Un-Defined Chocolate Dessert

I made this tonight for the 4th of July BBQ. On my facebook status I called it a mudpie cheesecake "thingie"...um yeah... it needs a name...help a girl out with that would ya?

Ingredients:

12 oreo cookies

2 Tbs melted butter

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 sugar

2 tubs of cool whip

chocolate fudge pudding mix

2 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

Crush oreos (I put mine in a ziploc freezer bag and smushed them by hand) and mix with melted butter, press into the bottom of a pan (in hindsight....use a 9 x 13 I used something smaller and it was a mighty tall dessert).

Mix cream cheese, sugar and 1 tub of cool whip with a mixer until well blended. Spread over oreo crust.

Mix pudding and milk together. Spread over cream cheese filling.

Top with whip cream (honestly the topping was unnecessary but extra darn tasty).

Poke Cake

So I heard about this key lime poke cake from Betty Crocker and I was like "oh that sounds yummy, I had something like that when I was little with chocolate" so I went to my trusty google and I googled "poke cake" and sweet jesus the recipes they came from every direction. So I stepped back and took out my handy iPhone with the Betty Crocker application and looked up chocolate poke cake and there it was... only I changed it... so this is the recipe I actually used.

Ingredients:

1 butter cake mix with the ingredients to make it as directed

1 package chocolate fudge instant pudding & 2 cups of milk

whipped cream

Directions:

Cook and cool the cake as directed. Take a wooden spoon and poke holes every 1/2 inch in the cake. Mix pudding with milk and let it firm up a little. Spread pudding over the cake letting it fill in the holes. Cool until pudding is firm. Top with whipped cream.

Refrigerate until served.

Patio S'Mores

Ingredients:
** I seldom put brands with things but really these make the best S'mores**
Hershey's chocolate bars (1/2 a bar per S'more)
Honey Maid Graham Crackers (1 full cracker broken in half per S'more)
Jet Puff Jumbo Marshmallows (2 per S'more)

Directions:
I don't have a big yard right now so I don't feel comfortable firing up the fire pit. I am also not camping at the moment. But, sometimes a girl just needs S'mores. So these can be done with a BBQ after the food is done. If using charcoal it's a little harder. If you have a gas grill go ahead and fire it up all the way. Place 2 marshmallows on the end of the skewer and hold it over the heat (turning it until it's all soft and gooey and golden brown on the outside). DO NOT SET IT DOWN and WATCH FOR FLAIR UPS.

Place half a graham cracker on the bottom. Then half a chocolate bar. Top with your marshmallows. Then another half a graham cracker. (I usually set the marshmallow on the chocolate and use the top half of the cracker to hold it down while I pull out my skewer).


Eat them warm and without a plate. It's only right. It is a S'more after all!

Lazy Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix, prepared as directed

1 can of pineapple rings

1 c of brown sugar

1 cube of butter (1/2 cup)

Directions: Mix cake mix as directed on box. Set aside. Take a glass 9 x 13 pan and melt 1 stick of butter in the bottom in the microwave, sprinkle with 1 c of brown sugar (evenly) and place 1 layer of pineapple across the bottom of the pan (I cut some in half so I could cover the whole pan). Gently pour cake mix over the top. Cook as directed on cake mix or until a knife inserted will pull out cleanly.

Let cool 5 minutes (no more, no less). Run a knife around the edge of the pan to make sure it's free. Set a serving platter upside down on the pan. USING POTHOLDERS... gently flip the pan and platter over so the upside down pan is sitting on the platter.

Leave it alone.

Yes ... you... leave it alone. Gravity will make the cake fall gently & the syrup will follow it.

Remove the pan after about 10 minutes. It should look like the picture above.

Rassberry White Chocolate Muffins

Muffins Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen (do not thaw) raspberries
1/2 cup white baking chips*

Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4cup sugar

Heat oven to 400°F. Combine milk, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in all remaining muffin ingredients except raspberries and white baking chips just until flour is moistened. Gently stir in raspberries and white baking chips.Spoon into foil or paper-lined 12-cup muffin pan. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan.Dip top of each muffin in melted butter, then in sugar.*Substitute 3 ounces coarsely chopped white chocolate baking bar.

Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding Like Gerty Made!

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
45 NILLA Wafers, divided
5 ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups), divided
Additional NILLA Wafers and banana slices, for garnish

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Reserve 10 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover with a layer of wafers and a layer of sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Spoon on top of pudding, spreading evenly to cover entire surface and sealing well to edges.

Bake at 350°F in top half of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly or refrigerate. Garnish with additional wafers and banana slices just before serving.

Allie's Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 pint cream
1/3 cups sugar
1/2 pinch salt
1 drop vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour the 1/2 pint of Heavy cream into a small bowl
Then add 1 drop of vanilla extract
Add in about a 1/3 cup of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt. Adding more sugar will help thicken the mixture, but don't add too much. 3/4 a cup to a cup is too much.
Using a wire whisk or beater, whip the mixture together until you get stiff peaks
Let sit in fridge to cool, then enjoy !

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

DIRECTIONS

Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.

Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool. (Or just lay them on wax paper but then one side of the chocolate will be flat.)

Cowboy Cookies

1 c. brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 c. sugar
2 c. oatmeal
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
12 oz butterscotch or chocolate chips (or a mix of both)
1 c. nuts

Mix ingredients in the standard way for making cookies... you know the drill.

Bake 350 degrees. 10-12 minutes each batch.

Berry Dessert Pizza

1 tube prepared cookie dough (Pillsbury sugar cookie, chocolate or chocolate chip)

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

An equal amount of marshmallow fluff

Fresh Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries and Rassberries) cut up the larger ones.

Roasted Almonds

Chocolate Sauce

Spread cookie dough in oval on cookie sheet and bake. Let cool. While cooling, mix softened cream cheese and marshmallow fluff together and spread on cookie dough when dough is cool. Arrange fruit & nuts over top. Sprinkle with chocolate sauce and chill. Serve in wedges.

Penny's Popcorn Cake

INGREDIENTS
4 quarts popped popcorn
1 pound candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 cup peanuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
1 pound marshmallows (or half marshmallows and half caramels)

DIRECTIONS

Mix popcorn, M&Ms, and peanuts in large bowl.

Heat oil, butter, and marshmallows in pan until melted. Pour over popcorn and blend together with heavy spoon or hands.

Spray Bundt cake pan with vegetable spray. Press mixture lightly into pan and refrigerate until cool.

To remove cake from pan, put pan in warm water, then turn upside down until cake comes out.

The Best Damn ChocoPots

Ingredients:

1/2 pint heavy cream
7 ounces semisweet organic chocolate
2 large brown egg yolks
3 tablespoons brandy (or peppermint schnapps is ok too)
4 teaspoons butter

Directions:

In a thick-bottomed pot, heat the cream until near boiling. Remove and set aside for 1 minute before adding chocolate. Stir in until melted and smooth. Once melted, stir in egg yolks and brandy. Cool slightly, add butter and stir until smooth and shiny. Pour into individual serving pots.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

WHOOPIE INGREDIENTS

2 egg yolks
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. cooked pumpkin
3 c. flour

WHOOPIE DIRECTIONS:

Beat egg yolks, brown sugar and oil together until smooth. Add pumpkin and dry ingredients. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool. Fill with filling.

FILLING:
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp. flour
2 egg whites, unbeaten
2 tbsp. milk
1 1/2 c. butter or shortening
1 box confectioners' sugar (1 lb.)

Mix together & chill until needed.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

PUMPKIN ROLL FILLING

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Let cheese and butter soften while cake cools. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Refrigerate until needed to spread on cooled cake.

PUMPKIN ROLL CAKE

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. flour (sift once before measuring)
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. nuts, chopped

Beat eggs, pumpkin, sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Sift in dry ingredients. Pour into greased and floured sheet cake pan (10 x 15 x 1/2 inch). Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 370 degrees for exactly 15 minutes. Loosen edges with knife and turn out immediately onto cloth that has been dusted with powdered sugar (place cloth sugar-side down over cake in pan, hold tightly over pan and flip over). Roll as for jellyroll using cloth to ease hot cake into curl (nuts will be on outside of roll). Roll cloth and cake together, then place on rack to cool. When cool, unwrap and unroll cake, spread with filling, and re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Slice thinly after filling is set.

Allie's Pumpkin Cheesecake

My friend Lynn requested a pumpkin cheese cake recipe to use the ricotta in the recipe I posted earlier this week...so here it is...

Ingredients:

30 oz nonfat ricotta cheese
1 lb canned pumpkin
5 eggs; or 3 eggs & 4 whites
5/8 cup flour
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 large pinch cinnamon
1 large pinch allspice
1 large pinch cloves
1 large pinch nutmeg
graham cracker crumbs for optional topping
graham cracker crust of your choice for the bottom

Directions:

Set oven at 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients with beaters. Bake in lightly greased springform pan (dusted with graham cracker crumbs, optional) for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack, then chill for at least 3 hours.

Due to the requestful nature of this recipe, I didn't have time to make it. So here it is but without a picture.

Aunt Lois' Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cake flour, sifted

12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)

1/3 cup warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or extract of your choice

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water,extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer.

Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan.

Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer.Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Pumpkin Fudge

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 Tbsp corn syrup

2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

9 oz white chocolate, chopped

7 oz jar marshmallow crème

1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage).
Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended (stirring this is a work-out!). Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square pan.

Muddy Buddy Mix

This is one of my favorite "cookin' with the kiddos" recipes. Try this one out with your favorite little person.

Ingredients:
9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Bedtime Elf Meringue Cookies

Ingredients

2 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until glossy and stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla.
Drop meringue by rounded teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
Place pan in oven and turn oven off. Leave overnight!! (7-8 hours)

Cool before removing from pan.

I originally got this recipe from this link and tried it.

Butter Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

NOTE: This recipe is for 1 single pie crust. If your pie needs a top of any kind you would need to double this recipe!