Pecan Pie

I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman's website and it is awesome. Dan loves pecan pie and he said this was the best he ever had. It was the first one I had ever made and it was super easy.

1 unbaked pie crust

1 C white sugar

2 T brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 C corn syrup

1/3 C melted butter (regular, salted)

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 heaping cup chopped pecans

Directions: First make (or get out a frozen one like I did) a pie crust. Next mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Pour syrup mixture over the top of the pecans. Then watch as the pecans rise to the top, so cool. Then bake pie at 350 for 50-60 minutes, being careful not to burn pecans and crust. Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

Grandma-Inspired cinnamon rolls

Thanks to Grandma I have been hooked on Cinnamon rolls, here is my lifetime search for the best.

2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

*heat these ingredients just before the boiling point. Remove from heat and let cool 30 min. Then add

1 pkg yeast

4 cup flour

* let rise for an hour, or overnight. Then add

1 tea Baking powder

1 tea baking soda

1 tbs salt

* Fold this into dough and roll into a rectangle. Rub room temperature butter into dough until surface is covered add cinnamon and brown sugar generously. Roll dough and cut. Let rise 20- 30 min and cook at 400 degree for 15 min.

Icing

8oz cream cheese

1/2 cup butter soft

3 cup powder sugar

1 tea vanilla

2tbs whole milk

*if you want something really tasy make a simple syrup of your favorite berry and put on top. The picture has blackberry syrup then the icing. Trust me you will love it!

PB Rice Krispy Treats

I just posted this on my blog today but this is a simple recipe just a different twist on Rice Krispy Treats. Oh & hey it's my FIRST recipe post! Woo-hoo even though I have a lot more I just always forget to add them here.

Anyways enjoy!

PB Rice Krispies {recipe taken from my MIL}

1 cup Karo Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup PB (peanut butter, duh!)
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

chocolate chips of choice (optional)

Put Karo Syrup & sugar in saucepan & heat at med-low heat. You DO NOT want it to boil! The sugar just needs to dissolve. When sugar is dissolved take off of heat & add the PB & mix well till all melted together & pour over Rice Krispies cereal & mix all up & then press into 9x13 pan.

Optional:
Sprinkle chocolate chips on top & to help with the melting you can place under the broiler BUT BE SUPER CAREFUL!!! You DO NOT want burnt chocolate taste. You just want to help the chips melt a tiny bit so you can spread it easier.

Fudge Ice Cream Dessert

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist chocolate fudge cake mix

1/3 C butter or margarine, melted

3 eggs

1 can or jar (16oz) hot fudge topping, heated

2 C chopped oreos

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1. Heat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of 13x9 pan with foil, leaving foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan. Spray bottom only of foil lined pan with baking spray.

2. In large bowl, mix cake mix, butter and eggs with spoon until blended (batter will be very thick). Spread or pat in pan with greased fingers.

3. Bake 17-19 minutes or until surface appears dry and is no longer shiny. Cool completely in pan, about 1 hour.

4. Spread warm fudge topping over cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the chopped oreos. Freeze about 30 minutes or until firm.

5. Spread ice cream over cookies. Cover; freeze at least 4 hours or overnight until firm. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of oreos.

6. Before serving, let dessert stand 15-20 minutes.

I think this cake would be yummy if you used mint chocolate chip ice cream and mint oreos if you like mint! This cake was super easy and really good.

Peanut Butter Fingers

I got this recipe from Ali's Sister-in-law Shauna Bushman. It is a family favorite of ours.

3/4 C. butter

3/4 C. sugar

3/4 C. brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 C. peanut butter

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 to 3 cups of flour

1 1/2 C rolled oats

Cream together butter, both sugars and eggs. Add peanut butter, soda, salt and vanilla. Mix well and then add flour and oats.

Spread (with fingers) on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes at 325. Be careful not to over bake as this is the secret of them being just good or really good. When cooked, spread with 3/4 C peanut butter. Make frosting and spread over peanut butter. Cut into squares.

Chocolate frosting: (This recipe came from Lisa Lamb and it is awesome)

1/4 C melted butter

1/3 C coca

1/3 C water

1 tsp vanilla

powder sugar to consistency

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake

Sara Lee pound cake (found in frozen food)
Cool Whip
1 lg. package of vanilla pudding (instant)
Strawberries
Cut the pound cake into squares. Make pudding according to directions. Cut strawberries. Then to assemble in the bottom of your dish put a layer of cake then pour some pudding, then a layer of cool whip and then top with strawberries. REPEAT until you are out.
Put in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
This is one of my kids very favorite!!!

Pumpkin Cheese Coffee Cake

I got this recipe out of the Taste of Homes years ago and it is one of my favorites.

2 cups Sugar
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar

TOPPING:
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Drop tablespoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Banana Cookies

These are YUMMY cookies. They are almost like the texture of pumpkin cookies. It makes about 30 cookies so it is not a ton but enough.

1/2 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C mashed bananas
2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix first 4 ingredients together, then add rest and mix. Use a cookie scoop to drop on sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Banana Cookie Frosting
1/3 cup butter, browned (In a deep bowl with wax paper over it, cook in microwave for 3 minutes. Then add 1 minute at a time until brown.
3 C powder sugar
3-4 T milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix and spread over cookies while frosting is still warm

Buttercream icing

Here you go Liz- enjoy!

1 cup of butter or margarine, softened
1 cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk
powdered sugar

Combine butter and shortening. Add vanilla and milk. Stir in powdered sugar. For a softer icing use more milk. Can add coca for chocolate. Can substitute cream cheese for the butter.

Red Velvet Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

3 cups sugar

5 large eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup whole buttermilk

1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted pan (bundt pan).

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add aggs , one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle cake with Cream Cheese Glaze.

Cream Cheese Glaze

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups powder sugar

1 tablespoon milk

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until combined. Add milk, beating until smooth.

(Sarah's notes: This is a Paula Dean recipe. Mine took longer than 60 minutes to bake. I just kept setting the timer until the toothpick came out clean. For the icing I put it in a ziplock baggie and clipped the corner or the bag so I could drizzle it like the picture)

Texas sheet cake

Mix in bowl:

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Bring to boil in saucepan:

2 sticks of butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup water

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Add to dry mixture, then add:

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1tsp vanilla

Mix well, and pour into 12"x17" jelly roll pan, ungreased. Bake 20 minutes at 375.

FROSTING: Five minutes before cake comes out, bring to a boil in a saucepan: 1 stick butter, 1/4 cup cocoa & 6 T milk. Then add 1 lb box (or 1/2 bag) of powder sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional). Frost cake as it comes out of the oven.

Red Velvet Cake

Prep Time: 25 min
Inactive Prep Time: hr min
Cook Time: 30 min

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 pound box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

For the Frosting:
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in pecans. Use frosting to fill and ice cake. Slice and serve on individual plates.

Mud Balls

1 pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1 pkg. Oreo's (not double stuff)
1 pkg. Chocolate almond bark

In a food processor (I use my kitchen aid) crumb Oreo's. Add in cream cheese. Mix until well blended. (Mixture will look like mud).Roll into 1" balls. (the Pampered Chef small cookie scoop is perfect). Place on a cookie sheet (I usually line mine with wax paper) and place in freezer for 15 minutes.While balls are hardening melt chocolate bark over low heat. Once chocolate is melted dip firm mud balls into bark and place on a cookie sheet. Bark will harden quickly.

This is a huge hit with Dan and my girls. I made them for Laura's baptism and everyone wanted to recipe. They are very simple.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

3 Tablespoons Margarine or butter
1 Package (10 oz., about 40) regular Marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 Cups Rice Krispies cereal
4-6 large Reece's peanut butter cups (the Easter ones are the best!)

Melt it!
Melt Margarine or butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted remove from heat.

Mix it!
Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated

Spread it!
Using a buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into a 13x9x2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.

Melt it!
Put Reece's Peanut Butter cups in microwave for 30 plus seconds- spread over rice krispies.
Cut in 2-inch squares when cool. Makes 24 Squares

These are super yummy!! The Easter Reece's Peanut Butter cups are the best. Also very good the 2nd day.