Granola Bars

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Ingredients:

Nonstick cookies spray

1 3/4 cups gluten-free quick-cooking oatmeal (I used regular Quaker no allergies in our house)

1 1/4 cups gluten-free crisp-rice cereal (again I just used Rice Krispies)

1/2 cup mini gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (yep regular toll house for me!)

1/3 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

Direction:

Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; line baking sheet with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside. (I didn't use parchment and it was a big deal)

Place oatmeal and rice cereal in a large bowl; stir to combine. Set aside. (I put mine in a metal bowl the syrup mixture is really hot when you stir it together)

In a medium saucepan mix together brown sugar, oil and honey. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add to oatmeal mixture; stir until oatmeal mixture is fully coated and well combined.

Evenly pour oatmeal mixture into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with chocolate chips. When mixture is cool enough to touch, press down into pan. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into 16 (1x4 inch) bars. Granola bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week and frozen up to six months.

The only thing I think I'd do different next time is maybe add a dash of vanilla to cut the stronger honey taste?

♥ Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing

This is a great cake! I just used a Devil Food's boxed cake because I didn't want to go to all the trouble for the cake but the frosting was really great! The recipe is below!

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Also this is my new favorite kitchen tool! The wire is adjustable so that you can slice your cake for perfect layers!!!

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Cream together until fluffy1 (8 oz) Cream Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups cool whip (fold in with cream cheese mixture)

Put in a graham cracker crust and put a can of Cherry Pie filling over the top!

OREO & Fudge Ice Cream Cake

OREO & Fudge Ice Cream Cake

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
8 OREO Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped

POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.

ARRANGE 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.

FREEZE at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer

Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza recipe is:

1 roll of store bought sugar cookies rolled out into a circle. The spread is 1 - 8 oz pkg of cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 - 8oz. container of cool-whip! Then whatever kind of fruit you want!

Cinnamon Rolls & FROSTING!

Never Fail Rolls

2 TBLS Dry yeast ½ cup sugar
¼ cup warm water 2 tsp. salt
2 cups warm water 2 eggs, beaten
½ cup butter, melted 6 cups flour


Mix yeast with ¼ cup warm water. In separate bowl (kitchen aid) combine 2 cups warm water, sugar, salt, and eggs and mix. Add yeast. Add flour to other ingredients and beat vigorously to a soft dough. Let rise ½ hour. Can be placed in fridge for 2 or more hours. Dough can stay in fridge up to 2-3 days. Roll out with quite a bit of flour. Cut into desired shape and dip in butter. Arrange on cookie sheet. Let rise 1-2 hours. Bake at 425 for 12-15 min.

*For Cinnamon Rolls*
Add a ½ tsp. lemon in the dough (optional).

1/3 cup butter, melted 1 cup brown sugar
½ cup raisins 2 tsp. cinnamon

Roll into a rectangle and spread melted butter over dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Roll like a jelly roll and cut with a string 1” wide. Place on
buttered cookie sheet ½ inch apart. Let rise 1 hr. then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

I do everything in the Kitchen Aid and I don't let it rise for that first 1/2 hour I just roll it right out and then let it rise for any hour as the cinnamon rolls. Then bake it! :) I'm all for easy and it works GREAT!

FROSTING
1 cube butter softened
1 package of cream cheese
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat butter and cheese to a pulp, add sugar and vanilla and stir until frosting.

Pretzel Salad or Dessert

Pretzel Salad or Dessert

Crust:

2 cups crushed pretzels

3 Tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

Mix and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 5 minutes @ 400 degree's.

Center:

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 cup sugar

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

Mix together. Fold in 8 oz. cool whip. Spread over cooled crust.

Top:

1 Large pkg. Raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 cup frozen raspberries

Partially set Jello mixture. Spread over cream mixture. Chill.

***I used blackberries because that's what I had in the freezer and I used black cherry jello because that's what I had. I think it's very versatile and you could use whatever you want. The pretzel crust is YUMMY as is the middle filling....

IT'S TO DIE FOR!!! :)

White Chip Lemon Bars

White Chip Lemon Bars

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup lemon juice2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peelPowdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In medium bowl, stir together 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture onto bottom of 9-inch square baking pan.

3. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; sprinkle white chips over crust.

4. In medium bowl, stir together eggs, lemon juice, lemon peel, remaining 1/4 cup flour and remaining 3/4 cup sugar, carefully pour over chips and crust.

5. Bake 15 minutes or until set. Cool slightly in pan or wire rack; sift with powdered sugar. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars.

Makes about 36 bars

The only thing that I change is, I don't use the lemon peel because I've never had any luck using it before. I'm sure I must be doing something wrong but none the less I just leave it out... and of course you don't have to use the Hershey's chips that's just what the recipe says.

Best-ever Cowboy Cookies

Best-ever Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, at room temperature

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Step 1 In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Step 2 In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1 & ½ minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.

Step 3 Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture on half at a time. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Step 4 Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large, preferably light-colored baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil.

Step 5 Using a scant ¼ cup per cookie (a cookie scoop comes in handy for measuring), shape the dough into balls and place them on the sheet about 2 inches apart.

Step 6 Use your fingertips to flatten each ball to 1/3 inch thick. Back the cookies on the center oven rack for 13 to 14 minutes, turning the sheet about halfway through. When they’re done, the cookies should be very lightly browned and still look moist. Don’t over bake them.

Step 7 Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

CUSTOMIZINGCoconut Cowboy CookiesI cup of flaked sweetened coconut, 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.Cranberry White Chocolate Cowboy Cookies1 cup each of white chocolate chips and dried, sweetened cranberries.Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies2 cups of peanut butter chips or 1 cup each of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

It was really good with coconut & pecans! I still want to try it with peanut butter & Chocolate chips!!!

Hershey's Best Loved Chocolate Cheesecake

Hershey’s Best Loved Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust (recipe follows)

3 packages cream cheese, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 container (8 ounces) dairy sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup Hershey’s Cocoa

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 eggs

Quick Chocolate Drizzle (recipe follows)

Makes 12 servings

1. Prepare Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until blended. Beat in cocoa and flour. Add eggs, one at a time; beat just until blended. Pour into crust.

3. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, continue baking 40 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely, remove side of pan.

Prepare quick Chocolate Drizzle, drizzle over top. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Store covered in refrigerator.

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust:

Combine 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs and ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, press onto bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.

Makes 1 (9-inch) crust. (I didn't have a spring form pan so i just used a regular 9 inch round cake pan and it worked just fine. It made 2 of them instead of just one because they aren't as thick. Also it doesn't take quite as much time to cook either.)

Quick Chocolate Drizzle:

Place ½ cup Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and 2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) in small microwave safe bowl.

Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 seconds. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

Libby’s Pumpkin Roll YUMMMMMM

Cake:

Filling:

Powdered sugar

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

FOR CAKE:

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves & salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE: for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:

BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter & vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. If desired.Looking to make more than 1 pumpkin roll? The above recipe can easily be doubled (tripling is not recommended). Once doubled, 2 1/2 cups cake batter will be needed for each prepared jelly-roll pan; 1 3/4 cups filling for each roll. Bake time remains the same.

Dipped Marshmallows

The ALL time EASIEST Candy Dipped Marshmallows I stole from Melissa they are soooo yummy and sooo easy. Melissa's look so much more professional than mine. I couldn't get them to look as good. But even dipped half way still tastes really good and doesn't take very long.

Emma had a blast dipping. I used the coconut, strawberry, holiday shape marshmallows and pretzels. I found that microwaving the chocolate to melt it was not very effective and much fasting on the stove top. The almond bark stuff dried much faster than chocolate chips. Oh and the sprinkles give the chocolate and little extra spunk and look awesome. Although I found if I put them on too early they melted and if I put them on too late they wouldn't stick! Probably more than you all wanted to know but there you go.

Best Ever Farm House Sugar Cookies

Best Ever Farm House Sugar Cookies

Rachel's Recipe

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2-5 cups flour

Cream together shortening & sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, continue to beat. Add sour cream & vanilla, then sift together dry ingredients. Add both mixtures together and roll out to about 1/4" thick cut into shapes and bake at 350 for 10 minutes Should be soft and light colored. Cool and frost after baking.

Lisa's Frosting:
3/4 cup shortening - Crisco only
1 stick butter softened
1/4 cup milk
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon or almond extract
food coloring if desired

Mix all together in mixer and beat till fluffy. Beat for about 5+ minutes on high in Kitchen Aid makes it really fluffy. Stores well in seal tight container in refrigerator.

Cornflake Dessert

Cornflake Dessert
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups cornflakes

Boil sugar and Karo syrup for 1 minute. Take off and add peanut butter stir until completely melted. Add vanilla and stir then add cornflakes. Poor onto wax paper thin out and tear apart when cool (don't wait till it's completely cool though. It's easier if it's still a tiny bit warm so it won't stick).

Cherry Cheese Cups

Cherry Cheese Cups

2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened (3-8 oz pkg's)
3/4 cup sugar (1 1/4 + 1/8 cup)
2 eggs (3 eggs)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (1 1/2 Tblsp's)
1 tsp. vanilla (1 1/2 tsp's.)
24 vanilla wafers (same)
1 can cherry pie filling (same)

Beat together all ingredients except wafers and filling. Place wafers in paper lined muffin pans. Fill 2/3 full of cheese mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Spoon on cherry filling and refrigerate before serving.
Yield 24 cupcakes

I've noticed over the years that these don't make 24 like it says it should it seems like at one time it did but I think they don't make the vanilla wafers as big as they used to so it takes more filling to make it look right. So I do 1 1/2 recipes to make 24 and it's perfect. This is the original recipe and I'll put in red what I do to make 24 nicely filled cups! :)

Almond Joy

Almond Joy

MIX:
1 stick melted butter
1 can Sweet Condensed Milk
1 lb. Confectioners sugar
2 (14 oz) pkg flaked coconut

Place mixture on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Then cut and dip in 18 oz pkg. chocolate chips or white chocolate chips or white or chocolate almond bark!
This year I plan on just refrigerating it in the bowl until it's firmer and then trying to shape it into balls or something. Adding almonds on top before dipping sounds oh so splendid as well...

Death by Chocolate III

Death by Chocolate III

INGREDIENTS

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix (I used a triple fudge chunk flavor)

2 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

2 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

3 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy (I used crushed up Heath Bar...yummy!)

DIRECTIONS1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Let cool.2. Mix pudding according to package directions.3. In a glass punch bowl, layer the following in order: 1/2 of the brownies, crumbled; half of the pudding and one of the 8 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Save the last toffee bar to crumble and sprinkle on top before serving.4. Refrigerate. Best if made the day before you serve it.

Layered Pudding Dessert

Layered Pudding Dessert

Mix like pie dough. (I used my kitchen aid for this too)

1 cup chopped nuts (My mom always used walnuts and I have too but Joe hates walnuts so this time I tried it with Pecans and it was really good)

1 cup flour

1 cube margarine ♥ don't melt just soften a little ♥ (I don't use the plastic just regular old butter) :)
1 tsp sugar

Press into 9x13 pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. COOL.

Cream together:

8 oz cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar.

Fold in 8 oz cool whip. (I just used my kitchen aid for all of this and then when I added the cool whip I just used a really slow speed)

Spread over cooled crust.

Mix large instant vanilla pudding. ♥ slant 3 cups of milk ♥ Pour over cream cheese. Mix 2 small pkgs pistachio or chocolate pudding with ♥ slant 4 cups of milk ♥ you will have 3/4 cup left over. Pour chocolate/pistachio over vanilla pudding. (I didn't have 2 small pkg so I used 1 large and didn't have any left over worked great!) Then spread on cool whip (8 oz) covering with generous layer of coconut or chopped nuts or shaved chocolate. Refrigerate at least 1 or 2 hours. Softens if left out!

One of the Elders mom's used to make this recipe too and she never put coconut on it so it's very versatile you can pretty much do what ever you want for the topping!

Brownies

Brownies
In small bowl mix together and then set aside:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

In saucepan combine and heat until 1st bubble appears:
2 cubes margarine
3 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water

Remove from heat & with electric beater; Mix in 1/2 cup buttermilk, flour mixture & 2 eggs. Pour into greased & floured pan 12x18 pan. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.

FROSTING:
In same saucepan put 1 cube of butter, 3 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa, 1/3 cup regular milk. Heat until 1st bubble appears. Remove from heat, beat in 1 lb. pkg powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup chopped nuts. Spread on brownies while hot.

Almonds are really good with this but taste better when toasted you can toast then for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. We've also made it with Pecans and walnuts and all are good. :)
When I do mine I just put all the dry ingredients in my kitchen aid and then after it's heated up to that 1st bubble I start the mixer and then pour in the liquid parts! It works great!

Rice Pudding

RICE PUDDING

All I do is leave the rice in the bowl that I cooked it in then add enough milk to cover the rice plus a little extra (I also added in the extra bit of coconut milk from that cake above or you can also use left over canned milk if you need to use it up as well) add in some sugar and vanilla bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes until it thickens up a bit and it's done!!! SO good! You can add raisins also. I didn't have any though. Joe doesn't like the raisins but the kids & I do!