Coconut Crust Chocolate Pie

I love this coconut crust because it is super easy to make...

for those of us who haven't mastered the pastry pie crust yet.

Plus, it tastes awesome.

COCONUT CRUST CHOCOLATE PIE

Crust:

2 c. coconut

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. melted butter

Filling:

4 squares bakers semi-sweet chocolate (4 oz.)

2 c. mini marshmallows (or 16 large)

1/2 c. milk

3 oz. cream cheese

3.5 c. thawed cool whip

Heat oven to 350. Mix coconut, pecans, and butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9=inch pie plate. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Microwave chocolate, marshmallows, and milk in large microwaveable bowl for three minutes or until marshmallows are melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Beat in cream cheese until smooth. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into cooled crust. Refrigerate until firm, about three hours. Garnish with chocolate curls. Before cutting, dip bottom of pie plate briefly to loosen crust.

by Sarah, wife of Barbara's son Jared

Roasted Tomatoes, African Coriander Bread

Brenda, Karen and Cheryl at breadmaking class in Wisconsin

May 2010

Roasted Tomatoes

(to toss in pasta, top chicken or bruschetta, or serve alongside chicken or beef)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice and core tomatoes. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and sliced garlic. Bake 30-60 minutes, until juices have evaporated. Store in a plastic zip-top bag in refrigerator or freezer. You can also slow roast tomatoes in a 250 degree oven 3 to 4 hours.

African Coriander Bread
(hands down, my favorite bread from our class)

2 pkgs. dry yeast
1-1/2 c. lukewarm milk
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled
1 T. ground coriander
2+ T. grated orange peel
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 egg
1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
4 to 4-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Stir in remaining ingredients except flour. Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl, cover, let rise until double, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough; divide into halves. Shape each into a loaf. Cover and let rise.

Heat oven to 375. Cut slash in top of each loaf. Bake until loaves are folden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

**Note: when baking the bread we always did the final rise on a parchment-covered, upside down cookie sheet. That way the parchment could easily be slid from the cookie sheet onto a preheated baking stone. Immediately after sliding in the bread, 5-6 ice cubes were tossed in a cast iron skillet kept in the bottom of the oven.)

by Brenda, Barbara's daughter