Peanut Butter Frosting

From the Taste of Home Baking Classics Cookbook. This frosting is perfect with chocolate cake.

1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Enough frosting to cover the top of a 9x13 cake. I usually double the recipe.

Quick Black Forest Cake

I've never been a big cake fan--except when it comes to Black Forest Cake! YUM! This recipe is super easy and super delicious. It's one of the best birthday presents I've ever given myself :)

Quick Black Forest Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix with pudding
3 eggs
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1/2 to 1 cup frozen cherries, chopped (add more or less depending on your preference)
1 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling, frozen cherries, and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased angel food cake pan or bundt pan.
Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.

To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.
Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.

Scotch Shortbread

1 lb. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour

Cream butter and add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix well. Chill several hours. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick on floured board. Cut into 2x2 inch squares and place on ungreased baking sheet. Prick each cookie several times with fork. Bake at 325 F about 30 minutes, until cookies are delicately brown. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Serve with lemon curd.
Makes about 40 cookies.

German Chocolate Cake

I found this wonderful recipe and used it for Josh's birthday cake. The recipe is AMAZING! It is well written, detailed, and the cake cooks perfectly (or maybe it was a fluke thing). Not only was the cake batter perfect but the frosting is really good too.

German Chocolate Cake from Let Joy Resound

I topped my cake with toasted coconut.

Update:

I've now made the cake a total of three times (soon to be four). It has turned out perfectly each time and is absolutely heavenly! This recipe is a KEEPER. I've been having nightmares that the above link for some reason won't work and I will not be able to find the recipe so I decided to go ahead and copy the entire recipe over.

Filling:

4 egg yolks

1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces

1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans (6 1/2 ounces), toasted on baking sheet in 350-degree oven until fragrant and browned, about 8 minutes

1. FOR THE FILLING: Whisk yolks in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Add sugars, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is boiling, frothy, and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl, whisk in vanilla, then stir in coconut. Cool until just warm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool or cold, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (Pecans are stirred in just before cake assembly.) ***I have never over cooked the frosting but I have slightly undercooked it. Still tastes good but is not as thick and drizzles down the sides.***



Cake:

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa , sifted

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for dusting cake pans

3/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)

3/4 teaspoon table salt

4 large eggs , room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream , room temperature

2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chocolate and cocoa in small bowl; pour boiling water over and let stand to melt chocolate, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth; set aside until cooled to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, spray two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high straight-sided cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray paper rounds, dust pans with flour, and knock out excess. Sift flour and baking soda into medium bowl or onto sheet of parchment or waxed paper.

4. In bowl of standing mixer, beat butter, sugars, and salt at medium-low speed until sugar is moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula halfway through. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl halfway through. Beat in vanilla; increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer running at low speed, add chocolate, then increase speed to medium and beat until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl once (batter may appear broken). With mixer running at low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream (in 2 additions), beginning and ending with dry ingredients, and beating in each addition until barely combined. After final flour addition, beat on low until just combined, then stir batter by hand with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, to ensure that batter is homogenous (batter will be thick). Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; spread batter to edges of pans with rubber spatula and smooth surfaces.

5. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard paper rounds. Cool cakes to room temperature before filling, about 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.) ***I freeze the cakes in the cake pan after they have cooled for 10 minutes in the pan and about 15 minutes on the wire rack. Freezing them makes cutting them very easy when assembling.***

6. TO ASSEMBLE: Stir toasted pecans into chilled filling. Set one cake on serving platter or cardboard round cut slightly smaller than cake, and second cake on work surface (or leave on wire rack). With serrated knife held so that blade is parallel with work surface, use sawing motion to cut each cake into two even layers. Starting with first cake, carefully lift off top layer and set aside. Using icing spatula, distribute about 1 cup filling evenly on cake, spreading filling to very edge of cake and leveling surface. Carefully place upper cake layer on top of filling; repeat using remaining filling and cake layers. If necessary, dust crumbs off platter; serve or refrigerate cake, covered loosely with foil, up to 4 hours (if refrigerated longer than 2 hours, let cake stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving).

Strawberry Cream Puffs

This recipe comes from the Taste of Home Cookbook. My mother made them and was raving about them so I had to try them myself. I made them last night but used raspberries instead of strawberries and halved the cream mixture. I still had enough cream to fill my puffs and they were super yummy. I am including the recipe without my changes.

Puffs:
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup all purpos flour
4 eggs

In a small saucepan bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once. Stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Drop by 2 rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. (I ended up with 16 puffs that I crammed onto one cookie sheet, the recipe says 3" apart, but I wanted to only cook one pan) Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes (mine were more like 25 min) or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Immedietly split puffs open, remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs.

Strawberry Cream:
2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 cups whipped topping
3 cups coursly chopped strawberries

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Fold in whipped topping and strawberries.

Fill puffs with heaping tablespoonfuls of cream, replace tops, dust with confectioners sugar. Serve immedietly. Refrigerate leftovers.

Heartland Freezer Brownies

These brownies stay soft so you can eat them straight from the freezer without waiting for them to thaw! This is another one from my freezer cookbook.

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nuts (opt)
Powdered sugar

Combine butter, sugar and cocoa. Add beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix together well. Beat in flour, salt, and nuts. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 min. Test for doneness; do not overbake. Sprinkle powdered sugar over warm brownies. Cool brownies completely. Freeze by wrapping in plastic wrap and then placing in plastic bag.

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert

from "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" book

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Prepare graham cracker crust by mixing crust ingredients. Pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream, softened
(or omit pecans and use an ice cream with nuts already included)

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and nuts. Fold ice cream into pumpkin mixture. Pour pumkin mixture into pan. Seal top of pan with plastic rap, then foil. Freezer until firm.

Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

This pumpkin recipe was submitted by Stacy F. for our Enrichment recipe exchange.

1 yellow cake mix-reserve 1 cup
1/2 cup melted margarine/butter
1 egg

Mix together and spread into a greased 9x13 pan.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cup pumpkin pie filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk

Mix together and pour over cake mixture.

1 cup cake mix (reserved from above)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter

Drop teaspoon size onto pumpkin mixture.

Bake 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Roll

Another recipe from Enrichment. This one was submitted by Marie W.

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Filling:
1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
4 oz cool whip

Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar, pumpkin and lemon juice. Fold in dry ingredients. Line a 9x13 inch pan with wax paper and spray with Pam. Pour pumpkin mix into pan. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Turn out onto kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake together. Cool; unroll and fill with cream cheese filling. We like it almost frozen.

Monkey Bread

Last night we had our "Ball" dinner and for dessert I decided to make these to carry on the ball theme. I've made them before but never in a muffin pan. The muffin size is perfect for the kids and portion sizing. The recipe was adapted from one on The Pickey Palate. I used my french bread recipe and used half for a loaf of bread and the other half for the monkey bread. I am sure you could use your favorite bread recipe or any Pillsbury dough.

Bread Dough
6 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cinnamon
½ Cup butter, (1 stick)
½ Cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With kitchen scissors, cut dough ½ inch little cubes/balls. Combine sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Gently toss all pieces of dough into sugar mixture.
2. Spray a 12 count traditional muffin pan with non stick cooking spray. Divide bread pieces into the 12 muffin cups with or without paper liners. Set aside.
3. Place butter and brown sugar into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and bubbly. Pour evenly over each muffin cup. Place muffin pan on foil lined cookie sheet (mine bubbled over a bit in the oven).
4. Bake for 18-20 minute or until bread is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Ho Ho Trains

Fun for kids to put together.

For each train:
Chocolate frosting, architectural icing, or almond bark
1 Ho Ho (or Twinkie)
4 round peppermints or butter scotch candies
2 mini Recess Peanut Butter Cups
Twizzlers pull n peals (optional)

On paper plates or other portable surface, place the twizzlers strands like a train track (optional). Next, place the Ho Ho on the "tracks". Add the peppermints as wheels (two on either side) using icing or chocolate as glue. Cut one of the peanut butter cups in half. (eat the other half or use it for another train). Attach the half, larger side down, at the front of the "train" to create the "grill". Attach the other peanut butter cup to the top, front of the "train", small end down, to create the "smoke stack".

Other ideas:

Make box cars with Twinkies and Ho Hos using the same method but omitting the peanut butter cups.

Key Lime Pound Cake

Elijah has been begging to make a lime cake ever since I picked up some limes at the store. We looked on Allrecipes.com and found this recipe. The cake turned out SO yummy! It is dense and moist and melts in your mouth. It wasn't until after I raved about it that Josh told me it had a TON of butter and shortening. Thus making this a rare occasion cake, but a very yummy one!

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup key lime juice

Preheat oven to 325, grease and flour bundt cake pan.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending each one thoroughly. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the batter alternating with the milk, vanilla, and lime juice. Pour into prepared pan and smoothe the top.

Bake until a knife inserted into the crown comes out clean. Original recipe says 90 mins. We cooked ours for a little over 60 mins. I would check it after an hour, depending on your oven.

Poke holes in the warm cake and top with a glaze made with 3 Tbs key lime juice, about 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and a little water (I just mix it until I get a consistency I like. I would not use more lime juice but adjust sugar and water amounts)

Upside-Down Chocolate Chip Coconut Cake

This cake never comes out as pretty as the picture in the cookbook, but it always tastes pretty good!

3 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp water
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or not)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the 3 tbs butter in a 9x1 1/2 inch round baking pan. Stir in the 1/2 cup brown sugar and the water. Sprinkle coconut and pecans into pan. Set pan aside.
In a med mixing bowl, stir together flour, gran sugar, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and baking powder. Ad milk, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on med speed for 1 minutes. By hand stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chipos. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake feels firm when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen side; invert onto a serving plate. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate pieces; let stand for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
½ t. grated orange peel
½ t. vanilla
2 eggs
¾ c. chopped cranberries, divided
1 read-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz. or 9-in)
Mix cream cheese, sugar, peel and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Stir in ½ c. of the cranberries.
Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ c. cranberries.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional cranberries, mint leaves and orange peel.

Baklava

Warning: Jon is the one that makes this recipe for us, so I'll copy it down, but I don't have details on how to make it work! You'll have to call him up if you need more help.

2 lbs. phyllo dough
6 cups walnuts, chopped
2 cups rendered butter (see recipe below)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup confectioner's suggar
2 cups Attar (recipe below)

Mix nuts, sugar, spices, and 1 Tbs. butter.
Grease 12x17 baking sheet with butter. Place two layers of baklava phyllo on the baking sheet, brushing lightly with butter. Continue this process until 1/2 lb. of dough has been layered. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the dough. Lay the rest of the dough, following the same procedure. Do not grease the last layer. With a sharp knife cut into diamond shapes. Heat the rest of the butter (about 1 cup) and poru on the tray.
Preheat oven to 400. Place the tray in oven, then reduce to 275. Bake from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cool for 10 min. Pour cold syrup (attar) evenly over the surface.

Rendered Butter
(another warning: this makes way more than you will need for one batch of baklava, I know Jon shrinks the recipe down accordingly)
5 lbs. Sweet butter
1/2 cup flour
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour. Cook on low heat until foam disappears from the top. When clear, remove from heat and cool. Pour the pure butter into jars. Be careful not to pour the salty residue.
Note: Rendered butter is used in Arabic pastries. Stored in jars it will keep for many months without being refrigerated.

Attar
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbs. Lemon juice
Mix sugar and water and bring to boil. Add lemon juice and boil for 7 more minutes. Cool. Makes 2 cups Attar.

Lemon Coconut Squares

This has become one of my favorites. These lemon bars come out less lemony, and the coconut adds a nice sweet crunch on top.

1 1/3 c. crushed Nilla wafers
1 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon
2 eggs
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wafer crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar, butter and lemon (I sometimes switch this out for a dash of almond extract). Press into 8-inch square baking pan. Bake 8 min.
Beat eggs, remaining sugar, until thickened and well blended. Add lemon juice, flour, baking powder, salf. Mix well. Pour over crust, sprinkle with coconut.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Food Storage Frosties (Also known as Magic Chocolate Milkshakes)

I know you all having been really pondering about how to turn your food storage items into frozen desserts (what, you haven't? That's what I spend all MY time trying to figure out!), so I knew you would be overjoyed when I came across this recipe on www.mormonmommywars.com. *drumroll* Here it is, the best frozen dessert you can make out of your food storage :)

Food Storage-Magic Milk Shakes
By Tracy M from Mormon Mommy Wars

Ok, here it is. If you follow these directions, I kid you not, you will end up with a chocolate milkshake so much like a Wendy’s frosty you will be amazed. I beleive the original credit for the recipe goes to the Prairie Homemaker website, but I’m not 100% on that one.

1 1/2 - 2 cups ICE water- really, really cold.
1 1/2 cups non-fat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2-3 cups ice cubes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (yes, really- it’s an emulsifier)
Place ALL the ingredients in the blender, including the oil. Use less water for a thicker milkshake or more for a shake that’s easier on your blender motor. With lid on, process for two minutes. Makes about 4 shakes.

Pie Crust

This is my mother-in-law's pie crust and Josh uses it for all his pies. It's super simple and oh so yummy.

2 cups flour
1 ½ t. salt
⅔ cup shortening
7 T. cold water

Mix flour and salt. Using a pastry blender (or two butter knives), cut shortening in to flour until the lumps are about the size of peas. With a fork, gently mix water in until dough forms a ball. Divide dough into two balls. Roll to ⅛” thick, place in pie pan. (we've found if you roll it on a sideless cookie sheet it inverts easily into the pie pan)

For cream pies, flute edges, prick with fork and bake at 400º for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown.

For fruit pies, cut steam vent in top crust. Moisten top edge of bottom crust with water before placing top crust on pie. Trim crust around pan and flute edges.

Makes crust for 2 single crust pies or one single crust pie.

Pecan Cheese Cake Pie

The marriage of two worlds: cheesecake and pie. What could be better?

Blend in blender until smooth:
1 8 oz. cream cheese
⅓C sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
¼ t salt

Spread over unbaked pie shell.
Sprinkle with ½C chopped pecans (or walnuts).

Blend in blender:
3 eggs
¼C sugar
1 C dark Corn syrup or maple syrup or combination ( I use any brand maple syrup)
1 t vanilla

Carefully pour over nuts. Decorate with pecan or walnut halves.
Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

Lemon Ice Cream

2 qts whole milk
4 cups sugar
1 cup FRESH squeezed lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
1 ½ tsp lemon extract

Combine all ingredients and freeze in an ice cream freezer.