Crawfish and Mirliton Soup

This is it folks, the soup of all soups! My aunt made this soup for Thanksgiving, and it surpasses any soup I've ever eaten. I love it! The soup has a creamy thin broth, which is exactly how I like it. (Reminds me of the broth for LaRuth's Oyster and Artichoke!) Also, there are not a lot of chunks, the mirliton, garlic, and green onions are cooked down and blended together like a bisque. This makes the broth delicious! The crawfish adds a pleasant surprise and the cayenne pepper is certainly the finishing touch. I do have one warning, this is not a soup if you're in a hurry. This soup will take you 2 hours at least. I assure you though, it is worth every single second. Is it lunch time yet? Make it, eat it, love it! Happy eating!

Ingredients:

• 3 Mirlitons
• 1 Stick unsalted butter
• 4 Stalks green onion, chopped finely
• 2 Cloves of garlic
• 2 Stalks of celery, chopped finely
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 lb Crawfish tales
• 1 Cup Half and half, (1/2 a pint)
• 4 Cups chicken stock (3 to 4)
• White pepper to taste
• Red pepper to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Boil 3 mirlitons in water until tender. Let cook and scrape tender part of vegetable from skins. Cut into chunks. Set aside.
• In a heavy pot, melt butter and saute green onions, celery and garlic until soft.
• Add mirliton, peppers, salt and bay leaf and cook until most of liquid cooks out, breaking up mirliton as it cooks.
• Pour chicken broth into pot. Continue to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove bay leaf and place 3/4 of mixture into blender to puree.
• Return puree to pot. Add crawfish. Mix in Half and Half.

Cheesecake Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 container of cream cheese icing.

Directions:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• In a bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, granulated sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture.
• Layer each muffin cup with some of the pumpkin batter, then the cream cheese mixture, then more of the batter. Bake until springy to the touch, 25 minutes. Let cool.
• Ice cupcakes

Cake Balls

One of our kindergarten teacher makes the best candies and desserts I think I've ever tasted. At one of our teacher workshops this August, I bit into heaven. Imagine a small ball, covered in vanilla candy coating and cake inside, strawberry cake, and I HATE strawberry cake. It was so delicious, my thoughts on strawberry cake have make a 180! Again for our Thanksgiving feast, vanilla candy coating, and spice cake inside! Well finally, I asked for the recipe and it was the easiest recipe I've ever heard of! It is so versatile, and a definite show stopper. Try any cake flavor and icing combination you see fit. The world is your oyster! I made spice cake balls for Thanksgiving, and I put people into sugar comas! Try this recipe, you WON'T be sorry! Happy eating!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared frosting
• 1 (3 ounce) flavored confectioners coating

Directions

• Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended. The whipped frosting may not go as far, so just stick with the regular kind.
• Melt candy coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. (some come with their own microwavable tray)
• Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Using a skewer, dip the balls in candy coating. Place on waxed paper to set.