BEST EVER BUNDT CAKE

Be sure to look at the bottom of the recipe as there are lots of suggestions on different flavors. This is for a chocolate chip cake.

INGREDIENTS

    

1 Package yellow cake mix

1 package instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup sour cream (full fat)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/8 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)

DIRECTIONS

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 325 DEGREES F (185 C). GREASE AND FLOUR A 10 INCH BUNDT PAN.

2. IN A MEDIUM BOWL, STIR TOGETHER THE CAKE AND PUDDING MIXES AND SUGAR. ADD THE WATER, OIL, EGGS,AND SOUR CREAM. BLEND UNTIL WELL MIXED. FINALLY, FOLD IN CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND POUR INTO PREPARED BUNDT PAN.

3. BAKE FOR 50 TO 60 MINUTES IN THE PREHEATED OVEN. CAKE IS DONE WHEN A TOOTHPICK INSERTED COMES OUR CLEAN. COOL IN PAN FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE INVERTING ONTO A WIRE COOLING RACK. COOL COMPLETELY. DUST WITH POWDERED SUGAR BEFORE CUTTING AND SERVING.

If you would prefer a glaze ... this is a great one.

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

2 T milk (add extra milk until desired consistancy)

 

For a citrus glaze - use 2 T of lemon, orange or other fresh citrus juice and 1 T of zest.

IDEAS FOR OTHER FLAVORS OF CAKE

Chocolate Chocolate Chip - use a chocolate cake mix and a chocolate instant pudding mix

Vanilla Chocolate Chip - vanilla cake mix and vanilla pudding 

White Chocolate Raspberry - use white cake mix with white chocolate chips and 1/2 c raspberry jam, use a little less liquid when making a cake with jam

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip - Spice cake mix with a pumpkin pudding and mini chocolate chips

Lemon Cake - lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix and the lemon glaze above.

You can use any combination and it turns out good! Top with a cream cheese frosting, a glaze or just powdered sugar dusting.

For mini cakes - fill the pans 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake for 13 - 15 minutes. 

Have fun making different flavors.

Best and Easiest Apple Crisp

Best and Easiest Apple Crisp

Ingredients

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 t ground cinnamon

2 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and sliced or chopped 

         (at least 2 different varieties with 1/3 being Granny Smith)

1 T lemon juice

Topping:

1 1/2 C old-fashioned rolled oats

1 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

1/2 t kosher salt

1 12 sticks melted butter, cooled slightly

1 t vanilla extract

Directions

• Heat oven to 350 and spray a 9 x 9 baking dish
• Whisk sugar and cornstarch together, add apples and lemon juice and toss gently to coat. transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly.
• Place the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combined. Drizzle melted butter and vanilla over the oats and combined.
• Scatter the topping every over the fruit mixture, leaving large clumps intact. 
• Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges of the baking dish and the topping is golden brown.
• Cool slightly and serve with Cinnamon or Vanilla ice cream and whipped topping.

Variations 

Can use any different fruit you like and this recipe can be made in advance. Store in the Fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.

Pumpkin Apple Pie

 This recipe is for a 9", 1 crust pie.

Apple portion of pie

1 unbaked pie shell (homemade or pre-made)

1/3 C brown sugar, firmly packed

1 T cornstarch

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t salt

1/3 C water

2 T butter

Pumpkin portion of pie

2 eggs

1/2 C sugar

1 C canned or cooked mushed pumpkin

1/4 t salt

1/2 t pumpkin pie spice

1 C evaporated milk

Apple portion

Combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt. Then stir in water and butter. Bring to a boil; add apples and cook 4 minutes over medium heat. Set aside.

Pumpkin portion

Beat eggs in separate bowl.  Add sugar, pumpkin, salt, pumpkin pie spice cloves and evaporated milk. Blend well.

To assemble and bake pie

Spoon apple mixture into the pie shell. Carefully spoon pumpkin layer over apples. Bake in moderate oven (375) 50 to 55 minutes. 

Use whipped cream and walnut halves as a garnish.

Freezer Apple Pie Filling (4 pies)

Ingredients

15 cups of apples, peeled and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup corn starch

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

Directions

• In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.
• Pour water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Ladle into 4 freezer containers or gallon freezer bags, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cool at room temperature no longer than 1 1/2 hours.
• Seal and freeze. Can be stored for up to 12 months.
• To Bake Pie
• Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim even with edge. Fill with thawed apple mixture; dot with butter. Roll remaining crust to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in crust.
• Beat egg white until foamy; brush over crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil or silicone crust shields. 
• Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

To avoid a pie bottom from getting soggy, allow the bottom crust to heat more rapidly than the rest of the pie. To do this, place a baking sheet in the oven while preheating and then bake your pie on the pan.

• 
  

Freezer Peach Pie Filling

 

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ziplock freezer bags
• pie crust dough (homemade or store-bought)

directions

1. Place sliced peaches in a large bowl, then add in brown and white sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
2. Pour filling into freezer bag, carefully squeeze out excess air, then seal tightly.
3. Place freezer bag into a standard pie dish and place dish in freezer for at least 4 hours, or until frozen.
4. Remove pie dish and repeat with as many fillings as desired, stacking frozen fillings in freezer until ready to use.

to bake pie

1. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Place pie crust in pie dish, trimming off excess dough. Remove freezer filling from freezer (it can be frozen or thawed) and place or pour into pie dish.
3. Cover with remaining pie dough. Trim edges of pie dough, leaving a small overhang, then crimp edges as desired. Use a fork or paring knife to create steam vents in the center of pie dough, then place pie dish in oven.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes (if filling is thawed) or 60-70 minutes (if frozen), until center is bubbling. Place aluminum foil or silicone guards if crust becomes too brown. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serve warm with vanilla or peach ice cream.

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line miniature muffin tins with miniature paper liners.
• Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers into each paper cup.
• In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.

FIGURE 3 PER PERSON AS A DESSERT WITH FRUIT

Fluffy Key Lime Pie (easy)

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (20 squares)

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup Key lime juice

1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown; cool. 

In large bowl, beat milk and lime juice with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and thickened. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into cooled pie crust. 

Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until set. Store in refrigerator. 

Expert Tips

• A native Florida fruit, Key limes are smaller, rounder, more yellowish in color and more tart than the prevalent green Persian limes. If Key limes aren’t available in your grocery store, look for bottled Key lime juice near the other bottled lime juices.
• Make it easier. Pick up a frozen ready-made crust and bake as directed on the package. Or, use a ready-made graham cracker crust.

Sister Anderson's Easy Flan

Ingredients

1 C white sugar

4 large eggs 

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 can whole milk or 1 can evaporated milk

1 T Mexican Vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
3. In Blender beat eggs well (about 2 minutes)
4. Beat in sweetened condensed milk.
5. Beat in whole milk and Vanilla … (can not substitute low-fat milk ... use can from sweetened condensed milk to measure whole milk) … beat for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
7. Bake in a waterbacth for 45 minutes to an hour, knife should be clean when inserted into center of Flan.
8. Let it cool completely, use a sharp paring knife around the edges then carefully invert onto a dish with sides to catch the extra syrup. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold with whipped cream.

NUTTY OATMEAL CRANBERRY BARS

INGREDIENTS

FOR OATMEAL CRUST:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 tablespoon salted butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

FOR CRANBERRY NUT TOPPING:

1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups fresh cranberries

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 325-degrees F. Grease or coat with cooking spray a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2) For Oatmeal Crust: Prepare crust by whisking together flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter and lemon juice until combined. Evenly press mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan.

3) For Cranberry Nut Topping: Combine sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, flour and brown sugar. Spread mixture over crust. Spread fresh cranberries evenly over mixture, lightly pressing into mixture. Evenly spread top with chopped nuts.

4)Bake at 325-degrees F for 45-50 minutes, until light brown. Let cool completely in pan before slicing.

Rice Pudding

This recipe is great when you have leftover rice and it is not super sweet with only 2/3 cup of sugars.

1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
1/2 cup raisins ( I like golden raisins ... this is also optional)
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 t vanilla (I use Mexican vanilla ... great flavor)
1/8 t cinnamon (more if you like a real cinnamon flavor)
Nutmeg (optional)

Prepare an  8 x 8 baking dish, butter the bottom and side very well. Put rice and raisins in bottom of pan. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk eggs, add sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon, blend thoroughly and gently pour over rice. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Bake in 375* oven for 45 - 55 minutes or until knife in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Oreo Truffles

This is one of our favorite treats to make.  If you haven't had them yet, then you haven't lived.  It's so sweet and delicious.  and Holly....you can try it non-chocolate.

Ingredients:
1 whole package oreos
8oz cream cheese (or a little more)
dipping chocolate

how to:
1) crush up oreos, all of them, into as fine of pieces as you want....I go to practically dust.  don't remove cream.  I stick some in a bag and crush them that way, a little at a time, to avoid too much of a mess.  put crushed oreos into Large mixing bowl.  (you can use a blender to crush, but it doesn't get them fine enough for me)
2) mix cream cheese with oreos until well blended and sticky
3) ball oreos up.  you can make the small, or large.  I try for bite sized, sometimes its more like 2-bite sized.
4) make sure dipping chocolate is heated up and start dipping your oreo balls into chocolate.  It makes alot if you do small balls, so I usually do 1/2 in reg chocolate, 1/2 in white chocolate.
5) OPTIONAL....I drizzle the opposite type of chocolate I dipped in to add style.  (so if you dip in reg chocolate, drizzle in white.)
6) place dipped balls on foil or wax lined cookie sheet.  place in fridge until chocolate is hard and cooled.
7) DON'T eat the all at once.....it's harder than it seems lol.  but ENJOY!!!

Mom’s Apple Pie

1 package refrigerated pie dough 

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour, stirred

2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice

8 - 9 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon butter 

1 egg

1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare pie crusts as directed on package for two-crust pie using 9-inch pie plate.

Peel and thinly slice apples into a large bowl. Mix sugar, flour and apple pie spice in small bowl. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples in large bowl; toss to coat well. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate, pile it in the pie plate but make sure there are no large gaps, sometimes I actually hand place the first few layers so I know they are flat in the pie plate. Dot with butter. Top with second pie crust. Turn edges up and seal and flute edge. Cut small slits in top crust. If desired add cut-outs of an apple with leaves. Brush crust with a beaten well egg and sprinkle with additional tablespoon of sugar.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack.

Thoughts --- 1. Use a combination of 1/2 granny smith and 

                       1/2 Jonathan and MacIntosh

   2. I like Pillsbury Ready Crust, not the store 

                       brand ... there really is a difference

   3. I usually brush the top with maple syrup 

                       about 10 minutes before the end, this give 

                       a beautiful professional look to the pie!

Stacey’s Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add egg and beat in well, add sifted flour and baking powder ... roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4" to 3/8” thickness and cut in desired shapes .... bake at 400 for 6 - 7 minutes ... do not over bake.

Decorate by piping an edge of melted white chocolate (or any color desired) around the cookie then filling in with melted chocolate and adding other detail with melted chocolate.

Key Lime Meringue Pie

This recipe is like Grandma Hynes’s recipe, I remember making this pie with her one day when Grandpa Hynes was making his famous Ribs!

1 Baked 9” Pie Shell
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C cornstarch
1 1/2 C water
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/4 C key lime juiice
1 T grated key lime rind (use lemon if not key limes or omit)
3 egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/3 C sugar

Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Slowly stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Then blend all the egg yolk mixture into the hot mixture in the saucepan and boil 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Continue stirring until smooth. Blend in key lime juice and rind. Pour into baked pie shell. Prepare meringue by beating egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy; gradully add sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Pile meringue onto hot pie filling. Seal meringue to edge of crust. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool away from drafts. Serve as soon as cool.

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
1 box vanilla wafers
1 can cherry pie filling

Beat all ingredients, except vanilla wafers and cherry topping, until fluffy. Drop 1 vanilla wafer into paper baking cup which is placed in a cupcake pan. Top wafer with cream cheese filling until 3/4 filled. Repeat process until all filling is used.
Bake at 350°F degrees for 15 minutes. Top with prepared pie filling, any flavor pie filling can be used.
Yield: 96 mini cheesecakes.

Brickle Brackle

1 block cream cheese

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/2 - 1 pkg heath bar peices or toffee pieces

about 7 apples, sliced

mix first 4 ingredients. fold in heath pieces. serve with apples. YUM!

Aloha Cake

Yellow, Lemon or Strawberry Cake Mix

for Pina Colada Cake use Yellow Cake Mix and drain juice from a large can of crushed pineapple ... reserve pineapple. Make cake according to package directions using the pineapple juice as part of the liquid and add 1/2 cup well drained pineapple and 1/3 cup of coconut to the mix ... bake as directed in a 9 x 13 pan.

Take 2 cups of pineapple juice and 1 1/2 T of cornstarch and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Cook until thicker than syrup but not quite as thick as jelly. Cool completely.

Line a small cookie sheet with foil and spread coconut in a thin layer ... bake at 350 until lightly browned or toasted ... watch closely, do not walk away this only takes a minute or two.

While cake is cooling poke holes in the cake and pour 1/2 can (well stirred) of Cream of Coconut over the cake so that it soaks into the holes.

When cake is completely cooled, whip 1 pint of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks are formed adding powdered sugar to taste as a sweetener. Spread over completely cooled cake. Spread thickened pineapple juice sauce over whipped cream frosting and sprinkle with remaining well drained pineapple and toasted coconut. Serve right away.

For lemon cake ... use lemon cake mix, lemon juice for sauce

For Strawberry cake ... use strawberry cake mix , Guava Strawberry juice (freezer section, hard to find) and top with fresh strawberries

Apple Snickers Salad

Ingredients:
5 apples (red and green), cut into chunks
5-6 snack size snickers bars, cut into chucks
1 tub cool whip

Mix apples and snicker chunks together.
(you can portion however you want, I prefer a 4 apple to 1 snicker ratio)

Mix in cool whip.
(I like it to just cover the apples and snickers)

Quick and Easy Lemon Pie

• 1 small can lemonade concentrate (6 ounce size)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce size)
• 1 container whipped topping (9 ounce size)
• 1 graham cracker crust
Put the lemonade, lemon juice and milk in a blender. Mix well. Pour into a big bowl and add the whipped topping. Mix well. Pour into a graham cracker crust. Chill in the refrigerator for about three hours.

Dipping Chocolate for Strawberries, etc.

1 tsp shortening
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C milk chocolate chips

Melt shortening over low heat in a small sauce pan. Then add chocolate chips. When melted, remove from heat and begin dipping. Place on waxed paper. They will be glossy when cooled.