This Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Tastes Heavenly With Chocolate Sauce

Dear SOS: We were in Niagara Falls, Ontario, recently and had a delicious dinner at Reese’s Country Inn. The peanut butter pie was the best I’ve ever eaten. Do you think they would share the recipe?

--MRS. L.K.Y.

Dear Mrs. L.K.Y.: It’s the best frozen peanut butter pie I’ve tasted, too. And so easy. The recipe comes with the accompanying chocolate sauce. Yummy. REESE’S FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER PIE

2 3/4 pints vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces

Cocoa-Graham Cracker Crust

Chocolate Sauce

Sweetened whipped cream

Stir vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate pieces by hand. Spoon into Cocoa-Graham Cracker Crust. Freeze immediately until solid, about 2 hours or overnight. Top with Chocolate Sauce and whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Do not allow ice cream to become too soft before mixing with peanut butter. If using electric mixer, do no overwhip. Mix at slow speed. Cocoa-Graham Cracker Crust

2 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup superfine granulated sugar

2/3 cup sifted cocoa powder

Mix together crumbs, butter, sugar and cocoa until well incorporated. Press firmly into 9-inch pie plate to make solid bottom crust. Freeze until ready to use. Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

2 1/4 ounces sweet chocolate, grated

1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and chocolate in saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove immediately from heat and stir until smooth. In separate saucepan, bring cream to boil. Stir into chocolate mixture until smooth. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Dear SOS: I’m sure this request will please many of your readers. The Lawrence Welk restaurant in Escondido produces the most fantastic dumplings I’ve ever eaten. Never have I tasted one so light that it melts in your mouth. It’s almost ethereal. Please, can you get the recipe?

--LOUISE

Dear Louise: Thousands of readers have enjoyed this recipe which we have printed before. And we agree. The dumplings are heavenly. WELKOME INN CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

2 (2-pound) chickens, halved

1 carrot, coarsely cut

2 stalks celery, coarsely cut

1 medium onion, coarsely cut

1 tablespoon chicken base or 2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup flour

1 ounce Sherry

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt

Yellow food color

Welkome Inn Dumplings

1 cup cooked peas, heated

Place chickens in pot, cover with water and bring to boil. Simmer until chickens are tender. Remove chickens and set aside. Remove backbones and place in pot. Add carrot, celery and onion and simmer 30 minutes. Add chicken base. Remove from heat, strain and reserve stock.

Melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Add to strained reserved chicken stock. Add Sherry, lemon juice, salt to taste and food color.

Meanwhile, remove skin from cooked chickens and bone, if desired. Place chicken pieces in casserole. Arrange Welkome Inn Dumplings on chicken. Cover with sauce and sprinkle with peas. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Welkome Inn Dumplings

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup milk

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening and mix until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in milk just until blended.

Place about 1/2 inch water in saucepan with wire rack that comes 2 to 3 inches above water line. Cover rack with lightly oiled wax paper, oiled side up. With water gently simmering, drop dumplings onto wax paper, leaving room between for expansion. Steam 8 minutes, uncovered, then cover and steam 7 minutes longer.

Dear SOS: I would love to have the recipe for the tuna dip served at Carlos ‘N’ Charlie’s on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. It is delicious--spicy with a completely different taste than I’d expect for tuna.

--DONNA

Dear Donna: Yes, it is delicious and economical, too. CARLOS ‘N’ CHARLIE’S TUNA DIP

1 (14-ounce) can tuna

1 (6-ounce) jar or can jalapeno chiles

1 onion, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Chopped cilantro

Mix tuna with chopped jalapeno chiles in jalapeno liquid. Add onion to tuna mixture. Stir in mayonnaise until consistency is mushy. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve with tortilla chips as dip. Makes 6 servings.