).
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, the flour, the gelatin, and the salt. Gradually whisk in the milk. Set over medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture boils, boil it for one minute. Remove from heat and place into the ice bath. Stir from time to time and allow to cool until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon (this took about ten minutes for me). Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  4. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high until soft peaks form. With the beater still going, gradually pour in the remaining half cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites into the milk mixture.
  5. Wash and dry the mixing bowl. Beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Fold into the milk and egg white mixture until completely combined, then fold in the coconut. Pour into the pie shell and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.

Notes

NOTE: This recipe contains uncooked egg whites. People with compromised immune systems, young children, and elderly people should avoid consuming raw eggs due to food borne illnesses. However, you can purchase pasteurized eggs at many grocery stores. Pasteurized eggs are processed in a way that makes them safer to consume raw. I purchase eggs that I am comfortable consuming without cooking them.

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https://chattavore.com/grandmothers-white-christmas-pie/

Eggnog Pie

Eggnog pie is a delicious Christmas recipe and a perfect way to get the flavor of your favorite holiday beverage into your baked goods! It’s similar to a classic Southern buttermilk pie, but it uses eggnog instead of buttermilk (obvi). The eggnog lovers in your family will go nuts for this simple pie! All you need is a pie crust, eggnog, eggs, sugar, butter, flour, and vanilla. You owe it to your holiday baking to make this pie!

a photograph of a slice of eggnog pie on a plate with a whole pie and a shaker of powdered sugar in the background

Eggnog Season

I am thinking that I may have mentioned my love for eggnog here a time or two. Every fall I wait with baited breath for eggnog to appear in the dairy case and then I get as much of it as I can. I love to incorporate eggnog into Christmas breakfast recipes or just mix it with my coffee…and of course I like to just drink it straight up, with plenty of freshly ground nutmeg (this is the nutmeg grater that I use).

Click here to save this recipe on Pinterest!
an eggnog pie on a striped towel

Eggnog Recipes

I am always looking for new holiday baking recipes. Last Christmas it occurred to me that it would be easy to incorporate eggnog into a buttermilk pie recipe for a Christmas pie with my favorite flavor of the holiday. I tried it with my last little bit of eggnog and it was pretty much perfect. It was after Christmas, though, so a little late to share with you guys! But…here it is now.
a slice of eggnog pie on a plate with a whole pie and a shaker of powdered sugar in the background

Eggnog Pie

This eggnog pie is so easy. All you do is:

  1. Blind-bake a pie crust (I made my own – here is my favorite pie crust recipe – but there is no shame in using a refrigerated or frozen crust)
  2. Whisk together a handful of ingredients – buttermilk, sugar, eggs, flour, butter, and vanilla
  3. Pour the eggnog mixture into the crust
  4. Bake
  5. Chill and serve

This is a holiday pie that makes baking your own pie worth every bit of perceived trouble. But really, it’s no trouble at all. Just so easy and delicious! If you are an eggnog lover, you will definitely want to add this to your Christmas baking list!

Shared on The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook and Meal Plan Monday on Southern Plate!

Click here to save this recipe to your holiday baking and pie boards on Pinterest!
an overhead photograph of a slice of eggnog pie on a plate with a bite of pie on a fork with cranberries on the plate

Yield: 8 servings

Eggnog Pie

15 minPrep Time:

1 hr, 5 Cook Time:

1 hr, 20 Total Time:

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Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust, unbaked (make your own or use a refrigerated or frozen crust)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar, whipped cream, or grated nutmeg, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pie crust into a 13-inch circle and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges. Place aluminum foil in the crust and pour pie weights (or dried beans) into the crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and weights and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Slowly add the eggnog, whisking constantly. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk until completely combined. Pour the eggnog mixture into the pie crust.
  3. Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes, until the center of the pie crust barely jiggles when shaken. If the crust begins to burn, cover with a pie shield or a strip of foil.
  4. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool on the counter for 30-45 minutes, then place into the refrigerator until completely chilled. Serve with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or grated nutmeg, if desired.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from the Sweet Buttermilk Pie recipe from The Southern Pie Book by Jan Moon .

Tags

Diet
vegetarian
pescetarian
Allergy
soy free
seafood free
treenut free
sesame free
mustard free
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https://chattavore.com/eggnog-pie/

Santa’s White Christmas Wacky Cake

This post was sponsored by Barnie’s Coffee as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Santa’s White Christmas Wacky Cake is super-easy-mixed in one pan-and so delicious with coconut, caramel, and vanilla flavors! Wacky cake is a classic dessert and this one is full of holiday flavors. Everyone will love it! Everything you need is in your pantry – flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, oil, vinegar, and coffee. Santa’s White Christmas coffee from Barnie’s Coffee makes it even more tasty, especially with that coconut cream cheese icing!

a photograph of a slice of chocolate wacky cake with a pan of cake and a cup of coffee in the background
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Coffee = Life

What is your coffee-drinking style? For me, coffee is a ritual…it’s not as much about the caffeine as it is about the smell of coffee wafting through the house, the warm coffee, and a hot cup in my hands. Now, I am a coffee drinker 365 days a year, usually two cups a day: one in the morning and one when I get home in the afternoon.
a GIF of the ingredients for a chocolate wacky cake with Santa's White Christmas coffee being mixed in a pan

Coffee Baked Goods

I love an iced latte but this time of year it’s all about warmth…not that it’s cold here yet, but it’s getting closer. When the holiday season hits I love all the scents of the season – cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, and coconut. Fresh baked goods always call for a cup of coffee, and if I can find a way to squeeze some coffee into the baked goods, even better.
a photograph of a chocolate wacky cake with coconut cream cheese icing with two bags of Barnie's Coffee Santa's White Christmas coffee in the background

Santa’s White Christmas Coffee

Honestly, I can’t think of a better coffee to drink this time of year than Santa’s White Christmas from Barnie’s. I remember when there was a Barnie’s Coffee at our local mall, smelling the caramel-coconutty-vanilla scents at the holiday season and getting a Santa’s White Christmas granita. Always a treat!

Barnie’s Coffee has been making Santa’s White Christmas for 37 years (almost my whole life!) and this coffee is much-beloved around the country…not just for it’s delightfully festive flavors but also for the fabulously high quality that you can always count on from Barnie’s Coffee.
a photograph of two bags of Barnie's Santa's White Christmas coffee, a box of k-cups, and a mug of coffee

Wacky Cake!

Santa’s White Christmas coffee is the perfect coffee to make this wacky cake. This chocolate wacky cake is mixed right in the pan and topped with a cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting has just a touch of coffee mixed in and a sprinkle of coconut.

My wacky cake is simplicity and flavor in under an hour with minimal dirty dishes! If you sift the powdered sugar and make sure the butter and cream cheese are super-soft, you don’t even need to use a mixer to make the icing!

You can find a variety of Santa’s White Christmas products in stores or on the Barnie’s Coffee website. Use the promo code CHATTAVORE30 to get 30% off of Barnie’s Coffee products!

How do you like your Santa’s White Christmas from Barnie’s Coffee? Show us your Santa!
Shared on The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Click here to save this recipe to your holiday and Christmas baking boards on Pinterest!
a photograph of a slice of chocolate wacky cake with a pan of cake and a cup of coffee in the background

Santa’s White Christmas Wacky Cake
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • heaping 1/4 cup natural cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup brewed Barnie's Santa's White Christmas coffee
    • For the Icing
  • 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons brewed Santa’s White Christmas coffee
  • Sweetened, shredded coconut (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350? Fahrenheit.
  2. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in an 8-inch ungreased square glass or ceramic pan and use a fork to combine.
  3. Create 3 wells in the dry ingredients. Place the vinegar in one, the vanilla in another, and the oil in the third. Pour the coffee over the top and use the fork to combine the ingredients completely.
  4. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
  5. To make the icing: in a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and butter with a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer until smooth and well-combined. Add the sifted powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and coffee. Stir or cream together until well-combined. If you mix it by hand there may be a few lumps but it will not affect the flavor. Spread the icing over the cooled cake. Top with shredded coconut, if desired.
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https://chattavore.com/santas-white-christmas-wacky-cake/

One-Bowl Pumpkin Blondies with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing

These one bowl pumpkin blondies with brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese icing are SO simple! This easy dessert will fly off the table at your fall potluck! Seriously – just one bowl and a wooden spoon. You probably have the ingredients in your kitchen – butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, canned pumpkin, flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cream cheese. SO GOOD. I made these for a potluck and didn’t bring home a single crumb!

a close-up photograph of a pumpkin blondie with cream cheese icing with a glass of milk in the background
Click here to save this recipe on Pinterest!

I love pumpkin and always have. My grandmother used to make a pumpkin chiffon pie every Thanksgiving and I looked forward to that thing all year. Philip, on the other hand, has always been insistent that he hated pumpkin.

Over time, we came to the realization that it wasn’t the flavor of pumpkin that he disliked but rather the texture (he hates the texture of bananas too, go figure. Oddly, crème brûlée is his favorite dessert.). He likes the pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cakes  (especially this pumpkin angel food cake) that I bake. And these pumpkin blondies.


an overhead photograph of a batch of pumpkin blondies with a bowl of brown sugar cream cheese icing
I used to feel alone on a pumpkin-flavored island…it seemed like none of my friends or family liked pumpkin anything at all. Now everywhere you look, pumpkin spice EVERYWHERE. It blows my mind. Flavored coffees, coffee creamers, candles….you can find pumpkin spice everything.
an overhead photo of a batch of pumpkin blondies iced with brown sugar cream cheese icing
I adapted this recipe for pumpkin blondies from a recipe on the blog Mother Thyme. It was super-simple…as I tend to do these days, I made the whole thing in one bowl with a wooden spoon. I just washed the bowl out after I made the blondies and made the icing in the same bowl.
a photograph of two pumpkin blondies iced with brown sugar cream cheese icing with a plate of blondies and a glass of milk in the background
You probably have most of the ingredients for these blondies in your kitchen right now:

  • butter
  • white sugar
  • brown sugar
  • eggs
  • canned pumpkin
  • flour
  • cinnamon
  • pumpkin pie spice or Chinese 5-spice powder
  • salt
  • cream cheese
  • powdered sugar

They’re completely worth the little bit of effort that you have to exert to make them, and you can easily double the recipe in a 9×13 pan. I have taken these to potlucks and brought home not even a crumb. And I could make a batch of the brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese icing to eat with a spoon. You know you want some!

Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite and The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Click here to save this recipe to your Pinterest Thanksgiving and baking boards!
an overhead photo of pumpkin blondies with cream cheese icing. One blondie has a bite taken out of it. There is a glass of milk and a plate of blondies in the background

Yield: 16 servings

Pumpkin Blondies with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is adapted from the blog Mother Thyme.

15 minPrep Time:

30 minCook Time:

45 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir together 3 tablespoons of the butter, the granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until well combined. Add the egg and stir until well combined.
  3. Add the pumpkin, salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and Chinese 5-spice powder and stir again. Add the flour and stir until well combined. Spread in the pan (batter will be thick).
  4. Bake the blondies for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
  5. When the blondies are cool, use a wooden spoon to combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the cream cheese until well combined. You will need to use the wooden spoon to "mash" the butter and cream cheese together against the sides of the bowl.
  6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, the remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, and the confectioners sugar. Stir until completely combined. Spread over the cooled blondies and slice the blondies into squares.

Notes

This recipe is easily doubled in a 9x13 inch pan. You will need to increase the baking time.

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https://chattavore.com/pumpkin-blondies/

Blueberry Dump Cake From Scratch

Knowing how to make dump cake from scratch is a valuable skill to have. Forgive the name but dump cake literally just requires dumping ingredients in a pan and baking them. This blueberry dump cake from scratch is a delicious, perfect summer recipe, and you probably have all the ingredients you need!

a close-up picture of blueberry dump cake with vanilla ice cream on a white plate with the pan in the background

Click here to save this recipe for later!

Dump Cake?

First of all, let me apologize to you for the name of this recipe. I hate the term “dump cake”. I mean, I get that it is called that because you literally dump the ingredients into a pan and bake them, but GAH. It just sounds very unappetizing. Ditto for “dump dinners” (I have seen a cookbook in my favorite local used book store with this name and I. Just. Can’t.).
an overhead picture of a pan of blueberry dump cake from scratch on a cooling rack
But alas, when you write a blog you have to give the people what they are looking for, and according to Pinterest and Google, people are looking for dump cakes. Or, if they are like me, they are looking for “dump cake from scratch”.

The dump cakes from my previous experience are absolutely delicious and are made with a few basic ingredients:

  1. Canned pie fillings
  2. Cake mix
  3. Butter
  4. Maybe some other ingredients like canned pineapple, brown sugar, etc., but these are not necessary.

a close-up picture of a spoonful of blueberry dump cake from scratch in the pan

Dump Cake from Scratch!

And you guys know me…I have an insatiable need to make everything from scratch (i.e. without a mix or a can). Mostly because I know that I am always going to have some sort of fresh or frozen fruit, butter, and dry ingredients for a cake in the house. But also because I really do, at least in theory, try to avoid processed food as much as possible (though I have not been as good at this lately. Stress, am I right?).

I did a little poking around the interwebs trying to figure out how to make a dump cake from scratch. I found a recipe on Simply Recipes and riffed on that a bit. My filling follows their formula but my dry cake is actually a divided recipe for yellow cake from the book The Perfect Cake from America’s Test Kitchen, which I somehow miraculously managed to score the Kindle edition of last week for $3.99. A miracle indeed, because ATK books never go on sale!
an overhead picture of a plate of blueberry dump cake on a white cake with vanilla ice cream on top
I used frozen blueberries for mine, but you could definitely use a variety of fruits instead. And while this may not be a literal “dump and go” recipe like the original dump cake, dump cake from scratch is still dead simple and you probably have the ingredients in your house:

  • fruit
  • sugar
  • cornstarch
  • flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • butter

Easy, right? And because when I use a bowl for dry ingredients I just wipe it out with a towel and put it back, the only dishes that I dirtied were the pan and the bowl I used to melt the butter. 100% worth it for this delicious dessert that is perfect for summer and that, by the way, I baked in my Breville Smart Oven so I didn’t even have to heat up my kitchen.

Oh yeah – vanilla ice cream is non-negotiable. Don’t even try.

Shared on The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Click here to save this recipe to your Pinterest baking or cake boards!

a picture of a white plate of blueberry dump cake from scratch with vanilla ice cream on top

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Products used for this recipe:

Yield: 1 9x13 inch cake

Blueberry Dump Cake From Scratch

This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes and from the book A Perfect Cake from America's Test Kitchen.

10 minPrep Time:

45 minCook Time:

55 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

    For the filling
  • 3 pounds fresh or frozen fruit (there is no need to thaw frozen fruit)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • pinch salt
    • For the cake
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375? Fahrenheit.
  2. In a 9x13 inch pan, combine the fruit with the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle the dry cake ingredients evenly over the fruit mixture.
  4. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mixture.
  5. Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes, until the cake is light golden on top and the fruit is bubbling. Frozen fruit may need to bake slightly longer (my fruit was frozen and I baked my cake for 55 minutes). There may be a few small patches of dry ingredients on top. I just smoothed these with a spoon.
  6. Cool the cake for at least an hour before serving. I know that this is a difficult step but eating the cake too soon will result in unpleasant mouth burns! Vanilla ice cream is non-optional!
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https://chattavore.com/blueberry-dump-cake-from-scratch/