12 Days of Baking!!! *DAY 4*

I know that during the holidays a lot of us bake cookies, and cookie bars, fudge and pies and all that yummy goodness, so I thought it would be a neat idea to have the 12 Days of Baking.

Today I'm going for pies...who doesn't like pie huh??? Caramel, pecans and pumpkin all in one pie...YUMMY!!!

Caramel-Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Makes 8 servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
* 2 slightly beaten eggs
* 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
* 1/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

1. Prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim; crimp edge as desired. In a large bowl stir together eggs, pumpkin, and half-and-half or milk. Stir in the granulated sugar, flour, lemon peel, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Pour pumpkin mixture into pastry-lined pie plate. Cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the brown sugar, pecans, and butter until combined. Remove foil. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over top of pie. Bake for 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and topping is golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

APPLE CIDER CHICKEN!!!

The name itself makes me salivate, so when I first saw this recipe on a Rachael Ray show, I knew I had to try it.

It's so easy to make but so good, and it looks like you've been in the kitchen all day long, which I LOVE because I can spend time with the family and then within a few minutes have this wonderful meal put together.

APPLE CIDER CHICKEN

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 whole chicken breasts, 4 halves, bone-in and skin on
Salt and pepper
3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons thyme leaves, 7-8 sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped
3 tablespoons honey (eyeball it)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup plus apple cider vinegar
2 cups chicken stock

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and add to the hot oil, skin side down. Brown chicken, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and reserve. Add another 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, the onions, thyme, honey and the garlic. Season the onions with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently for about 20-30 minutes or until the onions are really brown.

Add cider vinegar, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock and bring up to a bubble.

Once at a simmer, return the chicken to the pot with the liquid and onions. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, flipping the chicken over in the sauce about halfway through. Remove lid, check to make sure the chicken is cooked through by cutting a small slit in the thickest part of the breast with a paring knife to have a look inside. If it is cooked through, no pink meat, remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn the heat up to high and simmer until the sauce thickens up slightly, about 4-5 minutes. You can serve the chicken right away topped with a big spoon full of sauce and the onions or you can return the chicken to the pot, turn the heat off and cover with the lid until you're ready to serve it. Once you are ready, add 1/2-3/4 cup additional chicken stock and turn the heat back on to heat everything back up.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a salad.