chocolate crumb bars (aka: inhalation bars!)

(from Jennifer Anne Warkentin Meissen who submitted it to "Southern Country 2" recipe book)

1 cup margarine, softened

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

Beat margarine. Beat in flour, sugar and salt. Press 2 cups crumbs into 9 x 13" pan. Bake @ 350 for 10 - 12 minutes. While baking, melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan or microwavable bowl. Add vanilla. (I always forget to add this and it still tastes awesome.) Spread over hot crust. Stir the remaining chocolate chips into remaining crumbs. (May have to add a little more flour to make crumbly) Sprinkle over filling. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until middle is set.

I usually double this and bake it in a Costco pan. Chopped walnuts or flaked almonds may also be added to the top crumbs with excellent results. 

"Thanks, Jenny!!!"

peach pie filling (to can)

8 cups chopped or diced peaches (however you like!)

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 TBSP minute tapioca

1/2 cup water

Put all together in pot and make sure tapioca gets soaked in juices at least 5 minutes prior to cooking. (This keeps it from becoming gluey and gooey and Lewey...that was for you, Rhea!) Boil for 2 minutes and ladle into jars. Hot water bath 20 minutes. 

I quadrupled this recipe and got 7 quarts with enough left over to eat with icecream for supper!

Oh, and one batch I did half the fruit raspberries and half peaches. SCRUMMMM!

I can almost taste the tarts made with this. Add a mammothosity pile of whipped cream sweetened with cherry or peach Torani syrup...ok I'll quit now!

Mango Madness Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 large very ripe mangoes (each about 13 ounces), peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
Sliced peeled pitted mangoes

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Stir cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Add melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
Puree mangoes in processor until smooth. Set aside 2 cups mango puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add 2 cups mango puree and beat until well blended Add eggs 1 at a time, beating only till yellow disappears into filling. Pour filling over crust in pan.
Bake cake until set and puffed and golden around edges (center may move very slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Run small knife between cake and sides of pan to loosen. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream and fresh sliced mangoes.


OR~~~Make individual cheesecakes in muffin cups, using a vanilla wafer as the crust. Bake only 25 to 35 minutes. Couldn’t be easier!!

espresso cheesecake bars

"this recipe combines my two loves...coffee and cheesecake..."

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup soft margarine

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped nuts (opt)

Mix together and reserve 1 cups crumbs. Press the rest of it into 9 x 13" pan.

2 8oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar (or a bit more if using espresso powder in copious amounts!)

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp (or more!) espresso powder dissolved in--

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat cream cheese till smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Beat well. Spread on crust and top with remaining crumbs. Bake until lightly browned approximately 1/2 hour. Cool. Cut. Enjoy.

This is soooo good, I simply canNOT leave it alone. THAT'S not good!!!

mocha cream bars (from Wanda from Kristi from...?!)

BROWNIE BATTER

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup nuts (optional)

1/3 cup cocoa

MOCHA CREAM

1/2 tsp instant coffee

1 Tbsp hot water

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 Tbsp cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Grease 9 x 13 inch pan. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add flour. Divide batter in half. Add nuts to one half and spread in pan. Blend cocoa in remaining half and spread over first layer. Bake at 350F for 30 - 35 minutes. Frost when cool.

For Mocha Cream dissolve coffee in water. Add remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.

OKAY!

That's the original. I changed it around a bunch. To me nuts are never optional unless there are alergies lurking around. Also in the mocha cream, I couldn't bring myself to add a raw egg yolk so I used a few Tbsp cream to make it "mocha CREAM"! Also instead of instant coffee I put in a Tbsp, yes a WHOLE complete TBSP espresso powder. Oooooo these are good! Store in fridge if you have time to get them there before they get eaten.

Dena? Are you there, Dena? Have I ever thanked you for introducing me to espresso powder? My life has changed for the better and I am forever indebted unto you! I ALWAYS use it instead of instant coffee.

mango cream cheesecakes (individuals)

24 vanilla wafers

2 large ripe mangoes, pureed to make 2cups

2 1/2 8oz pks cream cheese, room temp

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 large eggs

whipped cream for garnish

sliced, peeled mangoes

Heat oven to 325F. Place wafers into paper-lined muffin tins.

Whip up the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla till fluffy. Add mango puree and whip up well. Add eggs one at a time, beating only till mixed in. Spoon filling into muffin cups till nearly full. Bake for 25 minutes till edges are golden and filling is set. Cool on counter for an hour, then refrigerate. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh mango slices.

apple fritters

simply THE BEST RECIPE...from my friend Jeanette

1 cup milk, scalded

1 Tbsp margarine

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vinegar

2 apples, shredded

1 egg (beaten with

1/4 cup water)

3 cups flour

4 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine in order given. Use dough cycle. Drop spoonfuls into hot fat (375F) Glaze with the folowing:

3 cups icing sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp vanilla

(approx!!) 1/2 cup hot water

I had heard of Jeanette's apple fritters before. Oh yes I had. And I'd been told they were sooo good you'd never be the same again after you'd eaten them. This is all true! Believe me. Eat them fresh and hot...

rhubarbjam-from-jars-that-have-unsealed-and-must-be-used-up oatmeal bars

First of all, the origin of this recipe is from Pioneer Woman, but I sure did change it! I doubled it and put it into a Costco pan cuz there was so much jam to use up. I still have half of it left. PW said to use Strawberry Preserves. This version is great, too! Tanner made these, actually. They are a huge hit!

1 3/4 stick cold butter, cut in pieces (translate into Canadian to read 3/4 cup)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cup quick oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt

1 10-12 oz jar preserves, in my case, rhubarb jam-m-m-m-m!!!

Make crumbs outa all ingredients except jammmm. Spray 9x13 pan and press 1/2 crumbs into it. Spoon jam over crumbs, careful not to lift crumbs up. We weren't successful at all with amazing results! Dump rest of crumbs on top and lightly press. Bake @ 350F 30-40 minutes until lightly brown. Cool and cut. Or be like us and snitch while hot. We dreamed of piling on the ice cream, but no one felt like waiting for someone to run downstairs for it! It was instant gratification!

apple cinnamon wraps

(Now, THESE are good! My taste testers passed them with flying banners!!!)

10-12 tortillas (I used whole wheat, homemade of course!)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (divided; used “lite” over here at our house)

1 ½ tsp cinnamon (divided)

½ cup cream cheese (softened)

½ cup sour cream (lite)

6 Granny Smith apples (peeled, shredded)

Mix together sour cream, 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, and ½ tsp cinnamon. Set aside. Mix the rest of the ingredients together, except torts. Fill tortillas generously with apple mixture. Place seam side down in greased 9 x 13 pan. Pour sour cream mixture over. Bake @ 350F for ½ to ¾ hour till hot through and bubbly. (Mine never bubbled. I dunno why, but since that sounds right, I said to bake till bubbly! But they did get hot throughout. The apples were tender crisp still, but that’s how we like them.) Serve hot with ice cream.

NOTE: I made fresh whole wheat torts the other day and wondered if they’d make good dessert wraps. So I decided to wing it and WOW! What a success! Never heard of such before. Since then I've gone online and seen recipes similar.

cape cod bluberry pie

1 cup minus 1 Tbsp sugar, divided

3 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

1 Tbsp whole milk or cream

1 double pie crust

Preheat oven to 400F. (This temp is what original recipe says but I only baked it @350F and then for longer than it said.) Set aside 1 Tbsp sugar for topping the pie. Whisk together the remaining sugar, flour and salt and then add the blueberries and gently toss to coat. Fill bottom pie shell with berry mixture. Pour lemon juice over and dot evenly with the butter. Cover pie with top crust and cut vent design in the top and crimp edges. Brush milk on top crust and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbsp sugar. Cover edges of pie with foil so it doesn't get over baked too quickly. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil from the edges and continue baking until fruit is bubbly and crust is brown. Let this pie set for a few hours. Filling thickens up very nicely. 

I actually googled blueberry pie, once, to see if luck was with me. It was. In particular I was searching out a recipe that the filling didn't have to be precooked as I was thoroughly indoctrinated when I was young that ALL fruit filling with the exception of apple, had, I mean HAD to be precooked. Nope! It certainly doesn't! Here's proof. Get out the ice cream, people and we shall indulge!

the absolute best baked cheesecake from Wyl

CRUST

1 1/2 cup chocolate wafer crumbs or graham crumbs (to match chosen flavor)

2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup softened margarine/butter

Combine crumbs and press into 9 inch springform pan. Set into fridge to chill while mixing filling.

FILLING

3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese (softened)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

TOPPING

1 1/4 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Pour over crumbs. Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 350F. Remove from oven. Mix topping and pour over cheesecake. Bake 8 to 10 minutes more.

FLAVORS

Mocha: Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and whip into batter along with 1 heaping Tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder (my favorite!) dissolved in 1 tsp water. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter: Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 3 Tbsp peanut butter and swirl into batter.

Plain: Add 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice to batter. Eat as is or top baked cheesecake with your choice of toppings. (pie filling, thickened sweetened fruit, caramel sauce, etc. Sky's the limit.)

Laurie's Celebratory Pumpkin Dip

1 can pumpkin or two cups pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1 tsp cinnamon, sprinkle nutmeg, cloves, allspice to taste

1 box instant vanilla pudding

2 cups whipped cream or Cool Whip

Whip 1st 3 ingredients together an fold in whipped cream. (Whipped cream so much better than Cool Whip IMO, Laurie! With all due respect!) You can fill a hollowed out (small) pumpkin and fill with dip. Make tiny gingersnaps and duck them into this and indulge. This was a smashing success when we had a few children over after school for Tanner's birthday.

chocolate mint swirl cake

CHOCOLATE MINT SWIRL CAKE

Filling:

2/3 pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 tsp peppermint extract

3 drops green food coloring

Cake:

1 pkg Betty Crocker supermoist Devil's Food cake mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 eggs

Chocolate and Mint Glaze:

2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp shortening

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

3 drops green food coloring

Method:

Heat oven to 325F. Spray fluted tube pan with non-stick spray. 

For the filling, in small bowl beat cream cheese with electric mixer on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the sugar, 1 egg, 1/8 tsp peppermint extract and 3 drops food color until smooth. Set aside.

For the cake, in large bowl beat cake mix, 1 cup water, butter and 2 eggs on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Spoon cream cheese filling over batter. Bake 42 to 48 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn pan upsidedown on cooling rack. Remove pan. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

For glaze, in 1-quart saucepan heat chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted; set aside. (I do this in the microwave.) Mix icing sugar, 1/4 tsp peppermint extract 1 to 2 drops food coloring, corn syrup and enough of the 3 to 4 tsp water to make a thick glaze that can be easily drizzled. Drizzle over cake. Immediately spoon melted chocolate over glaze in 1/2 inch wide ring. Working quickly, pull toothpick through chocolate to make swirls. Refrigerate until serving time. Store in refrigerator.

TIP:

Sprinkling with coarsely chopped chocolate mint candies makes this already incredible cake even more decadent!

Print this recipe