Caramel Apple Pie Crunch

I found this recipe online when trying to find a good pie recipe for my church's pie contest last month. I didn't place but it gave me a good excuse to try making something I wouldn't normally do. I'm not a big fan of eating or making pies but this recipe was fairly easy and delicious.

Caramel Apple Crunch Pie

8 to 10 servings Bake: 50 minutes
Prep: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Piecrust (recipe follows)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 large, tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (6 cups)
2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

1. On the lightly floured surface, roll out about two thirds of the piecrust to a 13- to 14-inch circle and turn it into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour and cinnamon. Add the apples and toss together. Turn mixture into piecrust.

3. In a medium bowl, mix rolled oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the apple mixture.

4. Roll out remaining pastry and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Weave over the top of the pie to form a lattice crust. Press ends of strips into crust rim. Fold bottom pastry over strips. Seal and crimp edge.

5. Brush the lattice top and crust with a mixture of the egg yolk and the water. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with aluminum foil.

6. Bake the pie in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil . Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until filling is bubbly. Remove pie from oven and drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Piecrust: Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea size. Using a total of 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water, sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over part of the mixture and gently toss the mixture with a fork. Push the moistened dough to one side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until all of the dough is moistened. Divide into thirds.



All of the babies born within 6 weeks of each other at church.



Apple Upside-down Cake

This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen. It's a delicious twist from the traditional pineapple version. 

Apple Upside-down Cake

Serves 8

You will need a 9-inch nonstick cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high for this cake. Alternatively, use a 10-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet (don’t use cast iron) to both cook the apples and bake the cake, with the following modifications: Cook the apples in the skillet and set them aside while mixing the batter (it’s OK if the skillet is still warm when the batter is added) and increase the baking time by 7 to 9 minutes. If you don’t have either a 2-inch high cake pan or an ovenproof skillet, use an 8-inch square pan.

Ingredients

Topping:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces, plus extra for pan
4 Granny Smith apples or Golden Delicious (about 2 pounds), peeled and cored
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (4 2/3 ounces)
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

Cake:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch round, 2-inch-deep nonstick cake pan; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Halve apples from pole to pole. Cut 2 apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside. Cut remaining 2 apples into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add 1/2-inch-thick apple slices and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until apples begin to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Add 1/4-inch-thick apple slices, brown sugar, and lemon juice; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are coated, about 1 minute longer. Transfer apple mixture to prepared pan and lightly press into even layer. Set aside while preparing cake.

3. FOR THE CAKE: Whisk flour, cornmeal (if using), baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly over fruit. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Cool pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place wire rack over cake pan. Holding rack tightly, invert cake pan and wire rack together; lift off cake pan. Place wire rack over baking sheet or large plate to catch any drips. If any fruit sticks to pan bottom, remove and position it on top of cake. Let cake cool 20 minutes (or longer to cool it completely), then transfer to serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.

Zucchini Pizza

This interesting recipe comes from the South Bend Tribune. It is the most unique recipe I have found that helps use up some of our large zucchini crop.

Zucchini Summer Pizza

4 cups finely shredded zucchini or yellow summer squash

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

salt to taste

I added garlic powder and Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put shredded zucchini or squash in a strainer and lightly salt. Let stand 15-30 minutes to allow water to drip out. Press so all remaining liquid comes out of squash.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine squash, flour, cheeses, eggs, and seasonings. Mix well.

Spread the mixture into a greased and floured (or cornmeal-dusted) jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. (I used a parchment lined pan.)

Remove the crust from the oven and change the oven's temperaure to (low) broil. Brush the top of the crust with olive oil, then broil the crust for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

Allow the crust to cool slightly and slide spatula underneath al edges and under the middle. Place a largebaking sheet over the top of the crust and gently flip the crust so that the bottom of the crust is now facing upwards.

Because it can be difficult to flip the evenly, it may be necessary to cut the crust. To omit the flipping is okay, but the crust won't be as crunchy.

Brush the top of the crust with oil and broil another 3 to 5 minutes until the top is browned. Cover with toppings as desired and Alfredo Sauce with Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach (recipe follows).

Alfredo Sauce with Sundried Tomato and Spinach

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons chicken base (I used a boullion cube)

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

8 ounces ricotta cheese (I used the smallest container I could find)

20 ounces half and half (I chose to use the smaller 16 ouce container)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

white pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh spinach (I cut it into small strips)

Italian seasoning to taste

In a medium-sized saucepan, add garlic and butter on medium heat. When butter is melted, add flour and chicken base and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and ricotta cheese and whisk together while adding the half-ad-half. AddParmesan and whisk until smooth. Add pepper and seasonings to taste. Add spinach and simmer on low until heated through.

Cast Iron Stuffed Pizza

My husband Dave is the creative cook in our family. This is his most recent creation.

Cast Iron Stuffed Pizza

Dave used the pizza dough I made and rolled it out to fit in the cast iron skillet. He baked it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. (I'll brush some olive oil all over the dough at this point but that's optional) Then, added pizza sauce and sausage (or your favorite pizza topping). He had some left over dough so he rolled that out and placed it on top of the sauce and sausage. Bake that for another 10 minutes to keep the dough from getting soggy. Next, add more sauce and toppings. Cover with cheese and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Parmesean cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This recipe came from one of my coworkers. I'm not sure where she found it but this is such a delicious cake! I did have a little problem with the bottom of the cake staying in the loaf pan after it was cooled but I did add more than half a cup of chocolate chips (a broken cake is worth the extra chocolate!!).

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups grated zucchini

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omited this since we don't really like nuts in our cake)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add zucchini mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into 2 greased 5x9-inch loaf pans.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and remove from pans.

Chef''s Special

Well it's been quite awhile since my last posting for several reasons. One, it's been way to hot to think about baking or cooking. Two, I had a baby at the end of July!

Dave and I with our son, Benjamin.

Rhubarb Crisp

I really enjoy this time of year...all the flowers blooming, warmer weather, and gardens starting to produce delicious fruits and vegetables. This recipe reminds me of the dessert my grandmother used to make when I was growing up. I found this recipe online, to see the original recipe, click here.

Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:
In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb.
In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb.Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes.

Peanut Butter Gobs

I love peanut butter. So, one of my favorite gob flavors? Chocolate gob with peanut butter filling. Mmmm.... I still prefer the chocolate gob recipe from when I made chocolate cherry gobs. However, you can omit the cinnamon if you want when making the peanut butter gobs. I found the recipe for the peanut butter filling at Martha Stewart's website.

Chocolate Gobs

3/4 cup flour use 1 1/4 cup flour if making gobs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon(optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt; set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture.

To make gobs: make batter as above. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place rounded tablespoon of frosting between 2 cakes.

Peanut Butter Filling

2/3 cup creamy peanutbutter

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Lemon Gobs

I decided to look for a good gob recipe for spring. I ended up making two different batches of lemon gobs. One of the cake recipes I made from scratch & found from the Sweet Charity Pie blog (for the original recipe, please click here.) The other recipe is a variation of my mother-in-law's gob recipe using a cake mix. On a side note, I highly recommend adding a little raspberry jam with this gob, it gives it a unique taste!

This is a picture of the cake mix lemon gob.

This is a picture of the made from scratch lemon gobs.

Lemon Whoopie Pies
adapted from the Bit Fat Cookie book via Joy the Baker
yields 6-8 giant whoopie pies

For the cookies:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 T. lemon zest, finely grated
1 egg
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk (I use 1/2 c skim milk with 2 tablespoons lemon juice)

For the filling:
6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. (6 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature (I went ahead & used 8 oz)
1 t. vanilla
1 T. lemon zest, finely grated
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 3/4 c. confectioner's sugar

To make the cookies:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during the mixing. Add the egg, lemon juice and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. The batter may look curdled, and that's okay. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture just until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth again.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10- 12 minutes- a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie should come out clean, and the tops will be firm but not brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling:
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until thoroughly blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar (in batches) and mix until smooth. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To assemble:
Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Scoop about 3 T. of filling onto each. If your filling is really firm, spread it to within a 1/4" of the edge of the cookies. Gently press the flat bottoms of the remaining cookies onto the filling until it reaches the edges.
Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold. The wrapped cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Grandma's Gobs Lemon Cake Mix Recipe

1 box lemon cake mix

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare according to cake mix directions adding flour and baking powder. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix. Cool. Place a tablespoon of filling between two cakes.

Strawberry Fudge Pie

This recipe comes from Pillsbury to celebrate Pi Day (3/14/10). The original recipe calls for baking this desert in a pie shell but I thought it was unnecessary so I omitted it. To see the original recipe, click here.

Strawberry Fudge Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1	refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box (optional)
Brownie Layer
1	(10.25-oz.) pkg. fudge brownie mix
Cheesecake Layer
1	(8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4	cup sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
1	egg
Topping
3	cups fresh strawberries, halved
2	tablespoons hot fudge ice cream topping (I used chocolate chips & a small amount of shortening)

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on package for one-crust filled pie. (Optional)
2.	In large bowl, combine all brownie layer ingredients; beat 50 strokes with spoon. Spread in bottom of crust-lined pan (or greased pie pan).
3.	Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is shiny and center is set. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. (omit foil if not using crust)
4.	Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and 1 egg; beat until smooth. Working quickly, drop cream cheese mixture by small spoonfuls over partially baked brownies; carefully spread to cover brownie layer. Bake an additional 18 to 20 minutes or until cream cheese is set. Cool at least 1 hour.
5.	Arrange strawberry halves, cut side down, over top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 1 hour or until serving time. Immediately before serving, place ice cream topping in small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on DEFROST for 45 seconds. Spoon into small resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag; squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Store in refrigerator.

I hope you enjoy this fresh strawberry dessert as much as I did. Brownies and cheesecake are always a favorite of mine so combining all of these together were wonderful & easy.

Andes Creamy Mint Brownies

I found this recipe on the internet when trying to find a fun dessert recipe for St Patrick's Day. To see the original recipe, click here. The pictures I took accidentally were deleted from my computer. The only difference from my compared to the one posted is that I tinted my frosting green for St Patrick's Day. These were very easy to make & a HUGE hit with everyone.

Andes Creamy Mint Brownies

Brownies:

1 package fudge brownie mix eggs, oil and water according to package
1/2 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Topping:

4 squares (1 oz. ea.) white baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided (may use cool whip rather than 1 cup whipping cream)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Lightly grease baking pan.

Prepare brownie mix as directed; stir in Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. Add nuts if desired.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake according to package directions. (I used a 9 x 13 baking dish)

Cool in baking pan completely.

Topping:

In a saucepan, combine white chocolate and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Refrigerate 30-40 minutes or until chilled.

In a mixing bowl, beat heavy cream, gradually adding the 2 tbsp. of granulated sugar, until stiff peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. (May substitute this step with cool whip)

Fold in 1/4 cup Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. (May tint frosting with a few drops of green food coloring if desired)

Spread over brownies. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup chips. Cover; refrigerate.

Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 9 - 16 Brownies

Mint Chocolate Chip Gobs

This is a fun dessert to have for St Patrick's Day. I tinted the filling to a light green by adding a few drops of green and yellow food coloring when mixing the filling. No need to tint the filling, it just gives it a different look.

Mint Chocolate Chip Gobs

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped Andes mints

Follow cake mix directions adding flour and baking powder. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix. Cool. Place a tablespoon of filling (recipe below) between two cakes. Makes about 18 gobs.

Gob Filling

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

8 oz Marshmallow Creme

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 teaspoons milk

6 drops green food coloring (optional)

2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Cream ingredients together on medium. Continue beating on high for at least 5 minutes to make a very fluffy filling.

Coconut Cake

This really isn't much of a recipe, I was just proud of myself for finally learning how to toast coconut! I wanted to find something interesting to put between the two layers but didn't have a lot of time and couldn't find anything that seemed appetizing.

Coconut Cake

1 box white cake mix

1 can white frosting

1 cup toasted coconut (directions below)

Make cake according to the box directions. I baked mine as two 9 inch cakes. After the cakes finished cooling, I frosted them by staking one on top of the other with some frosting in between.

Once I was finished frosting the cakes, I patted the toasted coconut all over before the frosting became too dry.

To toast coconut: make an even layer of coconut on a baking pan. Bake 7-12 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally to avoid burning the coconut.

BBQ Meatballs

This is another recipe that was a favorite at Clovia that I have modified slightly. For the sauce, I usually just use whatever bottled sauce I have on hand.

1 can (13 ounce) evaporated milk (can use regular milk)
3 pound hamburger
2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients and shape into balls (the size of a walnut). Place in a flat pan, only one layer to each pan. (I line my pan with aluminum foil for easier clean up.)Pour barbeque meatball sauce over meatballs and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Cherry Chocolate Gobs

This recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the February 2009 issue. I've been wanting to make this recipe & finally decided that it would be a great Valentine's Day treat. The magazine made it as a 4 layer cake or it could be made into cupcakes. With some added flour, it easily became my favorite chocolate gob recipe. The chocolate covered cherries also went over very well. I doubled the cherry juice for the icing but it still didn't taste cherry enough for me. Guess I will still have to work on that.

Chocolate-Cherry Stake Cake

3/4 cup flour use 1 1/4 cup flour if making gobs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6x2 inch round cake pans or springform pans. Set pans aside.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt; set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

Bake 22 to 26 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.

Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with chocolate-dipped cherries. Serves 8.

To make gobs: make batter as above. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place rounded tablespoon of frosting between 2 cakes.

Cherry Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat on medium-high until fluffy. I beat the whipping cream separately on high for 2 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

Drain 16 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening. Cook on 50% power (medium) 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare recipe for above cake batter. Line sixteen 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill each cup with two slightly rounded tablespoons of cake batter. Bake 18 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely on wire rack. To assemble, top each cupcake with cherry or chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

I have modified this old favorite recipe that I first found in college when living at Clovia. This was a house favorite recipe that we would often have on Sunday lunch.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

2 pounds hash browns, defrosted
1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix above ingredients together except for corn flakes and put in a greased 9x13 pan. Place corn flakes on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Dirt Dessert

I believe I got this recipe from foods class in high school. It's a dessert I've been making for years because of how delicious it is. I bet it's a dessert that will disappear just as quick in your house as it does in mine!

Dirt Cake

1 large package cream filled chocolate cookies (aka Oreos)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (9 ounce) container whipped topping

3 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla

Crush cookies and put half in 9x13 inch pan. Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix powdered sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Mix pudding, milk, and vanilla. Fold these two mixtures together and pour over crumb crust. Top with remaining crumbs. Keep refrigerated.

Mustard Green Beans

This recipe comes from the Wallace side of my family. At every holiday meal we always have mustard green beans. If you like mustard & green beans, I think this recipe will become a family favorite of yours too.

Mustard Green Beans

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Bring above sauce ingredients to a boil for 1 minute. Pour sauce over 2 cans French style green beans that have been heated and drained.

Bistro Chicken Twist

This recipe comes from The Pampered Chef All the Best cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook since it has a nice variety of recipes & shows creative ways to "shape" your food. If you're familiar with Pampered Chef recipes, then you're probably already aware that they have recipes that shape your main dish into a ring, wreath, or braid. This cookbook shows all 3 shapes & a variety of ways to use them.

Bistro Chicken Twist

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (as always, I threw some frozen chicken breast in the crock pot the night before)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I had frozen leftover from the garden & used that rather than buying fresh in the middle of winter)

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat & it worked fine)

1 garlic clove, pressed (I use minced garlic in a jar, either works)

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough (I made 2 braids, the other I used dough made in my bread machine, it worked pretty well)

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375. Combine chicken, bell pepper, basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and garlic; mix well. I let mine sit covered over night in the refrigerator so that it wouldn't take as much time to make the next day, it worked very well doing this.

Place bread dough, seam sides up, on cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough. Roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down the center of each loaf.

Spoon half of the mixture of the chicken down the center of each loaf. (see picture below) Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on baking sheet. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of baking sheet and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf.

Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Variation: Pepperoni Pizza Twist

For filling, combine 1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced

1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained & chopped

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pressed garlic clove

Continue as recipe above directs starting with cutting the French bread. Sprinkle the loaf with 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese before baking.

Ham Chowder

I found this recipe on the internet when trying to come up with an idea to somehow use the leftover ham we had from a previous dinner. I also happened to have some leftover carrots, celery, & potatoes to use too. To see the original recipe, click here.

Ham Chowder

Ingredients

• 5 potatoes, cubed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cups ham, diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained (I had frozen on hand so that's what I used instead)
• 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper (adjust to taste)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 cups approx water (enough to cover)

• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions

In slow cooker place the potatoes, onions, ham, celery, corn, butter or margarine and salt and pepper. Add water to cover and add two bouillon cubes.

Cook on low setting for 8 - 9 hours. Stir in the evaporated milk, and continue to cook for 30 more minutes.