Elegant Punch

This punch looks really pretty in a punch bowl and so yummy!

2-2 litters of Fresca

2 cans of White Grape Juice concentrate (not thawed)

Pebbled Ice

Combine everything in a large punch bowl.  Drink!

Microwave Apple Crisp

 My oldest son, Tiger, brought this recipe home from his high school cooking class.  I was surprised at how good it is!  Fast, easy and yummy!

4 medium apples, peeled and sliced

½ cup butter or margarine

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup quick cooking oats

½ cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

1. Spread apples in a glass casserole dish.

2. Place butter in a small glass bowl.  Microwave on Low (30%) for 45 seconds to 1 minute until softened.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix until crumbly.  Spread over apples.

3. Microwave on High for 10-12 minutes or until apples are tender.  Top with ice cream or whipped cream.

Homemade Magic Shell

 My sister gave me this recipe.  It is just as yummy as the store bought kind and way less expensive!  It is super fast and easy to make.

90 grams (about ½ cup?) non-hydrogenated oil (coconut oil preferred)

130 grams (about 1 cup) chocolate chips (any flavor)

Dash sea salt

Heat oil on low on stove, add chocolate chips.  Stir until smooth.  Let cool and serve on ice cream or frozen fruit.

*Also try adding a little bit of flavored cream.  Experiment and add more as needed.

Cheesecake Supreme

This is from Better Homes & Gardens

My husband loves cheesecake, so I spent several years looking for a really good cheesecake recipe.  This is our favorite!  You can also make a double batch in a quarter sheet cake.  Put the crumb crust on the bottom of the quater sheet cake and not on the sides as you would with a single batch in a spring form pan. It cooks a little fater when in the quarter sheet cake, so keep an eye on it.

2	Cups crushed graham crackers (about 32 squares)
½	teaspoon ground cinnamon
½	Cup butter, melted
3	8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1	Cup sugar
2	Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon vanilla
2	Eggs
1	Egg yolk
¼	Cup milk

1. For crust, combine crushed crackers and cinnamon.  Stir in butter.  If desired, reserve ¼ cup of the crumb mixture for topping, (I don’t do this.)  Press remaining mixture onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of an un-greased 8- or 9-inch springform pan.  Set crust aside.

2. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, flour vanilla with an electric mixer until combined.  Add eggs and egg yolk all at once, beating on low speed just until combined.  Stir in milk.

3. Pour filling into crust-lined pan.  If desired sprinkle with reserved crumbs.  Place in a shallow baking pan in oven.  Bake in a 375 F oven for 45 to 50 minutes for an 8-inch pan, 35 to 40 minutes for a 9-inch pan, or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken.

4. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes.  Loosen crust from sides of pan; cool 30 minutes more.  Remove sides of pan; cool 1 hour.  Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Hints for a perfect cheesecake from Better Homes and Gardens Baking Cookbook:

1. Let you ingredients stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  This eases the mixing process.
2. Blend cheese and sugar thoroughly before adding anything else; once the batter thins, it is difficult to smooth out the lumps.
3. Avoid overbeating, especially after adding the eggs.  Overbeating incorporates too much air, causing the cake to putt, then fall and crack.
4. Don’t overbake.  An overbaked cheesecake is a dry and cracked cheesecake, so check it at the minimum baking time.  The cheesecake is done when the center appears nearly set.  A 1-inch area at its center will juggle slightly when the cheesecake is done (it will firm up as the cake cools).  Don’t do a knife or toothpick test in the cake’s center-it makes a crack.  And if there is sour cream in the batter, the knife won’t come out clean even when the cheesecake is done’
5. Set the timer for the exact cooling time given in the recipe.  When it rings, carefully loosen the crust of the cheesecake form the pan.   If you wait, the cheesecake may begin pulling away from he sides and crack.

Blondies

From The Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book

A saucepan and a spoon are all you need to mix up these butterscotch bars.

This has been a family favorite for years!

2 cups packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 6-ounce package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate pieces

1 cup chopped nuts (our favorite is pecans, but walnuts are good too)

1.     Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking pan; set aside.  In a medium saucepan heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.  Cool slightly.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in 3 eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Spread batter in the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate and nuts.

2.  Bake in a 350 F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.  Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.  Cut into bars while warm; cool completely in pan.

Banana Split Brownie Pizza

This is a family favorite. 

1 package (approximately 21 ounces) brownie mix

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

Banana slices

Strawberry slices

½ cup chopped nuts

1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Preheat over to 375 F.  Prepare brownie mix as directed on package.  Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Pour brownie mixture on paper and spread into 14-inch circle.  (Don't try this without the Parchment Paper.)  Bake 15-20 minutes or until set.  Cool completely.  Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Spread over brownie “crust”.  Chill.

We serve the browning crust with the cream cheese mixture and then let everybody put the toppings and drizzle that they want.  We do this for two reasons.  The pizza doesn't keep well with the topping on it and we wanted to save the left overs.  Not everybody likes the same toppings.  This way everybody can have what they want.

 Melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth.  Drizzle over pizza.  Cut with a pizza cutter.

Frozen Apple Crumble Pie

It has taken me years to perfect this one.  I have combined several different recipes from friends and cookbooks to get this one the way that I like it.  Thank you to everyone who has shared with me over the years.

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cardamom

5 medium granny smith apples

2 medium braeburn apples

          (Total apples=7-8 cups apples)

Mix dry ingredients in gallon size freezer bag.

Cut up apples and place in water with a little bit of lemon juice to keep from going brown.

Drain apples and add to dry ingredients in Ziploc bag.

Place in freezer.  It helps to place the Ziploc bag in the pie plate until it is frozen so that the apples will take the shape of the pie plate.  Use a deep dish pie plate for this recipe or they will bubble over in the oven and make a mess.  Yes, I am speaking from experience!

To make pie:

Make a pastry for a single crust pie.

Better Homes and Gardens pastry recipe:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

3 to 5 tablespoons cold water

In a mixing bowl stir together flour and salt.  Cut in shortening, till pieces are the size of small peas.  (I use my hands, I think it turns our better than when you use a pastry blender.)

Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork.  Push to side of bowl.  Repeat till all is moistened.  Form dough into a ball.  Roll out into a circle about 2 inches larger that pie plate turned upside down.  Roll onto rolling pin and unroll over pie plate.

Confession:  We have a big family of 6 hungry boys.  When I make pies I make a lot.  (We typically have as many as 10-12 for Thanksgiving!)  It takes too much time to mix the water in with a fork for that many pies.  I use the mixer on low speed and just pulse it a couple of times. 

Add the frozen apples.

Top with crumble.

Crumble:

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

¼ to ½ cup oatmeal

1/3 teaspoon baking powder

Using a pastry blender, combine until the size of small peas.  Do not over mix or you will get paste instead of crumble!

(Use this same topping for an Apple Crisp.  Double the crumble, place 6 cups apples mixed with ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a pan.  Top with crumble and bake.)  (or use the same apple recipe as in the pie for the apple spices.) (My family actually likes the crumble quadrupled!)

Baking:

Bake on bottom rack of a 375 F oven for 25 minutes.  Cover edges and bake an additional 25 minutes.

To reheat pies heat oven to 250 F.  Place pies in over for about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Heaven

With a name like Chocolate Heaven, this needs no other introduction!  Vanilla Ice Cream is a must with this!

8x8 pan size	9x13 pan size
1 cup	2 cups	Flour
1 ½ teaspoon	1 Tablespoon	Baking powder
½ teaspoon	1 teaspoon	Salt
½ cup	1 cup	Sugar
3 Tablespoons	¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons	Cocoa powder
½ cup	1 cup	Milk
3 Tablespoons	¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons	Vegetable oil
1 cup	2 cups	Brown sugar
3 Tablespoons	¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons	Cocoa powder
1 ¾ cups	3 ½ cups	Hot water
		Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and first measurement of cocoa powder.

2. Stir in the milk and oil until smooth.

3. Pour into greased pan.

4. Combine the brown sugar and remaining cocoa powder; sprinkle over batter.

5. Pour hot water over top, but do not stir.

6. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes.  It makes its own sauce, so serve it in bowls.

Southern BBQ Slow-Cooked Chicken

(From Key Lime Pie by Josi S. Kilpack)

¼  Corn Startch

1 (36-ounce) bottle ketchup

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients, except the chicken, in a bowl.  Cover the bottom of the slow cooker with the sauce.  Layer Chicken and sauce in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.  Use two forks to shred chicken and serve over cooked rice or on rolls for sandwiches.

Serves 8.

*Makes great leftovers.

** We put it on hamburger buns

Buttermilk Pancakes

Double-Quadruple Batch

(We feed six hungry boys every day, so we cook in BIG batches!)

8 cups Flour

½ cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

2 teaspoons Salt

8 Eggs

½ gallon Buttermilk

1 cup Cooking Oil

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.  Combine the egg, buttermilk, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (better should be lumpy.)  Add additional buttermilk to thin better, if necessary.

Pour batter onto a hot (350 F) lightly greased griddle.  Cook until bubble form on top of pancakes and edges are slightly dry, flip and finish cooking. 

Sweetheart Sugar Cookies

I never made sugar cookies because I never found a recipe that I likes.  My second oldest son, Panda loves sugar cookies and was always asking me to make them.  I told him that I didn't make them because I didn't have a good recipe.  One day Panda came home from kindergarten with this recipe in hand and said, "Mom, make these.  They are good!"  I made them and love them!  Now I make sugar cookies for Panda!

1 cup sugar

¾ cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups flour (a little more may be needed is dough is too soft)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Put sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl and beat until creamy.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.  Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Roll out dough, making sure you spread some flour down first.  Cut the dough into hearts or whatever you like.

Bake the cookies on a greased cookie sheet for 7-9 minutes.

Poured Cookie Icing

Wilton

This icing takes food coloring really well.  You can even get a really good black and red with this!

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoon light corn syrup

Place sugar and milk in bowl.  Stir until mixed thoroughly.  Add corn syrup and mix well.  For filling in areas, use thinned icing (add small amounts of light corn syrup until desired consistency is reached).

I usually use the Poured Cookie Icing or a Buttercream Icing for these cookies.

Snickerdoodles (Double Batch)

(Double Batch)

1 cup butter

1 cup butter flavor Crisco

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

4 teaspoons cream of tarter

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

5 ½ cups flour

Very cinnamony sugar

Cream butter, Crisco, sugar, eggs, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. 

Add flour slowly while mixing.

Chill dough overnight.

Roll into balls and then roll in cinnamony sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 350 F about 12 minutes.

I like to place the dough into a gallon size freezer Ziploc bag, making sure it is an even thickness.  After chilling overnight, I cut the bag open and then cut the dough into squares.  We then roll the square into balls and roll them in the cinnamony sugar.

Snickerdoodles (Single Batch)

I wasn't a fan of Snickerdoodles until we attended the wedding of a friend.  The mother of the groom made all of the cookies for the wedding.  My husband bugged me to get this recipe because he liked them so much! 

(Single Batch)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup butter flavor Crisco

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 3/4  cups flour

Very cinnamony sugar

Cream butter, Crisco, sugar, eggs, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. 

Add flour slowly while mixing.

Chill dough overnight.

Roll into balls and then roll in cinnamony sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 350 F about 12 minutes.

Ghost Cookies

Single Batch

1 cup shortening

2 cups Grandma’s Molasses

Dry Ingredients

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon grated orange peel spice

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon allspice

Cream Cheese frosting

Chocolate Chips

Triple Batch

3 cups shortening

6 cups Grandma’s Molasses

Dry Ingredients (Triple Batch)

15 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon grated orange peel spice

1 ½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon allspice

Cream Cheese frosting

Chocolate Chips

1.     In a large saucepan, bring to low boil on medium-high heat (stiring frequently.)

2.     Let cool to room temperature. Do not let cool too long, or a skim forms on the top.  Then you will need to reheat it and start over.

3.     Combine flour, baking soda, orange peels, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice.

4.     Add dry ingredients to shortening and molasses and stir.

5.     Chill 2 hours.

6.     Roll out on flour surface to desired thickness.  The recipe says 1/8” but I like mine a little thicker.

7.     Cut with ghost cookie cutter.

8.     Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 375 F for 8-9 minutes.  You do not want edges browned.

9.     Let cookies cool on a cooling rack.

10. When cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting and use 2 chocolate chips for eyes.