My favorite holiday recipes

One of the things I love about the holidays is the food. 

What can I say?  I love to eat. 

I also love to make desserts. 

And eat them. 

Oh yeah, I said EAT already, didn't I?

When I was a kid,

One of the things I looked forward to at Christmastime

was my grandma Philpott's Cherry O'Cream Pie.

I've never been really big on fruity desserts

but this pie would float my taste buds right up to heaven.

With each bite,

I would savor the thick creaminess of the white yumminess on my tongue

feeling the smooth, rich, sweet texture dissolve in my mouth as I swallowed it down.

The cherry filling on top added just the right tartness to the sweet taste

and oh, the pie crust was just the righ flakiness.

I never did learn how to make my grandma's recipe

but several years ago I found a really simple recipe

that is remeniscent of the pie from my childhood.

Of course, it could never be as good as my grandma Philpott's

but it is really easy to make with no baking and it tastes pretty darn good.

This is what I like to make for the holidays.

Cherry O'Cream Pie (The easy way)

1 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup cool whip

cherry pie filling

blend all ingredients except cherry pie filling until well blended.

Set aside.

Graham Cracker Crust

1/2 pkg. crushed graham crackers

1/4 to 1/3 cup margarine

Crush together with fork in a pie pan and form a crust.

bake 10 minutes @ 350 degrees

(you can also use a ready made pie crust of your choice)

Let cool.  Pour creamy filling into pie crust and top with cherry pie filling.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

If you haven't tried Paula Deen's original eclair cake recipe you are missing out. 

It doesn't sound like the ingredients would garner the taste of eclairs

but they really do.  chocolate eclairs are one of my very favorite desserts.

Here is a recipe I created from her original recipe.

I call it:

 Chocolate Frosted Pisatchio Eclairs

(1) 1 pound box of graham crackers

(1) 3.4 oz. pkg. of french vanilla instant pudding

(1) 3.4 oz pkg of pistachio instant pudding

3 1/2 cups of milk

(1) 8 oz. container of cool whip (thawed)

1 can of chocolate frosting

Chopped pecans

Butter the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Line with whole graham crackers.

In a bowl, mix pudding and milk with an electric mixer. 

Beat at medium speed for two minutes.

Fold in cool whip. (do not mix or beat)

Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers.

Place another layer of graham crackers over pudding layer.

Pour rest of pudding on the layer of graham crackers.

Add one more layer of graham crackers to the pudding.

Soften the chocolate frosting for about 10 seconds in the microwave if not soft enough.

Spread frosting over the last layer of graham crackers. (as thick or as thin as you want)

Sprinkle frosted cake with chopped pecans.

Refrigerate overnight.

This is very important, as this last step is what softens the graham crackers

making it taste like an eclair crust.

Next day,

eat and experience an explosion of flavor on your taste buds.

This post is inspired by Nancy at Life in the Second Half.  She is posting favorite holiday recipes and her cream puffs look divine.  I'm going to try making those this year.  What better dessert to go with my eclair cake than cream puffs?

Yummy!

I only wish I had pictures to show you.