Angel Lush Cupcakes

1 pkg. (16 oz.) angel food cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

2 cans (8 oz. each) DOLE Crushed Pineapple in Juice, undrained

1 cup  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

2 cups assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries)

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; pour into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until tops are golden brown and cracks feel dry. (Note: If baking in batches, refrigerate remaining batter in bowl until ready to pour into lined muffin cups and bake.) Cool cupcakes in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

MIX dry pudding mix and pineapple in medium bowl. Gently stir in COOL WHIP; spread onto cupcakes.

TOP with berries.

Candy Brownies

1 family size box of brownie mix (make with 3 eggs instead of 2)

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Pour in half the brownie batter. Cover with chopped pecans, walnuts or peanuts, if desired. Cover nuts with miniature Twix candy bars. Just line them up until the entire surface is covered. 

Pour the rest of the brownie batter on top of the Twix and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. (DO NOT over bake). Let cool and cut into squares.

Frosting:

1/2 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons of Light Karo Corn Syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl. Add in the corn syrup and coat the chips well. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave safe bowl. Heat it to almost boiling but be careful not to over boil. (Heat about 30 seconds and check it. Keep heating until it is hot.)

Pour the cream over the chips and let sit for about 1 minute before stirring. You should be able to easily stir at this point. Stir well; the frosting should be shiny and glossy. Pour over the brownies and refrigerate until ready to cut.

**For mint brownies, substitute Andes Mint Baking Chips for Twix bars and add 1/4 tsp. of mint extract to the frosting as the last step.

Layered Ice Cream Cake

LAYERED ICE CREAM CAKE
Makes a 9”x 13” Pan
24 Ice cream sandwiches
8 oz. Cool Whip™
1 Hershey’s™ chocolate syrup bottle
1 Smuckers™ caramel syrup bottle
2 king size Butterfinger™ candy bars chopped up
1st layer -12 ice cream sandwiches
2nd – half of whipped cream
3rd - half of Butterfinger™ bars, Squeeze 1/2 of caramel &
chocolate over that.
4th - rest of ice cream sandwiches
5th – Cool Whip™
6th - rest of Butterfinger™, caramel & chocolate
You can freeze this and eat as desired! Yummy! Yummy!

Pop's Vanilla Ice Cream

1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. flour
⅛ tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 c. whole milk
2 c. half and half
1 tbsp. vanilla flavoring
1 c. whipping cream

Scald milk in double boiler.

Beat eggs in a bowl. Add sugar, salt, and flour. Stir in milk and half and half. Return to double boiler. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool; add flavoring and whipping cream.

Place mixture in ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

NOTE: Double amounts for a gallon freezer.

YIELD: 16-½ c. servings

Pumpkin Pie

1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese
¾ tsp. vanilla
¼ c. sugar
1 egg
1¼ c. canned pumpkin
½ c. sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. evaporated milk
1 – 9” unbaked pastry shell, w/high edge

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Mix together cream cheese, vanilla, ¼ c. sugar and egg. Mix together pumpkin, spices, eggs, and milk. Add to cream cheese mixture and pour into pastry shell. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake 45 minutes.

YIELD: 8 servings

Praline Cookies

½ c. butter or margarine, melted
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. packed brown sugar
l egg, lightly beaten
1½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. vanilla
1½ c. chopped pecans
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In large bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, flour, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pecans. Drop rounded tbsp. of dough onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Let stand for two minutes before removing from baking sheet. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

YIELD: Approximately 30 cookies

Pralines

2 c. sugar
⅛ tsp. salt
¾ c. buttermilk
2 c. pecan halves
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. baking soda

Combine all ingredients, except baking soda, in an 8-c. glass measure. Cook on HIGH for 12 minutes, stirring at 4-minute intervals. Stir in baking soda. Cook 2 -3 minutes on HIGH. Beat and drop by spoonsful onto waxed paper..

YIELD: approximately 30 candies

Penuche

2 c. light brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
1⅓ c. milk
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. corn syrup
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. pecans, chopped

Combine sugars, milk, and corn syrup. Cook to soft ball stage (234), stirring enough to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Drop in butter, vanilla, and nuts without stirring. Set on rack and allow without being disturbed to approximately 140° F. Beat until mixture loses its high gloss. Quickly pour into a buttered pan or drop by spoonsful.

YIELD: approximately 30 pieces

Pecan Pie

1 c. Karo Light Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ c. pecans (6 oz.)
1 – 9” unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir the first five ingredients thoroughly using a spoon. Mix in pecans. Pour into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 1 hour. Cool for 2 hours. Serves 8.

TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly; it should spring back when done. For easy cleanup, spray pie pan with cooking spray. If pie crust is over-browning, cover edges with foil.

YIELD: 8 servings

Fantasy Fudge

3 c. sugar
¾ c. butter
⅔ c. evaporated milk (5⅓ oz. can)
1 package (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ c. pecans, chopped

Combine sugar, butter, and milk in a 3-c. glass measure. Microwave on HIGH, uncovered for 4½ - 5 minutes or until mixture starts to boil, stirring once. Microwave on HIGH, uncovered, another 5 minutes.

Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Add marshmallow cream, vanilla, and nuts. Pour into a greased 12 X 8-inch baking dish. Cool until set. Cut into squares.

YIELD: 48 pieces

Divinity

2 c. sugar
⅛ tsp. salt
½ c. light corn syrup
⅓ c. water
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ c. pecans, chopped

Combine sugar, salt, corn syrup, and water in 8-c. glass measure. Microwave on HIGH uncovered for three minutes. Stir. Microwave on HIGH, uncovered, 8 – 10 minutes, until mixture reaches 260°F, hard ball stage.

In a separate container, beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Pour hot syrup in a constant stream over egg whites while beating at high speed. Add vanilla. Continue beating until mixture holds its shape and starts to lose its gloss (about 5 minutes). Fold in pecans. Spoon onto waxed paper.

YIELD: 50 pieces

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter or margarine
¾ c. granulated sugar
¾ c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
2 eggs
2¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 (12-oz.) package chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In large bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and water. Mix well. Add eggs to mixture and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt. Add ⅓ of flour mixture to first mixture, mix thoroughly. Repeat process until all of flour mixture has been added. Add chocolate chips and pecans. Drop rounded tsp. of dough onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown.

YIELD: Approximately 48 cookies

Creamy Banana Pudding

4-5 bananas
Lemon juice
1-14 oz. condensed milk
1½ c. cold water
1-4 oz. serving package instant vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz.) small container Cool Whip
25-35 Vanilla wafers

Slice banana into 1-inch pieces. Dip in lemon juice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix, beat well. Chill for 5 minutes. Remove from refrigerator. Fold in cool whip. Line bottom of 2-1/2 quart glass serving bowl with vanilla wafers. Spoon 1 c. pudding mixture into bowl. Layer ⅓ of bananas over pudding mixture. Repeat layering twice, ending with pudding. Chill thoroughly. Garnish as desired.

YIELD: 8-10 servings

Lemon Sauce

1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
⅔ c. water
1 egg
2 tsp. lemon peel, finely chopped
⅓ c. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter
½ c. heavy cream

Combine flour, cornstarch, and sugar in a heavy saucepan. With a whisk, beat in the water, egg, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Add to sugar mixture. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Add butter; refrigerate for about 1 hour, until well chilled. Just before serving, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form; fold into the lemon sauce until combined. Serve over pound cake, angel food cake, gingerbread, bread pudding, or other desserts.

YIELD: Approximately 2 cups

Bread Pudding w/Glazed Cream

¼ c. butter, softened
4 eggs
1 quart milk
2½ c. sugar
¾ c. raisins
¾ c. pecans, chopped
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ loaf stale po-boy bread, cut into slices 1” thick


Preheat oven to 375°F.

Spread soft butter over 12-inch round baking dish. Mix eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg. Add bread and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Pour into pan. Sprinkle in raisins and pecans. Bake at 375°F until pudding is almost firm (approximately 25 minutes). Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 425°F.

TOPPING:

½ c. whipping cream or sour cream
⅓ c. cinnamon & sugar mixture
½ stick butter

Carefully pour liquid whipping cream over top. Then sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture and pieces of butter. Return to oven and bake 12 minutes to allow cream to set.

YIELD: 6 – 8 generous servings

Lemon Ice Box Pie

PIE CRUST

1-¼ c. vanilla wafers, crushed
3 tbsp. margarine, melted
Whole vanilla wafers

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Thoroughly mix melted margarine into crushed vanilla wafers. Pack into bottom of 8-inch pie pan. Line sides of pan with whole vanilla wafers. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.

PIE FILLING

4 eggs yolks
1 c. lemon juice
1 c. condensed milk
½ tbsp. grated lemon rind
2 tbsp. sugar


Beat egg yolks until thick. Add lemon juice and condensed milk alternately, stirring until well blended. Add lemon rind to egg yolk mixture. Pour into cooled pie crust. Top with meringue.

MERINGUE

4 egg whites
½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Beat egg whites until stiff with an electric mixer. It should be stiff enough so that when you pull the beaters out they will leave a peak in the egg whites that sits for a moment (soft peaks). Add sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until peaks curl slightly over when the beater is removed (hard peaks). Do not over-mix. Place meringue topping on top of lemon mixture filled pie shell. Bake pie for 10 – 12 minutes or until light brown. Chill and serve.

YIELD: 8 servings

Dean's Strawberry Pie

PIE CRUST

1 – 9” unbaked pie crust


CREAM CHEESE FILLING

½ c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ tsp. vanilla

PIE FILLING

1 c. sugar
1 c. water
¼ c. cornstarch
1 small pkg. strawberry gelatin
1½ – 2 c. strawberries
8 oz. Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pie crust according to package instructions for a single crust pie. Allow pie crust to cool.

Mix powdered sugar, milk, and cream cheese together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Spread over pie crust.

Cook sugar, cornstarch, and water until thick. Add gelatin. Cool until almost stiff. Add strawberries. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Chill at least 2 hours before topping with Cool Whip.

YIELD: 8 servings

Cherry Cheesecake

1 – 9” prepared graham cracker crust


CREAM CHEESE FILLING

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar, heaping
2 T. milk
½ tsp. vanilla
1 c. pecans, chopped

Mix powdered sugar, milk, and cream cheese together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Spread over pie crust. Sprinkle pecans over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

TOPPING

12 oz. Cool Whip
1-21 oz. can cherry pie filling

Top with cool whip and cherry pie filling.

Yields: 8 servings

White Mountain Frosting

½ c. sugar
¼ c. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. water
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in 1-quart casserole. Cook in microwave oven on Full Power for 3 – 4 minutes, or until soft ball stage is reached.

Beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Pour hot syrup in thin stream and then vanilla into egg whites, while beating. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over 2 layer cake. (For Jewel’s Coconut Cake, I make this recipe twice. Don’t double it!)

Jewell's Coconut Cake

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
¾ c. cooking oil (instead of butter)
½ c. sugar

4 eggs
Milk instead of water as directed on package

Preheat oven to temperature specified on cake mix package.

Mix all ingredients together. Bake according to package directions. Allow cake layers to cool on cooling racks. Split layers in half. Spread with pineapple filling. (Directions to follow.)

PINEAPPLE FILLING

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. milk
¾ c. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 egg yolk

Mix in all ingredients in saucepan. Cool over medium heat until mixture thickens. Stir constantly while cooking. Spread on layers of cake. Ice cake with White Mountain Frosting. (Recipe to follow.) Sprinkle flaked coconut on top of icing.

YIELD: 16 servings