Chex Peanut Butter Bars

*Gluten Free
These are just like scotcheroos but without the butterscotch chips. Chewy and delicious with a homemade frosting.

7 cups Rice or Corn Chex
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
Mom's Chocolate Frosting recipe below
Grease a large bowl and pour the chex in. Set aside. Grease a 9x13 dish. In a pot on medium heat melt sugar and corn syrup, stir till boils. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, stir till smooth and pour over chex. Gently fold in till chex are evenly coated. Pour into 9x13. Set aside and make frosting.
Mom's Chocolate Frosting:
1 cube butter
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/3 cup canned milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Melt butter. Add cocoa and milk stirring constantly with a whisk just till it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk till smooth and immediately pour over chex bars. Let cool completely. Cut into bars. **This frosting is the best! Pour it on sheet cake recipes or bundt cakes or brownies.**

Shellie's Mint Fudge

This is so creamy and good. You would never guess its easy and quick!

1 bag milk chocolate chips (Guittard brand is best)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed candy canes for topping
Melt over low heat chips, milk and salt, when smooth, remove from heat and add extract. Spread into a foil-lined 8 or 9" pan. Sprinkle with candy cane and chill in fridge at least 2 hours. Turn out onto cutting board, remove foil and cut into squares. Store covered at room temp. Makes 2 lbs.

Holly's Apple Crisp

Oh my. This is Fall in a bowl! Warm, soft apples with a crunchy, buttery top. Get your gallon of good vanilla ice cream ready!!
5 apples peeled, chopped (any variety or a mix. I mix red delicious and granny)
1/4-1/3 cup sugar, depends on tartness of apples
1/2-1 tsp or so cinnamon
half a lemon
Grease an 11x7 baking dish. Put chopped apples in bottom. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Squeeze lemon over apples.
For topping:
3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, really soft
pecans, optional
with your fingers in a bowl, mix topping ingredients till large crumbs. Sprinkle over apples, Bake @350 for 55 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh cream drizzled over.

Best Berry Shakes

We were licking our glasses!!!
2 cups frozen fruit (mixed berries-straw,black,rasp,blue)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp  pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
Blend in blender till thick and the texture you want! Delicious.

Shellie's Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars

These are like heaven. Buttery, salted caramel gooey heaven. Thank u Shellie!

Cookie:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 bars of good chocolate, chopped
3/4 bag Guittard milk chocolate chips

Caramel:
10 oz caramel squares (Shellie uses the balls from target, no unwrapping!)
3 T evaporated milk

Sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325. Make cookie dough. Melt caramels and milk in a pot, stirring constantly. In a 9x13 spread half the dough. Pour caramel over top. Sprinkle with sea salt. Drop remaining dough over caramel, as even as possible. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 30mins (May need up to 45). Cool and cut into bars. Get ready to eat half the pan yourself!

Help U Sell Apple Fritters

2 eggs
1 T sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup flour, plus 1 1/2 more for dredging
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 pound apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into rings 1/4" thick
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting
Cinnamon
Whisk eggs, sugar, milk, 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add apple rings, pushing down to soak up liquid. Put 1 1/2 cups flour in a bowl. Add 3 inches oil to pan, heat. Working in batches, dredge rings in flour and fry till golden, 1-2 mins. Transfer to paper towels to cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Can mix cinnamon in first if you like! To serve, stack in a little pile on the plate. Serves 4-6.

Plum Pudding Cake

My sister and I have a lot of plums laying around. I personally got a little overzealous while picking. (I do that all the time. I love to pick, hate to process! Haha!) Anyway, she found this recipe on Tammysrecipes.com. (go to her site and see the lovely pic!)  It is SSSOOOO delish. It makes the house smell like Christmas and then eating it is a real treat. If you remember plum pudding from childhood this is a fantastic version! Everyone in my family loved it. Even my picky one.

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose or cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups washed and halved plums (pits removed, too!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup boiling water

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. Beat in the milk and oil. Spread mixture in an ungreased 8x8-inch baking dish. Layer the halved plums on top.

3. Whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the plum-topped batter. Pour the boiling water over everything!

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until cake is browned on top. (The top layer should test done with a fork with only a few crumbs, if you're unsure.)

Serve warm or cold. Perfect with ice cream or all by itself! :)

I doubled this and put in a 9x13. It cooked in exactly 1 hour and was perfect. (my sis did the same thing and had same results)

Erin&Sarah's Cinnamon Roll Cake

Seriously to die for!!!! Make this now. Cake: 3 cups flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 cups milk 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 1 stick butter, melted Topping: 1 stick butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 2 T flour 1 T cinnamon Mix all cake ingredients except butter. Slowly stir in melted butter. Pour in greased 9x13. For topping, mix all ingredients till well combined, drop evenly over cake batter and swirl with knife. Bake 350 for 28-30 mins. Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 5 T milk 1 tsp vanilla While cake is still warm drizzle over top. Enjoy the dreaminess!!

Erin's Pinterest Peanut Butter Bars

Amazing.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter(split)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups quick oats
Frosting:
1 stick butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 T cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350. In bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl mix butter, sugars,3/4 cup peanut butter, eggs and vanilla till light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients gradually. Stir in oats. Spread in a greased 11x15 pan. Bake 12-15 mins. Cool 10 mins.
For frosting: whip remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter till fluffy. Spread over bars. Next, melt butter in sauce pan, add milk and cocoa, cook and stir constantly till boils. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Then gradually add pow sugar. Stir till thickens. Pour onto bars and gently spread. cool completely and cut into bars.

Easy, Yet Delicious Chocolate Pudding

I got this from America's Test Kitchen.  Sometimes their stuff is too complicated or time consuming and not necessarily better, but this is definitely delish!  It's easy, too.  No tempering eggs. Enjoy!

Combine 2 teaspoons vanilla with 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder; set aside. (I don't have this on hand, but I do have Folgers crystals frozen in my freezer for the yummy brownies, so I just used that)

1/2 C sugar
3 T cocoa
2 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 C heavy cream
3 egg yolks
2 1/2 C whole milk
Bring above ingredients to a strong simmer(this should be about 5 min). Cook 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.  Add 5T butter, 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped and vanilla mixture. (I just used semi-sweet chocolate chips cuz I didn't have bittersweet on hand).  Stir until blended.  Cover with parchment or waxed paper. (push it onto the top of pudding so a skin doesn't form) Refrigerate til completely chilled.  Whisk thoroughly and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Or you can serve it warm over ice cream. (my personal fav)

Key Lime Cheesecake

A friend of mine kept talking about a key lime cheesecake that Costco makes.  She never could get one when they were in stock.  I decided to find a recipe and make one! I went with this one after looking at several. It is light and moist.  I hope you enjoy!  I got very positive reviews when I served it at a party.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 T sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:
3-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened to room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 T flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup key lime juice (about 12-15 key limes) I used more like 1/2-2/3 cup.  Just do it to taste.
1 T key lime rind
1 t vanilla extract

Extract juice from key limes. (You can use bottled juice.  They said Trader Joe's has a good one. I actually couldn't find key limes (found them last week.) so I used regular limes about 6 of them. It doesn't taste quite the same, but it was still fab!)  Zest limes.

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter a 10 inch springform pan.

In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs with sugar.  Add the melted butter & mix well.  Pat mixture into bottom of pan and about 1/2 inch up the side.  Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the sour cream and flour.  When mixture is smooth, add eggs one at a time.  Mix after each addition.  Add the vanilla.  Add key lime juice and zest.  Mix well.

Pour cheesecake batter into the springform pan.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Turn oven down to 250 (don't remove cheesecake from oven).  Continue baking for another 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and col on a wire rack.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Take cheesecake out of fridge and remove the outer ring of pan.

Garnish with fresh whipped cream and key lime zest.

Scott's Soccer Practice Bars

Oh my goodness....i thought i had already put this on but i guess not! You are in for a real treat! These are just as addicting as Erika's choc/peanut butter bars! Isaac made these for Scouts and they rocked!

1 cube butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T peanut butter
2 T milk
Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and peanut butter. Stir in baking soda, salt, flour and oats. Press into 9x13. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Bake 20-25 mins till golden. Remove from oven and drizzle with icing. Cool completely then cut into squares.

Pumpkin Cream Puffs

A twist on a classic dessert! These are light, fluffy, easy to make, impressive to look at, and not overly rich or sweet so that you regret eating one...or two...okay maybe three!


Cream puffs:

1/2 c butter (salted)
1 c water
1 pinch salt
1 c all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Cream Filling:

1 c heavy cream
1/4 c confectioner's sugar (I added a little more, just taste as you gradually add)
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice, or to taste
1/4 c canned pumpkin, or a little more to taste

-In medium saucepan, add butter, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in flour and stir vigorously (mom always did it with a wooden spoon) until mixture forms a ball.

-Remove from heat and stir in the eggs, one at a time, adding the next one when the last one has been fully incorporated.

-Drop dough by medium cookie scoop-size balls (Pampered Chef medium) on ungreased cookie sheet. Now you can make these smaller or bigger, just adjust baking time.

-Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Make sure you bake them long enough, or else they will deflate once you take them out of the oven. Let them get plenty golden brown. Let cool before filling. Cut horizontally, and if remove any excess dough so you have more room for cream filling (I would always hover around the table when my mom was removing this extra dough-it was one of my favorite things to eat!).

-For filling, put cream in mixer and beat on high until beginning to thicken, about 1 minute. Add confectioners sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and continue beating on high until thickens and has soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

-Using a rubber spatula, fold in pumpkin. Do not over mix.

-Spoon about 2 tablespoons (more or less) in each puff. Put top back on puff. When all finished, dust the top of each puff with confectioners sugar and then with your fingers, lightly sprinkle with some more pumpkin pie spice for garnish. Refrigerate leftovers.

Adapted from Allrecipes

Apple-Raisin Bars

THESE ARE GOOOD!  Got them from Family Circle October edition.  I saw the picture and had to make them.  Enjoy! (Note: These are definitely NOT diet friendly)

2 C all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 C packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter or margarine, softened (I used butter, of course)
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C diced golden delicious apples
3/4 C raisins

1. Heat oven to 350.  Liberally coat a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, blend together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes or til smooth.
4.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; mix for 2 minutes or until just incorporated.  Stir in diced apples and raisins and spread into prepared pan.
5.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.

Notes from Nikki:  I only used a little over 1 1/2 cups flour.  This makes them nice and moist.  Since it's a 1:1 sugar/flour ratio, I reduced sugar to 1 1/2 cups and they are wonderful!  I haven't tried it yet, but you could easily use whole wheat flour with these.  I love whole wheat!  Enjoy!

Blackberry Pie Bars

These are the bars Heather made at Lava.  She got this from Joy the Baker.  She is having trouble with her blogs right now, and couldn't get it on here.  So, I am helping her out.  I just printed it off for myself! 
These are the most delicious thing I have eaten in a while!  So buttery, fruity, buttery! Thank you for bringing one more yummy dessert to the family!  You never disappoint!!


Blackberry Pie Bars with Lemon Sugar
adapted from The Pastry Queen

Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
zest of two lemons

Blackberry Filling

4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 (16-ounce) packages frozen blackberries, defrosted and drained
(You can also use 6 cups of fresh blackberries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blackberries and 3 cups of fresh blackberries)

To make the crust and topping-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch backing pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside. Zest two lemons. Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.

Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

To make the filling-

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the blackberries evenly around.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!

Favorite Carrot Cake

Get geared up for Easter with this moist, dense carrot cake. It is a crowd pleaser for sure. Make sure to make a day or two ahead, as the more time it sits, the more moist it gets!

Cake:
4 eggs
1 1/4 c oil
2 c white sugar
2 t vanilla extract
2 c flour
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
3 c grated carrots (coarse side, not fine)
1 c chopped pecans (optional, I do not add these)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 c butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/8-1/4 t ground cinnamon
dash of salt

~Grease and flour 9x13 pan or two 9" round cake pans.
~For cake: In large bowl beat together eggs, oil, white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan(s).
~Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, depending on pans used (I think I did about 45 mins for 2 round cake pans), or until toothpick comes out clean.
~Let cool in pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
~For frosting: Combine everything and beat well until smooth and creamy. Frost cake. For a simple yet pretty 2-layer cake, I simply divide frosting in half-put half in middle of cakes (be sure when putting them on cake stand or plate to flip each cake upside down so you have a nice flat surface to apply frosting to) and then apply other half of frosting to top. Don't even bother with the sides! With butter knife make a choppy design, and voila, simple as that. Keep chilled.
~If you want to dress this up a little bit, try making a few small carrots out of marzipan! Knead a little orange food coloring into marzipan, shape into carrot, make some very slight slits across carrot with a butter knife to make it look like the peels. You can even brush with a little brown food coloring wash here and there to make it look more real. Then for the stems, simply use a sprig or two of parsley and stick in top of carrot. This is really fun for kids to do-Gwen loved it!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Cake

Ok girls.  Here is another delicious one!!  This tastes like pumpkin pie, but with a sweet buttery-goodness crust!!  It's really yummy!

1 large can pumpkin
1 T pumpkin pie spice (can do 2t cinn, 1/2 t each ginger, nutmeg and allspice to replace)
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 c sugar
Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9x13 pan.  Bake 30 minutes at 350. (I baked mine almost 40 min. because the middle wasn't set) Mix 1 yellow cake mix with 1 cube butter til crumbly.  (My sis and I agree it needs 1 1/2 cubes butter to get good results.  1 cube leaves it dry.)  Put on top of pumpkin mixture.  Bake in oven 30 minutes more.  Serve room temp with dollop of  whipped cream.  Enjoy!!

White Cake with Peach Glaze

I had this at a friend's 'Chuck' premiere night party.  Delicious cake and the show was pretty funny.  I had never seen it, though it's been on for several seasons.  Sorry it's late.  Are there peaches left anywhere??  Next year for sure!!!


Make a white cake

8oz of cream cheese
8oz of Cool Whip
1/2-3/4 of powdered sugar
MIX ALL OF THIS TOGETHER, AND PUT ON TOP OF WHITE CAKE

GLAZE
1C sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 C water
2T lemon juice
1-2T butter
4T heaping of cornstarch
MIX THIS AND STIR CONSTANTLY ON BOIL TILL IT THICKENS, PUT IN FRIDGE TO COOL.

Dice up 4 cups of fresh peaches, mix with glaze and put on top of cake. YUMMY!

Crock Pot Applesauce

My favorite time to bake is here! Anything with apples, pumpkin, cranberry, pears, can't wait! So to kick off this autumn season I made something I think you'll like. Well, I know you'll like it, you may even love it as we did! I got the recipe from Secondsister. It is heaven and the fresh whipped cream melting on top of the hot applesauce is a MUST! This is the most simple dessert yet so amazingly delicious!

Variety of apples-mcintosh, pink lady, rome, golden delicious, anything!
fresh lemon juice
2 Cinnamon sticks
brown sugar, to taste
2 vanilla beans (optional)
whipped cream sweetened with sugar and vanilla

-Fill your crock pot up with peeled, cored, and quartered apples.
-Sprinkle with lemon juice to help prevent them turning brown.
-Sprinkle on a few tablespoons of water.
-Put cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans down in the apples. You can even sprinkle with some ground cinnamon if you like.
-Put lid on and cook on high all day. Mine took about 6 hours.
-Mash up a little with potato masher unless you like it more chunky. Stir in brown sugar to your liking. It doesn't take much, depending on the sweetness of your apples I guess.
-Serve hot in a bowl with a huge dollop of cold whipped cream. HEAVEN!

Banana Foster Bread Pudding (AKA the best bread pudding in the universe!)

I have made this three times in two weeks! You can't go wrong with this comfort dessert with amazing carmel rum sauce and fresh bananas! 1- 1/2 the recipe for a 9x13 pan.


3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 C ripe bananas, mashed (about two med.)
1 t vanilla extract
1 C sugar
1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
1-3/4 C heavy cream
croissants, broken into bite size pieces (5-6 cups)

350. In large bowl, mix eggs and yolks until frothy. Add spices, banana puree, vanilla. Mix well. Add sugars. Mix. Add cream. Add croissants and let sit for 30 min. Pour into buttered 9x13. (I use glass). Place pan in a hot water bath (about an inch hot water in large roasting pan). Bake for 1 hour. Serve with sauce.

Sauce:

1/2 C unsalted butter
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 C heavy cream
2 bananas sliced
3 tablespoons rum (got to have rum or you might as well forget the whole thing!!!!)

Heat medium skillet-low heat. Add butter and brown sugar, stir constantly until sugar melts. Add bananas-1 min. Add rum, 1 min. Add cream. Serve over pudding with vanilla ice cream!!!! Try not to make the mmmmmm noise too much while eating!