A
creamy dense chocolate cheesecake on a chocolate graham cracker crust,
drizzled with chocolate and caramel and sprinkled with almonds
Yield: 

12-16 servings
Ingredients: 

Crust ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling ingredients:

20 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar (to remove lumps)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounces dark chocolate chips (60% cocao)

Topping ingredients:

1/2 cup (3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
Caramel*
Sliced almonds
Instructions: 

1.
Make crust by combining crust ingredients and pressing into the bottom
of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven
for 8-10 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the
cheesecake batter.

2. In a large mixing bowl, gently stir the softened cream cheese with
the sugar and cornstarch/sugar mixture until smooth. Add vanilla and
stir.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring to combine, but being gentle
enough to not incorporate any extra air/bubbles into the batter.

4. In a heavy sauce pan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with
the whipping cream. When no lumps remain, remove from heat. Allow to
cool slightly (but not completely — or the chocolate will get too thick
to mix!) and then stir the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture,
making a dark chocolate batter.

5. Place two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface,
and place the cooled 9-inch springform pan (with crust) on the foil.
Wrap the foil snugly around the pan to make it water-proof.**

6. Pour the chocolate batter over the crust, smoothing with a
spatula. Place the foil-wrapped pan in a large roasting pan, and pour
boiling water into the roasting pan, to come about 1 1/2 inches up the
sides of the springform pan.

7. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place roasting pan in the middle
of the oven and bake for 70-90 minutes, or until cheesecake is almost
completely set (only the center will still be slightly wobbly).***

8. Remove roasting pan from the oven, and carefully take the
springform pan out of the water bath and place it on a wire rack to
cool. Gently remove the foil after setting cheesecake on rack.

9. Run a thin knife aroud the edges of the cheesecake, to allow it to
separate from the sides of the springform. (This helps prevent cracks
during cooling.) When cheesecake has cooled slightly (maybe for 20
minutes), carefully remove the outside of the springform pan. Allow
cheesecake to completely cool.

10. Prepare the toppings by warming the chocolate chips and butter in
a saucepan, until chocolate is melted. (Stir to remove lumps.) Allow
chocolate to cool slightly. When chocolate is still warm but not hot,
put it into a small plastic bag. Snip off a (small) corner of the bag to
allow you to squeeze out the chocolate.

11. In a separate pan or bowl, warm the caramel enough to be able to
drizzle it. Drizzle caramel over the cheesecake. Sprinkle sliced almonds
on top of the caramel, and then drizzle the chocolate (from the baggie)
over the almonds and caramel.

12. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A fluffy, fruity coffee cake with a sweet crusty topping
Yield: 

9 servings
Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries, cranberries*, raspberries, chopped strawberries, or finely-chopped apples

Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. In another bowl, beat eggs until frothy. (We use an electric mixer for this.) Mix in oil and milk.

3. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir. Fold in fruit.

4. Pour batter into a greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan**.

5. Mix topping ingredients together (should be coarse crumbs/lumps of topping) and sprinkle over batter.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until cake tests done in
the middle. Cover cake loosely with foil if the top starts browning too
quickly (I usually place foil over the cake after about 45-50 minutes).

7. Serve hot, or cool in pan. 🙂

Additional Notes: 

*We put frozen cranberries in a food processor for a minute or so, to chop them coarsely.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A moist, sweet carrot-pineapple cake with a light cream cheese frosting
Yield: 

9 servings
Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup (packed) finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (with juice)

Frosting Ingredients:

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
milk, as needed
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
Instructions: 

1. To make the cake, sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Add wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×9-inch baking pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cake tests done.

5. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack, and then remove from pan. Cover with a clean towel and frost when cool.

6. To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add powdered sugar. Beat, adding a little milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the frosted cake, if desired.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A dark spicy oatmeal cake with a sweet broiled coconut topping
Yield: 

16-24 servings
Ingredients: 

Spice Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened or melted
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses

Coconut Topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons light cream or whole milk
Instructions: 

1. Measure all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, and then for 3 minutes on high.

2. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees
for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool cake slightly.

3. To make coconut topping, melt butter in sauce pan. Add brown sugar and stir over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add coconut, pecans, and cream. Spread topping over cake and broil cake for 2-3 minutes, until topping is bubbly and browned.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Freshly popped corn tossed with garlic, pepper, and parmesan cheese!
Yield: 

16 cups
Ingredients: 

1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dill weed, optional
1/4 cup finely grated/powdered Parmesan cheese
Instructions: 

1.
Pop corn in an air popper or on the stovetop (follow directions on
package). Toss the popped corn with the melted butter in a large bowl.
If you popped the corn in a pan (with some oil) you may wish to decrease
the amount of butter called for in this recipe.

2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and dill
(if using). Use a fork to mix, to remove any small lumps. Add Parmesan
cheese to the small bowl and mix.

3. Toss seasonings with popcorn and serve!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Crunchy homemade whole wheat pita chips — perfect for dipping or eating plain!
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

4 whole wheat pita breads
Olive oil
Sea salt or table salt Instructions: 

1. If pita breads have two layers (like my whole wheat pita pocket breads), split the pita around the edges to make two thinner circles of bread (8 thin pieces all together).

2. Brush both sides of each round with olive oil. Using a pizza cutter, slice each round into 8 triangular wedges.

3. Spread wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt.

4. Place baking sheet in pre-heated 450 degree oven. Bake for 5
minutes and check for doneness. Depending on how thick your chips are,
they could take between 5 and 9 minutes to bake. Check frequently to
avoid burning the chips!

5. Finished chips can cool on the sheets or on a wire cooling rack. Enjoy plain, or with your favorite dip!

Colorful homemade cherry pie filling
Yield: 

About 3 cups
Ingredients: 

3 cups pitted sour cherries*
1 1/2 cups sugar
approximately 1/2 cup water
approximately 1-2 tablespoons clear jel or cornstarch, for thickening

(Please see additional notes before making!)
Instructions: 

1.
Combine fruit and sugar in a pan and stir together. If cherries are
soft and mushy, you won’t need additional water, but if cherries are
firm, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil.

2. Mix cornstarch or clear jel** with some cold water or reserved
cherry juice (about 2 tablespoons of cold water with 2 tablespoons corn
starch or clear jel), whisking to remove lumps.

3. When cherries are boiling, add thickening while stirring
constantly to prevent lumps. Add enough thickening to make the
consistency you desire. We like our pies fairly thick, but cheesecake
topping thinner. Stir the thickening as it bubbles, just until the
juices are clear. (When the filling looks clear, it’s fully cooked.
Over-cooking will start to break down the filling.)

4. Pour into pie crusts (unbaked pastry) for pies (bake pies at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until browned) or use as topping in other recipes.

Additional Notes: 

*You
can use sour or sweet cherries for this recipe, but you will need to
adjust the sugar if using sweet cherries. I would use about 1/2 to 3/4
cup of sugar for sweet cherries. If using sweet cherries, you may wish
to add a tablespoon of lemon juice or a pinch of citric acid, since
sweet cherries won’t be as tart as sour cherries.

The texture of the cherries will also make a difference in this
recipe. I have used really ripe sour cherries from my parents’ trees,
and those are very juicy and tart, needing no additional water or citric
acid. I have also used sweet cherries from a neighbor’s tree, and those
were again, really ripe and soft and made a nice juicy filling!

However, using firmer cherries from a store will necessitate the
addition of some water… and you can also boil the cherries, sugar, and
water for several minutes without risk of them falling apart and
looking mushy in your pies or on your cheesecakes. 🙂

**Cornstarch thickens, and will continue to become thicker as your
mixture cools. Do not make it as thick when hot as you would like it to
be when it has cooled, or it will be too thick.

Clear jel, however, is the same thickness hot as it is cold. We prefer clear jel for thickening pie filling, as it is easier to see the consistency, and the pies don’t tend to run over in the oven as easily.

Flavorful and crisp, these homemade dill pickles are easy and delicious!
Yield: 

10 quarts
Ingredients: 

10 quarts of cucumbers*
10 cloves garlic
10 sprigs of fresh dill, washed
10 fresh grape leaves**

Brine Ingredients:

3 quarts water
1 quart vinegar (5% acid)
1 cup canning (non-iodized) salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered alum
Instructions: 

1. Heat washed cucumbers with brine until heated through well and turned a dark green in color, but not boiling.

2. Have jars hot in a canner, and lids hot in a pan of water on the
stove. Pack hot cucumbers into hot jars with one clove of garlic, one
sprig of dill, and one grape leaf in each jar. Set jars back into hot
canner as they are filled, to keep hot.

3. When all the cucumbers are out of the brine, bring the brine to a boil. Pour brine into jars of cucumbers to 1/2-inch from top. Screw hot lid on, and set jar aside to cool. No further processing needed!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

This beef pepperoni is a flavorful homemade cured meat, on the dry side, formed into rolls, baked, and sliced Yield: 

5 lbs (or 5 rolls)
Ingredients: 

5 pounds lean ground beef
5 heaping teaspoons of Morton’s “Tender Quick” curing salt
2 1/2 heaping teaspoons of mustard seed
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Instructions: 

Day 1: Mix all the ingredients and knead well. Refrigerate in sealed container (or air-tight with plastic wrap).

Day 2: Knead again; cover and continue refrigerating.

Day 3: Form meat into four rolls. Place rolls on an oven grill pan or wire rack; place the grill/rack on/inside a cookie sheet, so excess fat can drip. Bake 7 hours at 150 degrees. Turn rolls 45 degrees every 2 hours.

Store in the fridge or freezer.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A medium-textured spicy homemade lunch meat
Yield: 

5 pounds of salami
Ingredients: 

2 cups water
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavor
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
5 pounds freshly ground beef (80% lean or leaner)
5 tablespoons Morton’s Tender Quick (cure)
Instructions: 

1. Combine water, liquid smoke, spices, and Tender Quick. Add beef and knead with hands, mixing well.

2. Divide meat into 3 rolls. Wrap each roll separately in heavy-duty
foil. Meat will be soft and moist, so be sure to use heavy-duty foil.
Wrap foil tightly closed down center and seal ends. Refrigerate for 24
hours.

3. Using a fork, make holes through the foil on the bottom of each roll, about one inch apart.

4. Place rolls on the rack of a broiler pan with the hole pierced
part on the underneath. Place hot water in the shallow pan of the
broiler, underneath the rack.

5. Bake in center of oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Remove foil and set rolls on rack to drain and cool. Slice as desired. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to ten days, or freeze.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.