Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I love when strawberries come into season! We love to eat strawberries in any form. 

I have posted about a favorite dessert using strawberries in the past in my strawberry pretzel dessert recipe you can find here. I still enjoy this recipe but sometimes I just don't want to take the time for all the steps.

So I ran across this recipe on Pintrest and thought I would try it out since it seemed to use all my favorite parts of strawberry pretzel dessert but with a twist. While I liked this recipe, I decided to tweak it a little and make it slightly healthier.

Start by melting 1/2 c butter. Mix in 1/4 cup brown sugar until it dissolves. Stir in at least 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup pretzels. 

When I want to make a big batch of this dessert, I typically add more pecans and pretzels. Watch how much butter you add, it can become a mess when baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 7-9 minutes. I usually stir at least once halfway through. Watch it carefully so the mixture doesn't burn!

I make my own whipped topping. This helps greatly reduce the added sugar and preservatives. 

I usually put my mixing in the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes so it will be nice and cold. Then add an 8 oz container of heaving whipping cream and a tsp of vanilla. I mix it on high until stiff peaks form (5 minutes maybe?). Don't over mix or it will cause separation. NO SUGAR NEEDED!!

Just right consistency. I put the cream back into the freezer until I need it.

Meanwhile, slice/dice 2-3 cups fresh strawberries.

Just before serving, combine all ingredients together. The longer the pretzels are in the cream cheese mixture, the soggier the pretzels will become.  

I usually save a few strawberries and pretzel mix to garnish with.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 - 1 cup pecans, chopped

1-2 cups pretzels, chopped

8 oz heavy whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla, divided

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2-3 cups strawberries, chopped

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is combined. Add pecans and pretzels, stirring until fully coated. Spread mixture on jelly roll style pan. Cook for 7-9 minutes, stir at least once half way through cooking. Carefully watch mixture so it doesn't burn.

2. In a frozen mixing bowl, whip heavy whipping cream and 1 tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form. Place in freezer until ready to use.

3. Cream granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and cream cheese together. Gently fold in whipped cream.

4. Reserve a 1/4 cup pretzel mixture, 1/4 cup strawberries (or a whole strawberry), and 1 Tbs chocolate chips. Combine remaining ingredients together JUST BEFORE serving. Keep refrigerated.

Sweet Potato Snickerdoodles

I found my new favorite cookie recipe....sweet potato snickerdoodles. I've never been a fan of snickerdoodles but when my husband made these for me, I was hooked!

To see the recipe I originally found, click here.

SWEET POTATO SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES

PRINT

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

12 mins

TOTAL TIME

27 mins

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 18

INGREDIENTS

• *for the cookie dough*
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup {1 stick} unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup sweet potato puree{1 medium potato should be enough!}
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• *for the topping*
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Prepare your sweet potato by scrubbing it and drying it well. Poke holes on the surface with a fork, then wrap in a paper towel, and microwave for about 5 minutes, until soft and cooked through. Cut in half and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugars for the dough, until light and fluffy.
4. Using a spoon, scoop out the sweet potato flesh and add it to the butter-and-sugar mixture. I didn't measure mine precisely but a medium potato should be close to ¾ cup! Mix everything well using a hand or stand mixer, until well incorporated and smooth.
5. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and vanilla, and mix to combine.
6. Add in the flour, and mix until the dough just comes together.
7. If the dough is a little soft, let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up, as it needs to be able to be rolled in sugar without falling apart.
8. When ready, line two cookie sheets with parchment and set aside.
9. Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a small bowl.
10. Grab the cookie dough, scoop out spoonfuls about the side of a golfball, and drop them in the cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough around until completely crusted in sugar, then place on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
11. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, rotating trays halfway though.
12. Let cool slightly then enjoy! Store in an airtight baggie or container for best results.

Churros

For tonight's small group, we decided to have a Mexican theme. I looked for a recipe using ingredients I already had on hand to make a dessert and this is what I found....churros. I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com. The great thing about this recipe is that it also has a video you can watch to see how to make them. It's a very easy recipe to make and pretty delicious.

Churros

1 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup flour

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.
2. Heat 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.
3. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Caramel Apple Dip

We are always looking for new ideas about what to bring to our weekly small group meeting for church. My husband found this recipe at howdoesshe.com. I must say, I'm not a huge fan of caramel, but this recipe changed my mind. It has also worked well so that my 2 year old will eat more fruit without any complaints. In fact, he is often found liking up the last of the dip with his fingers!

Click here for the original recipe.

Caramel Apple Dip

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup whipping cream (I used the whole 8 oz container)

*Makes 2 1/2 cups

In a medium saucepan combine sugars, syrup and butter.

Cook over medum heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil, about 5 – 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

Stir in whipping cream.

Pour into a jar and store in refrigerator.  It will thicken when cold.

Chocolate Cappuccino Crumb Muffins

This is a recipe I had to beg from a friend because I loved it so much. I'm not a coffee fan but I could eat about a million of these muffins. Even my 2 year old son loved these "cupcakes".

Chocolate Cappuccino Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup butter, melted

1 egg

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon instant regular coffee (I double this to 3 teaspoons)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

10-12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (minis work best for this muffin)

Crumb Topping (makes enough for a double batch of muffins)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup cold butter cut into chunks

Combine all ingredients and stir with fork until well combined.

Directions

Blend milk, butter, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside. 

Blend in a large bowl flour, sugars, baking powder, coffee, salt, and cinnamon. 

Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry ingredients.

Mix on low speed just to blend. Do not over mix.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Place approximately 1/3 cup of mixture into each muffin cup. Sprinkle each with crumb topping.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

Yield: 15 muffins

Upside Down Apple Pie

Yet another amazing excuse to bake...our church's now annual chili and pie bake off. I participated with an apple pie 2 years ago that didn't place. So I knew I had to find something to stand out among the other entries. I'm not a huge pie fan myself but when I came across the recipe for upside down apple pie at nobblepig.com, I had to try it. Click here for the original website.

So, how did I do with my pie you might ask? I received second place (technically it was a tie). Not too bad if I say so myself. A couple of the judges came up to me afterwards raving about it. It really is that good and it's really very easy.

Upside Down Apple Pie

6 Tablespoons butter, melted & divided
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice 
5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & cut into 1/2" slices

Coat a pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray also. Now,I ran out of parchment paper and used aluminum foil instead. It worked okay but parchment paper would be best to keep the sugar from sticking to the foil.

In a small bowl combine 4 Tablespoons of melted butter, brown sugar and pecans. Mix well and spread evenly over the bottom of the pie plate, on top of the parchment. Place one of the crusts in the pie plate, pressing it firmly against the nut mixture and up the sides of the plate. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well. Add the apples in and toss gently to coat. Spoon into the pie crust.

Place the second crust over the apple mixture. Trim and fold the edges together to seal and cut some slits in the top of the crust for venting.  (I sealed the edges the best I could. I really couldn't fold and seal but it didn't matter at all.)

Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until crust is golden brown in a 375 degree oven. Make sure to place a cookie sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any drips from the pie.

Let the pie cool for 5 minutes and then place a plate that is larger than the pie on top of it and flip it over. Use oven gloves as it will still be hot. Remove the pie plate and gently lift the paper. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Fruit-Topped Triple Chocolate Pizza

In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share a perfect dessert recipe to make for your Valentine. This recipe comes from Pampered Chef's "All the Best" cookbook. It's a relatively easy dessert that you could prepare in stages to make it more convenient. Also, feel free to try different fruits with this recipe. The original recipe calls for strawberries and oranges but I've never been a fan of oranges and chocolate. I think you could easily substitute raspberries for the strawberries.

Fruit-Topped Triple Chocolate Pizza

1 package (18 ounce) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate for baking

2 tablespoons milk

1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping

12-16 strawberries, cut in half

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, well drained

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of a large round stone. Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to a 12-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are set. (Cookie will be soft. Do not overbake.) Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone using a serrated bread knife; cool completely on baking stone.

2. Place white chocolate and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; still until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Microwave an additional 10-20 seconds if necessary. Cool slightly. In another bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture; mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cookie. 

3 Arrange fruit over cream cheese mixture. Place chocolate morsels and vegetable oil in small microwavable bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 16 servings

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.



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.

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.

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.

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.

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.