My Favorite Apple Pie

For Pie:
pastry for single-crust pie
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
a little lemon zest and juice from half lemon (about 1 T.)
6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples  (I prefer Gala with skins on)

Crumb Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup butter

Final Topping: (which I omit)
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Prepare pastry for single-crust pie, being careful not to stretch dough too much.
Place in pie plate and trim and crimp the edge.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
Add apple slices and gently toss until they are coated well.
Transfer mixture to pie.

FOR CRUMB TOPPING:
Stir together brown sugar, flour, and oats.
Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until topping resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle over apple mixture in pie.

To prevent over-browning while baking, cover edge of pie with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

Remove foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until top is golden.
Remove from oven.

Drizzle top with caramel topping; sprinkle with pecans.
Cool on wire rack and serve!

Cream Pie (NO PUDDING)

1 9-inch pie shell, baked

3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
banana or coconut extract - just a drop or two
3 bananas or 1 1/2 c. sweetened coconut

Directions

Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready.
In a large saucepan, scald the milk.
In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk.
Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.
Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.
In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.
Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla and flavored extract or choice.


For Coconut:
Stir in majority of coconut to cream mixture.
Let sit until lukewarm.
When ready to pour, place some coconut in bottom of pie shell; pour warm mixture.
Toast a little coconut to put on top.

For Banana:
Mash about half of bananas and stir into mixture.
Let sit until lukewarm.
When ready to pour, place sliced bananas into bottom of shell; pour warm mixture.

If desired, make a meringue (you'll have 3 leftover egg whites) to top the pie, or just let the pie cool until serving.

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon (or I prefer pumpkin pie spice)

Mix all ingredients together. Grease bottom of a cookie sheet that has sides and cover bottom with a piece of waxed paper, grease again. Flour the waxed paper. Pour batter and sprinkle 1/3 c. chopped nuts (or I use cinnamon chips) on batter if desired.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn out on towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Peel waxed paper off of cake. Fold end of towel over cake and roll up from the short end using the towel as filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
3-4 T. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. cream or half/half
1/2 t. vanilla

Mix together until smooth. Unroll cake, spread filling, reroll cake. Place on a platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until served.

Reece's PB Chocolate Cake

This is my "semi-homemade" version of a cake I had a few weeks ago. That original recipe is listed here.
1 devils food cake mix(follow the box instructions, but add 1/2 c. creamy PB)
Divide into two 9" cake pans
Bake as instructed on the box. Cool and invert.

Since this is a 2-layer cake, I figured I needed a middle filling so I made this up:
1 bag peanut butter chips (like chocolate chips, but they are PB!)
1/2 c. milk
Heat over double boiler till PB chips are melted. Remove from heat and add about 1 c. pow sugar chill for about an hour - it will have a glaze consistency. Then, whisk in creamy peanut butter until you have a good almost pudding consistency.

Use as filling between the two cakes and then frost with this:

1 can of duncan hines Buttercream Chocolate frosting beat w/ 1/4 c. milk

Top with broken or quartered Reece's PB cups

YUMM!!!!

Apple Cobler

For the apples:
1/2-3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nuteg
2 pinches ground cloves
3 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup apple cider
Juice of 1 lemon
12 cortland or other sweet tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced {I used Granny Smiths and a few Rome apples]
6 Tbs. butter, cut into small pieces

For the topping:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
10 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup rolled oats
6 Tbs. heavy cream
Vanilla ice cream

1. For the apples: preheat oven to 325. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, honey, cider, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add apples and toss well. Put apple mixture into a large baking dish in an even layer, scatter with butter ...bake, gently stirring once or twice, until apples begin to soften and release their juices, about 30 minutes. Set apples aside to cool for 30 minutes.

2. For the topping: sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together into a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal flecked with pea-size pieces of butter. Stir in oats. Add cream, stirring until just combined.

3. Increase oven temperature to 375. Scatter topping over apples in a broad band around inside edge of dish, leaving apples in center of dish exposed. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

I make french toast with this and top it with a caramel banana sauce. It's divine!!!

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup chopped nuts (omit if you don't like nuts)
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions
Grease 1 large loaf pan.
Cream margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients, then bananas, nuts and sour cream.
Mix well.
Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

Thanksgiving Delight!

Layers of snow-white whipped cream and spiced pumpkin mousse create a festive dessert for the holiday season. Top with chocolate curls for an elegant presentation.

5 large egg yolks
1 cup(s) sugar
31/2 cup(s) heavy cream
15 ounce(s) canned pumpkin
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
2 tablespoon(s) dark rum(optional)
1 teaspoon(s) powdered gelatin
3 ounce(s) shaved dark chocolate
DIRECTIONS
1.Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside.
2.Whisk the yolks, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 cup cream together in a medium saucepan. Heat while stirring continuously with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon over medium-low heat, until thickened and the mixture coats the spatula -- about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set over the ice bath. Stir to cool.
3.Add pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt to the egg mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon rum and 1 teaspoon gelatin together in a small bowl. Heat the remaining tablespoon rum, and stir in to the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Gently whisk into the pumpkin mixture. Beat 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks, and fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill until cold and thick enough to fall from a spoon in heavy dollops -- about 8 hours or up to overnight.
4.Beat the remaining cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Alternately layer the pumpkin mousse and whipped cream in a glass serving dish. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings between top two layers. Serve chilled.

Motherload Brownies

When I was in HS, my friend Mike and I got a craving for brownies, so we found his mom's recipe and made it our own, adding everything we could think of to make these truly MOTHERLOAD!

Mix:
1 1/2 cubes butter
2 c. sugar
Add:
3 eggs
3/8 c. water
2/3 c. cocoa
1 1/2 t. vanilla
Add:
3/4 c. pow milk
2 c. flour
3/4 t. bak powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. choc chips
nuts (opt)

Spread into greased pan
Bake 350
15+ min.

Peanut Butter Cups

I don't know whether to classify this as a dessert, candy or a cookie - you choose.

Mix:
2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. melted butter
Add and mix well:
1/2 c. br. sugar
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Spread on pan, pour over the top:
1 c. melted choc chips
2 T. butter
1/2 c. peanut butter - creamy or crunchy

Chill and serve

Cheesecake

This cheesecake will make others think you bought it. It's THAT good. Very creamy, tasty and FAT. **I love the crust, so I double the thickness by doubling the crust recipe.**

Combine:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 T. sugar
3 T. melted butter
Press into 9" Springform pan, bake at 350 for 10 min.

Beat till well blended:
5- 8 oz pkgs softened cream cheese
1 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1 T. vanilla
Add, and mix well:
1 c. sour cream
Add 1 at a time, slowly until well blended
4 eggs

Pour filling over crust. Bake at 325 approx 1 hour, 5 min till center is almost set. Cool before serving. NOTE: The cheese cake with rise significantly in the oven and probably crack around the edges - don't worry - it tastes marvelous!

Blueberry Dessert

My Great-Grandma Shupe used to make this, it was her favorite and is now one of mine. (can also use cherry, raspberry, strawberry or blackberry)

1 box of vanilla wafers - crushed - pour half into 9x13 pan, set the rest aside.

Mix together:
12 oz. cool whip
1 lg softened cream cheese
1/4 c. milk
then add:
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Spread half of this mixture onto the crushed wafers in the pan.
Spread on:
1 can of blueberry pie filling then spread the remaining cool whip mixture
top with the remaining crushed wafers

Chill and serve.

Carrot Cake

This is my husbands absolute favorite cake - especially with the cream cheese frosting.

2 c. shredded or finely chopped carrots
2 c. sugar
1 c. crushed pineapple
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
3 c. flour
1 c. nuts - opt.

Combine all, pour into greased/floured 9x13 pan - bake 20-30 min or till toothpick comes out clean.

FROSTING:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 c. softened butter
powdered sugar
sweetened condensed milk

Beat in pow sugar and canned milk until creamy. (can add orange food coloring if desired)

Skor Cake

Otherwise known as, BETTER THAN SEX CAKE

Prepare a german choc cake mix as directed
While it's still hot, poke holes w/ large fork
Pour half can of sweetened condensed milk over cake into holes
Pour bottle of caramel topping over to cover top and sink into holes
Mix 8 oz. cool whip w/ 3 crushed Skor bars
Spread over cooled cake.

Top with another crushed Skor bar.

Cream Puff Dessert

My friend, Melanie, made this for GNO once and it was LOVELY. Not so good the next day cause it gets kinda soggy.

Bring to boil:
1 cube butter
1 c. water
Add and make into a paste:
1 c. flour
Add one at a time:
6 eggs
Beat for 3-5 min.

Spray a large cookie sheet and spread mixture. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 min.

While baking:
prepare as directed,
1 lg pudding package (vanilla or chocolate)
Stir in until smooth:
8 oz softened cream cheese

Pour pudding mixture over cooled cream puff
spread with cool whip
drizzle with chocolate syrup (or caramel, if using choc pudding)

Place in fridge to set for a couple of hours.

Apple Cake

***You can also make this into any combination of fruit/cake dessert. So far, I've tried cherry pie filling with chocolate cake & blueberry pie filling with white cake. I obviously ommitted the cinnamon/sugar and opted for nuts instead in the middle.***

1 spice cake mix
2 T. flour
combine with:
2- 21 oz cans apple pie filling
3 eggs

Pour half of batter mixture into cake pan
sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar
pour on remaining batter and sprinkle again

Bake at 350 for approx 30 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Dessert

1 pkg. Spice Cake Mix
1/2 Cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 square margarine
1/2 Cup oats
1 small can pumpkin (or 1/2 lg. can)
2 Tb. margarine
(optional)--1/2 cup or so of chopped nuts

Pour cake mix into a bowl. Take out 1 cup of dry mix and set aside. To remainder add one egg and square of margarine. Mix well and press into a 9 X 13, greased and floured pan. Combine pumpkin, two eggs and milk. Blend well and pour over cake crust. Take the remaining dry cake mix and cut in 2 Tb. margarine, brown sugar and oats. Sprinkle over the pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top for the last 15 minutes if desired.