Pumpkin Roll

Prepare a 17 x 11 inch rimmed baking sheet (like a cookie sheet): grease baking sheet, line with parchment paper and grease again. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a small bowl combine:
3/4 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a larger bowl thoroughly mix:
3 eggs
1 Cup sugar

Then add:
2/3 Cup canned pumpkin

Stir in the flour mixture and evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 13 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in the middle. Meanwhile, lay a linen cloth (I used overlapping paper towels instead) on the counter and dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar. NOTE: The cloth needs to be at least as large as the pan you are using. Immediately after baking turn the cake out onto the powder sugared towel and roll up from short end to short end. Let rest on the counter to cool for 20 minutes. Prepare the cream cheese frosting.


Combine:
8 ounces softened cream cheese
6 Tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup powdered sugar

Once the cake has cooled for 20 minutes, unroll and evenly spread the frosting over the inside. Immediately re-roll the cake (without the towel, of course.) Refrigerate, loosely covered until completely cooled. Dust with powdered sugar. Can be served after about an hour of refrigeration.

Apple Cake

Apple Cake
4 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled & diced (about 3 apples)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 - 1/4 tsp nutmeg (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine apples and sugar and mix well.

Add oil, beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

Combine dry ingredients and add to the apple mixture and mix thoroughly.

Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°, then for 15 - 20 minutes at 325°. Cake will get crispy on top.

Allow cake to cool in pan and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).


Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp real butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Cream together and spread on top of cooled cake. (Or do what we did and let the cake cool for a little bit and then dollop the frosting on individual, slightly warm slices...mmmmm.) Be sure to either refrigerate leftover frosting or any leftover cake if the frosting is spread over the entire cake.

(I'd bet this cake would also be delicious with a warm homemade caramel sauce drizzled over the top of a warm cake.)

Blackberry Hershey Croissant

Yes...HERSHEY! Inside each croissant are three Hershey's kisses. So yummy when served warm! This recipe is found on the Hershey's baking website...but after the suggestion of adding blackberry sauce and whipped cream from a friend, here is it, tweaked a little bit.



Croissants
1 package (8 oz.) refrigerated quick crescent dinner rolls
24 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates or HERSHEY'S HUGS Brand Candies
powdered sugar

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place 2 chocolates, sideways, points facing out, at wide end of each triangle; place an additional chocolate on top of other two pieces, point down. Starting at wide end, roll to opposite point. Place rolls on ungreased cookie sheet. Curve slightly into crescent shape. Bake 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; sift with powdered sugar. Serve warm with blackberry sauce and whipped cream. 8 crescents. (Note: Leftover crescents can be reheated in microwave for a few seconds.)

Blackberry Sauce
1 pound frozen blackberries
3 or 4 Tbsps sugar
1 1/2 Tbsps corn starch
1/3 teaspoon lemon extract

Place first three ingredients in saucepan. Turn heat to low and stir occasionally, smashing blackberries as they thaw. Once there is some liquid in the pan, turn heat to medium. Continue to stir and smash the berries. When mixture becomes bubbly, stir for another 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer another minute. Mix in lemon extract and taste for sweetness. Add additional sugar to taste if necessary. Makes about a cup and a half of sauce, so I make about 24 croissants with this amount of blackberries. I'm sure you could use canned blackberry sauce too.

Easy Berry Dessert

I discovered that this recipe bakes better in the disposable half-size deep steam table pans. I have baked it in regular glass or metal 13x9 pans and I think it gets too dry. I have absolutely no explanation for it, it just is that way. Maybe it's only in my oven...

Anyway, I also want to experiment with the temperature at 375° instead of the current 350° to see if the center can get done a little bit faster so the outside edges don't bake too long. No matter what, it's very easy and simply scrumptious! If you want you can use a yellow cake mix instead. You can also use fresh berries...and it's really yummy when you can find fresh rhubarb, about 4 cups, in place of the berries. But, I will list it how I traditionally make it below.

Ingredients
1 white cake mix
2-3 cups frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries...)
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
Make cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter in lightly greased pan. Sprinkle berries evenly over the top of the batter.



Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the berries.



Pour the cream evenly over the top and without stirring place directly in pre-heated 350° oven.



Bake for between 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on your oven. Cake is done when center is mostly set. Remove from oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Great with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.

Texas Sheet Cake

Combine in a large mixing bowl-
2 Cups flour
2 Cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

In medium saucepan, melt-
2 sticks butter (1 Cup)
Add 4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa

Mix well. Add 1 cup boiling water and allow mixture to softly boil, while stirring, for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly, and briefly, to cool.

In measuring cup, mix-
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Combine thoroughly.

Pour into jelly roll pan (deep large cookie sheet, approx 13"x 17 1/2") and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing.

Icing
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter (7/8 Cup) in a large-ish saucepan
Add 4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa and stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add 6 Tablespoons milk (or about 1/4 inch under 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar (14oz on my kitchen scale)

Stir together.

Add 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans. (Optional.)

Stir together, and pour over warm cake right when it comes out of the oven. Smooth icing all over top and let cool. Cut into squares to serve. Super yummy with a glass of cold milk!

See Pioneer Woman's instructional photos...my recipe only differs from hers in that I add cinnamon.

Marshmallow Fondant

This is a fabulous fondant recipe and tastes yummy too! This was my first time working with fondant and I will use it many, many times in the future, I'm sure. Don't get intimidated by the word "fondant"! It was easy!

(P.S. Fondant is 6 bucks a pound or more in the store...this only cost me 4 bucks to make 3 pounds!)

Ingredients

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)

2 to 5 tablespoons water

2 pounds C&H Powdered sugar (this brand has the best results)

½ cup Crisco shortening (placed in a very easily accessed bowl)

Directions

Over double boiler, add 2 Tbsp of the water and the marshmallows. Melt marshmallows completely, stirring constantly. Once the marshmallows are all melted, remove from heat and pour in 3/4 of the powdered sugar and give it a quick stir or two.

Generously grease the counter with some of the Crisco. Repeat as necessary.

Carefully dump the marshmallow and powdered sugar mix on the counter. It may be a little bit hot so be careful.

Generously grease your hands as it is sticky. Repeat as necessary.

Knead the powdered sugar into the melted marshmallows like you would knead bread dough. *Wear an apron. °Ü° * Gradually add the remaining 1/4 package of powdered sugar. It takes about 8 minutes to incorporate all the powdered sugar. (I actually didn't get all 2 pounds of mine mixed in but I liked the doughs consistency so I stopped trying to get it all to mix in.)

If your dough is tearing easily it needs a bit more water, added 1/2 Tbsp at a time, kneaded into it. Get it to a firm, smooth elastic ball.

When the dough is finished you can give it a quick coating of Crisco and double wrap it in plastic and store it in the refrigerator. When you want to work with it, just remove it from the fridge a few hours before you need to use it so it will be easier to knead. You want it to be about body temperature to roll out and place over cake. You can store it in the fridge for weeks.

To add color to the fondant, use a toothpick to add in paste type icing colors. Just drag them through the dough and then knead in. (Lightly Crisco your hands again to avoid the stickiness.) The colors actually wash off your hands easily if you don't use too much so don't worry about that. Also, be sure to keep any fondant dough that you aren't working with wrapped up in plastic so it doesn't dry out.

To glue one fondant piece to another, just get barely get it wet with a small amount of water and it will stick to itself. (I really couldn't believe that worked!) Be careful not to over wet it or the color may bleed, run or smear.

There are lots of fondant tips on the web so look around. I got my recipe from this website and she has great directions and tips. Also, I learned how to make the puppy for Riley's cake from this three part video. Wilton's web-site has tons of fondant tips, ideas and directions, too. Have fun!

Chocolate Chip Cake Bar

1 package yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 Cup water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/2 Tbsp shortening

-In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
-Stir in 1 3/4 cups of chocolate chips and nuts.
-Spread in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan.
-Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
-Cool pan completely on a wire rack.
-Cut into bars. (About 24)
-Melt shortening with the remaining 1/4 Cup chocolate chips (about 45 seconds in the microwave); drizzle over the top.

***Allow drizzled chocolate to set completely before stacking on a plate.***

Toffee Bars

1 Cup real butter, softened
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 Cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely crushed Heath bar

-Cream butter and brown sugar with mixer.
-Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
-Gradually add flour and salt, beating until smooth.
-Spoon into lightly greased 15x10 pan. (Use 13x9 if you want thicker shortbread, but it may require a slightly longer bake time.) Press down in pan until dough is even.
-Bake at 350° for 17-19 minutes, or until LIGHT golden brown.
-Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over top.
-Return to oven for about 2 minutes.



-Gently spread melted chocolate evenly over bars.
-Sprinkle crushed heath bar evenly over the top.

***If plating bars, place in refrigerator to cool for about an hour. Remove and slice into bars. Cover and place back into refrigerator for a few more hours or overnight or until the chocolate on top is no longer soft so they can be stacked on a plate and not stick together.

German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake
350° 30-40 minutes
3-8"cake pans

1 (4-oz.) package of Baker's Sweetened Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Take one package of Baker's sweetened chocolate and mix it with 1/2 cup of boiling water. You are done mixing the chocolate once it is all dissolved. Let this cool before adding it to the following sugar/butter/egg mixture.

Mix 1 cup of butter with 2 cups of sugar until they are fluffy and rich. This should not take but a few minutes.

Slowly add in your egg yolks while beating the mixture. Once no more streaks, or spots of yellow remain they have been mixed in well enough.

Add cooled chocolate liquid and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the batter.

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the flour.

Add the buttermilk and flour to the mixture at the same time, but alternating between the two (buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour...) Don't stop mixing as you do this. Once you are done beating in the buttermilk and flour, make sure that it is smooth.

Take your four egg whites and beat them in a separate bowl at a high speed. When you lift the beater out of the bowl it should have a peak, or pointed tip at the end of it. This means they are done being whipped. (TIP: Make sure that there is no egg yolk mixed into your egg whites.)

Now fold in your egg whites SLOWLY. DO NOT STIR OR BEAT THEM IN. This would ruin the cake.

Pour equal amounts of batter into three 8 inch cake pans.

Put the cakes in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not open the oven until the cake has been in for the required time, if you do it may fall in the middle. Stick a tooth pick in your cake after baking. If it comes out clean your cake is done, if it comes out gooey then it needs another five to ten minutes.

Cool cake completely before frosting.


Coconut Pecan Frosting
(Double if frosting sides of cake)

Mix the following ingredients in a medium saucepan on a stove set on medium heat for about 12 minutes:
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 beaten egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Once you are done cooking the above ingredients add:
1 1/2 Cup coconut
1 Cup chopped pecans

Cool the frosting until it is firm and easy to spread.

Oatmeal Cake

This cake is so moist and yummy, it's sure to become a family favorite.

Oatmeal Cake
350° 35-40 minutes

1 Cup sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
1 Cup oatmeal (quick-oats, not old fashioned)
(For top- 1/2 container vanilla frosting)

In a medium bowl, combine baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flour. In a separate bowl, pour boiling water over oatmeal. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend sugars, shortening, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Add flour mixture to the sugar and blend. Add oatmeal and mix fairly well.

Bake in lightly greased 13x9 pan @ 350° for 35-40 minutes. Frost immediately with 1/2 can vanilla frosting (it will melt on the top) and serve in about 20-30 minutes, while still warm.

Layered Jello

This is a little bit time consuming, but OH SO YUMMY!!

Of course you don't have to make this many layers. I actually have 6 here plus whipped cream, because I was making it for a Young Women's activity in the Young Women colors -purple, yellow, orange, green, red, blue and white...but three or four layers would work just as well. (Christmas, Fourth of July, etc...) I was worried about the different flavors tasting weird together but it didn't! It was so good. I'm assuming that every other layer has evaporated milk in it to make it opaque so the layers don't blend together visually. Plus it's yummy. Have I said how much I like this or that it's really yummy?

It is.

Yummy.



Ingredients:

1 each (3oz) of the following jello flavors
grape
lemon
orange
lime
cherry
blue raspberry
boiling water
ice cold water
1 or 2 (12oz) cans evaporated milk
whipped topping


Mix grape jello with 3/4 cup boiling water for 2 minutes, until jello is dissolved. Add 3/4 cup ice cold water. Stir well and pour (CAREFULLY so it doesn't splash on the sides) into 13x9 clear glass pan or dessert cups or whatever you want to serve it in.

Place in refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. I read somewhere that the trick is to have the jello set enough to stick barely to your finger so that the layers won't separate when you serve it.

Mix lemon jello with 1/2 cup boiling water for 2 minutes, until jello is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup ice cold water and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Stir well and pour carefully (may need to spoon carefully) over chilled grape layer. Chill about 30 minutes.

Mix orange jello with 3/4 cup boiling water for 2 minutes, until jello is dissolved. Add 3/4 cup ice cold water. Stir well and pour onto chilled lemon layer. Chill about 30 minutes.

Mix lime jello with 1/2 cup boiling water for 2 minutes, until jello is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup ice cold water and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Stir well and pour carefully over chilled orange layer. Chill about 30 minutes.

Mix cherry jello with 3/4 cup boiling water for 2 minutes, until jello is dissolved. Add 3/4 cup ice cold water. Stir well and pour over chilled lime layer. Chill about 30 minutes.

Mix blue raspberry jello with 1/2 cup boiling water for 2 minutes, until jello is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup ice cold water and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Stir well and pour over cherry layer. Chill about 30 minutes. Or until all layers are completely set.

Top with whipped topping and serve.

Of course you can change the flavors, use the same color/flavor for the plain and evaporated layers, etc...Just make sure you can be home most of the day for the chilling part. It doesn't take much time to make, except for the chilling. Check out this other similar broken glass jello recipe!
Or this one!

Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

11 oz chocolate or butterscotch chips

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

In a 13x9 inch pan melt butter in 350° oven. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter. Evenly pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Evenly top with remaining ingredients. Press down gently. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

*I have found that a metal pan works best with this recipe. Glass pans tend to make the graham cracker crust soggy.

Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1 Cup buttermilk

1/2 Cup biscuit mix (I like Jiffy, or use Bisquick)

1/3 Cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

Blend all ingredients together in bowl with mixer for 1 minute. Pour into greased 9 inch pie pan. Bake about 50 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean) at 350°. Cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Surprisingly extremely yummy!

Red Velvet Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1 (3.5oz) package instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 oz. red food coloring
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix above ingredients well. It will be RED!

Bake in a lightly greased 13x9 pan at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Cool completely and then frost with recipe below. (PS- If making mini-cupcakes, reduce heat to 325° and cook for 15-16 minutes. Makes 72 mini-cupcakes!)

1 cup cold milk
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (3.5oz) package instant vanilla pudding
1 (8oz) container cool whip

Beat cream cheese. Slowly add milk mixing well. Mix in box of pudding. Fold in cool whip. Spread on cooled cake. Refrigerate.

Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza

20 oz refrigerated sugar cookie, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP milk
4 oz cool whip

Heat oven to 350°. Press dough into cookie sheet or pizza pan or baking stone about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 12 minutes...don't try to get it golden, it will be too hard. Cool in pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in milk. Gently stir in 4 oz cool whip. Spread onto cooled cookie crust.

Garnish with toppings as desired. E.g. Strawberries, kiwi, banana, halved grapes, blueberries, pineapple, apples, chopped nuts, cherries, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, etc.

Refrigerate leftovers. (As if there would be any °Ü° )

Apricot Jello

Apricot Jello

(You can substitute cherry, raspberry, orange or strawberry for the apricot jello.)

6 oz. apricot jello (unmade)

1/2 Cup water

1 Cup sugar

1 large can crushed pineapple- undrained (15 oz ?)

Bring these ingredients to a boil and completey dissolve jello and sugar.

Chill, stirring occasionally, but do not allow mixture to gel.

Once cool, in separate bowl cream 8 oz. of softened cream cheese. Add 12 oz of whipped cream (cool whip, etc). Mix into the jello/pineapple mixture. Chill 2-4 hours.