Raspberry Ribbons

(Scandinavian Cookies)

 1 C. butter, room temperature (no substitutes)

 1 egg yolk

 1 C. powdered sugar

 1 t. vanilla

 2 1/2 C. flour

 2 t. lemon juice

 1 t. cream or milk

 1/2 C. raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375*F .  Cream the butter, 1/2 C. sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until light. Add the flour a little at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth.

Divide the dough into 4 parts. Use your palms to roll out each part into a snake about 3/4” thick, and the length of a cookie sheet.  Place the snakes about 2” apart on the cookie sheet. With your finger, make a little groove down the center of each snake.  Bake for 10 minutes. Fill each groove with jam. Bake for 5 more minutes, till golden brown. To decorate mix the remaining powdered sugar with the cream to make a smooth icing. Drizzle across the length of the cookies. Cut the cookies at a 45* angle 1” wide.

-Taralee Cooper

Mint Cookie Cheesecake

Mint Cookie Cheesecake

2 C. Chocolate Graham cracker crumbs (or Oreo cookie crumbs)

 1/4 C. Butter or margarine, melted

 32 oz. (4 pkgs) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

 1 C. Sugar

 1 t. Vanilla

 1 C. Sour cream

 4 eggs

2 1/2 C. coarsely chopped Chocolate Mint Girl Guide cookies, or Chocolate Enrobed Cookies with Mint Cream (sold at Costco)

Preheat oven to 325*F. Combine cracker crumbs with melted butter, and press into a 9x13 baking pan, or a 10” spring form pan to form crust.

 In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Add sour cream and mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Chop up peppermint cookies into course pieces. Remove 1/2 C. of the chunks, and gently stir the remaining pieces into the cream cheese batter. Pour the batter over the crust; sprinkle the top with the 1/2 C. of cookie pieces.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool in a warm place (to prevent cracking temperature must decrease slowly after removing from the oven). Once completely cooled cheesecake must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before serving.

 -Taralee Cooper

Banana Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. mashed ripe banana
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I use sour cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed


Topping:

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 c. rolled oats
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees grease and flour bottoms only of three (6 x 3 1/2 inch) loaf pans ( one 9x5 inch loaf pan can be used). In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. add bananas, yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into greased and floured pans. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over each loaf. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes (60-70 for large loaf pan), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. ** you may need to cover with aluminum foil about half way through so that the topping doesn't burn.** Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely

-Jessi Nelson

Mama’s Buns/Cinnamon Rolls

2 Cups Warm Water

1 T Yeast

½ Cup Dry Milk
2 T Sugar (double and use brown sugar for cinnamon rolls)

2 eggs

½ Cup melted Butter

1 t salt

About 8 cups of flour

Mix together 1^st 4 ingredients in bowl till smooth.  Add eggs, salt, and enough flour to make thin pancake type batter.  Pour melted butter along sides of bowl as to not cook eggs, mix until glassy looking. Add flour slowly well mixing until sticky dough forms.  Spray bowl with nonstick spray and let raise for about 1 hour or until double.  Punch down, form rolls and let rise to double again before cooking at 350 for 25-30 min, should be golden brown and hollow sounding when done.

For cinnamon rolls punch down and roll out into a thin rectangle. Cover with melted butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and cut with thread set on greased pan and let rise until double.  Cook at that same temp and time as rolls.

-Irene Beyrich

To Die for Brownies

1 Brownie mix

1 jar of marshmallow creme

1 jar of chocolate frosting

(you could probably make these things from scratch, but they're pretty cheap when they go on sale and it makes for a quick dessert when you're in a hurry)

Make the brownies as directed and spread the marshmallow creme on hot brownies straight from the oven. Allow the brownies to cool and then spread the chocoate frosting over the top. That's all, but they're to die for.

-Nicole Goring

Swedish Visiting Cake

1 cup white sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Grated zest of 1 lemon (or a squirt of lemon juice, if you don't happen to have fresh lemons lying around)

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (or imitation, if you're too poor to buy the real thing :)

1 cup all-purpose flour (I use half whole-wheat)

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I use margarine for half and replace the other half with ground flax seed meal)

About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not) (optional--especially if your husband is allergic)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and the extracts.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist.  Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

 
-Jennifer Ricks (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's original in Baking, From My Home to Yours)

Peach Cobbler

5 peaches, peeled and diced    

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp flour     

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 c. flour          

6 Tbsp brown sugar

6 Tbsp margarine         

2 Tbsp pecans, chopped

whipped or vanilla ice cream

Combine peaches, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Place in 11 x 7 in baking dish.  Blend flour, brown sugar, butter and nuts until consistency is similar to oatmeal (nut topping).  Cover the contents of the dish with the nut topping. 

Bake @ 350˚ for 30 to 40 min. or until topping is golden brown.  Serve topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

-Michelle Payne

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg Oreos

1 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

Candi-quik (any flavor)

Take 7 Oreos out of the package; eat them.

Place remainder of Oreos in a food processor or blender. Pulverize them.

Mix cumbs with cream cheese.

Form into balls.

Refrigerate or freeze them until firm.

Dip in melted candi-quik.

-Kate Kmetszch

Molten Lava Cake

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, Spray 2 custard cups w/ cooking spray.

Melt 2 - 1oz. semi-sweet chocolate squares with 1/4 C Butter

Add 1/2 C powdered sugar

Mix in 1 egg and 1egg yolk

Add 3 Tblsp flour

Pour in cups and bake for 14 minutes

Let sit for a few minutes, then take a knife around the edge to loosen. Turn upside & serve with whipped cream or Ice cream.


-Lisa Mackrory

Lemon Lush

1 c. + 1 Tbsp flour                                            
½ c. butter, softened 
--mix & press into 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 20 min.  Let cool.

2 (8 oz) cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar                                         

½ of 12 oz. tub cool whip

--mix until creamy, spread on cooled crust.

2 (3 ½ oz) pkg instant lemon pudding

3 c. milk

--mix 3 min until thick, spread over cream cheese mixture. 

Spread remaining cool whip over pudding and refrigerate 3 hrs.

**Can substitute Lemon pudding for chocolate or banana or whatever you like.

-Michelle Payne

Lemon Bars

2 C flour

¾ C powdered sugar

1 C margarine

½ tsp salt

Blend like pie crust and spread in 9x 13 pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350º. 

While baking mix:

4 eggs

2 C sugar

4 Tbs lemon juice

¼ C flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp lemon extract

Blend and pour on baked mixture and bake about 20 minutes.  Sprinke powdered sugar on top; cool.  Cut into squares.

-Dawnee Godfrey

Homemade Strawberry Frozen Yogurt - Altered Recipe

2 Quarts:

4 cups vanilla yogurt

1 1/2 cups puréed strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Freeze in a homemade ice cream maker.

-Dawnee Godfrey

Homemade Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

2 Quarts:

4 cups plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups frozen, sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Freeze in a homemade ice cream maker.  

-Dawnee Godfrey

Ghirardelli Award Winning Brownies

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocao (this is actually cheaper than normal cocao at Walmart)
2/3 cup unsifted flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1 cup 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Using a spoon, stir eggs with sugar and vanilla; add butter.  Sift Sweet Ground Chocolate with flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir into egg mixture; add nuts.  Stir in chips.  Spread into a greased 8 inch or 9 inch square pan.  Bake 20-30 minutes 

For extra chewy brownies, use 8 inch pan and less baking time.  For cake-like brownies, use 9 inch pan and longer baking time.  Cut into squares.  Makes 16-20 brownies.

-Katherine Matthews

Fyrstekake- “First Cake”

Makes 2 - 9" rounds

1 1/4 C. Butter

1 1/3 C. Sugar

2 Egg yolks

1/4 C. Whipping Cream

3 3/4 C. Flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. Baking Powder

Cream first 4 ingredients and mix in dry ingredients to form soft dough. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Use one portion and roll on floured surface into a 9" round. (I make it a little bit smaller and then just pat it in with your fingers to fit.) Repeat, using another portion, or store in the refrigerator in plastic. It will last in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Filling:

1/2 C. Almonds

1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

1/3 C. water

1/2 tsp. Almond Flavoring or Extract

1 Can (12.5 oz.) Solo Almond filling

Grind almonds very, very fine in food processor. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Cover dough in pan with filling. (This also stores for several weeks, even months in the refrigerator, so if you are only making one pan, you can save the other half of the filling until you are ready to make the second fyrstekake.)

Take another portion of dough and roll it out in a rectangular shape on floured surface. (Don't roll too thin or else it is too hard to pick up. I think I roll mine less than a 1/4 of an inch thick--probably more like 1/8 inch.) Cut into strips with a pastry roller. I make them less than 1/2" wide. You will be able to tell if you are going to have enough strips as you go along—if not, then roll the remaining dough out a little thinner or cut the strips a little narrower to complete the pastry.

Cover the filling with laced crisscross strips of dough and around edge.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour or until light golden brown.

-Jackie S.

Dump Cake

1 20 oz can pinapple tidbits
1 20 oz can cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2-3/4 cup butter (melted)

Grease sides and bottom of 9x13 pan.
Spread cherry pie filling on bottom of pan.
Pour pineapple over cherries (including juice).
Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top.
Drizzle butter evenly (you don't want to leave large dry spots).

Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes (until top is slightly browned)

-Nicole Bergmann

BANANA CREAM PIE (LAZY, BUT GOOD)

1 pkg of graham cracker pie crust (pre-packaged ones)

1 small pkg of JELLO Banana Cream Pudding

1 small pkg of JELLO Sugar-free Vanilla Pudding

1 small bunch of bananas (optional)

Prepare both packages of Jello puddings as instructed. Once they’ve cooled, mix them

together into the same bowl and let them cool for a little bit longer in the fridge. Line/coat

the bottom of the (opened/unwrapped) pie crust with thinly-sliced (or thick if you prefer)

bananas. Pour the Jello pudding mix into the coated pie crust and spread evenly with a spatula.

**NOTE: I usually use the smaller packages of Jello for this pie and it is ALWAYS sufficient.  If you use the bigger packages, the mix might overflow the sides of the pie tin. OR, you’ll just have

extra pudding! **

Top the pie off with another round of sliced bananas and refrigerate until consumption. ENJOY!

-Paola Jellings

Apple Crisp

8 c. sliced, pared apples          

1 1/3-1 ½ c. brown sugar

1 c. flour          

1 c. oats

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon       

1 ½ tsp. nutmeg

2/3 c. butter, softened  

whipped or ice cream (optional)

Place apples in greased 9 x 13 pan.  Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly.  Sprinkle over apples.  Bake @ 375˚ for 30 min or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.  Serve warm.  If desired, top with whipped cream or ice cream.

-Michelle Payne

Snickers Salad

6 green apples, cut in small pieces

6 snickers bars, chopped

8 oz bar cream cheese, softened so it’s at room temperature

1 small box vanilla pudding mix

1 large container cool whip

Mix together cream cheese, pudding mix until smooth. Mix in cool whip. Stir in apples. Mix in snickers JUST BEFORE serving.

-Jackie S.

Banana Berry Crème Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 Large fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 Large package instant banana cream pudding
12 oz. light cool whip
3-4 Bananas
Package of frozen berries
 

DIRECTIONS
Mix the yogurt and pudding powder together really well.

Fold in the cool whip, berries (thawed) and banana slices.

Chill until ready to serve.

*When using fat-free yogurt and light cool whip this is a reasonably healthy sweet fix!*

- Ashley Crosby