football bites

In honor of football season. This is a fun and easy dessert...the kids can help too!!

4 cups cocoa Rice Crispy's cereal
6 squares baker's semisweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
White decorating gel

Place cereal in large bowl. Microwave chocolate, corn syrup and butter in large microwavable bowl on high 2-1/2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal; mix well. Shape into 3-inch long football shapes, using slightly moistened hands. Place on waxed paper; cool completely. Use decorating gel to add lacings to footballs.

peach cobbler

Heaven Sent!

Cobbler filling:
4 peeled and sliced fresh peaches (boiling them in water for 30 seconds to remove the skins)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. flour

Cobbler crust:

1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tbsp. brown sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. brown sugar, for topping
Whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Place the sliced peaches in the dish and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and flour. Mix gently and spread evenly again. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile combine all dry ingredients for cobbler crust in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers, to make the texture like coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir to form a soft dough. Remove fruit from oven and drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on top. Sprinkle with last tablespoon of brown sugar and return to oven. Bake until fruit is bubbly and crust topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

michelle's zebra cake

This is a really fun and simple cake to take to parties!

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extrac
t2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan. In a large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and the sugar has mostly been dissolved. Stir in milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond extracts. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Measure out just over two cups of vanilla batter and place it back in the medium bowl. Sift cocoa powder over the bowl and whisk until fully incorporated. Put 3 tbsp of vanilla batter into the center of the pan and let it spread slightly on its own. Put 3 tbsp of chocolate batter in the center of the vanilla. It will push out the other batter and, as it sits for a moment, will also spread itself. Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters, repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up. Bake for 38-42 minutes, until the cake is light gold and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out the cake and remove the parchment paper. Re invert on to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.

Serves 10.

We add frosting on ours to make it more sweet.

scones

Fried Scone Recipe

Bread Dough – I like to use Rhodes Rolls. I zap them in the microwave for a quick thaw.

Oil – I use canola oil
toppings – cinnamon, sugar, jam, syrup, etc.

Pour 1 inch of oil into a frying pan set to medium heat. (A tip for knowing when your oil is ready: tear off a tiny piece of bread and when it floats to the top and has bubbly sides it’s ready. You don’t want it sinking to the bottom.) Now stretch out your dough as far as it will go. Now cook about 1-2 minutes per side, watch these, they can burn fast. Then using tongs, place them on plate with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

chocolate tuxedo cake

This is a hit whenever I make it, it is a favorite to take to parties!!

White Cheesecake Layer
1 1/2 lb cream cheese - softened
2 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz white baking chocolate - melted and cooled
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water

Chocolate Layers
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter - softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 lg eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cup confectioner's sugar

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE LAYER:
Beat cream cheese with confectioners sugar until smooth. Blend in sour cream, vanilla extract and white chocolate. Stir the gelatin into the cold water in a small saucepan and allow mixture to stand several minutes to soften. Then heat mixture gently over a low setting until thoroughly dissolved. Cool briefly, then blend into the cream cheese mixture. Line bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with foil, then coat pan and foil well with a nonstick spray. Pour mixture into prepared pan, cover top of pan and chill until firm.
This cheesecake layer can be prepared up to two days in advance, and held in the refrigerator.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYERS:
Melt chocolate chips in a small heavy gauge saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350F and arrange rack to the center position. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Cream the butter with the sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the cooled, melted chocolate. Whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt and gradually stir into the batter. Blend in the sour cream and divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake at 350F about 25 minutes or until layers spring back when lightly pressed in their centers. Cool layers in pans 10 minutes, then loosen and turn out onto a rack to complete cooling.

Makes Two 9-inch layers

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM FROSTING:
Melt chocolate chips and butter in a small, heavy gauge saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and cool 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until frosting is smooth.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Arrange one of the cooled chocolate cake layers in center of a cake plate, top side down. Placing top side (because of its moist surface) down will help to secure cake to plate, preventing layers from slipping after cake is assembled. Release rim of the spring form pan. Holding cheesecake in one hand and chocolate cake layer (on plate) in other hand, quickly invert chocolate layer (plate and all) on top of the cheesecake. Quickly flip the two, now attached layers back over, so chocolate layer is again on bottom. Now, you can easily remove spring form pan bottom from (now top) of cheesecake layer. Arrange the remaining chocolate cake layer (top side down) on top of cheesecake layer. Using a long sharp knife and a slight sawing motion, carefully cut around rim of cheesecake layer to make it even with chocolate layers. Frost sides and top of cake and serve. The cheesecake layer will hold at room temperature several hours.

For best results, serve cake within 3 hours of assembling. Refrigeration will cause the frosting to loose its beautiful sheen.

rum chocolate cake

This is my hubby's FAVORITE cake and it is so yummy and easy that you will LOVE it too!!

1 Package chocolate cake mix (2 layer size)
1 Jell-o chocolate instant pudding mix (4 serving)
4 Eggs
1/2 c Bacardi dark rum
1/4 c Cold water
1/2 c Wesson oil
1/2 c Slivered almonds, optional

Filling
1 1/2 c Cold milk
1/4 c dark rum
1 Jell-o chocolate instant pudding mix (4 serving)
1 Dream whip topping mix

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 - 9 inch layer cake pans. Combine all cake ingredients together in a large bowl. Blend well, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Turn into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Do not under bake. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, finish cooling on racks. Split layers horizontally. Spread one cup filling between each layer and over top of cake. Stack. Keep cake well chilled. Serve cold.

Filling: Combine milk, rum, pudding mix and topping mix in deep, narrow bowl. Blend well at high speed for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Makes 4 cups.

chocolate chip banana bread

I got this recipe from my old boss Julie, she is the Women's Head Lacrosse Coach for the University of Virginia.

You will love making this recipe like we do -it's so easy!

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional --we don't like nuts in anything at our house)

1-1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Cream butter, sugar and eggs in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture gradually, beating well after each addition. Add bananas; mix well. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 F. for 45-60 minutes or until loaf tests done.

sour cream coffee cake

I got this recipe from Gregory's mom and boy is it good!

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 ½ c. sugar
3 eggs

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 ½ c. sour cream (I use either lite or fat free)

Filling: Mix ½ c. brown sugar, ½ c. finely chopped nuts, 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon.

Heat oven to 350̊. Grease tube pan or two 9x5 loaf pans. Combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat for two minutes. Stir flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix, then add the sour cream and mix, then the rest of the dry ingredients and mix. Spread 1/3 of batter in pan(s) and sprinkle with 1/3 of filling. Repeat two times. Bake 60 minutes. Cool 10 minute in pans before removing.

mexican double chocolate chip pepper cookies

These are irresistible!

We add extra pepper and chocolate chips in our cookies.

1 c. flour

½ c. cocoa powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/4 pound coarsely chopped dark chocolate

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 ½ c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pepper, and set aside.

In a small bowl melt the chopped chocolate and the butter in a microwave or double boiler. Cool slightly. Mix together the melted chocolate with the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease pan. Drop scoops of cookie dough onto parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes, until they look flat and the surfaces crack, but they will still be soft in texture. Let the cookies cool on the parchment paper on wire cooling rack.

michelle's snickerdoodle cookies

Oh, so delish!

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tarter

11 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp of sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

In large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and mix well. Add eggs and mix. Sift together, flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add dry and well sifted ingredients together and mix well. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Roll into balls and dip into the remaining 2 tbsp. of sugar and 2 tsp. of cinnamon and bake at 350 F. for 10-12 minutes.

lemon coffee cake

Streusel
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
7 T butter (melted)

Cake
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Combine streusel ingredients and mix well. Chill. For cake , cream butter with sugar. Add eggs, zest, juice and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream until combined. Don't overmix. Spoon into buttered 9" square pan and crumble streusel in clupms over top. Bake 50 minutes.

lemon cream cheese icing

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup
(1 1/4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, vigorously mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the milk and lemon juice until the mixture is creamy and smooth

hot molten lava cake

You are in Heaven!

Yummy shortcut:

1 box chocolate cake mix (use Duncan Hines, shocked?)

¼ cup unsweetened chocolate chips

3-5 caramels

1 can of condensed milk

Chocolate Lava cake Secret: The Domes

Use a regular chocolate cake mix. You may gasp with astonishment about this simple strategy, but it really will give you the rich and moist cake you need for the structure of the cake. The best choice? Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate cake mix.

Chocolate Lava Cake Secret: The Filling

Some recipes call for chocolate pudding, hot fudge sauce, or even melted chocolate embedded in the middle, but none of these will give you that rich and oozing texture found at the restaurants. The real secret? Condensed milk mixed with melted unsweetened chocolate chips and a few caramels. Just mix together ¼ cup unsweetened chocolate chips, 3-5 caramels, and 1 can of condensed milk in a double boiler to make a smooth sauce.

Chocolate Lava Cake Secret: Assembly
When you're assembling the cake, you'll want to fill ramekin cups - not large muffin cups as some recipes suggests - 2/3 of the way full of cake batter, add 2 tablespoons of filling, and then top off the rest of the ramekin with more cake batter. Remember that you'll be inverting the cake when it's baked, so the filling needs to stay as near the bottom as possible.

Chocolate Lava Cake Secret: Serving the Cake
The secret to making sure the chocolate lava cake actually oozes when you serve it is to keep it warm right after baking. However, this doesn't mean you should leave it in a warm oven since this will overbake the cakes. All you need to do is leave the cakes in the ramekins and cover them with saran wrap or foil to trap in the moisture. This should keep them warm and soft for at least 3-4 hours after baking. After that, invert the cakes onto a platter and microwave for

45-60 seconds until warm throughout. And that's it!

The secret to the perfect chocolate lava cake is now yours; your chocolate cravings are no longer at the mercy of the local restaurant or bakery.

red, white & blue cake

In honor of Pioneer Day July 24th, Utah's Birthday!!

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping,thawed
1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained
2 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced

Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9x13 inch pan. Cool completely. Frost cake with whipped topping. Place blueberries in a square in the corner, and arrange sliced strawberries as stripes to make an American flag. Chill until serving.

blueberry muffins

These will get your party started!

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen

Beat together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs and milk. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl before adding to the butter mixture. Once everything is mixed together, carefully fold in the bluberries. Spray muffins tins with non-stick cooking spray and fill about 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle sugar over the tops of the muffins before putting them in the oven. Bake at 375 F. for about 20 minutes.

red velvet cake

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1-2 oz red food coloring (depending on how red you want it)

2 1/2 c. flour

2 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. buttermilk

Frosting:

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 (16 oz.) package powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, vinegar and vanilla until well mixed. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Mix in food coloring. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at a low speed until blended after each addition. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 F. for 20-22 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks. Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top of cake.

Cream cheese frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy; gradually add sugar and vanilla beating well.

Pat pecans on the sides of cake, if desired.

You can make 2 or 4 levels on your cake simply by slicing into each, cooled, cake in half horizontally. Just make a double batch of frosting. Enjoy!

mixed berry crisp

Very berrylicious!

Topping:

1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 c. butter, softened

Filling:

1 can blackberry pie filling

1 can raspberry pie filling

(sometimes I add mixed left over berries from my freezer)

Preheat oven 375 F. Grease 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Pour, blackberry pie filling and raspberry pie filling together in baking dish. In separate bowl combine all topping ingredients and mix together well. Spoon topping over pie filling. Bake for 30 minutes. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve.

Serves 6-8

ice cream in a bag

Milk can become homemade ice cream in five minutes by using a bag! This homemade, creamy treat is a summertime delight for my boys and yours will love it too!!

•1 tablespoon sugar
•1/2 cup milk or half & half
•1/4 teaspoon vanilla
•6 tablespoons rock salt
•1 pint-size Ziploc bag
•1 gallon-size Ziploc bag
•Ice cubes

How to make it: Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Just a note... a 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that -- a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.

rosie posie cakies

Easy cake mix cookies.

1/2 c. canola oil

2 eggs

your favorite cake mix ( we love the strawberry mix)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix cake mix, oil and eggs in large mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Ball up and organize on cookie sheet. Bake for 4-6 minutes. Makes approx. 3 dozen cakies!

ham & cheese crepes

Your kids will love them!

For Crepes:

3 eggs

1 c. milk

3/4 c. flour

1/4 c. butter, melted

pinch of salt

canola oil as needed

Whisk eggs, salt , milk and flour. Stir in butter; let batter rest 10 minutes. Spread 1/4 c. batter into a heated, oiled nonstick skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, until golden brown. Flip; cook other side. Repeat with rest of batter, stacking the crepes in between pieces of wax paper.

Makes approx. 8 crepes.

Ham Filling:

1/2 c. ham, diced

1/2 c. tomatoes, diced

1 c. Gruyere cheese

ranch or mustard for dipping (optional)

For a Dessert: we use cinnamon and just sugar, or fruit with whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Fill crepes with ham, tomatoes and cheese and roll up. Bake on lightly oiled pan for less than 5 minutes, until cheese melts. We serve ours with steamed carrots and mustard for dipping.