A quick and easy coffee cake, topped with brown sugar, cinnamon, and apples

Yield: 

12-16 servings

Ingredients: 

3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk

Apple Topping:

4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
4 cups apples, finely chopped and peeled*

Instructions: 

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter; add sugar and mix well.

2. Whisk together eggs and milk, and then stir into dry mixture. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

3. Mix the ingredients for the topping in a clean bowl and then pour or sprinkle over the batter.

4. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until goldren brown and cake tests done with toothpick or fork. Serve warm.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A fragrant vanilla crust with a vanilla cinnamon apple filling

Yield: 

12-16 servings

Ingredients: 

Cake Crust:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2+ cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Apple Mixture:

7-9 cups sliced peeled cooking/baking apples*
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

Vanilla Sauce:

3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional: powdered sugar for dusting finished cake

Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients to make a soft but stiff dough. Add more flour as needed to ensure that you have a dough and not a batter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar.

3. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Pat dough evenly on the bottom and sides of the pan (dough should be about 1/8-1/4 inches thick). Fill with apple mixture, pressing gently. Cover with foil.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes; remove foil and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until apples are soft. The apples on top will look a little dry; use a fork or toothpick to test apples for doneness.

5. In a bowl, combine vanilla sauce ingredients in order listed. Pour over hot cake, allowing sauce to fill between  the apples. Bake for another 20-25 minutes.

6. Cool cake on wire rack; cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 hours of overnight. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

A delicious quick-and-easy dessert or snack of Chex cereal coated with chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar

Yield: 

About 18 cups

Ingredients: 

1 stick butter
18 cups corn or rice chex cereal (or off-brand equivalent)
2 cups chocolate chips (12 ounce bag)
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar (use more if needed)

Instructions: 

1. Divide powdered sugar in half in 2 gallon-sized zip-lock bags. Set aside.

2. Put the cereal in a large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter over low heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal in bowl and stir until coated.

3. Spoon cereal into the two bags of powdered sugar. Seal the bags, leaving extra air-space inside, and shake to coat. When the cereal is thoroughly coated open the bags and let them cool, over the course of about 30 minutes stirring them each a couple of times.* Close bag after cool.

*You can also spread the finished puppy chow out on a cookie sheet to cool, if you don’t want the bother of having to stir it occasionally as it cools. Basically you just want to prevent soggy puppy chow due to condensation!

A graham cracker crust topped with blueberries and blueberry jam, covered with a layer of vanilla cheesecake

Yield: 

24 bars

Ingredients: 

6 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces blueberry jam
1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions: 

1. Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons sugar. Press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.*

2. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Add eggs, and vanilla, stirring until smooth again.

3. In a separate container, stir jam until smooth and then spread over crust. Sprinkle fresh blueberries on top. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over blueberries.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until slightly puffed. Cool in pan, and then chill for several hours before serving. Cut into 24 bars.

Light and sweet homemade meringue topping for pies

Yield: 

meringue for one 9-inch pie

Ingredients: 

3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter OR white vinegar
6 Tablespoons sugar

Instructions: 

1. Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tarter (OR white vinegar) until soft peaks form.

2. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy peaks form and all sugar is dissolved.

3. Spread meringue over pie and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until meringue is lightly browned.

Soft and spicy pumpkin cupcakes with a fluffy homemade cream filling

Yield: 

1 3/4 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients: 

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
15 ounce can of solid-pack pumpkin*
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream Filling:

1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening**
1/4 cup butter, softened***
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. To make cupcakes, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a mixing bowl and stir well. In another bowl, combine dry cupcake ingredients and then add to pumpkin mixture, mixing well.

2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick or fork inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

3. To make cream filling, whisk together the cornstarch and milk in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for a minute or until mixture thickens slightly. Cool to room temperature.

4. In mixing bowl, cream shortening, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Gradually add room-temperature shortening mixture, beating until light and fluffy.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut a 1-inch diameter cone shape out of the top of each cupcake. Carefully remove tops and set aside. Spoon filling into cupcakes and replace tops.

A soft and sweet banana muffin with chocolate chips on top

Yield: 

12 muffins

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
3 ripe bananas (the riper the better!!)
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions: 

1. In large bowl, combine dry flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

2. In medium sized bowl, beat egg. Add banana and mash thoroughly, using a potato masher. Stir in Miracle Whip. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

3. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full; sprinkle tops with chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffin tests done with toothpick. Allow muffins to cool 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Store loosely covered to help prevent stickyness! 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Moist and chewy, these rich chocolate cookies are bursting with cocoa and chocolate chips!

Yield: 

4 dozen cookies

Ingredients: 

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups margarine or butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions: 

1. Cream together first three ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

2. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cook for 10-14 minutes at 350 degrees, until cookies are just done but not well-done. Overcooking will make them dry and hard. Cookies will flatten as they cool. Leave on pan for a few minutes before removing to cooling racks, or they will fall apart.

A quick and easy no-bake sweet and chewy granola bar recipe with chocolate and peanut butter

Yield: 

30-40 bars, depending on size

Ingredients: 

5 cups quick oats
1 package (about 5 ounces) graham crackers, crushed
4 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 1/2 cup coconut
2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
20-21 ounces marshmallow creme OR marshmallows*

Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, mix together oats, graham crackers, crisp rice cereal, coconut, and chocolate chips.

2. Over low to medium-low heat, melt together the peanut butter, honey, butter, oil, and marshmallow creme, heating until almost boiling. Stir often and watch closely so as not to scorch.

3. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and stir to coat. Press into two well-buttered 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pans or other pans of your choice.** Allow to cool and cut into bars or squares.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A moist pumpkin sheet cake with homemade cream cheese icing

Yield: 

20-24 servings

Ingredients: 

Cake Ingredients:

16 ounces (2 cups) canned solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups powdered confectioner’s sugar
2-4 teaspoons milk
chopped nuts, for topping

Instructions: 

1. Beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Add eggs, mixing well.

2. In another bowl, combine dry cake ingredients and stir to mix. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat well.

3. Pour batter into greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool on a wire rack (in the pan); cover with a towel after about 15 minutes of cooling.

4. To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar, mixing well. Add milk until frosting reaches desired thickness. Frosten cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.