Recipes--Desserts

BROWNIES & BARS

Chocolate Caramel Layer Squares

AKA Ooey, Gooey, Chewy, Yummy Chocolate Caramel Squares

These are very rich, and expensive to make, but if you like this kind of stuff, they are great…

From Suzanne Glasgow, a nurse Mom worked with at Saddleback Hospital

(I won a brownie competition with this recipe)

14 oz. package light caramels

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 package German Chocolate Cake Mix

1 cup broken nuts

¼ cup melted margarine

1/3 cup evaporated milk

12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

           

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.  In microwave or top of double boiler melt caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk.  Stir and set aside.  Combine cake mix, nuts, the other 1/3 cup of evaporated milk and melted margarine.  Mix and pat half of the mixture into bottom of pan.  Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with chips, melt and spread.  Cool very slightly.  Pour caramel mixture over top.  Place remaining cake mix evenly over the top by dropping in little crumbles.  Return pan to 350° oven and bake 18 minutes.  Cool.  Place in refrigerator.  Cut in squares.  Store in refrigerator to prevent running of caramel layer.

Hello Dolly’s

I can’t remember who originally gave me this recipe, but it is an old favorite for a yummy, very rich bar cookie

1 cup Graham cracker crumbs

½ cup butter

1 cup angel flake coconut

1 large package chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk

Melt butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs.  Pat down in bottom of a 9” x 11” pan.  Put layers of ingredients in order listed.  Cook at 350°for 30 minutes.  Check while baking.

                       

Rice Krispie Treats

½ cups margarine, melted

4 cups small marshmallows

Melt with the butter

Add 5 cups Rice Krispies

Butter a 9 x 13 pan and press mixture into it.  Cut in squares when cool.  Can use cocoa Krispies, puffed wheat or rice or other unsweetened cereals.  Can also add chocolate chips.

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Another Sunset magazine recipe.  Brett loves hazelnut, so I thought he’d like these.  You can use a brownie mix and add the Nutella, but it’s not quite as good.

½ cup butter

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 ¼ cup sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup flour

½ cup Nutella

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray 8 muffin tins with Pam w/ flour spray.

2.  Microwave ½ cup butter in a heatproof bowl to melt.  Add chocolate, stirring until melted, then add sugar and cocoa and stir to blend.  Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and salt.  Add flour and stir until smooth.  Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

3.  Using a small spoon, make a depression in each portion of batter 1” wide and ½” deep.  Spoon 1 Tbsp. Nutella into each.

4.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into brownie part comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 20-24 minutes.  Let cool in pan about 10 minutes.  Loosen brownies from pan and cool completely.

*Very rich—they are better as mini-muffins.  Scoop batter into mini muffin pan using small cookie scoop.  Put nutella in the easy accent decorator and squirt into batter.  Bake for about 10 min.

Makes 8 large brownies.

Pumpkin Bars

This recipe is from Mrs. Chittick, Bailey’s elementary school teacher.  I love anything pumpkin!!

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 16-oz. can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.  In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and nutmeg.  Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly.

Spread batter in ungreased 12x16 jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and frost.

Frosting:

6 oz. cream cheese

1 cup softened butter

2 tsp. vanilla

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter.  Stir in vanilla.  Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth.

Coconut Fruit Pizza

A delicious variation from the traditional fruit pizza filling.  This is from Michelle Webecke, my sister’s friend.  I love the subtle coconut flavor.  I’m going to try to merge this recipe with my traditional fruit pizza filling, which doesn’t use cool whip, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Sugar Cookie Crust –use your favorite sugar cookie recipe—or even the refrigerated dough in a tube!  Spread into a single large cookie on a pizza stone using your fingers or rolling pin.  Bake at 400˚ for 8-9 minutes or until very lightly brown.  Cool completely.

Filling

1 8-oz. container cool whip, thawed

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 17-oz. can coconut cream

Mix cream cheese and coconut cream together until smooth.  Fold in cool whip.  Spread on top of cooled cookie.  Top with fruit of choice (strawberries, kiwi, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries, etc.)

Glaze (I usually skip this step—it’s supposed to make the fruit look very shiny and pretty—but every time I’ve tried, it just turns out gloppy.)

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Mix water and cornstarch together and cook on low until it boils.  Boil for 1 minute.  Cool and brush over fruit.  Refrigerate tart for at least 1 hr. before serving.

Perfect Lemon Bars

I found this on Pinterest.  The first time, I made it with lemons from our meyer lemon tree.  Everyone said they were the best lemon bars they have ever tasted.  Maybe they were being nice, but they were yummy!

For the crust:

1¾ cup flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra to sprinkle

¼ cup cornstarch

½ tsp. salt

12 Tbsp. butter, at cool room temperature, cut into 1” pieces

For the filling:

4 large eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. grated lemon zest, from 2 large lemons

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 3-4 large lemons

1/3 cup milk

pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp.)

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat ove to 350°.  Line a 9x13” baking pan with foil or parchment (I used parchment) and lightly grease (I used Pam w/ flour).  Stir together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt (I mixed it in a large bowl, but you can use a food processor as well).  Add the pieces of butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers (taking care not to melt the butter too much.  You can also freeze the butter and grate it with a cheese grater) or or process in the food processor for 8-10 seconds and then as needed until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press unto an even layer on the bottom and about ½ inch up the sides of the pan.  Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.  For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar and flour in a medium bowl and then stir in the lemon zest, juice, milk and salt to combine.  Pour the filling onto the warm crust (be sure the crust is still warm!) and reduce the oven temperature to 325°.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the filling feels slightly firm to the touch.  Cool the bars to room temperature, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and cut into bars.

PIES

Pie crust

I still can’t count on a successful pie crust every time, but I have to blame myself and not the recipe.  This one is great when I don’t mess it up!

Add about 2 Tbsp. vinegar to 1 cup milk.  Set aside.

Combine 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt and ¾ cup shortening.

Slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture.  Add just enough to make it all stick together without getting soggy.

Roll dough into two crusts.

After filling pie crust and placing top crust on, brush some of the remaining milk on the crust and sprinkle with sugar.

Pie in a Jar

Here are the directions from ourbestbites.com for the full-fledged version of pie in a jar (the website has great photos—check it out).  My family thought the crust to filling ratio was too much, plus it uses a ton of pie crust, a ton of time, and I didn’t have the right shape jar, so I simplified it by just putting crust on top

Use half-pint jars, but short and squatty instead of tall and skinny. Mine are made by Kerr (you can see pictures on the website).

Step 1: Pie Dough 
The first thing you’ll need is dough. You can use any pie dough you like. If you’re really in a pinch, even a store bought crust will do. (Two crusts will make 4 pies)

Step 2: Make a topper and line the jar 
Roll out a small handful of dough. This is just for the tops of your pies, so eyeball about that much. Grab the ring part of your jar and use that as your cookie cutter. Brilliant, right? Cut out the tops and set aside. Use the rest of the dough to line the jars. (No, you do not need to grease them) The great part is that there’s no rolling required! Just take little pieces and press them in. Make sure it’s pressed all the way up to the top of the jar, or pretty close to it.


Step 3: Fill ‘er up 
You’ll need about 1/2 C filling for each jar. You can use any filling your little pie-craving heart desires, even (gasp) canned (I used my favorite apple pie filling which I included below).

Here’s the basic recipe (for 4 pies)
: 2 C prepared fruit (pitted, diced, peeled, etc.)
2 T sugar- brown or white (use more or less depending on sweetness of fruit)
2 T flour- (again, more if your fruit is super juicy like cherries, less if it’s pretty dry)
1 T butter (divided between the pies)
Seasonings/flavorings- cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and almond extract, citrus zest etc).  Play around with it and come up with something yummy!

When your filling is all combined, divide it between the jars and dot a pat of butter on top (about 1/4 T)


Step 4: Top it off 
Make sure your “lid” has a vent so steam can escape. You can use a knife to make a couple of slits or a tiny cookie cutter to make it decorative.


When your topper is ready, slip it onto the top of the pie. It will be large enough that the outside edge goes up the side of the dough-covered jar a bit, as show in the picture below. Then use your finger, or a fork (as seen above), to press the 2 pieces of dough together to seal.  Another option is to do a crumb topping.

Crumb Topping (for 4-6 pies)
1/4C brown sugar
1/4 C flour
2 T oats
1/4 T cinnamon
3 T cold butter
 Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Cut in butter. Add oats and stir to combine.


** Optional step here that I HIGHLY recommend: Brush pie tops with butter and sprinkle with sugar at this point.

Step 5: Freeze ‘em!

Ready for this? When your pies are all done and topped, place metal lids back on and seal them tight.

Then pop these little cuties in the freezer. There they will stay until you find yourself having an insatiable craving for home-baked goodness. You’ll be reaching for the crumbs at the bottom of the keebler box when suddenly your eyes will light up because you remember you have THESE sitting in your freezer.

Or when you have unexpected guests in need of impressing, or a friend needing to be cheered up, or it’s Thursday…I can think of a million reasons why one should have a constant supply of fresh pie in the freezer.

Step 6: Bake ‘em

From frozen, remove metal rings and lids.  Place in a cold oven and set to 375°.  Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the middles are bubbly. If you’re baking them fresh and not frozen they take about 45 minutes.

Depending on your filling you can pop them out of the jar or just eat them right out of the jar.

Apple Pie with Nutmeg Crust

This is my favorite apple pie.  The crust is delicious when I can overcome my crust handicap and make it work.  I used this filling for the Pies in a Jar for our recipe exchange.

Crust:

2 1/3 cups flour, sifted

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup cold water

Filling:

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups sugar

2 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ cup heavy cream

8-10 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

To prepare crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, nutmeg and salt.  Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.  Add water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, tossing with a fork, until a dough forms.  Divide dough in half; shape each half into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour.  To prepare filling, in a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Remove pan from the heat.  Stir in cream all at once.  Return pan to the heat.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat.  Place apple slices in a large bowl.  Stir in the filling mixture until well combined.  Place oven rack in lowest position.  Preheat the oven to 400°.  On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll half of the dough into an 11” circle.  Fit into a 9” pie pan.  Spoon filling into crust.  Roll the remaining dough into an 11” circle.  Moisten rim of the bottom crust with water, then cover filling with top crust.  Press edges to seal.  Trim the overhang.  Cut vents in top crust.  Place pie on baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350°.  Bake until filling is bubbly and crust is golden, 30-40 minutes.  If pie edge browns too quickly, cover with foil.  Serve warm.

Coconut Dream Pie

One of Brett’s favorite pies.  It’s sooo easy!

2 evelopes Dream Whip

2 ¾ cup cold milk, divided

¾ tsp. coconut extract, divided (can add more if desired)

½ tsp. vanilla (optional)

2 pkgs (4 servings each) coconut pudding

1 cup shredded coconut (can add more if desired) plus additional for garnish

1 baked pastry shell

whipping cream

Beat Dream Whip, 1 cup of milk, ½ tsp. coconut extract and vanilla (if desired) in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed 6 minutes or until topping thickens and forms peaks.  Add remaining 1 ¾ cups milk and pudding mixes; beat on low speed.  Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Gently stir in shredded coconut.  Spoon into pastry shell.  Beat whipping cream with ¼ tsp. coconut extract until stiff peaks form.  Top coconut mixture with whipped cream, spreading to edge of crust.  Toast additional shredded coconut in oven or microwave until golden brown.  Cool completely.  Garnish by sprinkling over whipped cream.

Eggnog Cream Pies

We love eggnog, so Brett wanted me to make this for Christmas dinner.  It was a hit!  It’s originally from Taste of Home.

2 unbaked pastry shells (9 inches)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I doubled it to 8 oz.)

½ cup powdered sugar (I doubled it to 1 cup)

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

(I added 1 tsp. cinnamon)

2 cartons (1 8 oz., 1 12 oz.) cool whip, thawed, divided (I used whipped cream)

3 ¾ cups cold eggnog

3 pkgs. (3.4 oz. each) instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix

Additional ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450°.  Line pastry sheels with foil or parchment and dried beans or pie weights.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove lining and bake for 5 minutes longer or until pie crusts are golden brown.  Cool.  In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon until smooth.  Fold in the 8-oz. carton of cool whip (or 1-1 ½ cups whipped cream).  Spoon into crusts.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggnog and pudding mixes for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.  Spread over cream cheese layer.  Top with remaining whipped topping (or 3 cups? whipped cream); sprinkle with additional nutmeg.  Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.  2 pies, 8 servings each.

Amaretto Pumpkin Pie with Almond Praline

This is a delicious variation on a traditional pumpkin pie.  Brett especially loves anything with amaretto flavoring.  I don’t think the crust is worth the extra effort, but I included it in case it is just me messing it up (which is very possible).  I replaced the original praline recipe with one I use for a salad.

For the Dough:

1 cup flour

¾ cup crumbled amaretto cookies (about 10) (I couldn’t find them, so I made them.  They are delicious!)

1/8 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces

For the Filling:

1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 ½ Tbsp. amaretto liquer (or ½ tsp. almond extract)

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

For the Praline:

¼ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

½ cup sliced almonds

¼ tsp. vanilla

Make the dough:  Pulse the flour, cookies and salt in a food processor until the cookies are finely ground.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter.  Drizzle in ¼ cup ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together.  Turn out into a 9” glass pie plate (not deep dish) and press into the bottom and up the sides about ¼” above the rim.  Pierce all over with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 min.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake until the edges are golden, 20-25 minutes.  Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden all over, 10-15 more minutes.  Cool completely on a rack.  Make the filling:  Whisk the pumpkin, cream, sugar, eggs, liqueur (or almond extract), nutmeg, vanilla and salt in a bowl.  Pour into the crust and bake until the edges are set but the center still quivers, 50-60 minutes.  Cool completely on a rack.  Meanwhile, make the praline:  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a saute pan, combine sugar, butter, and almonds.  Stir constantly over medium-low heat until sugar is golden brown and nuts are coated.  Stir in vanilla.  Spread on parchment paper.  Cool.  Coarsely chop the praline and sprinkle over the pie right before serving.

Imogene’s Cream Pie (Coconut or Banana)

This recipe is from Kathleen Hallsey in our ward.  I first tasted it at a recipe exchange.  I think it will replace my Coconut Dream Pie, though it is more labor intensive.

6 Tbsp. corn starch

¾ cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

3 cups milk

3 eggs

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a whisk.  It will thicken to the texture of pudding.  Remove from heat and add:

1 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup coconut (or banana)

Pour into baked, cooled pie shell.  Top with whipped cream.

Pie Pops

For the better details, see bakerella.com.  Click on “other pops.”  Scroll down to “Easy as Pie.”  Also see luxirare.com.

Preheat oven to 375˚.

Unroll purchased pie crust. 

Roll thinner. 

Cut into circles (I used the lid of my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator).  Reroll crust and cut more circles.

Place half of the circles on baking stone or cookie sheet.

Spoon approximately 1 tsp. pie filling of your choice into center of circle (if you use too much, it will leak out)

Place a candy stick on each circle.

Top with remaining circles.

Seal by pressing edges with a candy stick (cut it short so it doesn’t interfere with the other pops on the pan).

Brush tops with beaten egg white.

Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon sugar, etc, if desired.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool.

Chocolate Almond Brownie Pie

I found this recipe in the Costco cookbook.  Everyone had seconds, so I guess they liked it!

3 eggs

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 cups chocolate covered almonds, finely ground (I used my food processer) (Costco’s were the cheapest I could find--the recipe uses about half the container)

1 9” deep-dish unbaked piecrust (I used 2 Marie Callender’s deep dish frozen pie crusts)

Whipped cream (optional)

1 cup chocolate covered almonds, chopped into thirds for garnish (optional) (I just smashed them and sprinkled them on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar and melted butter.  Add ground chocolate-covered almonds and mix by hand until blended.  Bake piecrust for about 5 minutes (note that I made 2 full pies with this recipe--but I think the Marie Callender’s crusts are 8”?).  Pour the filling into the hot crust.  Bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until the filling quivers just a little in the center when the pan is gently shaken.  Cover the edges with foil if they start to get too brown. (Even with a pie shield, the crust got overcooked.  I’m not sure how to fix that.)  Let the pie cool completely.  Serve with whipped cream and chopped almonds.  Makes 8 servings.

Peach Custard Pie

This is from Holly Mansur—a fabulous cook who used to be in our ward.  Bailey suggested we make it with berries and it’s Brett’s new favorite dessert.

9” pie crust

1 egg yolk

3-4 fresh peaches or 2 cups fresh raspberries, blackberries or boysenberries or a combination

1 egg

¾ cup sugar

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (I usually just use salted since that’s what I have)

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400°.  Glaze pie crust with egg yolk.  Peel peaches and cut in half.  Arrange peaches, cut side down, (or berries)  in pie crust.  Whisk 1 egg, sugar, butter, flour, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl.  Pour over fruit.  Bake for 10 min.  Lower temperature to 300° for 1 hour.   Cover crust and/or pie as necessary during baking to prevent over-browning.  Custard will be crusty and won’t jiggle.  Serve warm.

Peach Pie

This makes a great filling for Grandma’s Fruit Crisp, too.

Two prepared pie crusts

8 large ripe peaches (3.5 lbs)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces

Plunge peaches into a large saucepan of boiling water for 15 seconds.  Cool peaches slightly, then peel.  Cut peaches into slices.  Toss with lemon juice.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.  Add to peaches; toss gently.  Spoon mixture into prepared crust, mounding fruit in center.  Dot with butter.  Moisten edge of bottom crust with water.  Cover with top crust.  Trim and crimp edges.  Brush crust lightly with milk; sprinkle with sugar.  Cut several vents in top crust.  Cover edges of pie with foil strips to avoid overbrowning.  Place pie on oven rack over a baking sheet to catch drips.  Bake until golden brown, 40-45 minutes, removing foil strips after 20 minutes.  Transfer pie to wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cream Cheese Pie

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Prepared graham cracker pie crust

Mix cream cheese, consensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into pie crust and refrigerate until set.  Top with fresh fruit or canned pie filling.

Strawberry Pie

This is my favorite strawberry pie recipe!

3 pints strawberries, hulled

¾ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

½ cup water

1 Tbsp. butter

Prepared pie crust, baked

Crush enough berries to measure 1 cup.  In a saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch.  Add crushed berries and water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cook for 2 minutes.  Remove pan from heat.  Stir in butter.  Scrape into a bowl; let cool.  Arrange remaining whole berries in cooled crust.  Pour cooled berry mixture over whole berries.  Chill for at least 2 hrs.

Berry Pie with Granola Crunchy Topping

I made this for Thanksgiving because my dad loves berry pie.  We used Kashi for the granola.  It was great because it really kept its crunch.

1 premade pie crust

3 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries, thawed

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. instant tapioca

¾ cup flour

¼ cup packed brown sugar

4 Tbsp. cold butter, cubed

1 cup granola

Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 375°.  Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven.  Put the pie shell on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine the berries with the lemon zest and juice, sugar, and tapioca.  Stir together to completely combine and set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and brown sugar.  Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix in the granola.  Pour the berry mixture into the pie crust and top with the granola crumb topping.  Bake until the inside of the pie is bubbling and the top is golden brown, 45-50 minutes (loosely cover with foil if top browns too quickly).  Remove from oven and cool before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie

This recipe won our ward’s Halloween pie contest.  The directions on thepioneerwoman.com are very detailed.

1 unbaked pie crust

1 cup white sugar

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 cup corn syrup

¾ tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup melted butter

3 eggs, beaten

1 heaping cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°.  Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl.  Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.  Pour syrup mixture over the top.  Cover top and crust lightly with foil.  Bake pie for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn crust or pecans.  Pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven.  If it shakes too much, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until set (baking time seems to vary widely for this recipe).  Allow to cool completely.

CAKES

Apple Dump Cake

This is an old favorite and a very easy way to make a good desert.

1 yellow cake mix

1 stick margarine (must be in stick form)

2 medium size cans apple pie filling

In a 9 x 13 pan (greased) dump all the fruit, then add cake mix right out of the box and spread evenly over the top (like snow).  Then with a sharp knife cut the butter in "pats" and place over entire cake evenly, covering as much as possible, like a quilt.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, or until top of cake is golden brown and crunchy looking.  Cake is done if no cake powder remains on top.  The top of the cake will be crunchy, like a cobbler, not moist.  Let cool, but may be served slightly warm.  Good with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Can be made with other pie fillings or with crushed pineapple, or combinations.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is from my best friend, Jamie Christensen.  It’s a great way to use all that extra zucchini from the garden, but I can’t claim it’s good for you!

Grease and flour 9x13 pan.  Preheat oven to 325°.

Cream together:

½ cup margarine

½ cup oil

1 ¾ cup sugar

Add to creamed mixture:

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup sour milk ( ½ Tbsp. vinegar and ½ cup milk)

Blend dry ingredients together:

2 ½ cups flour

4 Tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.  Stir in 2 cups shredded zucchini.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle top with ½-1 cup chocolate chips and ¼-½ cup chopped nuts (optional).  Bake for 45 minutes.  Also good as mini muffins.  Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips (or drizzle melted chocolate over baked muffins).  Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is from Brett’s mom.  It’s yummy, but no matter how many times I watch her make it, I can’t get it exactly the same as her!

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

2 cubes butter

1 cup water

4 Tbsp. cocoa

½ cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour and salt.  In a small pan, boil butter, water and cocoa.  Add to dry ingredients.  Add sour cream and eggs.  Mix until well blended.  Pour into greased and floured pan.  Bake 25 minutes at 375°.  Frost while warm.

Frosting:

3 ¾ cup (1 box) powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup butter

6 Tbsp. milk

4 Tbsp. cocoa

Boil mlk, butter and cocoa.  Mix in sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Spread over hot cake.

Almond Sheet Cake

This is identical to Brett’s mom Texas Sheet Cake, except you replace the cocoa with the almond extract.  Brett loves it.

1 cup butter

1 cup water

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat free)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Bring butter and water to a boil. Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. Pour the boiling liquid over the flour and sugar and beat well. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into a well-greased jelly roll pan. (Mine is about 12″x17″) Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes. Cool for 20-30 minutes and spread with frosting.

Frosting:


1/2 cup butter


1/4 cup milk


3 1/2- 4 cups powdered sugar


1 tsp almond extract


dash salt


Bring butter and milk to a boil. Pour over remaining ingredients, adding enough powdered sugar to achieve the consistency you want. Frosting should be thin enough to pour.

Orange Cupcakes with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

Brielle Gundersen brought this to our recipe exchange.  They are delicious!

Cake:

4 egg whites (room temp)

2 ¼ cups cake flour or 2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup butter (room temp)

1 ¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ cup thawed orange juice concentrate

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp. orange zest

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, beat butter until fluffy.  Cream in sugar (at least 4 minutes).  Add vanilla, orange juice concentrate, and orange zest and beat well.  Add egg whites one at a time beating well after each.  Alternately add buttermilk and flour, beating on low after each addition until just combined.  Do not over mix.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 way full and bake at 350° (for aluminum) or 325° (for dark or non-stick pan) for 17-20 minutes or until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

6 oz mascarpone cheese (room temp)

2 Tbsp. butter (room temp)

1-2 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla or fresh vanilla bean equivalent

1/3 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp. milk

5-6 cups powdered sugar

Beat butter and mascarpone cheese until fluffy.  Beat in two cups of the powdered sugar.  Add in vanilla, orange juice, and orange zest.  Beat in two more cups of sugar.  Add milk.  Add in enough remaining powdered sugar to make frosting spreading consistency.  Cupcakes are great topped with milk chocolate or dark chocolate shavings and a splash of orange juice concentrate.

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

This is a Paula Deen recipe from the Food Network magazine.  The first time I made it, I put all three eggs in the cake part--didn't seem to hurt much!  Grandpa Ned gave it an 11 on a scale of  1-10 :)

1 18.25-oz. pkg. chocolate cake mix

3 eggs, divided

1 cup unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 16-oz. box (3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped unsalted nuts (optional)

vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter 9x13 baking pan.  In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 of the eggs, and 1/2 cup of the melted butter.  Stir until well blended.  Pat the mixture into the pan and set it aside.  Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the remaining 2 eggs and the cocoa powder and beat until well mixed.  Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar.  Beat until well mixed.  Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter and the vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in the nuts, if desired.  Spread the filling over the batter in the pan.  Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook it:  The center should still be a little gooey, but not wiggly.  Let partially cool before slicing.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.  Serves 20 smallish pieces.

Earthquake Cake

This is from Jamie Christensen.  Maybe it should be called Heart Attack Cake!  It is similar to the chocolate butter cake above.

1 cup frozen unsweetened grated coconut, thawed

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

1 German Chocolate cake mix

1 1/3 cup water

3 eggs

1 stick butter

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9x13 pan with Pam.  Scatter coconut and nuts on bottom of pan.  Mix cake mix, water, oil and eggs in bowl.  Pour over coconut/nut mixture.  Combine melted butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Blend with electric mixer for 1 minute or until smooth.  Glob onto wet cake batter in 12 spoonfuls.  Bake 40-50 minutes.  Center will jiggle--don't overbake.  Will continue to set while cooling.

Praline-Peach Upside-Down Cakes

This is a Pampered Chef recipe.  It works in the microwave also—just cook until the cake is set.

¼ cup butter, melted (may need to add a little extra)

6 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

¼ cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped

2-3 medium firm peaches (softer peaches will make the cake soggy)

1 small pkg. (9 oz. or 1 2/3 cup yellow cake mix)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 egg

¼ cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.  Brush 2 (or 3) tsp. butter evenly inside each of six Prep Bowls (butter will pool in bottoms).  Divide brown sugar and pecans evenly into bottoms of bowls.  Slice peaches in half lengthwise; carefuly remove pits.  Slice peach halves thinly with mandoline or knife.  Cut peach rings in half.  Arrange peach slices in an overlapping pattern around insides of bowls.  Place bowls on sheet pan; set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, cream cheese, egg, water and vanilla.  Beat on medium-high speed 2-3 minutes or until smooth.  Divide batter evenly among prepared Prep Bowls; bake 32-34 minutes or unti wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Remove bowls from oven to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes.  To serve, carefully invert cakes onto serving plates.  Serve warm.

Peach-Almond Upside-Down Cake

Delicious.  The almonds gave a different texture to the cake which I liked, but you could use almond flour which would give a smoother texture if you wanted.

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan, divided

1 ½  cups sugar, divided

4 medium peaches or nectarines, cut into 6-8 wedges each

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup whole almonds

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 large eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. almond extract

¾ cup whole milk

vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan.  Melt 1Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add ¾ cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. water and cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth and deep golden brown, 8-11 minutes.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and tilt to coat the bottom.  Arrange the peach wedges snugly in the bottom of the pan in a single layer, cutting to fit if needed.  Combine the flour, almonds, baking powder and salt in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground.  Beat the remaining 7 Tbsp. butter and ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.  Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat in each addition until just incorporated.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  Transfer to a rack and let cool 30 minutes.  Invert onto a plate and let cool completely.  Serve with ice cream.

Cinnamon Mini-Cheesecakes with Pumpkin Pie “Frosting”

The “frosting” is actually pumpkin pie piped on top.  I had to buy a mini cheesecake pan just for this recipe.  There are several steps so it takes awhile, but they are delicious and the presentation is great!

Pumpkin Pie Frosting (or you can use your favorite pie recipe.  My amaretto pumpkin pie recipe keeps a nice orange color.  This recipe tends to turn out brown.)

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup heavy cream

Graham Cracker Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or gingersnaps or nilla wafers)

¼ cup unsalted butter

pinch of salt

Cheesecake

2 8-oz. bars cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup heavy cream

½ Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

To make pumpkin pie frosting:

Preheat oven to 425°.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well blended.  Pour into a greased 9” pie pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.  Remove and let cool, then refrigerate.

To make crust:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare 24 mini cheesecake cups by spraying with Pam.  In a bowl, whisk together crust ingredients until well blended.  Scoop 2-3 tsp. of crust into each cup and press down to pack firm.  Bake for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.

To make cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 325°.  Begin to boil a pot of water for the water bath.  In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar, then mix until smooth.  Do not over mix.  Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.  Make sure to scrape down the bowl between each egg.  Add heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon, and mix until smooth.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter into each crust-prepared cup until ¾ full.  Carefully create a water bath by placing a large baking dish of boiling water on the lowest oven rack.  This will create steam while the cheesecake bakes.  Place the cheesecakes in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges appear to be set and the center has a slight jiggle to it.  Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly for 5 minutes.  Then remove the pan and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.  Beat the pumpkin pie until uniform consistency.  Spoon into a piping bag and pipe as you would regular frosting.  Makes 24 mini cheesecakes.

Black-bottomed Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Another great use of my mini cheesecake pans.  The recipe calls for Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Kisses, but I think they aren’t necessary.

8 whole Oreos, finely ground in food processor

1 ½ Tbsp. melted butter

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

caramel sauce (ice cream topping)

12 pumpkin spice Hershey kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined.  Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups that have been sprayed with Pam.  Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat.  Partially bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and cool.  In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in egg, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined.  Pour evenly into cups, filling about ¾ way full.  Spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently.  Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through.  Let it cool completely.  Remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a spoonful of remaining caramel and a pumpkin spice kiss.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

Sour Frosting

We had a version of this at my nephew’s Eagle Court of Honor.  I had to ask the lady how she did it.  It took some experimenting and I don’t think it’s an exact match, but I LOVE the unique flavor.  The base is not very sweet, but I like it because it doesn’t interfere with the sour flavor. It takes some time to make since you have to let it cool completely.

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ cup flour

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups milk

1 pkg. dry watermelon Kool Aid drink mix

24 Tbsp. (3 sticks) butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened at room temperature

Citric Acid to taste (2-3 tsp??)

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt.  Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth.  Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it is difficult to whisk.  Cool to room temperature.  You can refrigerate the mixture at this point.  If you do, be sure to warm it up to room temperature or the butter won’t absorb.  Once the frosting is room temperature (no hint of heat or cold at all), beat Kool Aid into the mixture on low speed (stand mixer works great) 30 seconds.  Add butter, one piece at a time, and beat until all the butter has been incorporated, about 2 minutes.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.  Add citric acid, a very little bit at a time, until the desired tartness is achieved.  Great on white cake mini cupcakes with a sour watermelon candy on top.

Eggnog Cake

I found this on Pinterest.  It’s a great dessert for the holidays.  Check out the eggnog trifle below.

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups sifted cake flour

¾ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup eggnog

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

¾ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground allspice

¼ tsp. ground cloves

Glaze

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. eggnog

Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan (or loaf pan of desired size).  Preheat oven to 350°.  Beat butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy.  Gradually add sugar; beat 5-7 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until yoke is incorporated.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to butter and sugar mixture alternating with eggnog starting and ending with flour mixture.  Mix on low speed just until blended after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour half the batter into the prepared pan(s).  Stir the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves into the remaining batter.  Spoon spiced batter over plain batter and swirl together using a knife.  Bake for 50-55 minutes (for Bundt pan) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.  For glaze, combine sifted powdered sugar and eggnog.  Drizzle glaze over cake.

Eggnog Trifle (& Eggnog Pudding)

I threw this together for a dinner party, using stuff I had already made.  It was better than I expected!!

Eggnog cake, cubed

Prepared cheesecake, cubed

Angelfood cake, cubed

Eggnog pudding (see recipe below)

Heath toffee chips

Chocolate chips

Whipped cream, optional

Layer each in a trifle pan.  Garnish with whipped cream.

Eggnog Pudding

2 cups cold milk

1 4-serving size pkg. instant vanilla pudding

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Pour milk into medium bowl.  Add pudding mix, and nutmeg.  Whisk until thickened.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake with Shortbread Cookie Crust

This is from my sister’s friend, Michelle Webecke.  I donated it for a dessert auction and it was the highest bid!  If you want to cheat, you can buy raspberry pastry filling instead of making it from scratch.

Cookie Crust 

1 pkg. shortbread cookies (I used Lorna Doone—you can also use 2 sleeves Oreo cookies)

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

Line a 9” springform pan with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides (two layers is best).  Crush cookies until crumbs (food processor works great).  Melt butter and mix with crumbs.  Press into bottom of springform pan (or use about 1 Tbsp. of cookie mixture for each mini cheesecake).  Bake on 350° for 5-10 minutes.

Raspberry Filling

1 12 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries (not packed in syrup)

2/3 cup water

¾ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup water

In a saucepan combine the raspberries, water, sugar and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the raspberries have broken down.  Remove the mixture from the heat and strain with a fine mesh sieve.  Return the strained mixture to the heat.  Dissolve the cornstarch in the water.  Whisk the slurry into the raspberry mixture.  Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool completely.  It will thicken like jelly.  Add a little water if it’s too thick.

Cake

4 Tbsp. cornstarch

8 oz. white chocolate

3 8-oz. pkgs. Cream cheese (full fat only) at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs (I used 3 large eggs)

2/3 cups heavy or whipping cream

1 half pint fresh raspberries, for garnish

White chocolate curls or flakes, for garnish

Place one package cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch in a large bowl.  Beat with an electric mixture on low until creamy, about 3 minutes scraping down the bowl several times (or use the cookie dough paddles for the Bosch).  Beat in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one.  Increase the mixture speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, then the vanilla.  Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one.  Melt the white chocolate in the microwave (45 seconds and stir until smooth).  Beat in the melted white chocolate, then the cream, just until completely blended.  Be careful not to over mix.  Gently spoon the batter on top of the prepared crust.  Using a teaspoon, drop the raspberry filling in spoonfuls on top of the batter, pushing it down into the batter slightly as you go.  Using a knife, cut through the batter a few times in a figure 8 pattern, just until red swirls appear (don’t mix the filling in too much or the cake will turn pink).  Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.  Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan with red raspberry swirls, about 1¼ hours (with my convection oven it was done in about an hour).  Turn off the oven and leave the door cracked.  Cool until able to handle.  Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and allow to cool completely on a wire rack, at least two hours without moving it.  Leave the cake in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight.  To serve, remove sides of springform pan.  Sprinkle with fresh raspberries and white chocolate curls or flakes.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Delicious on brownie bites or chocolate mini cupcake with a mini Reese’s cup on top

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1-3 Tbsp milk, as needed

Beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  When it starts getting thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable.  Beat for at least 3 minutes until fluffy.

Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting

Great with brownie bites or chocolate mini cupcakes with a mini oreo on top.  Also, when baking your cupcake or brownie, you can place a whole oreo (full size for full side cupcakes or mini for mini cupcakes) in the bottom of the cupcake tin before adding the batter.  It’s a fun surprise!

8 oreo cookies, chopped very fine (in food processor or with rolling pin in a Ziploc bag)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended.  Add oreos.  Frost cooled cupcakes.  Note that there are usually some chunks of cookie left that get stuck in my open star decorating tip.  I usually have to just cut the tip off and have a round design instead of a star—make sense?

Angel Food Cupcakes

Just follow the directions on the box of Angel Food cake and bake in cupcake tins.  Mini cupcakes work, but there is so little substance, they are kind of not worth it.  They work much better as full sized cupcakes.

COOKIES

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

I bought some M&M’s cheap and I was looking for a way to use them up.  I used peanut butter M&M’s, but I thought it was too overpowering.

1 cup flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

4 oz. semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup butter, cut into pieces

¾ cup M&M’s

1 ½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a microwave-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and butter.  Microwave for one minute at 50% power.  Stir.  Microwave again for one minute at 50% power until the chocolate and butter are well combined (don’t overcook).  Cool slightly.  In a large bowl, combine the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Mix on medium speed until combined.  Gradually mix in flour mixture on low speed.  Fold in M&M’s with a wooden spoon.  Spray baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment.  Drop dough by tablespoonfuls, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.  If desired, place 5 or 6 M&M’s on top of the cookie dough balls (even perched slightly on the rounded sides).  Bake the cookies until they have slightly flattened and there are a few creacks on the surface, about 13-14 minutes.  Let the cookies sit for 2-3 mintues then cool completely on a wire rack.  Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Chip Cookie Recipe

We got this recipe from Michelle Taylor, but Brett and Steven have made it their own.  I have included the original recipe, with notes on our variation at the end.

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 ½ cups sugar

4 eggs

5 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 3 ½ -oz. box instant French vanilla pudding

½ tsp. almond extract

1 ½ cup nuts (optional)

½ pkg. each:  choclate chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips & butterscotch chips

Cream butter and sugar together.  Mix in eggs, vanilla and almond extract.  In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients.  Blend dry ingredients to butter mixture.  Stir in chips and nuts.  Bake 8-10 min. at 350°.  Makes 7 dozen.

We have used many different flavors of pudding, including cheesecake, chocolate, coconut, butterscotch, etc.  All of them are yummy.  We substitute Heath bits o’ brickle for the butterscotch chips.  We like to use the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.  We also will add coconut flakes sometimes.  We have also used peanutbutter chips, but they are better if they are not mixed with the toffee or butterscotch.

Mrs. Fields’ Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Makes 112 cookies)

Is this really the recipe for Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies?  I don’t know, but it is good.

Cream together:

2 cups butter                       

2 cups white sugar                        

2 cups brown sugar

Add:

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together: 

4 cups flour

5 cups oatmeal flour (put small amounts oatmeal into blender until it turns to powder.                   

                             Measure first and then blend.)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

Mix together all ingredients and add: 

24 oz. box of chocolate chips

8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)

3 cups chopped nuts (any kind)

Make golf-ball sized cookies and flatten out…2 inches apart

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375° for 6-8 minutes (or until done. Don’t overcook).

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

From Nancy Cullimore, Mom’s room mate her freshman year at BYU. 

Quick and easy when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth

2 c. sugar

½ c. cocoa

1 cube margarine                                          

pinch salt

½ cup milk

Boil exactly 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add:

3 cups quick oatmeal

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup nuts (optional)

Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.

Scripture Cookies

This was a primary activity in our Daisy Mountain ward.

¾ cup                        “The words of his mouth were smoother than ___________” (Psalm 55:21)

1/3 cup                         “Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy ___________ and honey” (2 Nephi 26:25)

1 ½ cups                        “To what purpose cometh there to me. . . the __________ from a far country?” (Jeremiah 6:20)

2                        “As one gathereth __________ that are left, have I gathered all the earth” (Isaiah 10:14)

2 cups                        “And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine __________” (1 Kings 4:22)

1 tsp.                        “Take thou also unto thee principal spices, …and of sweet ________ half so much (Exodus 30:23)

1 tsp.                        “Ye are the ________ of the earth” (Matthew 5:13)

½ tsp.                        “It shall not be baken with __________” (Leviticus 6:17)

3 cups                        “Nevertheless, … __________ for the horse (Doctrine & Covenants 89:17)

1 cup                        “And they gave him …two clusters of _________” (1 Samuel 30:12)

1.  Beat the first four ingredients together.

2.  Mix in the remaining ingredients.

3.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

4.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Scripture cookies:  ¾ cup butter (softened), 1/3 cup milk, 1 ½ cups sugar (sweet cane), 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. baking soda (leaven), 3 cups oats, 1 cup raisins

Peanut Butter Blossom Kiss Cookies

This is a classic!

1 8-oz. pkg. Hershey Kisses

½ cup shortening

¾ cup peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375°.  Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces.  Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended.  Add 1/3 cup sugar and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; grafually beat into peanutbutter mixture.  Shape dough into 1” balls.  Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately press a kiss into center of each cookie;  cookie will crack around edges.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Snickerdoodles

These are one of Brett’s favorite cookies.

½ cup margarine or butter

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed—about 30 seconds—or until soft.  Add about half the flour to the butter.  Then add the 1cup sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.  Beat in the remaining flour.  Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.  In a shallow dish, combine the 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Shape the dough into 1” balls.  Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat.  Place balls 2” apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes about 36 (small cookies).

Chocolate Crinkles

The brownie version of a snickerdoodle.

3 beaten eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

4 squares (4 oz) unsweetened chocolate, melted

½ cup cooking oil

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

Sifted powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the beaten eggs, sugar, melted chocolate, cooking oil, baking powder, and vanilla.  Gradually add flour to the chocolate mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined.  Cover and chill for 1-2 hrs. or until dough is easy to handle.  Shape dough into 1” balls.  Roll in powdered sugar to coat.  Place 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are crackled.  Remove cookies and cool on wire rack.  If desired, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.  Makes about 48 (small) cookies.

Sugar Cookies

This is one of three sugar cookie recipes I love.  I like it for decorating because they are a little harder so they don’t break as often.  Also, they use basic ingredients I usually have in the house.

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup butter

 2 cups flour

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

Dash salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortning and butter with an electric mixer on high speed about 30 seconds or until softened.  Add about half of the flour.  Then add the sugar, egg, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.  Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping the sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat or stir in the remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill about 3 hrs. or until dough is easy to handle.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of the dough to 1/8” thickness.  Using 2-1/2” cutters, cut dough into desired shapes.  Place 1” apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until the bottoms are very lightly browned.  Cook on cookie sheets for 1 minute.  Remove cookies and cool on wire racks.  Makes about 42 (small) cookies.

Sugar Cookies

This is another sugar cookie recipe I love.  It’s from my sister, Michelle.  The amount of butter and cream cheese can be a deterrent, but the flavor makes it worth it!

4 Cups butter (yes...4)

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. cream cheese

6 cups flour (you may need to add more...)

1 tsp. baking soda

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, & cream cheese until smooth.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix. Chill for 30 min.  Bake at 400° for 4-5 min (I think mine took 5-9 min).  Let cool and frost!

Candy Cane Sugar Cookie Variation

Use any sugar cookie recipe.  Use the larger amounts if you really like peppermint.  The original recipe says to roll the dough in balls and flatten like peanut butter cookies, but I think I will try it rolled out and cut like sugar cookies.

Your favorite sugar cookie recipe (yield appx. 3 dozen cookies)

½-3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

½-3/4 cup very finely chopped candy canes (powdery w/ a few chunks is best)

1 bag white chocolate chips (or to taste), divided

Powdered sugar (if rolling in balls)

Mix extract with butter in original recipe.  Mix in candy canes with dry ingredients.  Stir in appx. ½ bag white chocolate chips to taste.  Chill dough according to original recipe.  Preheat oven to 350°.  If you are treating them like peanut butter cookies, roll into balls and roll in powdered sugar.  Then flatten with fork in crosshatch pattern.  If you are treating them like sugar cookies, roll out dough 1/3” thick (thicker than normal sugar cookies) and cut with cookie cutter.  Bake until barely brown.  Let cool. Melt remaining white chocolate chips in a ziploc bag.  Snip off a tiny corner of bag and pipe over cookies.

Home-made Oreos

1 pkg. chocolate cake

2 eggs

¼ cup shortening

½ tsp. vanilla

Mix together.  Roll out on floured counter.  Cut with round cookie cutter.  Bake at 350° for 9 minutes.  Cool.

Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbsp. margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

Mix together.  Fill between two cookies.

Spiced Pumpkin and Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

I found these on Pinterest.  Another great way to fulfill that pumpkin craving during the fall.  The first time I made these, I misread the recipe and added ½ cup of each type of sugar.  No one seemed bothered by it J

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 ½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cloves

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

½ cup dulce de leche*

4 Tbsp. butter

½ cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. ground sea salt + more for topping (recipe recommends fluer de sel)

3 cups oats (quick oats work in a pinch, but whole oats are better)

Combine pumpkin puree and spices in saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a slow boil then reduce to low.  Continue cooking until pumpkin in reduced to about ½ cup.  Add sugars, dulce de leche, butter and milk and cook until mixture comes to a boil.  Turn heat to low.  Stir until smooth, making sure sugar is fully dissolved.  Add vanilla extract and salt.  Mix until combined.  Stir in oats, one cup at a time until completely coated in pumpkin mixture. Place tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment paper and sprinkle with additional salt.  Allow to cool to room temperature (about 1 hr.) or place in refrigerator or freezer until cool.

*If you don’t have dulce de leche on hand, you can make it from sweetened condensed milk.  Empty a 14 oz. can into a large microwave safe bowl (it will boil over—go larger than you think).  Cook on medium power for two minutes.  Stir.  Repeat (14-16 minutes) until a spoonful doesn’t fall off the spoon when held upside down.  Makes just over ½ cup, so I just used it all.

ICE CREAM & FROZEN DESSERTS

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream

This is from Our Best Bites cookbook.  It is delicious as pizzookie using snickerdoodle dough!

1 ½ cups 2% milk

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. cinnamon (can cut back, if desired)

1 tsp. vanilla

about 1 ½-2 cups chopped sugar cookies, snickerdoodles or shortbread cookies (we used part pecan sandies and part homemade snickerdoodles)

Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium until bubbles form around the edges.  Remove from heat.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly.  Very slowly, add ½ of the hot milk mixture, whisking the eggs constantly.  Return the pan with remaining milk mixture to stove top and then whisk the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.  Add the whipping cream.  Over medium-low heat and stirring constantly, continue heating the custard mixture to 160°.  It will start to thicken quickly; remove from heat when your finger leaves a track on a spoon coated in the custard mixture.  Whisk in cinnamon and vanilla.  Place the custard in an airtight container and chill for several hours.  When ready to make the ice cream, pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  When the ice cream is almost done, add chopped cookies.  Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze at least 1-2 hours before serving.

Fried Ice Cream

Kathleen Hallsey brought this to recipe club.  It’s a delicious, easy version of the Mexican classic.

1 cube butter, melted

1 ¼ cup coconut

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped nuts (walnuts)

2 ½ cups Rice Crispies

½ gallon vanilla ice cream

Combine dry ingredients and pour melted butter over the top and stir.  Spread thin on large cookie sheet.  Bake at 300° for 20 minutes.  Stir every 7-8 minutes minutes while baking.  Put half of mixture in bottom of 9x13 pan immediately.  Slice ½ gallon vanilla ice cream in ½” pieces and lay across the top of mixture.  Smooth evenly.  Sprinkle rest of topping on top of ice cream.  Freeze and serve with caramel sauce.

Frozen Lemon Mousse

This is from Martha Stewart.  I had to find a lemon dessert worthy of Colleen Kelley’s bridal shower.  This dessert was applauded!  I’ve never had my food applauded before!  It’s multi-step and time intensive, but if you are looking for an impressive, elegant dessert, this is it!

8-10 lemons (enough to juice 1 cup plus one more lemon)

2 cups sugar

8 large egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 ½ cups plus 2 Tbsp. heavy cream, chilled

Candied Lemon Zest (see recipe below)

1 8-oz container crème fraiche (or whipped cream)

Prepare ice-water bath in a large bowl.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest from lemons.  Reserve for candied lemon zest, below.  Juice 1 lemon; reserve juice.  Juice additional lemons to yield 1 cup.  Make lemon curd:  place 1 cup lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, whole eggs, and butter in saucepan; whisk to combine.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it begins to boil, about 7 minutes.  Strain curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl set in the ice bath.  Place plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.  Place 1½ cups chilled heavy cream in large mixing bowl; whisk until soft peaks form.  Reserve ½ cup lemon curd for sauce; add remaining lemon curd to whipped cream.  Fold gently until well combined.  Place an 8” springform pan on baking sheet.  Transfer mousse to springform pan (I made individual servings in the Pampered Chef silicone flower cupcake pan).  Place in freezer on sheet until firm, at least 4 hrs.  Drain candied lemon zest; reserve syrup.  Make the lemon sauce:  whisk 1/3 cup syrup, reserved ½ cup lemon curd, and reserved juice of  lemon in a small bowl.  Remove frozen mousse from freezer and let warm 4-5 mintues at room temperature.  Meanwhile, whisk crème fraiche and remaining 2 Tbsp. cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form.  Remove sides of springform pan and slice mousse (or remove from silicone mold).  Place mousse on plates.  Spoon lemon sauce around mousse; top with crème fraiche.  Garnish with candied zest and serve.  I also piped chocolate hearts and placed one on each plate.

Candied Lemon Zest

6-8 lemons (use lemons from above recipe)

2 cups sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest from lemons (from above recipe).  Use a knife and cut into strips as thinly as possible.  Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add zest; blanch for 1 minute, drain, and rinse under cold water.  In the saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water; bring to a simmer.  Cook until sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes.  Add lemon zest.  Simmer until translucent, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat; let zest cool in syrup.  When cool, transfer zest and syrup to an airtight plastic container.  Store in refrigerator up to 1 month.

Homemade Peach Icecream

I was looking for a dessert for a potluck to use the peaches I had ordered from Utah.  I found this on the internet.  It was delicious.  The original recipe called for 2 tsp. vanilla, but the almond extract really elevated the flavor.

6 eggs, beaten

3 1/2 cups white sugar

10 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped

4 cups heavy cream

2 cups half-and-half cream

1 teaspoons almond extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

In large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until smooth; puree peaches in blender or food processor (I used the food chopper to chop it very fine) and stir 5 cups of puree into egg mixture. Stir in cream, half-and-half, vanilla and salt and mix well.  Pour mixture into freezer canister of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Frozen Strawberry Dessert

From Sharilee Blaisdale—this recipe has been in Mom’s recipe collection for years, but the first time I tried it was from Ginger Gurr.  It’s a delicious, light dessert—perfect for Phoenix summer nights!

Crust:

1 cup flour

½ cup melted margarine

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix the above ingredients together and spread on a cookie sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes at 350°.  Be sure not to let it get too brown.  Let it cool then crumble it with your fingers and spread 2/3 of it in a 9xl1 pan.

Filling:

2 c. chopped strawberries

2 egg whites

1 c. sugar

2 T. lemon juice

Whip the above ingredients in a large bowl at high speed for 10 minutes.  Add 1 8oz. package of cool whip or  1/2 pint whipping cream whipped stiff.  Fold it into the strawberry mixture and pour on the crumbs in the 9 x l3 pan.  Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top.  Cover with wax paper and freeze at least 6 hours.  May garnish with whole or sliced fresh strawberries.

Grandpa’s Deliciously Decadent Dessert

(Serves 12)

This is a great favorite with our family from Grandpa Alan Austin

Use your imagination for other cookie/ice cream/topping combinations

Layer in a greased (or Pammed) 9 x 12 pan:

26 crushed Oreos

½ gallon mint chip ice cream

1 can Hershey’s fudge sauce

1 large container Cool Whip

Top with more crushed Oreos or chopped nuts

Freeze.

Ice Cream in a Can

This is a fun way to make ice cream if you have a group of kids to entertain.  We did this for an Activity Day event.  We had two cans and did relay races, made a circle and rolled them to each other, etc.

2 cups half and half

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

1 5-qt. container with lid

Duct tape

1 5-gallon plastic bucket with lid (available at hardware stores)

7 cups rock salt

3 6-lb. bags of ice

In a large mixing bowl, mix the half and half, heavy cream and milk.  Gradually add the sugar.

Stir in the vanilla and salt.  Pour the mixture into a 5-qt. container (should be half to three-quarters filled).

Secure the lid with duct tape, and set in the 5-gallon bucket, and pack with one part rock salt to four parts ice.  Seal the bucket and secure the lid with duct tape, then take turns rolling it until the mixture is solid (approximately 35 minutes).  Makes 2 quarts.

Raspberry Creamsicles

These take some time, but they are so good!  I think I got them from Family Fun magazine?

2 pint raspberries

½ cup sugar

1 ¼ cups water

½ cup cream

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup vanilla yogurt

8 5-oz. waxy paper cups

8 Popsicle sticks

In a blender, puree 1 pint of the raspberries with the sugar and water.  Then use a sieve to strain out the seeds.  You should have about 2 cups of pulp.  Transfer 1 cup of the puree to another bowl.  Add the cream and whisk to mix well.  Stir the lemon juice into the remaining puree.  Now you have two containers—one deep red and one creamy pink.  Chill both sauces.

In another bowl, stir together the vanilla yogurt and the remaining raspberries.  Pour the mixture into paper cups until they are about half full.  Cover each cup with foil and poke a Popsicle stick straight through the center of the foil and into the mixture.  Freeze until set (about 2 hours).  Remove the foil and pour a layer of the deep red puree on top of the frozen yogurt.  Freeze until l solid (about 2 hours).  Finally pour a layer of the creamy pink puree into each cup and freeze until solid.  To serve, peel away the cups from the creamsicles.  Makes 8 creamsicles.

Creamy Lemon Popsicles

If you like tart frozen yogurt, you will LOVE these popsicles!

 ½ cup sugar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel

pinch of salt

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Whisk sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt in a bowl until sugar dissolves.  Whisk in buttermilk.  Divide mixture among popsicle molds.  Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hrs.  

ETC. DESSERTS

Fruit Crisp

This is another family favorite from Grandma Austin…originally from a 4-H cookbook.  I have to double the topping to satisfy everyone.

                       

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup butter, melted (don’t substitute)

4cups sliced fruit, fresh or canned (berries are our favorite)

Combine rolled oats, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Add melted butter and mix with a pastry blender until well blended.  Arrange the fruit in a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle the oat mixture over it and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes.  Good warm, cold, with ice cream or whipped

cream.

Blackberry Buckle

(serves 6)

This is a wonderful dessert from Grandma Austin…

it was originally in my Great Grandmother Ruth Harris Kromm’s Martha Meade Cookbook

                                   

¼ cup butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg, well beaten                                               

1 cup sifted flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup fresh or frozen (unsweetened) blackberries

Crumb Topping

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup flour                                                           

            Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg, beating until smooth.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and vanilla.  Pour into greased and floured 7 inch square pan.  Cover the batter with blackberries and sprinkle with crumb topping.  Bake 375° for 45 minutes.

Sugared Chocolate Beignets

I found this in Sunset magazine.  Beware—they are small, but addictive!

4 Tbsp. corn syrup

½ cup heavy whipping cream

4 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 sheets (17 oz. total) cold thawed puff pastry dough

1 large egg

½ cup sugar

1.  Combine corn syrup and cream in a microwave-safe container.  Heat in 30-second intervals until boiling.  Put chocolate in a bowl and pour hot cream on top. Stir chocolate until smooth, then chill, stirring often, until firm, about 20 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each pastry dough sheet into a 12” square.  Cut each square into 16 smaller squares and transfer to a baking sheet.

3.  In a bowl, lightly whisk egg and 1Tbsp. water to blend, then brush over pastry squares.  Spoon about 1 tsp. chocolate into the center of each square.  Fold 1 corner of each square over to meet the opposite corner, forming a triangle.  Press edges to seal.  Use a 2 ½” round cutter (I used the mouth of a salad dressing cruet) to trim corners of triangle and form a shape that resembles a ¾ moon.  Wrap trays with plastic wrap and freeze at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.

4.  Preheat oven to 400°.  Bake pastries, switching pan positions once, until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Put sugar in a bowl and turn beignets in sugar to coat.  Serve immediately.

Apple Squish

I got this recipe at a girl scout training camp.  We made it with a solar oven, but you can make it at home in the microwave or in foil packets on the fire.  It makes a yummy pie-filling type dessert.

3 medium apples

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Core apples.  Cut into small pieces or slices.  Place no more than 2 cups of apples in center of 18” Heavy Duty Foil Square.  (Make multiple squares for remaining apples.)  Sprinkle with sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Fold and seal edges to make a packet.  Place packet inside a second foil square and seal.  Place foil packet on hot coals with sealed edges up.  Heat 10 minutes or until cinnamon smell becomes too much to resist.  Open packets and serve.  For microwave,  place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat until apples are soft.  Can be eaten straight or served over ice cream, etc.

Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

These are my favorite form of shortcake.  Be careful, though—they can be too dry if you don’t add enough buttermilk and/or you overcook them.

2 ¼ cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

6 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

2/3-3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg yolk

½ tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. milk or cream (I usually use more buttermilk)

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 pints strawberries, crushed

Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 425°.  Grease a baking sheet.  In a large bowl, mix together the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.  In a small bowl, mix together 2/3 cup of the buttermilk, the egg yolk and vanilla.  Stir into the flour mixture until a moist dough forms, adding more buttermilk if needed.  Transfer the dough to a sheet of floured waxed paper.  Sprinkle dough with flour.  Gently pat to ¾” thick.  Using a 3” round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits.  Place them 2” apart on prepared baking sheet.  Gather dough trimmings and cut out more biscuits.  Brush with milk or cream.  Sprinkle with almonds and sugar.  Bake until lightly golden, 11-14 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.  Using a serrated knife, slice the biscuits horizontally in half.  Place the bottoms on serving plates; top with crushed strawberries and ice cream.  Replace biscuits tops and serve immediately.  Makes 6

Oreo Balls

Kathleen Hallsey brought this to our recipe exchange.  They are so yummy!

1 pkg. Oreo cookies

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 lb. dipping chocolate

Blend Oreos in blender until fine crumbs form (looks black).  Pour Oreos crumbs into a bowl and use mixer to mix with cream cheese.  Form into walnut-sized ball.  Place on wax paper.  Dip in melted chocolate.

Caramel Popcorn

This is another recipe from our exchange.  This one if from Maryann Potter.  It’s really yummy and chewy.

5 bags microwave popcorn

2 cubes butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Remove kernels from popped corn.  Melt butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan.  Add corn syrup.  Bring to a boil and add 1 can sweetened condensed milk.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Pour over popped corn and toss.

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

My friend, Erin Rueklies, gave us some of this and we couldn’t stop eating it!  And it’s made in the crock pot—what could be better?  It’s very sweet, so you can cut back on the sugar.

Topping:

1 cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 pinch salt

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

½ cup oats, optional

Filling:

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. cinnamon

6 cups apples, peeled, cored & chopped

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

For topping, mix flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl.  Combine butter with the flour mixture using fork or pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form.  Stir in walnuts and oats, if desired, and set aside.

For filling, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, dinger and cinnamon.  Place apples in slow cooker, stir in the cornstarch mixture; toss with lemon juice.  Sprinkle the topping over apples.  Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, until apples are tender.  Partially uncover the slow cooker (to allow the topping to harden) and cook for an additional hour or until topping is hard.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  6 servings.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Yum!  A fun desert twist on the traditional cheese ball.

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup miniature chocolate chips

¾ cup finely chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Mix in powdered sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover, and chill for 2 hours.  Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball.  Wrap with plastic, and chill for 1 hour.  Roll the cheese ball in chopped pecans before serving.  Serve with graham crackers, nilla wafers, etc.

Almond Custard Fondue

I found this recipe in the Taste of Home magazine and made it for the first time for our fondue Valentine’s Day party.  It’s delicious.  I loved the idea of using mini waffles to dip.

½ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups half-and-half

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 Tbsp. butter

1 ¼ tsp. almond extract

cubed brownies, cake, miniature waffles and/or Oreos for dipping

In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Stir in cream until smooth.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubby.  Reduce heat; cook and stir two minutes longer.  Remove from the heat.  Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly.  Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir two minutes longer.  Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and extract.  Keep warm.  Serve with dipping items.  Yield: 2 cups.

Chocolate Fondue

A simple, basic, yummy fodue recipe

2 squares semi sweet chocolate (1/4 cup chocolate chips)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter together, then stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.  Heat.  Serve with pound cake, angel food cake, marshmallows, mandarine oranges, bananas, apples, etc.

White Chocolate Mousse Pastry Horns

This is a bit of a Frankenstein recipe--the pastry horns come from a Pampered Chef recipe.  The mousse comes from off the box of puff pastry or bakers chocolate.

Use this filling to fill anything—be creative.  You can also buy puff pastry shells which is an easier (but less fun) alternative to the pastry horns.

Filling:

1 pkg. (6 squares) Baker’s Premium White Chocolate (or white chocolate chips)

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, divided

1 square semi-sweet or milk chocolate, melted (optional)

berries for garnish (optional)

In microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and ¼ cup cream on high 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Cool 20 minutes or until room temperature, stirring occasionally.  In a chilled bowl, place remaining cream.  Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form.  Do not over beat!  Fold half the whipped cream into white chocolate mixture.  Fold in remaining whipped cream just until blended.  Set aside.

Pastry Horns:

Be creative with other fillings—pudding, ice cream, yogurt, etc.

8 sugar ice cream cones

½ pkg. (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed

1 egg white

1 tsp. water

1 Tbsp. coarse white decorating sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line large sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.  Wrap each cone in a 6”-wide strip of aluminum foil, folding over excess foil at the wide end to create a handle.  Spray molds with cooking spray.  Unfold pastry onto lightly floured counter; roll into a 10” square using a lightly floured rolling pin.  Cut into 16 5/8” strips using a pizza cutter.  For each horn, starting at the pointed tip of one mold, wrap one pastry strip around horn, slightly overlapping edges of pastry strip and pinching tip.  Press end of second pastry strip onto end of first strip.  Continue wrapping second strip.  Place seam-side down on pan.  Whisk together egg white and water in a small bowl.  Lightly brush tops of horns with egg mixture; sprinkle with decorating sugar, if desired.  Bake 20-22 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Remove from oven to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes.  Carefully remove molds; cool completely.  Fill a pastry bag or zip lock bag with filling (snip corner of zip loc bag); fill each cone with filling.  Garnish with melted chocolate and/or berries, if desired.

Cream Puffs

Brett loves the classic vanilla pudding with chocolate on top, but you can fill these with anything, even savory fillings

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat water and butter to rolling boil in 2 1/2-quart saucepan.  Stir in flour.  Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat.  Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth.  Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes.  Cool away from draft.  Cut off tops; pull out any filament of saft dough.  Fill puffs.  Replace tops.  Drizzle with melted chocolate or as desired.  12 cream puffs.

Salted Caramel Candies

This is from a Pampered Chef cookbook.  Bailey made them by herself when she was 12 and they turned out perfectly!  It was the first time I had tried salted caramel and I loved it!

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. coarse salt

Line small sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper, allowing 1" to extend past sides; set aside.  Heat cream, butter and vanilla in a 1.5 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until simmering.  Cover to retain heat; set aside.  Pour sugar into a 3 qt. saucepan; drizzle in honey and water.  Carefully drag wooden spoon through mixture, making sure all sugar is moistened.  Cook without stirring over high heat 10-14 minutes or until mixture is a dark amber color, occasionally brushing sides of pan with moistened silicone baking brush to dissolve any sugar crystals that may appear.  Remove pan from heat.  Using clean wooden spoon, carefully and slowly stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously).  Continue to stir until mixture is smooth.  Return pan to stovetop; cook over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until bubbling subsides and mixture is thickened.  Pour caramel into prepared pan; cool 1 hr.  Sprinkle with salt; let stand an additional 30 minutes or until firm.  Lift parchment and caramel from pan; cut caramel into rectangles with pizza cutter.  Wrap in small pieces of parchment, if desired (if you don't, they will ooze into each other).  64 candies.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

This is from Family Fun Magazine.  It is LaRisa’s new favorite dessert. Note that you can double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan instead of the custard cups.

1 large egg

3 large egg yolks

1 ½ cups light cream or milk (whole or 2%)

2/3 cup sugar

¾ cup canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. each: cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves

3 ½ cups sturdy white bread, no crusts, in ¾” cubes

6 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips

2-3 Tbsp. light brown sugar

whipped cream for garnish

Heat the oven to 350°.  Whisk the egg and yolks in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk in the milk, sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, salt and spices.  Add the bread cubes and toss gently to dampen.  Set it aside for 15 minutes.  Spray 6 1-cup custard cups or ovenproof baking dishes.  Divide the batter evenly among them, sprinkle with chocolate chips, then spread 1-2 tsp. brown sugar over each (or you can double the recipe and use a 9x13 baking dish instead).  Place the cups in a shallow baking pan and pour hot water into the pan until it is halfway up the sides of the cups (don’t use the water if making it in a 9x13 pan).  Bake for about 40 minutes.  When done, the puddings will be puffy and golden brown on top and soft in the center, but with no uncooked custard visible (In the baking pan, the time was a little more—just watch for the other signs).  Transfer the cups to a cooling rack and cool for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.  Makes 6 servings.

Brownie Batter Dip

From Pinterest.  A variation on my family’s favorite fruit dip.

8 oz. cream cheese

½ cup butter

2-3 cups powdered sugar, based on desired consistency

5 Tbsp. flour

5 Tbsp. cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

3+ Tbsp. milk, based on desired consistency

1 tsp. vanilla

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter.  Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and 1 Tbsp. milk until combined.  Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla and 1 more Tbsp. milk if needed.  Beat until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar and milk alternately until dip reaches your desired consistency.  Serve with fruit, graham crackers, pretzels, Nilla wafers, etc.

Maracuja Mousse (Brazilian Passion Fruit Mousse)

We made this when Steven was called to Brazil.  The amount of passion fruit is more than the original recipe because we like the tang, but it made it too runny so we froze it.  Delicious!  We found frozen whole passion fruit and frozen passion fruit pulp at the asian/international market.

10-12 passion fruits

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups cream

Cut passion fruit in half and scoop insides into a bowl.  Mix with hands to soften pulp.  Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth.  Stir in sugar and sweetened condensed milk.  In a chilled bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold 1/3 of the cream into the passion fruit mixture, then quickly fold in remaining cream until no streaks remain.  Refrigerate for 1 hr. (or freeze).  Serves 6.