White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together butter, shortening and sugars, add egg and mix well. Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt and continue mixing. Stir in vanilla and chocolate morsels. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Blackberry Cobbler

Filling...
4 cups blackberries, fresh
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Cream & sugar

Pastry...
1-3/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
6 Tbsp whipping cream
6 Tbsp buttermilk

Place berries in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Combine sugar and flour; add water and lemon juice, mixing well. Pour syrup over berries; bake at 350 degrees F about 15 minutes while preparing the pastry. Place pastry over hot berries; brush with melted butter. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.

Pastry: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in whipping cream and buttermilk. Knead dough 4 or 5 times; roll to about 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough to fit baking dish.

Serve cobbler warm with cream and sugar.

Cheesecake Cupcakes

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
vanilla wafers
1 can (21 ounce) cherry or blueberry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add sugar and continue beating. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans. Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each liner. Fill each liner with 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, place spoonful of pie filling on top of each cupcake. Refrigerate.

Quick & Delicious Jello Dessert

Just before supper, pour one cup of boiling water over a package of raspberry gelatin crystals and stir to dissolve. Add a package of frozen raspberries and stir to defrost them. As they defrost, the gelatin sets. Put in the fridge until it is time for dessert. Serve plain, or with whipped cream.

Lemon Chess Pie

9 inch pie crust
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp cornmeal
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix butter and sugar together. Mix in the eggs, cornmeal, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes until pie is nicely browned.

Pineapple Icebox Cake

1-3/4 cups milk
1 (1 lb.) pkg. miniature marshmallows
1 cup drained, crushed pineapple
1 cup cream, whipped
2 diced bananas
1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Graham cracker crust

Bring milk just to boiling and pour over the marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted. Add pineapple. When the mixture has cooled, fold in the whipped cream, bananas, diced cherries and chopped nuts. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with graham cracker crumbs, reserving 1/2 cup for top. Pour fruit mixture into pan, top with remaining crumbs. Put in refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup boiling water
1 egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put chocolate chips and boiling water in a blender; mix at high speed for 15 seconds. Add egg, cream and vanilla and blend until well mixed. Pour into serving bowls, chill until firm.

Making cookie crumbs

To make 1 cup of finely crushed crumbs, use the following amounts (amounts are approximate)...

14 Oreos
14 graham cracker squares
15 gingersnaps
28 saltine crackers
22 vanilla wafers
24 Ritz crackers
3 cups corn flakes

Cake Baking

When making a cake, have all of your ingredients at room temperature.

Measuring Shortening

To measure shortening, pack firmly into dry measuring cup. Level with spatula or back of knife and then remove with rubber scraper. (You can also line cup with plastic wrap overlapping cup and it will remove easy with no mess.)

Better Baking

You should leave 2 inches of space between the oven walls and your baking sheet for good circulation.

Basic Pie Crust

2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
1 cup shortening, chilled
1/4 cup water

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside. Add the chilled shortening, and using a pastry cutter, incorporate until shortening and flour become pea-sized; set aside. Use reserved 1/3 cup of flour/salt mixture and 1/4 cup of water; mix to make a paste.

Using hands, add paste to flour/shortening mixture and work it just enough for paste to cover everything - don´t work it too much. Roll out dough, and then transfer dough to a pie plate. Fill with your choice of pie filling.

Filling a pastry bag

The neatest way to fill a pastry bag is to stand it upright in a tall glass (a pint sized beer glass works perfectly), then fold the top edges down over the glass, and fill. Both hands will be free.

Key Lime Pie

8 inch pie crust, baked and cooled
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp grated lime rind
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

Place a small bowl and electric beaters in freezer to chill for about 10-15 minutes. Grate limes to remove 1 Tbsp of the rind, and then juice the limes.

Combine condensed milk, lime juice, lime rind, and egg yolks, blend well; set aside.

Pour heavy cream into the chilled bowl, whip with chilled beaters until stiff. Gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the lime mixture.

Pour into the baked pie crust. Spread remaining whipped cream on top of pie. Refrigerate 3 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

3 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Light corn syrup
1 Tbsp Butter, melted
1/2 cup Sugar
1 pinch of Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate chips
1 cup Pecans
1 Unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all filling ingredients in the order given. Mix well and pour in the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat after 5 minutes to 300 degrees F and continue to bake for 1 hour, or until filling is thick.

No Stick Pie Crust

A great hint for rolling pie crust or biscuits is to roll on a piece of thick gauge natural canvas. It uses only a little additional flour, so the dough doesn´t get tough. This works better than parchment paper, because the dough doesn´t stick at all.

Cranberry Cookies

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, milk, orange juice and mix well. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well. Stir in cranberries and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Browning Crust

If you find your pie crust browning too quickly, cover the edges with aluminum foil until you take the pie from the oven.

Easy Sifting

If a recipe calls for sifting several dry ingredients, it´s simpler to put everything in a bowl and stir with a whisk.

eye level measurment

Measure liquids at eye level. In other words, place the cup on a flat surface and look at the same level as the cup in order to make sure you have the correct amount.

Moderate Oven

When you come across a recipe that says to bake in a moderate oven, preheat your oven to 325-375 degrees.

Espresso Mousse

1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small saucepan and let it soften for 2 minutes. Add the milk and the espresso powder and heat the mixture over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the powder is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and set the pan in a bowl of ice and cold water, stirring the mixture every few minutes until it is thick and cold. In a small bowl beat the cream until it just holds stiff peaks and fold the coffee mixture into it gently but thoroughly. Chill until ready to serve.

Baking Chocolate Substitution

Substitute 3/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened) and 1/4 cup Crisco for 4 squares (ounces) of chocolate.

Baked Pears

3 or 4 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place pears in a baking dish. Place a small amount of butter in the center of each pear half. Sprinkle a small amount of lemon juice on each pear. Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle on top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Pie crust

To make rolling pie crusts easier, roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper, waxed paper or plastic wrap. No messy flour all over the kitchen, no sticking, and your crust will be more tender.

German Chocolate Pie

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 (8 ounce) bar German Chocolate
2/3 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat eggs and sugar together; add flour and continue beating. Melt chocolate and butter together and allow to cool. Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture and mix well. Add vanilla and pecans and stir. Pour into a greased 9" pie plate. Sprinkle with coconut and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Creamy Chocolate Pie

1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 can Eagle Brand Chocolate Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

Stir together water and cornstarch. In heavy saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks; stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in margarine and vanilla. Spoon into pie crust. Chill 3 hours or until set. Top with whipped topping if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Coconut Custard Pie

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup coconut, shredded
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 9" deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Add eggs, milk, butter, coconut and vanilla and stir until well blended. Pour into pie crust and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until set.

Refrigerator Cookies

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture thoroughly or the dough will be crumbly. Chill dough if it is too soft to shape.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Crust...
2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Filling...
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
5 jumbo eggs
6 ounces melted white chocolate
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp vanilla

Topping...
2 Tbsp Rum
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

For crust: Put pecans in small bowl with butter and microwave on high 1-1/2 minutes. Stir dry ingredients together in 10-inch spring form pan. Add butter and nuts and mix well. Pat onto bottom and sides.

For filling: Beat cream cheese until light. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time; beating after each. Add remaining ingredients except berries and mix well. Pour into pan. Drop berries on top and push down with fork so that batter covers them. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1-1/2 hours in oven in which a pan of water has been placed on the bottom rack. Remove from oven and run knife around the edge to loosen from pan and prevent a cracked cake when cooling.

For topping: Stir sugar and cornstarch WELL in saucepan. Add berries and water and cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in rum. Pour over cooled cake.

Chocolate Cherry Refrigerator Sheet Cake

1 pkg cherry gelatin
1 pkg deep chocolate cake mix

Topping:
1 envelope whipped topping mix
1 pkg chocolate instant pudding mix
1 1/2 c cold milk

Dissolve gelatin in 3/4 cup boiling water. Add 1/2 cup cold water; set aside at room temperature. Mix and bake cake as directed in a 9x13 inch pan. Cook cake 20-25 minutes. Poke deep holes through top of warm cake
(while still in the pan) with a meat fork or toothpick. Space holes about one inch apart. Slowly pour gelatin mixture into holes. Refrigerate cake while preparing topping.

In a chilled, deep bowl, blend and whip topping mix, instant pudding and cold milk until stiff (3-8 minutes). Immediately frost cake. Cake must be stored in refrigerator and served chilled.

Parchment Paper

Parchment paper is one of the best mess saving devices ever. Line baking sheets, cake pans and more with parchment first and there´s no mess later.

Bourbon Balls

3 cups vanilla wafers, crushed
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup nuts, chopped
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup bourbon
Additional powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into 1/2" balls and roll in confectioner´s sugar. Makes about 45 - 50. Store in Refrigerator.

Banana Cake

2 cups Sugar
1 cup Shortening
4 eggs
6 bananas (ripe and mashed)
4 cups all purpose Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 Tbsp buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
2 pinches salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream sugar and shortening. Mix in eggs and bananas. Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Add buttermilk and mix well until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until the middle of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Frost with chocolate or cream cheese frosting.

Turtle Pretzels

This recipe is from Maddymoo, originally posted in the Cooking-tips forum.

1 package large pretzel rods
1 package caramels, unwrapped
1 package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt caramels. Dip each pretzel half-way into the melted caramel; set on waxed paper. Melt chocolate chips, and dip each pretzel in melted chocolate to cover the caramel. Roll in pecans.

Rocky Road Squares

1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand milk
2 Tbsp margarine
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 (10-1/2 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows

Melt chocolate chips, Eagle Brand milk and margarine
in microwave or double boiler. Mix dry roasted peanuts and miniature marshmallows together in a large bowl. Fold in chocolate mixture.

Spread in a 9x13" pan. Cool and cut into squares. Store in covered container at room temperature.

White Chocolate Chip Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into chunks
6 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Grease an 8" square baking pan. Stir unsweetened chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth, be very careful not to scorch. Cool to room temperature.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until mixture is very thick, about 3 minutes. Stir in melted chocolate mixture, then flour mixture. Stir in white chocolate chunks. Pour into prepared pan and bake brownies for 25 to 30 minutes.

Melting Chocolate in Liquid

What if your recipe calls for melting chocolate along with water or some other type of liquid? That´s fine, as long as the liquid is mixed with the chocolate from the beginning of the melting process, it won´t get grainy on you. Be careful though, because adding even a drop in mid-melting will cause this problem.

Toasted Almonds

To toast whole almonds in an oven, spread in a shallow pan and toast at 350 degrees in the oven for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Apple Crumble

8 apples, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place apple slices in a lightly greased two quart baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut butter into one inch chunks. Blend into dry ingredients, using a pastry blender. When crumbly, sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Caramel Apple Pie

1 (9 Inch) prepared pie crust
10 Whole Caramel candies, quartered
1/3 Cup Flour
3 Cups apples, cored & diced
2/3 Cup Caramel ice cream topping
2 tsp Lemon juice
1/2 Cup Pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine caramel pieces and flour. Add apples, caramel
topping and lemon juice; mix well. Pour into crust; top with pecans.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until crust has browned; cool before serving.

Watermelon Sorbet

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 cups ripe watermelon flesh
Ice cream maker

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When sugar has dissolved, remove pan from heat, and chill.

Meanwhile, remove the seeds from the watermelon flesh. Place the flesh in the bowl of a food processor; process until liquefied, about 2 minutes. Add watermelon puree to chilled sugar syrup; stir to combine.

Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Store, frozen, in an airtight container.

Pretty Pies

Make your pies look special by using a pinking shears to cut the dough. Spray shears with non-stick spray first.

Rolling Cooking Dough

Instead of adding flour to the dough by flouring the rolling pin, chill the rolling pin in the freezer and the dough will not stick.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1-1/2 tsp lemon extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, lemon zest, coriander and poppy seeds. Mix well and set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until mixture forms a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add egg yolks, egg and lemon extract. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets, 2" apart. Bake for 23-25 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along edges. Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Scraps of Pie Crust

Roll out like a pie crust and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture then when your pie is done, bake until lightly browned.

Decadent Chocolate Cake

1 (18.5 ounce) dark chocolate cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place first 6 ingredients into a mixing bowl. Beat for approximately two minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased & floured Bundt pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Angel Food Dump Cake

1 baked angel food cake
1/2 cup sugar
3 lemons, juices and rind only
1 pint whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream and add everything but the cake pieces. Break up half the cake in small pieces over the bottom of the pan and pour half the cream mixture on top. Repeat with cake and cream mixture and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Louisiana Crunch Cake

Topping...
3/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp orange extract

Mix all ingredients together, blending well. Spread in the bottom of a well greased tube pan.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.

Cake...
2-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1 tsp orange extract
3 eggs, unbeaten
2 tsp baking powder
1-3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp almond extract

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add sugar. Mix well. Cut in shortening; add milk, extracts, and eggs. Beat thoroughly.

Pour batter in prepared pan over the topping, and bake at 370 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from pan immediately or topping will stick to pan.

Bacardi Rum Cake

Cake...
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (18-1/2 ounce) yellow cake mix
1 (3-3/4 ounce) jello instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Bacardi Amber Rum (80 proof)

Glaze...
1/4 pound butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bacardi Amber Rum


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or a 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over the bottom of the pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Cool, and invert pan onto a serving plate. Prick the top of the cake with a fork. Spoon glaze over cake top and sides allowing the cake to absorb the glaze. Repeat until glaze is gone.

To make the glaze; melt butter in a saucepan, stir in the water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and add the rum.

Freezing Cakes

Unfrosted cakes freeze better than frosted. Allow cakes to cool, place on cardboard, then cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Can be kept up to 5 months if wrapped properly. Don´t freeze cakes with custard or fruit fillings as they tend to become soggy when thawed. Cakes using whipped cream filling or topping should be thawed in the refrigerator.

Hot Fudge Cake

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp Hershey´s cocoa (divided)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-3/4 cups hot water
Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, 2 Tbsp of the
cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk, oil
and vanilla until smooth. Spread in an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan.

Combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over all; do not stir. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Golden Pie Crust

If you brush a pie crust with molasses before baking, it will have a glossy, golden finish.

Sticky Cookie Dough

Chill cookie dough before using. It makes it much easier to use.

Removing Cakes

If you have difficulty removing a baked cake from the pan, place the hot pan on a damp cloth for a few seconds; steam helps release the cake.

Maple Syrup Pie

Baked pastry shell
2 cups Vermont maple syrup
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix flour and maple syrup in a saucepan, add milk, cream and butter. Stir over medium heat and boil till candy thermometer reaches 210ºF. Cool before pouring into baked pastry shell. Bake on lower level of oven until golden, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Berry Cherry Pie

2 refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts
1 can (16-1/2 ounces) blackberries, drained
1 can (16-1/2 ounces) blueberries, drained
1 can (16 ounces) pitted pie cherries, drained
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Bring crusts to room temperature as package directs. Fit one crust into 9-inch pie pan, but don´t trim the edges. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into pie shell. Lay second crust over filling. Fold top crust edge under the edge of the bottom crust, then crimp edges to seal. Cut 4 vents in the top crust. Chill pie for 15 minutes.

Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and continue to bake 30 to 35 minutes longer, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Strawberries Romanoff

2 pints fresh strawberries; washed, hulled & halved
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp orange flavored liqueur
1 Tbsp grated orange rind
Whipped cream

Combine strawberries, sugar, liqueur and orange rind; mix well. Place in individual serving glasses and top with whipped cream.

Raspberry Trifle

1 angel food cake, sliced in 3 equal layers
1 (8 ounce) jar raspberry preserves
1/4 cup cream sherry
2 cups vanilla pudding
1 (8 ounce) carton whipped topping
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Spread raspberry preserves on the topside of the bottom layer of the cake. Place cake side down in a trifle bowl or other glass bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 of the sherry onto the cake, top with 1 cup of pudding. Repeat with the middle layer of the cake. Place the top of the cake over the middle portion and sprinkle with remaining sherry, whipped topping and sliced almonds. Slice and serve.

To sift, or not to sift

Most brands of flour are now pre-sifted, making it unnecessary to sift before you measure the flour. Gently stir the flour, and then lightly spoon it into your measuring cup.

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

To make an amount equal to one can of sweetened condensed milk, stir together...

2 cups Instant Powdered Milk
1 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 cup hot (not boiling) Water

Chocolate Mousse

1 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 oz. unsweetened bitter chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

Cream butter well with sugar. Melt the chocolate, and add it with the vanilla to the butter mixture.

With an electric mixer set on high, add the eggs,
one at a time, taking five minutes to incorporate each egg before adding the next one, for a total of 20 minutes. You must mix for this long or the mousse will not turn out right.

Spoon into a baked pie crust, or small serving cups. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Strawberry Tarts

6 puff pastry shells
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar
1 container (3-1/2 oz) marscapone or cream cheese
1 Tbsp cherry-flavored liqueur
1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup strawberry jelly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions. Cool on wire rack.

Meanwhile, beat heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. In medium bowl, combine cheese and liqueur; beat until soft. Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture. Place a few strawberry halves on the bottom of each shell; fill with cream mixture. Top with strawberry halves cut into fan shape.

In small saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook jelly with 2 tsp water until melted. Brush jelly over strawberries. Garnish with remaining strawberries.

Tapioca & Fruit

2 (3 ounce) packages tapioca pudding
2 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 can chunk pineapple, with juice
1 cup seedless or seeded tangerine sections
1 cup seedless green grapes
2 cups sliced bananas
3/4 cup whipped topping

Cook tapioca pudding then mix with orange and pineapple juice. Let cool. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate for several hours.

Pecan Cobbler

3 cups flour, divided
1 cup butter, divided
1/2-3/4 cup cream
3 cups pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring the 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add the sugar, and cook to the soft-ball stage. Remove from the heat, and beat in 1/2 cup of the butter, then 1 cup of the flour, and the cinnamon. Mix in the pecans, and spread in the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Cut the remaining flour into the remaining butter until pieces are very small. Add the baking powder and salt, and mix. Using a fork, mix in the cream a little at a time until the mixture is almost pourable, being careful not to overmix. Spread mixture across the pecans. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Filling should be bubbly.

No-Ice-Ice Cream

To stop ice crystals from forming in your ice cream, simply place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream. Push down on the plastic wrap to make the seal as airtight as possible, then close the carton and return to the freezer.

Making your own Ice Cream

Here are a couple of hints for making delicious homemade ice cream...

-Make the ice cream mix the day before it is frozen to get a smoother product.

-Use crushed ice instead of cubes for freezing.

-Freeze finished product at least 4 hours before serving.

-Liquid flavoring should be added before freezing, but solids (fruits & nuts) should be added after the initial freezing.

Four Layer Lemon Dessert

1...
1 cup flour
1 cube melted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix together and spread in a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, cool completely.

2...
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip

Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add cool whip and mix well. Spread over cooled crust.

3...
2 small packages of lemon instant pudding
3 cups milk

Beat together pudding and milk for 2 minutes and spoon over second layer.

4...
Spread the remaining cool whip on top, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

No more soggy pie crusts

To stop soggy pie crusts, brush the crust with an egg white before baking. Or you can sprinkle the crust lightly with bread crumbs, and prick all over with a fork.

Steamed Pudding Test

To test if Steamed Pudding is done, remove cover after minimum baking time. Check to see if pudding springs back when touched lightly; if it does not spring back, re-cover and continue to steam. If steamer boils dry, add boiling water.

Crisp Cookies

To keep cookies crisp, store in a container with a loose fitting lid. If they lose their crispness, bake at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Bar Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust: Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an
electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt; beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in flour on low speed till combined. Press two-thirds of the crust mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2" baking pan.

For filling: Combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate in a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread hot mixture over the crust. Dot with remaining crust
mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Brown Sugar

Unlike most every other ingredient, brown sugar needs to be packed into the measuring cup and then leveled off.

Microwave Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 quarts popped popcorn

Put brown sugar, corn syrup, salt & margarine in a
microwave safe dish. Cook on high power for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Add baking soda, blending well (will foam).

Place popped corn into a brown grocery bag. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn. Shake contents until coated well. Place bag into the microwave & cook for 1 minute. Spread caramel corn out on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to cool.

Milk Chocolate Chunk Brownies

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cake flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 bar (1.55 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 bars (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
3/4 cup superfine sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp chocolate extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9x9x2 inch baking pan.

Thoroughly mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Toss the chopped chocolate with 1-1/2 teaspoons of the flour mixture.

Whisk the butter and melted chocolate in a bowl; beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and chocolate extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir to form a batter. Stir in the chopped chocolate and pecans.

Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan; spread the batter evenly. Bake the brownies for 25 minutes, or until just set.

Pecan Pie Bars

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Unroll crescent dough into 2 long rectangles. Place dough in an ungreased 9x13" baking pan; press over bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides to form a crust. Press at perforations to seal. Bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine remaining ingredients. Pour over partially baked crust. Bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Fruit Pizza

1 - 10 ounce package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 -8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups sliced fresh fruit (strawberries, banana, apples, kiwi, peaches, nectarines, blueberries etc.)

1/4 cup of orange marmalade (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice cookie dough, and press it into a round pizza pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in bowl, mix until creamy. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over top of cookie crust. Slice fruit and arrange
over cream cheese in a decorative pattern.

Heat and stir marmalade and 1 Tbsp. water till
thin, and pour over fruit if desired.

Chill 1 hour. Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Makes 8-10 servings.

Graham Crusts

Pies with graham cracker crusts are difficult to remove from the pan. Simply place the pan in warm water for 5-10 seconds and it will come right out without any damage.

Lemon Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1-1/4 cup oatmeal
9 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and oatmeal to make a crumbly dough. Set aside. In another bowl, add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon & orange peels. Mix well. In a buttered 9x13" pan, press 3/4 of the of the dough into the pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk mixture over the dough. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden.

Freezing Cookie Dough

Shape Refrigerator Cookie dough into rolls, wrap with heavy duty aluminum foil, seal and freeze. On baking day slice immediately or thaw slightly in the refrigerator for easy slicing.