Crisp Little Lemon Cookies
Recipe courtesy Pillsbury/Sarah Cavin
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Other moist supreme type cake flavors can also be used - add 3 tablespoons water to chocolate cake flavors.
1 package Pillsbury's Moist Supreme Lemon Cake Mix (or another brand)
1 cup rice crispy cereal
½ cup butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and blend well. Form into 1-inch balls, pressing firmly. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets that have been sprayed with Pam. Bake for 9 - 12 minutes until light golden brown around edges. Cool 1 minute and remove from cookie sheets.
Hala’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe courtesy Hala Barghouti
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1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
½ cup granulated Sugar
1½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ (12 oz.) bags semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat Oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
Sift together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
Stir in the chocolate chips. Place golf-ball size dough portions 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. I use the medium Ice-cream scoop from Pampered Chef.
Bake for 9 minutes, or until edges are light brown. (Depending on your oven you might need a minute or 2 longer).
Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe courtesy Martha Stewart/Hala Barghouti
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7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli’s 60% Chocolate Chips)
1½ cups plus 1tablespoon all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
½ cup dark-brown sugar, packed
½ cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup granulated sugar
Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into ¼ inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1½ teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
Heat oven to 325°. Roll dough into 1½ inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 2 dozen.
Oatmeal, Cherry, Chocolate & Toffee Cookies
Recipe courtesy Martha Stewart/Hala Barghouti
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1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried sour cherries
4½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup toffee baking bits
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice during the mixing process. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture to egg mixture and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oats, cherries, chocolate and toffee; mix to combine after each. Scoop or spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet 2-inches apart.
Bake until golden brown, 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Mandelbrot
Recipe courtesy Ellen Strum
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3 eggs, beat well
1 cup sugar
¾ cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup nuts or chocolate chips (your choice)
Mix eggs, sugar, oil and extracts well. Add flour and baking soda to egg mixture. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips. Chill one hour or longer - then divide into two long rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Slice immediately then return to oven to dry, about ten to fifteen minutes (keep an eye on it at this time).
Cookie Dough Truffles
Recipe courtesy Jenn Halter
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½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
1½ pounds semisweet candy coating, chopped
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring often until smooth. Dip balls in coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.
Melting Moments
Recipe courtesy Paula Earnest
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You can change the style of the cookie topping for any holiday, certainly. In my family, we only serve "melting moments" at Christmastime....a treat we look forward to. Feel free to add crumbled nuts on top of the icing, or sprinkles, even a jelly bean would be fun at Easter. Enjoy!!!
1 cup soft butter (not melted butter)
¼ cup confectioner sugar
1 cup flour
¾ cup cornstarch
Combine the above ingredients, mix with a fork or spoon until fairly smooth. Then roll into balls
about the size of a tootsie pop or large jaw breaker (maybe a big tablespoon full). Do not flatten. Put the ball of dough on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The cookies can be placed fairly close together on the cookie sheet since they do not spread out very much as they bake. The tops will eventually start to crack a little. That's when you know they are done. When you take them off the cookie sheet, be careful because they tend to crumble. So wait till they set up a little.
Once the cookies are cool, top with icing. Spread over the top of the cookie and then decorate with a Red Hot and green holly leaf icing decorations for a Christmas look.
Icing recipe:
1 cup confectioner sugar
2 tablespoon of melted butter
Add a little milk to thin (to the creamy texture you want)
A drop of vanilla may be added if you like that flavor as well.
Mix the ingredients together for a creamy icing.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Recipe courtesy Taste of Home
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These are truly amazing! One of my favorite desserts of all time!
¾ cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups miniature chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped pecans
FILLING:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. Set aside a third of the dough for topping. Press remaining dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Spoon over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of reserved dough over filling. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.
Coconut Crunch Cream Pie
Recipe courtesy Victoria Gore
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Crust:
1½ cup flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ cup butter
1½ cup chopped coconut
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Save ¾ cup of crumbs for the top. Place this ¾ cup of crumbs on a small cookie sheet or piece of aluminum foil. Press remaining mixture into a 9" pie plate. Brown (both pie crust and extra crumbs) for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Cool while making cream filling.
Cream Filling:
½ cup honey
½ cup + 2 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
Combine salt, flour, milk and honey in a double boiler. Cook over low-med heat until as thickened. Cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Stir a little of this hot mixture into egg yolks. Then add eggs to the mixture in the double boiler. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Strain custard through a sieve into cooled piecrust. Refrigerate for several hours. Before serving, top with whipped cream.
Homemade whipped cream:
¾ cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Mix on high in stand-up mixer until stiff peaks form.
Raspberry-Lemon Shortbread Tart
Recipe courtesy Rachel Ray/Jenn Halter
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This was served at Bunco in 2006 at Jenn’s house.
3 cups frozen raspberries (1 pound)
1 stick plus 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1¾ cups all purpose flour
3 large eggs
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about ¼ cup)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Drain the raspberries in a strainer set over a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using your fingers, combine the butter, ½ cup of the sugar and 1½ cups of the flour and blend together until coarse crumbs form. Pour the mixture into an ungreased nonstick 9-inch springform or cake pan and press down evenly to form a crust. Bake the shortbread crust until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
Remove the shortbread from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°. Scatter the drained raspberries evenly over the baked shortbread.
Beat the eggs with the remaining ¾ cup of sugar until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Pour the lemon cream over the raspberries and bake the tart until the custard is set, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then dust with confectioners' sugar.
Warm Toasted Marshmallow S’Mores Bars
Recipe courtesy Betty Crocker/Jenn Halter
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These are AMAZINGLY good! Very easy to make and kids would LOVE them!
1 pouch sugar cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups milk chocolate chips (18 oz.)
4½ cups mini marshmallows
Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.
Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over melted chocolate. Broil with top 4 to 5 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.) Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm. Store any remaining bars tightly covered.
Pecan Caramel Candies
Recipe courtesy Taste of Home/Jenn Halter
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63 miniature pretzels
1 package (13 ounces) Rolo candies
63 pecan halves
Line baking sheets with foil. Place pretzels on foil; top each pretzel with a candy. Bake at 250° for 4 minutes or until candies are softened (candies will retain their shape). Immediately place a pecan half on each candy and press down so candy fills pretzel. Cool slightly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set. Yield: 63
German Chocolate Brownies
Recipe courtesy Deborah Teresso
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1 (14 ounce) package caramels (Kraft = best)
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 package German chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans
¾ cup melted margarine (1½ cubes)
1 (6 or 12 ounce) package chocolate chips
Melt caramels in top of double boiler. Mix in 1/3-cup evaporated milk when completely melted. Mix cake mix, 1/3-cup evaporated milk, pecans and melted margarine together. Place half of mixture in bottom of 13 x 9 x 1 baking dish and cook for 9 minutes at 350°. Pour caramel mixture over baked mix, then sprinkle chips and pecans on top of this. Place rest of cake mixture on top of this. (This is best done by making thin “patties”). Bake at 350° for another 15 minutes. Cut into small pieces when cool.
Junior Mint Brownies
Recipe courtesy Cooking Light/Jenn Halter
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¼ cup butter
32 Junior Mints
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Combine butter and mints in a 2-cup glass measure; microwave at high 30 seconds or until soft. Stir until smooth, and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine sugar, cocoa, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add mint mixture; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack. Makes 16 brownies
Pinch Cake
Recipe courtesy Dawn Shetzer
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I make this every Christmas Morning! Some people call it Monkey Bread, but I have always called it Pinch cake.
3 small tubes of biscuits
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
Melt butter and brown sugar. Quarter biscuits. Place white sugar and cinnamon in plastic bag. Shake biscuit pieces in bag till coated. Put coated biscuit pieces in Bundt pan. Pour brown sugar and butter over top. Bake 30 min at 350. Turn over onto plate immediately
Blueberry Crumble Pie
Recipe courtesy Cooking Light/Jenn Halter
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5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 (9-inch) reduced-fat graham-cracker crust
¾ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
Preheat oven to 375°. Place blueberries in crust; set aside. Combine brown sugar, flour, vanilla, rind, and sour cream; spread over blueberries. Combine breadcrumbs, granulated sugar, and margarine; sprinkle over sour cream mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until set and crumbs are lightly browned. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.
White Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe courtesy The Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor
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Heather Skale served this cake at Jennifer Halter's baby shower in 2005.
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 plain white cake mix with pudding in the mix
1¼ cup milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly mist a 15 x 10 (or pans of your choice) with vegetable spray and dust with flour. Place white chocolate and butter in small bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until thoroughly combined. Mix cake mix, milk, eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate mixture in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape bowl and mix at medium for 2 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes and frost.
6 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 (8 ounce) package of regular cream cheese at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter at room temp.
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Microwave chocolate for 1 minute, stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. Beat cream cheese and butter in a separate bowl until well combined, add chocolate, vanilla and 2½ cups sugar. Add rest of sugar only as needed until frosting is smooth. Frost and enjoy!
Triple Decker Strawberry Cake
Recipe courtesy Sue Melnick
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1 package white cake mix (French Vanilla)
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
4 large eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk
Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed for 1 min. Scrape down sides and beat at medium speed 2 more minutes (strawberries should be well blended into the batter). Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cook completely on wire racks.
1 cup softened butter
2 (16 ounce) packages powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
Beat butter at medium speed 20 seconds or until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and chopped strawberries. Beat at low speed until creamy. Add more sugar if too thin, or add more berries if too thick. Spread icing between layers and top and sides of cake. Garnish top with a couple of whole berries if desired.
Strawberry Almond Cream Tart
Recipe courtesy Cooking Light/Jenn Halter
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This is one of the best “light” desserts I have ever had! I served it in 2003 at my first Bunco and everyone loved it! Pictured below left.
Crust:
36 honey graham crackers (about 9 sheets)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 teaspoons water
Cooking spray
Filling:
2/3 cup light cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Topping:
6 cups small fresh strawberries, divided
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare crust, place crackers in a food processor; process until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, butter, and water; pulse just until moist. Place mixture in a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan to 3/4 inch. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and extracts in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of tart shell.
To prepare topping, place 2 cups strawberries in food processor; process until pureed. Combine strawberry puree, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Remove glaze from heat, and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Combine 4 cups strawberries and juice; toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up, in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half of glaze evenly over berries (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Sprinkle nuts around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.
Angel Berry Trifle
Recipe courtesy Light N Tasty/Jenn Halter
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This was served by Jenn at Debra’s Bunco in January 2007.
1½ cups cold fat-free milk
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free vanilla yogurt
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 prepared angel food cake (18 inches), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint each blackberries, raspberries and blueberries
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes or until thickened. In a mixing bowl, beat the yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Fold in pudding mixture and 1 cup whipped topping.
Place a third of the cake cubes in a 4-qt. trifle bowl. Top with a third of the pudding mixture, a third of the berries and half of the remaining whipped topping. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining cake, pudding and berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Yield: 14 servings.
Chocolate Lover’s Cheeespie
Recipe courtesy Deborah Teresso
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3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounce package) Hershey’s Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
1 extra-serving-size packaged graham cracker crumb crust (9 ounces)
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Heat oven to 450. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir in 1 cup small chocolate chips; pour into crust.
Bake 10 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce temperature to 250; continue baking 30 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven to wire rack. Cool completely. Cover; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Place remaining 1/3 cup chips and whipping cream in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 20 to 30 seconds or just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly; spread over top of cheesepie. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until topping is set. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesepie. Makes 10 servings.
candies (about 1-1/4 pounds).
