Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Two of my favorite things. Chocolate and strawberries. Enough said.

Ingredients:

Red ripe strawberries

Good chocolate

Directions:

(1) Wash and thoroughly dry strawberries.

(2) Melt chocolate

(3) Dip strawberries in melted chocolate

(4) Place on wax paper and allow chocolate to cool at room temperature

(5) Place chocolate covered strawberries in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

(6) Eat

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Chocolate and peanut butter go together like strawberry and kiwi. So it's only logical that there would be a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter inside and topped with peanut butter frosting. Oh baby! Sign me up for one of those please (and a tall glass of ice cold milk too).

Cake Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Jiff peanut butter

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

(2) In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.

(3) Add remaining ingredients except boiling water; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

(4) Remove from mixer and stir in boiling water (batter will be thin)

(5) Using a small cookie dough scooper - pour batter into liners until it is 1/4 full.

(6) Using a spoon drop a quarter size amount of peanut butter on top of batter.

(7) Pour enough batter over peanut butter so that liners are 1/2 full.

(8) Bake for 30 minutes or until cupcakes are done.

(9) Remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

(10) Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting.

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

One of the first things I think of when the word "Autumn" is mentioned is my Grandma Rosie's wonderful Frosted Pumpkin Cookies. I have fond memories of going out to her farm, riding in the back of the harvest wagon while ears and ears of dried corn fell on to my sisters, my cousins and I (it was really lots of fun). And for some strange reason I also remember lots and lots of grandma's pumpkin cookies.

These cookies really are wonderful. They are a very soft cookie with a comforting taste of pumpkin and cinnamon topped with a homey brown sugar glaze. One of my favorite cookies!

Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 35o degrees.

(2) In a large mixing bowl combine the Crisco and sugar. Beat until smooth.

(3) Beat in egg and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree to the mixture.

(4) In another bowl combine all dry ingredients: salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour and cinnamon.

(5) Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture until well Incorporated.

(6) Drop by rounded spoonful onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until bottoms just begin to turn golden.

(7) Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for about a minute. Remove cookies to cooling rack. Once cooled to room temperature frost with Brown Sugar Glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze:

5 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. milk (or heavy cream)

Powdered Sugar

In a small saucepan melt the butter, brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring only once or twice. Remove from heat. Stir in enough powdered sugar to form a thick consistency but yet, still spreadable. Using a large spoon spread glaze on cookies.

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Da'Hubby has a twin brother and he can make a mean cookie. In fact in college a group of us would get together every other Friday night and play games. One night The Twin made these and they were AWESOME! The Twin has a special little trick to make them extra good - he uses two bags of chips.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 (10 oz) bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips


Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(2) In a large bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
(3) In another large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar until fluffy.
(4) Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well.
(5) Gradually blend in the flour mixture, beating well.
(6) Stir in peanut butter chips.
(7) Drop by rounded spoonful onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Simple Apple Crisp

Two years ago I found this super simple recipe for apple crisp. It is now the only apple crisp I make. It's so simple to throw together. Now that fall is knocking on the door I thought it only fitting to help invite it in with a yummy apple crisp. Today I made it with Wolf River apples from my uncle's place north of Decorah.

Ingredients:

10 cups apples, peeled/cored and sliced

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup water

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted



Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(2) Place the sliced apples in a 9x13" pan.
(3) Mix the sugar, 1 Tbsp. flour and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over the apples. Evenly pour the water over all.
(4) Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
(5) Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes.

Great Grandma Opal's Carmel Corn

This recipe is from my Great Grandma Opal. She passed away when I was just a little girl. This is the only carmel corn my mom makes and I remember she always made it around Christmas. But today, the weather outside felt like a carmel corn kind of day.

Ingredients:

6 quarts of popped popcorn

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup corn syrup

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

(2) Having carefully gone through the popcorn and discarded seeds or corn with large hulls, place popcorn into 2 large roasting pans.

(3) In a large saucepan melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, salt and syrup. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes on low heat without stirring.

(4) Remove from heat and add vanilla. Carefully add baking soda and stir.

(5) Gradually pour over popcorn. Turn to coat.

(6) Bake for 1 hour turning every 15 minutes.

(7) Transfer to a cookie sheet to cool. Break apart and store in tight container.

Candied Graham Crackers

I clearly remember one summer night pregnant with my first born and craving something sweet, salty and chocolate. I came across this recipe and knew I had every ingredient in my pantry. It took minutes to assemble, alittle more time to cool, but I was able to enjoy my snack the same evening.

Ingredients:

24 Graham Crackers

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) Lightly grease a 10x15" pan - choose one with edges.

(3) Line pan with graham crackers.

(4) In a saucepan combine the butter and brown sugar until melted.

(5) Pour sugar mixture over grahams. May have to use a spatula to help distribute the sugar mixture.
(6) Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes.

(7) Remove from oven and immediately cover evenly with chocolate chips. Once chips have melted smooth chocolate over the grahams.

(8) Cool in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened.

(9) Break into pieces and store in Tupperware container.

Helpful Hints:

(1) A good friend of mine uses saltine crackers instead of the graham crackers. It is actually REALLY good too. Try it both ways and see which one you like best.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

I'm sure these are sooooo fat free (as I roll my eyes). Fat free they're probably not - delicious they are. You can really make these using any variety of cake mix and frosting.

Ingredients:

1 box of red velvet cake mix

1 (16oz) can of cream cheese frosting

1 bag of white chocolate chips

1 bag of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

(1) Bake cake according to directions in a greased 9x13" pan. The cake doesn't have to look pretty so use a simple pan.

(2) Once cake has cooled take a large bowl and crumble the cake.

(3) Take your rings off and mix in the entire can of frosting until it's well Incorporated.

(4) Using your pampered chief cookie dough scoop make the cake balls. I was able to make about 40ish with this method. If you want more or you want smaller cake balls then roll by hand. I just wasn't in the mood to spend a gazillion minutes doing that.

(5) Place on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and FREEZE. Some recipes say to just refrigerate but I found that my cake balls wanted to melt as soon as they hit the chocolate so FREEZE them for an hour or two.

(6) Melt chocolate of your choice and roll frozen cake ball. Cool on wax paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This banana cake makes good use out of those ripe banana's in my freezer. On the other plus side it's moist, delicious and da hubby loves it.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" pan.

(2) Beat all ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

(3) Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

(4) Meanwhile, prepare frosting by mixing all ingredients until fluffy. Try not to eat any of it.

(5) Once cake has cooled spread generously with cream cheese frosting.

Helpful Hints:

(1) We like to keep our banana cake refrigerated. There's no real reason behind it, except that we think it tastes better.

Lemony Snicket Squares

I love all things made with lemon. So when a former co-worker of mine brought in these fabulous lemon squares I knew I had to have the recipe because they reminded me so much of the kind I grew up on. So good! I think using fresh lemon juice really makes a difference.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, chilled

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt. Cut in chilled butter.

(3) Press evenly into a 9x13" baking dish.

(4) Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

(5) Cool for at least 15 minutes.

(6) In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, sugar, grated lemon peel, and fresh lemon juice.

(7) Stir in flour and baking powder.

(8) Spread over baked crust and bake an additional 25 minutes.

(9) Once cooled dust with powdered sugar.

(10) Cool to room temperature before serving to allow the filling to set.

Fresh Peach Dumplings

Mama Mia are these peach dumplings ever good and you're not going to believe the surprise ingredient!Ingredients:

4 Peaches, pealed and sliced

2 cans of crescent rolls

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 - 12 oz. can of Mountain Dew (no diet)

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(2) Wrap 3-4 peach slices in a crescent roll triangle.

(3) Lay seam side down in a 9x13" baking pan.

(4) In a small saucepan stir together over medium heat, butter, sugar and cinnamon until melted.

(5) Pour Mountain Dew over rolls.

(6) Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Helpful Hints:

(1) You can easily half this recipe and the leftovers keep well in the refrigerator.

(2) I've tried it using Granny Smith apples as well and it too is wonderful.

(3) Also, wonderful served hot with vanilla ice cream.

Layered Brownie Bars

This recipe is from da Hubby's Great Grandma Spear and they are DELECTABLE! Wow! What a dangerous combination.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup flour

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Jiff peanut butter

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) Beat margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla together until fluffy.

(3) Add flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder to creamed mixture until Incorporated.

(4) Pour batter into a greased 9x13" pan. It will look as if you don't have enough batter but you will.

(5) Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

(6) Remove from oven and cover evenly with miniature marshmallows. Return to oven for 3 minutes. Cool completely.

(7) In a microwavable bowl melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together. Once melted add Rice Krispies cereal. Spread over the marshmallow layer.

(8) Refrigerate until chocolate layer sets. Keep refrigerated.

State Fair Doughnuts

Put in a movie and fry up some delicious doughnuts - just like at the State Fair. My oldest daughter enjoys stamping out the middles and coating the fried donuts in cinnamon and sugar. Easy, quick and very filling.

Ingredients:

1 - Roll of Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (8 ct.)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Electric Skillet

Vegetable oil

Directions:

(1) Preheat electric skillet. Pour enough vegetable oil into the skillet to fry doughnuts in.

(2) While skillet is heating prepare the biscuits. Use a small cookie cutter of your choice and stamp out the middle.

(3) When oil is hot place doughnuts in oil and fry until golden brown on both sides - flipping halfway through fry time.

(4) Once done place in a small bowl with the sugar and cinnamon mixture and coat well.

(5) Enjoy hot!

Chocolate Cake

In my working days my former bosses wife brought in these awesome chocolate cupcakes and she was generous enough to share the recipe. This is one of my favorite chocolate cakes. It is so moist and the outside has a bit of a crisp outer edge - which is kind of delightful.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup coffee

2 cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. soda

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) Mix all ingredients until well blended.

(3) Pour into 2-8" prepared cake pans or cupcake liners.

(4) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(5) When cooled frost with Chocolate Bakery Frosting.

Helpful Hints:

(1) The original recipe doesn't call for coffee. But I use coffee since it helps to enhance chocolate. If you prefer to omit the coffee you can replace it with water.

Chocolate Bakery Frosting

This recipe is from my former bosses wife. She made these awesome chocolate cupcakes with THE best frosting.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions:
(1) Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
(2) Add salt and vanilla.
(3) Add part of powdered sugar and the Crisco. Mix.
(4) Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.
(5) Mix in milk and cocoa powder until smooth and the consistency that you desire. If too thick, add more milk.

Helpful Hints:
(1) The original recipe doesn't call for cocoa powder. So if you want vanilla frosting omit the cocoa powder.
(2) For an added flavor boost try using flavored coffee creamer instead of the milk.
(3) If you have it, use heavy cream instead of milk. The higher the fat content the better the stability of the frosting.

Granny's Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the worst to the best cook - everybody has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and everybody has a different opinion on what the *perfect* chocolate chip cookie is. In my opinion (take it or leave it) these are the best chocolate chip cookies, because they remind me of the cookies Granny (my great-grandma) used to make for us. So funny story....I found this recipe in my Jane Hunter cookbook and soon discovered that it is the Toll House cookie recipe - except for one minor difference. Are you ready for this? The difference is 1/4 cup less flour. Who would have thought? So here's the funny part....my sister and I were talking about Granny's recipes and I asked her if she had THE chocolate chip cookie recipe. She said she didn't but had asked Granny about that and Granny confessed she just used the Toll House recipe. Why mess with a good thing.
So if you want THE chocolate chip cookie that is slightly crisp around the edges and perfectly soft and chewy in the middle then this is the one for you.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs

12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 357 degrees

(2) Mix flour, salt and soda. Set aside.

(3) In large mixing bowl whip butter add sugar and brown sugar until pale, light and fluffy.

(4) Add vanilla.

(5) Add eggs one at a time. The eggs should be well beaten in, mixture should look creamed and not curdled.

(6) Add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until well incorporated.

(7) Add chocolate chips.

(8) Drop by spoonfuls or use a Pampered Chef cookie scooper and place on un-greased cookie sheet.

(9) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

Helpful Hints:

(1) Do not under any circumstance use margarine instead of butter for this recipe. It's gross.

(2) Use unsalted butter - then you can control the amount of salt you add. If you use salted butter omit the salt. The salt helps to enhance the chocolate - and we all know that's a good thing.

(3) If you have it, use pure vanilla extract.

Fruit Pizza with White Chocolate

This fruit pizza has a sugar cookie crust with a milky layer of white chocolate and cream cheese, topped with your favorite fruit choices and a glaze. Recipe from allrecipes.com. I love white chocolate so I thought I would give this a try. It was a big hit - even with the men folk.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 bag Toll House white chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 - 8oz pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

(2) Cream together butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in eggs.

(3) In a separate bowl mix flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt.

(4) Beat flour mixture into butter mixture to form a stiff dough. Press dough into a rectangle as large as the baking sheet.

(5) Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

(6) For the filling: In a microwaveable bowl melt vanilla chips and cream. Beat in cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Will look a bit soupy, but no worries just chill for about 10 minutes while you slice the fruit. Spread over cooled cookie crust.

(7) For the topping: Arrange sliced fruit over filling. In a medium saucepan heat 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbs. cornstarch, 1 cup pineapple juice and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Stir and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens. Pour over fruit.

(8) Refrigerate until serving.

Ding Dongs

This recipe originally came from Linda Wagner but I got it out of Jane Hunter's cookbook. Both of these wonderful cooks attend the same church as I and I have several of their recipes. Everything these ladies make is AWESOME!

Cake Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup Crisco

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Cake Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) In large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients.

(3) Add Crisco and 3/4 cup milk. Beat.

(4) Add remaining milk, eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

(5) Bake in lined cupcake tins or mini tins.

Makes 24 regular cupcakes or 75 mini cakes.

Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Crisco

1 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Filling Directions:

(1) In a small saucepan, starting with flour, gently whisk in milk. Cook on low heat, stirring until very thick. Will be like paste. If lumpy put through a sieve, pressing with a rubber spatula. Cool thoroughly in refrigerator. I've been known to get out my hand-held mixer and mix it while it cooks - makes the flour paste as smooth as a babies bottom.

(2) Beat butter, sugar and Crisco until fluffy.

(3) Add cooled flour paste and vanilla, beat until consistency of Cool Whip and you can't taste any sugar granules.

(4) Using a decorating tube, fill cooled cupcakes with filling. When cupcakes begin to "grow" a little, bring tip up out of cake and swirl some filling on top.

Helpful Hints:

(1) The flour paste must be COMPLETELY cooled is extremely important in making this filling.

(2) Will freeze well.

(3) For the Chocolate Ganache top: In a small saucepan bring to a boil 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. When cream just reaches boiling point pour over 1/2 cup of Toll House, semi-sweet chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Let cool just a little then dip top's of cup-cakes.

Scotcheroos

My husband LOVES scotcheroos. I would be lying to you if I said I didn't. Give me a glass of ice cold sweet tea and a chewy scotcheroo and I'm in heaven. Together that's probably close to a million calories but that's probably why it's so good together! I got this recipe from my sweet Mother-in-love.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup corn syrup

1 cup Jiff peanut butter

6 oz pkg. butterscotch chips

6 cups Rice Krispies

12 oz. pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

(1) Combine sugar and syrup in a 3 qt. saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until mixture boils. Remove from heat.

(2) Stir in peanut butter and mix well.

(3) Stir in Rice Krispies until well blended.

(4) Press mixture in a lightly buttered 9x13" pan.

(5) Melt butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. Stir. Spread evenly over Rice Krispies.

(6) Refrigerate until chocolate sets. Keep chilled.

Helpful Hints:

(1) The original recipe calls for only 1 cup of corn syrup. But I like my scotcheroos chewy so I always add just a little bit more.

(2) I also don't add the entire bag of chocolate chips. Sometimes (crazy, I know) that's just a little too much chocolate. So play around with the quantities until you think it's just how you want it.

Lemon Cookies

Oh sweet Moses these cookies are good. I think I found this recipe online somewhere. My Grandma Pete loves anything with lemons in it so I made them for her. She loves them! I bet you can't just have one. Ingredients:
1 (18.25 oz) box of lemon cake mix with pudding
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar for decorating

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(2) Pour cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, oil and lemon extract until well blended. Dough will be thick.
(3) Roll into balls and drop into powdered sugar until well coated.
(4) Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes. The bottoms will be light brown and the centers chewy.