Desserts

Wet Coconut Cake

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This is 5 ingredients of deliciousness.

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 14 oz. can condensed milk
1 8 oz. can of cream of coconut milk
12 oz. cool whip
1 7 oz. can coconut

Directions:

1.  Mix cake according to package directions.  Bake in a 9×13 pan.

2.  While cake is still warm, poke holes in cake with fork.

3.  Combine condensed milk and coconut milk, pour over warm holes punctured in the cake.

4.  Let cool in the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours.

5.  Cover with cool whip and sprinkle with coconut.

Source:  cooks.com

Ice Cream Cookie Treats

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A treat now and then is good for everyone!  This is really ridiculously yummy!  So, easy to put together and the kids love them, ofcourse.

Ingredients:
1 c. Butter Flavored Crisco
3/4 c. Granulated Sugar
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
*Blend these ingredients until smooth.
2 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
*Add these ingredients to the first mixture.
1/2 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. White chocolate chips
*Add chips to mixture.
—————–
Vanilla icecream

Directions:
Drop by rounded tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes or until barely golden brown! Remove cookies from baking tray and place on cooling rack. Let them cool completely then add a tablespoon of vanilla icecream to the cookie and gently press another cookie on top. Serve immediately.

 *You can add any kind of chocolate chips, or nuts, candies, anything to these!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I was camping in the mountains recently, and those cool mornings reminded me fall was right around the corner, and it made me think of my favorite cookies! Yum! These are soooo delicious! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used some chocolate chunks this time)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk, cinnamon and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

2. Spray cookie sheet with baking spray. Drop cookie dough by spoonful onto baking sheet.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. These are cake-like, so make sure centers are done like a cake. Baking time will depend on the size you make the cookies. I personally like to take them out of the oven right before they start to brown. I’m not a fan of overdone cookies!

4. Eat warm with a glass of milk and you will think you have died and gone to heaven!

Notes:

1. I am pretty crazy over lots of chocolate chips in my cookies, and lots of nuts too. Feel free to use as many or as little as you like. 2 cups is quite a lot, and that’s how I like them! For these in the pictures, I used 1 cups of chocolate chips and 1 cup of chocolate chunks. And I used about 3/4 cup of chopped pecans. So, so, so delicious! 

Source: I’ve had this recipe for over 20 years in my notebook. Not sure where it came from!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

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This bread is a dessert. Let’s just put that out there right now. Do not fool yourself into thinking it is healthy because it has zucchini in it. I mean, I am sure the zucchini is good for you but you could basically call this “Chocolatey Cakey Brownie Loaf.” That being said, it is a great way to use up all that zucchini from your garden. And it is delectable. I double the recipe, make 3 loaves with it and then give 2 of the 3 loaves away. The original recipe comes from What Megan’s Making. I originally doubled the recipe but the pans were very full so I decided to double the recipe (but tripled the amount of baking soda and baking powder) and make 3 loaves out of it.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (makes one loaf)

2 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Baking Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
1 2/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini, gently pressed
1 cup chocolate chips (I used half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet)

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F; Grease and flour an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and flour, mixing until well combined. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack. Cool completely before slicing. Or, just cut a piece while it is warm and enjoy!

Peach and Berry Cobbler

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This cobbler is fabulous to make in the summer during peach and blueberry season. This is requested often in the summer at our house, and it is a great dessert to share with friends. 

Peach and Berry Cobbler

1. For topping stir together in a bowl:
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Add:  ½ cup milk
 ¼ butter (softened)
2. For filling, in saucepan stir together:
¼ cup brown sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
½ cup cold water
Add:  3 cups sliced peaches
1 cup blueberries
Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
Add: 1 TBSP butter, 1 TBSP lemon juice
3. Pour into casserole dish.
Spoontopping in mounds over hot filling. Spread evenly over filling as well as you can.
Mix together 2 TBSP sugar and ¼ tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over top. Bake 350° for 35 minutes. Serve with ice cream if you want! Delicious! 

Winter Cobbler: You can substitute frozen berries for fresh, and canned or frozen peaches, instead of fresh, with ½ cup peach syrup instead of cold water.

Source: My amazingly talented and brilliant friend Ninette Galbraith! : )

Here’s one of my hungry teenagers. He gobbled up 2 plates of this yummy cobbler and came back asking for more, but it was all gone! Do I have to make a double batch of everything? 🙂

S’mores Cracker Candy

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Did you know that tomorrow is National S’mores Day? What a lovely holiday. I thought in honor of the dear and favored S’mores I’d share a fun new take on them. I originally saw this on Pinterest and pinned it, then my sweet cousin commented that these were so good, but to make sure to have friends over to help eat them… or you’d be tempted to all yourself! I agree, these are very very tasty. A combination of caramel and s’mores? Yes, please. 





S’mores Cracker Candy
adapted slightly from Baked Perfection

Ingredients:
12 sheets of graham crackers
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 cups mini marshmallows
4 Hershey bars, broken into pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the ends; spray foil with cooking spray.
2. Line graham crackers on the foil, breaking any in half to cover the pan completely In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture comes just to a boil (about 4-6 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until bubbly.
4. Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle mini marshmallows, chocolate bar pieces, and chocolate chips over the crackers.
5. Return pan to oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften and puff up. Cool completely before serving

Marshmallow Buttercream Icing

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I recently had a birthday and my sweet mom made me an out-of-this-world cake. (Thanks, Mom!)

Looks pretty tasty, right? Thank goodness I married a New Englander who introduced me to the lovely Whoopie Pie years ago (which did you know were originally called hucklebucks?!). This icing when paired with a dark chocolate cake is pretty much an inverted whoopie pie. Whoopie!

Marshmallow Buttercream Icing
1 C. Butter, at room temperature
7 oz. Marshmallow fluff (my preferred brand… Fluff)
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1-2 tsp. Vanilla, according to taste

1. In a mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until fluffy.
2. Add the marshmallow fluff and beat until fluffy, aprox. 2 minutes.
3. Add powdered sugar, beat for 2 minutes then add vanilla, beat for 1 minute.

This should make enough to frost a two layer 9-inch circle cake.

Blueberry Cobbler

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I love summertime–not for the heat and humidity, but for the produce!  And summer is when we have all sorts of blueberry treats.  This recipe for Blueberry Cobbler is one I have used for several years.  I saw it first on Mennonite Girls Can Cook, a favorite recipe blog of mine.  Their blog inspired me to start Mormon Mavens, so I have a special affinity for that particular site.

Ingredients:
5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cold butter
1/2 cup buttermilk

1.  Combine berries, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a large microwave safe bowl.  Gently turn the berries around in the bowl to cover evenly with the sugar and cornstarch.  Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring at the halfway point.  Gently stir, then pour the berry mixture into a greased 8″ pan.
2.  In another bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add buttermilk and stir just until moistened.  Drop batter by spoonfuls over the hot berry mixture.
3.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool for half an hour so that the blueberry juices can thicken a bit.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

I usually double this recipe and use a 9″x13″ pan.

Source:  Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Southern Banana Pudding

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I’m a southern girl through and through. I think when one becomes “Southern” they acquire southern taste buds. Biscuits, Fried Okra, Green Beans (cooked with an awful lot of salt and bacon), Barbecue… you get the picture. One dessert that is loved by many of “us Southerners” is Banana Pudding. YUM-MY.

This recipe is a light and easy take on the sometimes way-too-sweet dessert that all southern cooks should know to make. So, next time you find your self fixin’ to go to the grocery store, grab your buggy and get all these ingredients so you too enjoy the flavors of the South. (yes, I really do use “fixin” and “buggy” in my everyday language!)
Southern Banana Pudding
3 bananas
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding (I used Sugar Free)
3 cups cold milk
30 Nilla Wafers (I used Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers)
1 tub Cool Whip (I used Lite Cool Whip)
Directions
1. In a bowl combine pudding mix and milk. Whisk for 2 minutes, allow to set for 5 minutes. 
2. While pudding is setting slice bananas. 
3. Arrange about half the nilla wafers on the bottom of your dish (and if it’s glass go up the side for presentation purposes). Follow with half the bananas and half the pudding. Repeat. On top of the last layer, top with Cool Whip.
4. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours before serving. 
Now go, be southern!

Grandma’s Best Apple Pie

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There once was a girl who liked making pies
But all of those years she could not devise 
how to make the perfect pie crust 
or apples that would not turn to mush

Until by chance she tried a new way
different from any she’d made up to that day
It turned out superb to her great relief
she conquered the pie that had given her grief. 

Perfect Pie Crust
12 Tbsp. very cold unsalted butter
1/3 c. very cold vegetable shortening
3 C. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
6-8 Tbsp. ice water
 
Dice the butter and return to the fridge or freezer while preparing the other ingres. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times til butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured surface and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 mins. 
The recipe says it is for a double crust pie, but it actually makes enough for 3 single crusts, depending on how thick you roll it. 
  
Grandma’s Best Apple Pie (from All Recipes. Link here)
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust
pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon (opt.)
8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored
and sliced


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon (if using) and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.