Key Lime Pie

1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix together lime rind, lime juice, and condensed milk. Whisk in pudding mix and allow to set up 5 minutes. Fold in 8 ounce tub of whipped topping. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.


Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting (for pumpkin and carrot cakes)

OK... here's the awesome frosting I used on the quick pumpkin cupcakes. The recipe is from Allrecipes. I love this stuff. I think it would be great on carrot cake, or pumpkin bread... the brown sugar in it gives it a really warm flavor that would complement those kinds of baked goods. A little note, though... do not overbeat frosting with whipping cream! I've ruined many a frosting by letting my whipping cream get overbeaten. Make sure it's really cold when you beat it and once you have your stiff peaks, stop immediately! Otherwise, your frosting gets runny. This stuff was sturdy enough for me to pipe on the cupcakes.

1 cup whipping cream

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat just until soft and creamy, but don't overbeat the cream cheese.

In a separate bowl, whip cream to soft peaks, then fold into cream cheese mixture.

You may have to refrigerate for a few minutes for the frosting to stiffen up enough to pipe on cupcakes.

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes

I know we have a similar recipe here on the blog, but I tried this one out for Dinner Group a couple months ago and these were one of my new favorite cupcakes. I found it here, one of my favorite foodie sites. Simple, easy, fast, and so good. I frosted them with a Cream Cheese frosting that was so good! But if you didn't want to frost them, you could easily add some mini chocolate chips to dress them up a little. If you're in a pinch, try them... they're no fail!

Makes 24 cupcakes
1 package spice cake mix
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.

3. Blend cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in a large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. Pour batter into prepared cups, filling evenly.Bake for15-20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.