St. Patrick's Day Pistachio Cake Mix Cookies

I'm a fan of cake mix cookies. They are so easy to throw together and I love the chewy, moist texture. This particular recipe also adds a box of instant pistachio pudding mix and they are green so they are perfect for St. Patrick's Day. That's pretty much the only time they are on my radar so we usually only make these once a year, but they are worth the wait! (I found this recipe here.)

1 box white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)

1 small box instant pistachio pudding

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil

3/4 tsp. almond extract

a few drops green food coloring (optional)

1 c. white chocolate chips

        Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add the eggs, oil, almond extract, and food coloring. Mix well. The dough will be stiff. Stir in white chocolate chips. Roll into 1" to 1 1/2" balls (or use a cookie scoop). Place on silicone baking mat (or lightly greased baking sheet). Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Grandma Stowell's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jeff's grandma, Mary Helen Stowell, always (Always!) had these cookies waiting in her cookie jar every time we made the 4 hour drive to her home our first year or so of marriage. These have long been the favorite of at least a few of my kids and the recipe has been hanging in vinyl lettering on the door of my kitchen for ages. 

1 ½ c. shortening
1 ½ c. white sugar
1 ½ c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
4 eggs
4 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
One bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
        Combine shortening, sugars, vanilla and water. Beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes. Recipe may be halved. (Certain family members prefer these without chocolate chips, i.e., “Chocolate chip cookies with no chocolate chips.”)

Fudge Cookies (Cake Mix Cookies)

I've had this super easy and quick recipe for years and I've made it dozens of times. The recipe is quite versatile and the cookies are always moist and delicious. My friend, Leona, who gravitated to recipes using 5 ingredients or less, shared this with me and I'll be forever grateful!

1 package Devil’s Food cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
½ c. oil
1 c. chocolate chips
        Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape stiff mixture into small balls or use cookie scoop. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. 

        Tip: You can try using different flavors of cake mix or chips. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar after baking or spread a melted Hershey kiss on top. Our favorite is piping melted Candy Cane Kisses over the top at Christmastime….or in July if you still have the kisses left because you bought so many extras. ;)

(Marta's) Coconut Crispy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These might be my favorite. I mean, I have seasonal favorites like Peppermint Balls at Christmas or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies and Chewy Gingersnaps as soon as fall weather hits, but these are always a good idea. Sadie, who is not a dark chocolate fan, prefers them with no chocolate chips so I'll sometimes bake a pan full before adding those. Either way, the combination of flavors is SO good! (I have made minor modifications to the original recipe which I found here.)

2 sticks butter, softened
1 ½ c. brown sugar
¾ c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour (sometimes I need a little extra flour, no more than ¼ c.)
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 ¼ c. Crispy Rice cereal
1 ¾ c. chocolate chunks (or chips), preferably dark
1 ½ c. sweetened coconut flakes
        Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients, careful not to over-beat the batter. Mix in Crispy Rice, chocolate chunks and coconut on low speed just until well dispersed. Eye ball it and see if you need any more of the marvelous mix-ins.
        Roll dough into balls, a bit smaller than ping pong ball size. (I use my cookie scoop.) Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 9-11 minutes (9 minutes in my oven), just until the golden softly set up stage. Let them cool on the sheet for a minute or two.

Peppermint Balls

These are one of my favorite Christmas treats! Once Halloween is over, I start making these and I don't stop until New Years. The recipe makes a small batch, but believe me, it's much safer that way. (Yes, you can double it.) These cookies are so pretty with the glaze and candies sprinkled on top, and they are just so, so good!

½ c. butter

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. peppermint extract OR 10 drops (approx. 1/16 tsp.) peppermint oil 

1 ½ c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ c. crushed peppermint candies* (like candy canes or starlight mints)

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream ingredients together, stirring in crushed candy last. Form into balls and bake for 9-11 minutes until barely browning around edges. Do not overbake. Allow to cool and then glaze with a powdered sugar & milk or water mixture. (I use 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 tsp. milk for the glaze. Stir well and add a drop or two of peppermint oil, if desired.) Sprinkle with some crushed peppermint candies. 

        Note: I used to use peppermint extract, which is what the original recipe called for. Now I always use peppermint oil and I add a drop or two to the glaze as well. I poured my oil in a bottle with a dropper which made it so much easier to use and measure. 

*I usually use Brach's Crushed Candy Canes. 

Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

We love these cookies! Whenever I make cookies, I leave a few out on a plate and put the rest in a gallon ziplock in the freezer. That keeps me from eating them all. With these, my kids actually prefer them frozen. I got this recipe years ago from my friend, Dana, and it's been our favorite peanut butter cookie recipe ever since. 

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 ½ c. flour
2 c. milk chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
        Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs together. Add dry ingredients. Mix and add chocolate chips. Scoop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 7½ - 10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.

Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe from Real Simple is not my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe, but it works well when you need a gluten free treat. 

2 c. creamy peanut butter (not all-natural variety)

1 ½ c. sugar

½ c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

          Heat oven to 350°. Beat the peanut butter, and sugars on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla and salt. (I added chocolate chips to part of the batter.)

          Roll heaping tablespoons of the dough into balls (or use a cookie scoop) and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Press down with a fork to 3/8” thickness to make a criss-cross pattern on top of each cookie.
            Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until edges are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container for up to five days.

Twice Baked Potatoes

One of my kids would not complain if we ate these every day. Since the recipe starts with pre-baked potatoes, we usually have baked potatoes for dinner with chili, cheese, sour cream, etc. and then sometime in the next 2-3 days, we use up all the leftover potatoes using this recipe. But feel free to bake your potatoes solely with this recipe in mind. Microwaved potatoes work well, too.

4-ish medium baked potatoes, skin on

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Bacon bits

        Start with pre-baked potatoes, cold or warm. Cut each potato in half the long way and scoop the pulp out of each half (try to salvage the skin in one piece). Mash the pulp with butter. Add milk, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon back into the skins. Top with bacon. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. 

        Note: I spoon the potato mixture into small (~1 cup) oven-proof glass bowls, if needed, to compensate for any skins that don't survive the scooping out process.

Perfect Turkey Gravy

This gravy is pretty easy and it tastes great. I found the recipe here. 

½ c. butter, cut into about 8 pieces

1 tsp. coarse black pepper

½ c. flour

4 c. pan drippings OR 4 c. chicken stock

        Pour drippings into a fine mesh strainer then allow the drippings to cool a bit so that the fat rises to the top and starts to solidify. Use a spoon to remove the fat. If you don’t have enough drippings to equal 4 cups, add enough chicken or turkey stock until you have 4 cups of drippings.

        In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in pepper. Slowly add in flour, constantly whisking to combine. After a few minutes, the flour will be well incorporated into the butter. Slowly begin to pour the drippings into the pan, constantly whisking. Allow the gravy to cook for several minutes, so that it can thicken up. Serve immediately or keep on very low heat until you’re ready to serve. 

 

Mashed Potatoes

Sadie is our mashed potato maker around here. She definitely knows what she's doing. :)

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (or Russets, if preferred) 

1/2 c. butter (1 stick) 
1/2 c. milk or heavy cream

1/2 c. sour cream

Salt and Pepper 

        Peel and chop potatoes into chunks. In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until totally soft, 16-18 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth.
        Melt butter and milk until warm. Pour over potatoes and stir until completely combined and creamy. Add sour cream and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Chewy Gingersnaps

If you think gingersnaps always have to be hard and dry, think again. This recipe is a game changer. My kids' science teacher LOVES these. Several other friends have decided that these are their favorite cookie that I make (and I make a LOT of cookies)!! I found this recipe on the World Wide Web way back in 1999 or 2000. The recipe was contributed by "UnknownChef86." I don't even remember what made me print the recipe in the first place, but I'm sure glad I did. So thank you, UnknownChef86, whoever you are. Your recipe has brought a lot of happiness into my little corner of the world. :)

¾ c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

½ c. molasses

2 tsp. vinegar

3 ¾ c. flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs, molasses and vinegar. Sift and add the remaining ingredients. Mix until blended.

Hand form into ¾” balls or use a cookie scoop. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or use a silicone mat) at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until they are barely browning around the edges. (They will appear puffy but will flatten when you remove them from the oven.) Let cool on cookie sheet for two minutes before removing to a rack. Add 2-3 minutes to baking time for crispier cookies. The dough freezes well (scoop and freeze, store in ziplock bag; thaw before baking). The baked cookies freeze well, too!

German Chocolate Bars

Wow! I haven't made this recipe in ages, but I remember really loving these back in the day. I'm not a fan of cake, but that's really a texture thing with me. So these tasty bars give me all the flavor of German Chocolate Cake without the cake. Win/win. :) Thank Betty Crocker for the recipe.

2/3 c. margarine, butter or spread, softened
1 package German Chocolate cake mix
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tub ready-to-spread coconut pecan frosting
¼ c. milk
        Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 9x13 pan. Cut margarine into cake mix in medium bowl, using pastry blender or fork. Press half of the mixture (2½ cups) in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked layer; drop frosting by tablespoonfuls over chocolate chips. Stir milk into remaining cake mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto frosting layer. Bake 25-30 minutes or until cake portion is slightly dry to the touch; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars. Cut into 1½ inch squares. Makes 48 bars.

Bisquick Substitution

I don't use Bisquick often enough to keep it on hand, but once in a while a recipe calls for a cup or two and that's where this recipe comes to the rescue. :) 

1 c. flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. shortening
        Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender. Use in place of 1 cup Bisquick in recipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are not my go-to chocolate chip cookies. But when our teenage girls at church made "take and bake" cookies as a fundraiser, this is the recipe they used. I had to make some of the dough and the recipe was worth keeping, so here you go.  

3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

        Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes.

Easy Cheese Ball

I've modified this enough to be completely unrecognizable from its original source so I'm calling it my own. Not that I make it very often because I don't, but when an occasion calls for a cheese ball, this is a good one!

8 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese (regular cream cheese is fine, too)

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped green onion

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. season salt

1 c. sliced almonds, chopped

        Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Add in cheddar cheese, green onions, Worcestershire, garlic powder, garlic salt and season salt. Stir together until combined. Pour chopped almonds onto plastic wrap then roll cheese ball in almonds. Roll up into plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, unwrap and place on plate. Serve with crackers. 

Quinoa Chili

My friend, Gillian, made this for our family. It has the yummiest flavor and is packed with healthy stuff. So good!

1 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 sweet green or red peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tsp. salt (or you can add it at the end)

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained

1 to 1 1/2 c. frozen corn

2 cans diced tomatoes - I puree them (fire roasted are great, 15 oz. each)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 c. water (I usually add more water - up to an extra cup or more, as needed)

        Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender and starting to caramelize, 5+ minutes. Add salt, garlic, chopped peppers, and spices; sauté for 5 more minutes. Stir in rinsed quinoa. Add corn, tomatoes and water. Simmer together for 20 minutes. Add beans to the pot and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and tortilla chips. Makes 6-8 one cup servings. 

Modified Toll House Cookies

Maybe you've had success with the Nestlé Toll House cookie recipe on the back of their chocolate chips. I haven't. For me, the dough is way too soft and they spread too much when baked. My friend, Dana, solved that problem by using less butter. She added a little more vanilla and they are just right.

2 ¼ c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ c. butter or margarine, softened

¾ c. sugar

¾ c. brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped nuts, optional

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients, but don’t over mix batter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes.

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this delicious recipe, but I'm sure glad I did. These are by far my favorite pumpkin cookies ever. While I love the flavor of pumpkin cookies, I don't love how cakey they always seem to be. Well, with the eggs eliminated, these cookies solve that problem. These are chewy and perfect and I can't get enough. The amounts below are doubled from the original recipe, otherwise there wouldn't be enough! You're welcome. :)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

7.5 oz. (1/2 can) 100% pure pumpkin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

3 c. flour

2 c. chocolate chips

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix until smooth. Combine all dry ingredients and add to the rest, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

        Bake rounded balls of dough (I use a cookie scoop) on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11-14 minutes or just until they start to puff up a little. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bites

Here's another easy recipe from Sadie's Food and Nutrition class. These yummy little balls have a good dose of protein and yumminess. 

1/4 c. peanut butter (can sub with almond butter)

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. water

1 c. uncooked oats

3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips or mini M&M's

1/2 scoop protein powder (optional)

        In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients with a spoon. Add 1 tsp. water, if needed, to help it stick together. Using a portion scoop, form into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet. If needed, roll the balls a little tighter between your hands. Store in refrigerator or freezer. 

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Rice Krispie Treats have never really been my thing. They're fiiiine, but there are desserts and cookies I'd rather make instead. That was my attitude before these came along. These are a game changer. Now the only reason I don't make these often is because I might eat them all. I used to always double the recipe and spread them in a big jelly roll pan, but that's pretty dangerous these days with fewer people living at home. I just don't have that much self-control!! My SIL Kristin gave me this recipe years ago (also available from this website). By the way, the recipe says to use an 8" square pan, but a 9x13 works, too. They just won't be as tall.

1 stick (4-ounces) butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
        Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
        In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don't take your eyes off the pot as the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
        As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off, sprinkle salt over the butter, and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. Be careful not to cook the marshmallows.
        Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal. Quickly spread into prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed or parchment paper sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners. A silicon spatula works almost as well. Let cool and cut into squares. Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars.

Easy Ice Cream

You know it's going to be a good day at school when you get to make and eat homemade ice cream in science class. Thanks to Sadie's 8th grade science teacher for this fun hands-on experiment and treat. :)

1 quart freezer bag

1 gallon freezer bag

1 c. milk

1 c. half & half

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

ice

1 c. rock salt

        Pour milk, half & half, sugar and vanilla into a 1 quart freezer bag. Empty most of the air from the bag and carefully seal it completely. Mix well by shaking.

        Place the quart bag into a 1 gallon freezer bag. (Make sure the small bag is completely sealed!) Fill the large bag full of ice and add rock salt. Seal the large bag. Make sure that the ice mixture coats the entire outer surface of the smaller bag. 

        Put on your gloves/mittens and shake, shake, shake...(shaking up and down works best!). Continue to shake until you have ice cream.

        Remove the small bag from the large bag. Reseal the large bag and throw it in the trash. Wipe off the outside of the small bag around one bottom corner. Cut the bottom corner of the bag and carefully squeeze your ice cream into cups. Enjoy!

Mini Tacos

These cute mini tacos (or wonton tacos) are easy to make and fun to eat. Sadie brought this recipe home from her Food and Nutrition class at school and it's a keeper.

24 wonton wrappers

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

2 c. salsa

1 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. fresh chopped cilantro

sour cream

        Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray. Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups. Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and 3/4 c. salsa. Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with a little salsa and the shredded cheese. Bake about 6 minutes or until wontons are golden brown. Remove from oven and top each with cilantro. Serve immediately with remaining salsa and sour cream as a garnish.

Russian Tea Cakes

Honestly, I haven't made these in years. They're not really a go-to cookie in this household. But I decided to post the recipe anyway because if you need to make Russian Tea Cakes, these are delish. I just don't happen to need Russian Tea Cakes more than every decade or so...

1 c. soft butter
½ c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. finely chopped nuts
        Cream butter and sugar. Mix in vanilla, flour and salt. Then stir in nuts. Chill dough. Roll into 1” balls. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes. Roll cookies in powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the oven. Roll them in powdered sugar again when they are cool.

Sugar Cookies

This recipe from Our Best Bites is a little bit time intensive simply because of the rolling, chilling and cutting the shapes, but it's totally worth it. I'm a sucker for almond flavored treats and these cookies do not disappoint. For what it's worth, once I made these as drop cookies when I was short on time. No frosting needed. I also happened to be 2 Tbsp. short on butter so I subbed in coconut oil to make up the difference. Yum!

1 c. real butter (no substitutions)
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp. almond extract
3 c. flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
        Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs and extract and mix to incorporate. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
        Shape the dough into two flat disks and wrap in waxed paper and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. If you want your cookies to hold their shape well, the dough needs to be chilled properly. A great tip to speed things up is to immediately roll dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper and place on a flat surface in the fridge. It will chill super fast and be ready to go in no time.
        When you’re ready to roll out dough, lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin. Cut into shapes. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes, depending on how you like them; less time = super soft. Longer = buttery and crispy that melts in your mouth. They taste even better the second day. Frost with glace icing recipe below. (Or maybe you prefer Buttercream frosting.)

Glace Icing for Sugar Cookies
1 lb. powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. milk – use whole milk if possible
6 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. almond extract (can use other flavors if desired)
        Whisk together sugar and milk until smooth – no lumps! Then stir in corn syrup and extract. You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. Thickened, you can pipe outlines. Thinner, you can use it for “flooding” cookies. Make sure to let them dry overnight to fully harden for stacking.

Mrs. Fields Cookies

I don't remember where I got this copycat recipe, but I'm sure glad I have it. These have such a yummy flavor. The original recipe called for 6 cups of flour, but I found that 5 cups works better to get a cookie that spreads just enough and has a texture that I love.

2 c. butter (1 lb.)
1 ½ c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
5 c. flour
2 c. chocolate chips
1 ½ c. oatmeal
        Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal. Scoop with cookie scoop and place on ungreased baking sheet, 2” apart. Bake at 350° for 8-11 minutes. Cookies will look underdone. (To make ½ recipe, use 2 eggs.)

Snickerdoodles

I lost touch with my friend, Cathy, years ago, but I still think of her whenever I make her snickerdoodles. These bake up more moist than most snickerdoodles I've tried. They are always a hit around here!

1 c. shortening
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar or angel cream
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
        Mix together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill one hour (or not...). Form into small walnut sized balls (or use a cookie scoop) and roll in cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes.

Spritz Cookies

I bought a Wilton cookie press years ago and this is the recipe that came with it. The cute little cookies are so perfect in their shape, flavor, and texture that I've never had the desire to look for another recipe. My kids love these and it makes me wonder why I don't make them more often.

1 ½ c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
3 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
        Preheat oven to 375°. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; mix well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill. Shape dough into small logs and place in cookie press. Press cookies onto cool, ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until barely browning around edges. Remove cookies from sheet; cool on rack. Makes 7-8 dozen.

Pillow Cookies (Buttermilk Cookies)

These cookies are the perfect way to use up leftover buttermilk. They are so soft and sweet. I just made them yesterday and took them to some friends. Their comment, "Wow!! Best sugar cookies we have had in a long while!! Or ever actually to be honest!!" Then they begged for the recipe. :) I am happy to share! (I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but I got it from Quick Cooking magazine forever ago.)

½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup buttermilk
        Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375º for 9-10 minutes or until edges are barely browning. Remove to wire racks to cool. Frost cookies (frosting recipe below). Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or sprinkles (I use sprinkles!), if desired. Makes about 3 dozen.

Frosting:
1 ½ Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 ¾ c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract 

        Combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl. Beat until smooth.

Sugar Cookies

I got this recipe almost 25 years ago from my friend, Kristen, and these have become a Halloween tradition at our house. We cut them out in the shape of pumpkins, frost with orange and green frosting, then use candy corn to make faces. The combination of these cookies and frosting with candy corn...Oh Yum!!!

1 ½ c. sugar
1 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. milk
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
        Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll out on a floured surface at least 1/8 inch thick. Cut cookies into desired shapes and bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until barely browning or just before they start to brown. Cool. Frost with buttery cookie icing, below.

Buttery Cookie Icing
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. margarine or butter, softened
2 Tbsp. milk
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
        Blend butter and powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add food coloring as desired. After decorating, let icing set before stacking cookies.

Almond Lovers Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've made a couple of minor changes to this recipe I got from my friend, Karey. I'm an almond fan so I love the flavor of these cookies, but they are not the prettiest things. I use an 8 oz. box of Solo Almond Paste so I double the recipe since I have no idea what to do with leftover almond paste. The baked cookies freeze well so you won't have to consume 9 dozen all at once. :)

2 sticks softened butter
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. brown sugar
4 oz. almond paste (I use the boxed Solo brand)
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2 ½ c. flour (bake one batch and see if you need an extra ¼ c. flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ bag chocolate chips (I prefer dark chocolate)
        Preheat oven to 350°. Beat the butter and sugars until well combined, light and fluffy. Add the almond paste in pieces until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix well.
        In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. Scoop onto a silicone mat or parchment lined baking sheet with a medium cookie scoop. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden crisp on the outside. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Blondies

My friend, Dana, has the best treats. These are so yummy!

1 cube butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
1 c. flour
½ to 1 cup chocolate chips (can replace with M&M’s or another flavor of chips)
½ to 1 cup nuts (optional)
        Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8x8” pan. Mix melted butter with brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (If doubling recipe in 9x13, cook 10-15 minutes longer). They are done when the top looks golden and the edges are browning. Test the middle to make sure they are done. Cool before cutting.

Pumpkin Bars

These yummy bars from my friend, Susie, really hit the spot once September rolls around and everyone starts craving pumpkin everything. Yum!

4 eggs
1 c. cooking oil
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
        Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly. Spread batter in an ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream cheese icing (recipe below) and cut into bars.

Cream cheese icing:
1 cube butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
2-3 c. powdered sugar
        Combine butter and cream cheese until creamy. Stir in vanilla and salt. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and mix well. Add additional powdered sugar, up to 1 cup more, to attain a fluffy frosting consistency.

Apple Pie

This is an easy, no-frills apple pie recipe, but you can feed me apple pie until the cows come home and I'll never find one I like better. This was my dad's favorite so I always made it for him when he came to visit. I'd give anything to make it for him again. (Great, now I'm bawling...)

1 pie crust (not deep dish unless you want to use a lot more apples)
4+ large granny smith apples
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
        Peel, core, and slice apples. Place them in pie shell and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar after each layer or so. Continue until apples are heaping in pie shell.

Topping:
½ c. sugar
¾ c. flour
1/3 c. butter or margarine
        Combine with a pastry blender until crumbly. Spoon over apples and pat down with hands to form the top “crust.” Bake on a foil lined cookie sheet at 400° for 40-50 minutes.
        Check the outer crust edge every so often and cover only that part with foil, if needed, to keep from burning. Or do what I sometimes do and cut off that rim of crust before baking. It's unconventional, but it won't burn if it's not there! ;)

Cheesecake

This is my mom's no-bake cheesecake recipe. It's the one I grew up on and as far as I'm concerned, it's the best. Period. My mom had a unique twist to her presentation. She topped each piece with crushed pineapple. I know. It doesn't get much better than that!

Crust:
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed (~11 crackers)
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. melted margarine or butter
        Combine these ingredients to make the crust. Press down in pie dish or square baking dish. Set aside. (Optional: use a premade graham cracker crust if you must.)

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk*
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
        Mix the cream cheese and condensed milk together well, stirring out any lumps. Gradually add the lemon juice and vanilla. (The filling will thicken upon addition of the lemon juice.) Pour filling over prepared crust. Refrigerate a few hours to set. When serving, top each piece with a spoonful of crushed pineapple, if desired. 

*To make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk:
1 heaping cup powdered milk
½ c. hot water
¾ c. sugar
        Mix ingredients together very well, making sure there are no lumps. (Hint: dissolve the powdered milk in the hot water before adding the sugar.)

Brownie Delight

This is the traditional birthday cake in our home. Always. Fortunately, with 6 kids who all have birthdays in different months, we've enjoyed it regularly over the years. I originally found the recipe when I subscribed to Quick Cooking magazine a hundred years ago. I've altered it slightly over the years so here's how we make it:

1 package brownie mix (9x13 size)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
16 ounces cool whip, divided*
1 ½ c. cold milk
1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix
       

Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions using a greased 9x13 glass baking pan. Cool completely. 

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar for 2 minutes. Fold in 2 cups cool whip. Spread over brownies. 

In another bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix; beat until smooth – about 2 minutes on low (I usually skip the mixer and stir for 2 minutes with a whisk or spoon). Refrigerate for 5 minutes; spread over cream cheese layer. 

Spread with remaining cool whip. Garnish with chocolate shavings or sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 12-15 servings.

*A few times, I've only had 8 oz. cool whip on hand. I used just less than half in the cream cheese mixture and spread the rest on top. The top layer didn't have as much as usual, but no one knew the difference.

Amish Oatmeal Cake

As someone who doesn't like cake, this is one of the rare exceptions. It's SO moist and delicious. I love the coconut in the topping. This is a combination of two recipes. I don't remember where I got the cake recipe, but I switched out the topping recipe I used to use once I tried this one from my friend, Jeanee. So good! 

1 c. rolled oats
1 ¼ c. boiling water
½ c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 2/3 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
        Mix oats and boiling water together; set aside for 20 minutes. Cream butter or margarine and sugars together thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in oatmeal mixture. Sift together remaining dry ingredients. Fold into batter. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. (22 minutes is long enough in my oven.)
   

While cake is baking, make the following topping:
2 eggs
½ c. evaporated milk
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. butter
        Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp. vanilla and ½ - 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans.
        Allow cake to cool until just warm before pouring topping over the cake.

Peaches and Cream Cheesecake

This delicious dessert from my friend, Jennifer, has such a unique flavor. Peaches are not something I naturally think of to pair with cheesecake, but this just works. It's so satisfying!

Batter:
¾ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter
1 egg
½ c. milk
One small package instant vanilla pudding mix
        Mix these ingredients together and spread on bottom of glass pie dish. Drain one can (15-20 oz.) of sliced peaches. Save the juices. Spread peaches evenly over the batter in pie pan.

Cream together:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
3 tsp. juice from peaches
        Drop cream cheese mixture in blobs over and around peaches then smooth with a knife to fill in cracks. Sprinkle top lightly with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

Apple Crisp

This is the crisp recipe we've been making for 25 years. It's straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook we were given for our wedding. The topping is perfect!

5 cups sliced, peeled apples (Granny Smith are best)
2 to 4 Tbsp. sugar
½ c. regular rolled oats
½ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ c. butter or margarine
¼ c. coconut
        Place fruit in a square baking dish. Stir in sugar. For topping, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or till fruit is tender and topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream or light cream, if desired. Serves 6.

Easy Two Egg Pavlova

The first time I ever had pavlova was when I was visiting someone's home in Washington state. I still remember the pretty presentation with kiwi, strawberries, blueberries and other fruits on top. It tasted so good, but the taste was only part of the experience. There was also the satisfying outer crunch and the chewy middle, but it somehow melted in my mouth. Fast forward a couple years and I had it again in Scotland at the end of a lovely meal. It was every bit as good as I remembered and I've loved it ever since. Sadly, it's not very easy to make. I've only been successful about 50% of the time. But I'm willing to keep trying because it's just so good when it works out. This is the recipe I got from Isobel Jackson in Beith, Scotland over 25 years ago.

2 egg whites
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. cornstarch
4 Tbsp. boiling water

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix on high speed until mixture is very stiff (approx. 15-20 minutes). Spread in a circle on foil or parchment covered baking sheet. Makes one 11” pavlova. Bake at 300° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200° and continue to bake for 1-1 ½ hours. Turn off heat and cool in oven. Top with cream and fruit. (Raspberries or a combination of mandarins, kiwi and strawberries are great!) Or top with ice cream.

Chocolate Cloud

This was one of my favorite desserts growing up. I still love it! I know I'm not the only one because the last time I made it, I took it to a friend's home who had invited us over for dinner. Her little boy loved it so much that he couldn't get enough and licked his plate completely clean. It was the cutest and made me feel like the best cook ever. :)

1 pkg. (9 ounces) Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers*, crushed
¼ c. margarine, melted
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. milk
1 lb. marshmallows
1 pint whipping cream, whipped
1 tsp. vanilla
        Mix wafers, margarine and nuts in a bowl and spread half of mixture on bottom of 9x13 pan. Melt marshmallows with milk in top of double boiler or in microwave, stirring often. Cool a bit. Fold into whipped cream. Add vanilla. Pour over wafer mixture. Top with remaining wafer mixture. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. 

*These wafers are hard to find, so you can sub chocolate sandwich cookies, with or without the cream in the middle. I've used both with success.

Blueberry Banana Pie

The best thing about this delicious recipe is that it makes two pies. That way, you can take one to a friend and still have one for your family because it's their favorite. :) Thanks to my friend, Dawn, for sharing her pie - and the recipe - with us over 20 years ago. We've been sharing and loving it ever since. :)

Makes 2 pies

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (Neuchatel works, too) 
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 ounces cool whip
2 graham cracker crusts
3 bananas
1 can blueberry pie filling
        For filling, mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer. Add cool whip and mix well. Slice bananas into graham cracker crusts, 1 ½ bananas per crust. Pour filling over bananas. Top each pie with ½ can blueberry pie filling. Chill until ready to serve.

The Best Rhubarb Pie

Hands down, this is the best rhubarb pie ever. I didn't even know I liked rhubarb pie until I tried this. The recipe is from Jeff's Grandma Wavra and I hope it stays in the family for generations to come. Oh yum!

1 ½ c. sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
2 well beaten eggs
3 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. nutmeg
3 c. rhubarb, cut in small pieces
        This pie is best with a lattice crust, but a double crust works just as well. Can also be made without top crust. (I'm a lazy cook so I often opt for no top crust, but the lattice crust is prettiest if you're willing to take the time.) 
        In an unbaked pie crust (8-inch pie pan), arrange rhubarb. Blend sugar, flour, nutmeg and butter. Add eggs. Beat until smooth. Pour over rhubarb. Place lattice or full crust over top, if desired. Bake at 400° for 50-60 minutes.

Pie Crust

I got this recipe from my SIL, Tanya. She's a great cook! I will admit that I rarely make my own pie crust, generally opting to purchase it pre-made from the store. But if I wanted to make my own, I'd use this recipe. 

Makes enough for 2 double crust pies

3 c. flour
1 ¼ c. lard
1 tsp. salt
        Combine flour and salt. Cut in lard.

In a separate bowl, combine:
1 egg
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
5 Tbsp. water
        Put both mixtures together. Combine and proceed to roll out for pies.

Carolina Peach Pie

My friend, Helen Elliott, gave me this recipe many years ago and it's the only recipe I'll use for peach pie. At the time of this posting, Helen is still going strong at 107 years old. She's the most refined lady I know. ...And she has great taste in pie. ;)

Pastry for 9-inch double-crust pie
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
pinch salt
6-8 large peaches, peeled and sliced thin (about 5 cups)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, cut up
        Prepare your favorite pastry recipe. Preheat oven to 425°. Shape pastry into balls, one slightly larger than the other; flatten into disks. On a lightly floured surface, roll larger disk into 11-inch circle. Fit loosely into 9-inch pie plate.
        Combine sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in bowl. Add peaches and lemon juice to bowl; toss to coat. Spoon filling into pastry crust. Dot with butter. Roll remaining pastry into 9½-inch circle and cut into ½-inch wide strips. Arrange in lattice pattern over pie. Fold edge of bottom crust over strip ends; flute edge.
        Place pie on cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375° and bake 40 minutes more, until fruit is tender when pierced with fork and center is bubbly. Makes 8 servings.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake

I am not a cake fan, but this is one of the few cakes I'll happily eat. Thanks to Susan for sharing it with me all those years ago!

1 box yellow cake mix, plain, no pudding in the mix
2 small packages instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs, slightly beaten
½ c. cooking oil
1 ¼ c. water, not too cold
1 c. chocolate chips
        Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and water. Beat length of time suggested on cake mix box. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake in well-greased bundt pan at 350° for one hour. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before turning cake out. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Butterfinger Ice Cream

When I think of homemade ice cream, this is the what comes to mind. That's probably because it's the first kind of homemade ice cream I remember eating. We didn't have it often, but when we did, it was a real treat!

1 pint whipping cream
4 c. milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
4 tsp. vanilla
3 regular size butterfingers, crushed with fork
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
        Mix all ingredients in bowl except butterfingers. Put in ice cream freezer. Towards end of cycle, add crushed butterfingers.

Bread Pudding

My friend, Penny, made this for us at the end of a particularly long and hard day. It just screams "comfort food!!" Okay, maybe it calmly whispers "comfort food" while playing soothing music in the background. ;) All I know is I have happy thoughts about this yummy dessert because it left me feeling like everything was going to be okay.

1 loaf white bread or French bread (Penny uses 1 ½ loaves Jimmy John’s bread)
4 eggs
1 ¼ c. sugar
4 c. milk (whole milk if you have it!)
2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. butter, cold
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
        Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter. Cut the loaves of bread into pieces by cutting it lengthwise into strips then again crosswise into one-inch chunks and put into pan. Beat eggs well in mixing bowl, then add sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat together well. Pour over the bread. Push bread down into milk with a spoon until bread is well covered with milk mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the top and dot with the cold butter. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with vanilla sauce (below).

Vanilla Sauce (double this recipe)
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. boiling water
½ c. real butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla
        Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually add boiling water. Cook until sauce thickens. Remove from stove. Add butter and vanilla. Stir until blended. Spoon warm over bread pudding when served.

Berry Crisp

My mother-in-law has some delicious berry recipes, including this one, and she's been very generous over the years in providing us with quarts of her home-canned berries to make them with. Yum!

        Pour quart of berries, including juice, into a 9x13 pan. Add one large can (29 oz.?) sliced peaches which have been DRAINED and cut up into bite size pieces. Sprinkle generously with ½ to ¾ c. sugar. Stir in about 1 ½ Tbsp. cornstarch. You can warm it up in the microwave for a couple of minutes to start it thickening, but this step is not absolutely necessary.
        In a separate bowl, combine:
1 c. oats
1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ c. margarine or butter.
        Cut margarine in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Another delicious recipe from my friend, Jeanee. 

1 cube margarine
1/3 c. oil
1 ¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 ½ c. flour
3 Tbsp. cocoa
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ c. sour milk (equivalent is 1 ½ tsp. lemon juice + ½ c. milk)
2 c. peeled and grated zucchini
        Cream together first five ingredients. Add the next five and mix well. Add the last two ingredients. Mix and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. BEFORE BAKING: Sprinkle with ½ c. brown sugar and about 1 c. (or slightly less) of chocolate chips. You can also top with ½ c. nuts, but I leave them out. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. It’s so yummy. Try a piece while it’s still warm. Mmmm!!

Pumpkin Roll

Okay, I admit that I haven't made this in years - I now opt for the much easier Pumpkin Muffins topped with cream cheese frosting when I'm craving this flavor - but if you've got the time and patience, this pumpkin roll is pretty and delicious!

3 eggs
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
¾ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
        In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar, beating well. Add pumpkin, mixing until blended. Add remaining ingredients to egg mixture, mixing well. Spread batter in a greased and wax-paper lined 10”x15” jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool for 15 minutes. Place cake on clean tea towel. Cool 10 minutes longer. From the 10” side, roll cake up in towel. Set aside. Prepare filling.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
        Beat together cream cheese and butter. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla, blending until smooth.
        Unroll cake and place on plastic wrap. Evenly spread filling over cake. Roll up cake. Cover with plastic wrap. Place cake seam-side down and chill for at least 2 hours. When serving, cut cake in even slices.

Mini Almond Cheesecakes

This recipe project has been good because I've rediscovered some recipes I had completely forgotten about, like this one. It's been a while since I've had these yummy bites, but I still remember how much I loved them! The recipe is from my friend, Christy, back in our Columbus days. :)

12 vanilla wafers
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. sugar
½ tsp. almond extract
2 eggs
¼ c. chopped toasted almonds
        Use paper baking cups. Place one wafer, flat side down, in each cup. Set aside. Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add almond extract. Beat in eggs one at a time. Fill cups ¾ full. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or until centers are firm. Cool 15 minutes. Cover, refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve w/ fruit.

Alternative recipe: omit almond extract. Stir in ½ tsp. vanilla. Top filling in each one with a peanut butter cup. Bake 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Pie

Any recipe from my friend, Jeanee, is a keeper!

Makes 2 pies

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar

Whip until smooth. Slowly add:
1 c. milk

When really smooth, fold in:
two 8 oz. cartons Cool Whip

Pour into prepared graham cracker crusts and freeze.

Dirt Cake

This is a fun recipe that especially appeals to young kids. 

Mix together:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
½ stick margarine
Set aside.

In another bowl, combine:
3 ½ c. milk
2 small packages vanilla instant pudding mix
When set, stir in 10 oz. cool whip.

Stir into cream cheese mixture.

Crush one package Oreo cookies. If done in blender, they will really resemble dirt. Layer cream cheese mixture and crushed Oreos in a 9x13 pan. For a fun alternative, layer in a flower pot or a clear glass vase. Put gummy worms in with the layers and top with fake flowers. Use as your centerpiece for dinner then eat! 

Note: To make amount for a smaller flower pot, I halved the pudding, milk and cool whip amounts and crushed only ½ pkg. Oreos. This filled up our pot just right!

Butterscotch Ice Cream Squares

My friend Dana's recipes are always worth keeping.

2 c. flour
½ c. oats
½ c. brown sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. chopped nuts
2 qt. vanilla ice cream
1 jar (12-oz.) butterscotch or caramel topping
        Combine flour, oats and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add nuts and pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir while warm to crumble. Cool. Spread half in 9x13 pan. Drizzle with ½ the topping. Stir ice cream to soften and spoon it carefully into the pan. Drizzle with remaining topping and sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Freeze. Cut into squares.

Peach Dessert

In the words of Jeff's Mom, “Whenever the pressures of summertime harvest are just too overwhelming, we call the Westovers and discuss the need for the following...” 

Crust:
1 ¼ c. flour
¼ c. rolled oats
½ tsp. salt
½ c. shortening
3 Tbsp. ice water
        In medium bowl, combine flour, oats and salt. With pastry blender or two knives, cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture forms pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle water over mixture and use fork to blend. With hands, form mixture into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap; put aside and let stand 15 minutes.

Peach filling:
2 pounds frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed and drained well (can also use fresh or drained canned peaches)
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ c. plus 2 Tbsp. egg substitute OR 3 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. buttermilk
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract
        Preheat oven to 375°. Place drained peaches in large bowl. In medium bowl, blend sugar and cornstarch. Stir in egg substitute or eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, butter, vanilla and almond extracts. Pour over peaches, mixing gently.
        Spray 10-inch glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in peach mixture and distribute evenly.
        On floured board, roll crust into 10-inch round. Cut into ¾” strips. Cross strips over peach mixture in pie dish to form a lattice. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly brush with 1 Tbsp. milk mixed with 1 ½ Tbsp. sugar. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Pumpkin Pie

I don't always make my pumpkin pie from scratch, but when I do, this is my go-to recipe, compliments of Jeff's mom, Carol.

1 ½ c. pumpkin
¾ c. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ to 1 tsp. ginger
¼ to ½ tsp. nutmeg
½ to ½ tsp. cloves
3 slightly beaten eggs
one 6-oz. can evaporated milk
one 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
        Thoroughly combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices. Blend in eggs and evaporated milk. Pour into unbaked pastry shell (have edges crimped high--Filling is generous). Bake in hot oven, 400°, 50 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and outside comes out clean. Cool.

Peanut Butter Pudding Cake

This is just one of several yummy dessert recipes from Jeff's mom, Carol. 

1 c. flour
1 ¼ c. brown sugar, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. milk
1/3 c. chunky peanut butter
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ c. hot water
        Thoroughly stir together flour, ¾ c. of the brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk, peanut butter, oil and vanilla. Spread in a greased 8x8x2 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Carefully pour hot water over entire top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Grandma Wavra's Berry Pudding Cake

This is a recipe from Jeff's grandma that has withstood the test of time. 

1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ c. margarine
½ c. milk
        Combine first 3 ingredients. Cut in margarine. Add milk. Stir well. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Pour 1 pint to 1 quart of berries (logan, boysen, marion, black) over top. Sprinkle ½ c. sugar on top of that. Pour ½ c. water or juice over that. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes.

Cheesecake Squares

These were served at a Womens Conference at church several years ago and I was grateful they gave out the recipe. Yummy!

Crust:

2/3 c. butter, softened

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 c. flour

1 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Filling:

½ c. sugar

2 pkgs. 8-oz. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

¼ c. milk

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, and pecans together. Reserve 2 c. for topping.

Press remainder into a greased 9”x 13” pan. Bake at 350° for 12 min. until lightly browned.

          In a mixer, blend sugar with cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining

ingredients. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at

350° for about 25 min. Refrigerate overnight before cutting and serving.

Cut into 1 ½” squares. Makes 48.

Orange Jello with Topping

We've been making this easy side dish to go with our Thanksgiving dinner for as long as I can remember. When my kids were small, my friend Jeanee made it for us and we've been making it ever since. When Jeanee makes it, she stirs canned mandarins into the Jello before it sets. We leave the mandarins out, but it's a great addition, if you so desire. 

For a 9x13 pan, make 2 large boxes orange Jello (6 oz. each) according to package directions and refrigerate until set. (Use two 3 oz. or one 6 oz. box Jello for an 8x8 pan.) Make one small box vanilla pudding according to package directions. Combine with 8 oz. cool whip. Spread over set Jello. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon. (Any leftover topping tastes great on individual slices of pumpkin pie!)

Cilantro Ice

No, this is not some new popsicle flavor. I came up with this idea because I often buy cilantro for one specific recipe and never know how to use up the rest before it goes bad. This solves the problem and I love having it on hand.

Chop up entire batch of cilantro. Put in an ice cube tray in relatively equal amounts – I put 1 or 2 Tbsp. in each section. Add just enough water to keep it together, pushing the cilantro down in if necessary. Freeze. Pop the ice cubes out and store in a zip lock freezer bag. Indicate on the bag how much cilantro each ice cube contains so it’s easy to know how many ice cubes you need when your recipe calls for fresh cilantro. Problem solved!

Buckeyes

I have two recipes for Buckeyes and I'm including them both here. If I ever do a bake-off, I'll update this post to include only the best recipe, but until then, take your pick. The first recipe is the one I've made the most simply because I've had it the longest. My friend, Stephanie, gave it to me when we lived in Ohio (The Buckeye State) over 20 years ago. But then a couple years ago, we received a recipe from The Ohio State University (The Buckeyes), and I was torn. I mean, it has to be good coming from Ohio State! Honestly, you can't go wrong either way. Buckeyes are always well received around here, but they're never around for long.

Buckeyes
Stephanie Rigby
2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. butter
5 c. powdered sugar
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. vegetable shortening
        Combine peanut butter, butter and sugar. Mix well. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate with a toothpick. To make buckeyes, don’t dip the balls all the way; leave the top of the peanut butter ball showing. Place on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

Buckeyes
The Ohio State University
2 c. sifted powdered sugar
¾ c. smooth peanut butter
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ tsp. vegetable shortening
        Combine powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in large mixing bowl. Beat well with wooden spoon or knead by hand until smooth and pliable but not sticky. Roll into 1-inch balls and transfer to baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper or silicone mat. Freeze until firm, 15-20 minutes.
       Melt chocolate and shortening, stirring often, until smooth.
        Insert thin wooden skewer or toothpick into the center of each ball and dip about ¾ of it into melted chocolate, leaving a small circle of peanut butter exposed at the top. Transfer to baking sheet. Remove toothpick and repeat dipping process with remaining peanut butter balls and chocolate, reheating chocolate if necessary. Makes 24 candies.

Mom's Caramel Corn

This is really yummy on popcorn, but I like it even better when made with butter flavored oven-baked Puffed Corn. There are no husks or kernels to worry about and it's the perfect crunch. Either way, this stuff is delicious and always a hit. 

1 c. white corn syrup
2 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. margarine or butter
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 gallons popped corn or 1 ½ -2 bags of puffed corn (preferred)
        Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and margarine or butter in a heavy sauce pan and cook to 238°. Remove from heat and add sweetened condensed milk. Blend well, but do not cook. Pour over popped corn and blend well. Form into balls, if desired, or just eat. Yummy!

Cheerio Treats

I still remember when my friend, Creshel, made these for us 25 years ago. They are so satisfying and sweet! 

4 c. cheerios or other cereal
½ c. sugar
½ c. light corn syrup
¾ c. peanut butter
        Combine sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Boil more or less for firmer or softer treats. Add a little vanilla. Stir in the peanut butter. Mix with cheerios. Spread in buttered pan.

Peanut Butter Drops

These are easy to whip up and that's a good thing because they'll get eaten up just as fast. I've had this recipe for over 20 years, originally found in an old Quick Cooking magazine.

1 c. light corn syrup
½ c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 c. cornflakes
        Bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Add peanut butter. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and cornflakes. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Store in airtight container. Makes about 6 ½ dozen.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

The combination of peanut butter in these bars with the chocolate and butterscotch combo on top just works! I don't make these often, but when I do, they don't last very long around here. (While I couldn't find a link, I believe I got the recipe years ago from Cake Mate.)

1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. crispy rice cereal
6 oz. chocolate morsels
6 oz. butterscotch morsels
        Place corn syrup and sugar in a bowl; microwave for about 2 minutes until sugar dissolves. DO NOT boil. Remove from microwave and stir in peanut butter until melted. Stir in crispy rice cereal. Spread in a 9x13 pan. Place both kinds of morsels in a bowl. Microwave for about 2 minutes, one minute at a time, stirring in between until fully melted. Pour/spread over pan of crispy bars. Let morsels cool completely. Cut into squares.

Muddy Buddies

Yep, these are a classic and have been around for a long time. The original recipe can be found on the Chex website here, however I have made a couple of alterations. I don't use butter or margarine in my version and I use powdered vanilla which I mix in with the powdered sugar instead of stirring vanilla into the peanut butter and chocolate. These are always a favorite snack around here!

9 c. Chex cereal, or generic equivalent, any variety (I prefer Rice Chex)
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c. peanut butter
1 tsp. powdered vanilla*
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
        Measure cereal into large bowl; set aside. Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter for 1 minute and stir. Continue to microwave, if necessary, in 30-second intervals until melted. Pour chocolate/peanut butter mixture over cereal in bowl, stirring evenly until coated. Put powdered sugar into a gallon-sized ziplock bag and add powdered vanilla. Shake to combine. Add cereal mixture. Seal bag; shake until well coated with powdered sugar. Store in airtight container (or in the same ziplock) in refrigerator.

(*If you prefer to use regular vanilla, stir it in after you microwave the chocolate and peanut butter. In my experience, the vanilla makes it really thick and harder to coat the cereal.)