A smooth creamy cheesecake with a pink raspberry layer hiding inside
Yield: 

12 servings
Ingredients: 

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Cheesecake Ingredients:

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon cold water
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup raspberries, mashed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon water
Instructions: 

1. In small saucepan, heat raspberries with 1 tablespoon sugar until boiling.

2. In small bowl, mix 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/2 tablespoon
water. Add to hot mixture, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Set aside to
cool.

3. In small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons
sugar and the graham cracker crumbs. Mix thoroughly and then press into
the bottom of a greased 8″ springform pan.

3. In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar, stirring until
smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing gently with each addition.

4. In small bowl, mix 1/2 T cornstarch with 1/2 T water. Add to cream cheese mixture and stir.

5. Divide batter in half. Add the cooled raspberry mixture to one
half; add 1/2 tablespoon vanilla and 1/2 cup sour cream to second half.

6. Pour 1/2 of vanilla batter into prepared pan, covering the crust.
Carefully spread the raspberry batter on top, using a ladle or wide
spoon. Finish by carefully spreading the rest of the vanilla batter on
top.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Move temperature down to 325
degrees, cover loosely with foil, and bake 45 minutes longer.

8. After your cheesecake is finished baking, turn off oven, open the oven door, and allow to cool in oven for 15 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Flaky pie crust that complements any kind of pie
Yield: 

3 pies with tops*
Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour**
1 3/4 cup butter or shortening (shortening will make the flakiest crust)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water
Instructions: 

1. In a mixing bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar. Cut in butter until pea-sized lumps remain.

2. In a separate bowl, beat vinegar, egg, and water. Add to
flour/butter mixture and stir/mix just enough to make a dough. Mixture
will be sticky still. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at
least 15 minutes. (I usually refrigerate for an hour or more.)

3. Roll into shape (on floured surface) and use with fruit, pumpkin,
or any pie requiring an unbaked crust. For pies requiring a pre-baked
crust, bake at 425 degrees until slightly browned.
Additional Notes: 

*This
recipe will make three medium-thickness 9-inch pie crusts (including
tops). If you like a thicker crust, it will do 2 pies with tops. If you
roll really thin, you can get 4!

**Pastry flour works best; now that we have a wheat grinder, I like
to use 100% whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe for a flaky, tender
crust. The pastry flour is made with soft wheat (rather than hard wheat)
and ground extra fine. 

Dough can be refrigerated up to three days or frozen until ready to use.

I use butter instead of shortening, but only for health reasons, not culinary reasons! Shortening will make the flakiest, most tender crust!!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Fresh juicy strawberries smothered in a homemade glaze, served in a pie shell
Yield: 

one 9-inch pie
Ingredients: 

3 T cornstarch
1 c sugar
1 c cold water
2 T white corn syrup
2 T strawberry flavored gelatin
3 drops red food coloring (optional)
about 3 c washed strawberries, sliced or diced
one 9-inch baked pie pastry
Instructions: 

1. Combine and cook first 4 ingredients for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring until thick to prevent lumps.

2. Remove from heat and while still hot add strawberry gelatin and red food coloring (if using).

3. Pile strawberries high in baked pie shell and pour glaze over strawberries.  Chill and serve!

A thick layer of silky chocolate cream sandwiched between a crunchy chocolate crust and thin chocolate shell
Yield: 

10
Ingredients: 

Crust (alternate: two 8″ graham cracker pie shells)
1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs *
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups milk
3 oz. (1 package) chocolate pudding
8 oz. whipped cream or whipped topping

Topping
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
Instructions: 

Crust
1.
If making your own crust grease a 8″ or 9″ springform pan. Mix the
graham cracker crumbs * and sugar; add butter and mix. Flatten ** in
your springform pan. Bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Set aside to
cool.

Filling
2. Place sugar, chocolate syrup, semi-sweet
chocolate chips, and cream cheese in a sauce pan on the stove
(preferrably with the cream cheese on bottom) and cover for 15 minutes.

3. In a separate dish mix pudding mix and milk.

4. Stir the cream cheese mixture until fairly homogenous; add cream cheese mixture to pudding and mix with electric beater.

5. Add whipped cream — but do not overbeat!

6. Well grease the sides of the springform pan again (this helps prevent the filling from sticking to the pan).

7. Pour mixture into springform pan or pie crusts.

8. Freeze for 4 hours, or preferrably overnight.

Topping
9. Add butter and chocolate chips to a small sauce pan on low. Stir.

10. Once mixture is melted and smooth remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

11. Pour over the top of the triple chocolate pie and spread evenly over the top using a spatula.

12. Return to freezer for at least 10 minutes to allow chocolate shell to harden.

13. You may need to use a thin, narrow spatula around the edges to help loosen the pie from the springform pan.

14. Once removed from the springform pan you can return any leftovers to the freezer. Simply cover in plastic wrap.

Additional Notes: 

* If using graham crackers, place them in an empty cereal bag and roll with a rolling pin to create crumbs.

** Small spatulas / pancake turners are an excellent tool to get an even and flat crust.

*** Cutting out a piece of wax paper and placing at the bottom of the springform pan can make removal later much easier.

**** The dish is most easily sliced when thoroughly frozen; likewise the thin chocolate shell is most easily broken with a fork when the dish is served cold directly from the freezer, although some people do prefer the dish to slightly warm to give it a creamier texture.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A thick, creamy pie filling, overflowing with chunks of tangy rhubarb and sweet strawberries
Yield: 

12-Aug
Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon nutmug
1 1/2 Tablespoons sure gel/clear jel*
3 eggs
4 cups rhubarb (stalks chopped into 1/2 inch segments)
3 cups stemmed strawberries (small: cut in half; large: quartered)
1 double pie crust (unbaked) 
1 Tablespoon sugar
Instructions: 

1. Prepare bottom crust in a 9″ pie dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, and sure gel/clear jel in a large bowl.

3. Beat eggs in a bowl and add to above mixture.

4. Add chopped rhubarb to mixture and coat thoroughly.

5. Add sliced strawberries and coat well.

6. Pour mixture into pie crust and place top crust over pie (be sure
there are steam vents in top crust–use fork or butter knife to cut
some). Wet edges and crimp to seal. Sprinkle tablespoon of sugar evenly
across the crust.

7. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Rhubarb should be tender when done. **

Additional Notes: 

* If you do not have sure gel/clear jel, you can substitute corn starch.

** You may wish to cover the pie with foil to prevent over browning of the crust.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

My mom’s old-fashioned recipe for a super easy and very delicious tapioca pudding!
Yield: 

about 2 quarts
Ingredients: 

9 tablespoons granulated/instant/Minute tapioca*
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten well
8 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions: 

1.
In a large stock pot, whisk together the tapioca, sugar, salt, and
eggs. Whisk in milk and let mixture stand for 5-10 minutes.

2. Bring mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

3. Allow to cool for 20 minutes and then stir once. Cover until cool,
or serve warm! Refrigerate leftover pudding in an air-tight container.

Additional Notes: 

*From
what I understand, granulated, instant, quick-cooking and Minute
(brand) taipoca are the same for use in recipes. I get my granulated
tapioca at a bulk food store. It looks similar to coarse kosher salt,
with some crumbs. 🙂

This tapioca pudding recipe was originally found many years ago on a paper of recipes titled “Bulk Food” which my mom picked up while visiting Smith’s Bulk Foods, a Mennonite (or Amish?) owned store near Dalton, Ohio.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A flavorful medley of blueberries and rhubarb with a crispy oat crumb topping!
Yield: 

16 servings
Ingredients: 

4 heaping cups rhubarb, washed and thinly sliced (1/2 inch)*
4 slightly-heaping cups whole blueberries, washed and drained
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, optional

Crumb topping ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups rolled (“old fashioned”) oats

Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, toss the fruit with the sugar, flour, and vanilla. If using fresh blueberries, toss gently! 🙂

2. In another bowl, mix with a fork the butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix in oats last, using clean hands if needed.

3. Pour fruit mixture into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle crumble topping over fruit.

4. Bake in the middle of the oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes,
or until fruit tests done. (Mostly you just want to be sure the rhubarb
isn’t still hard!)

5. Serve warm with ice cream, or cool in pan. Enjoy! 🙂

Additional Notes: 

*Can substitute frozen sliced rhubarb.
**Frozen blueberries work as well. 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Sweet streusel-topped blueberry muffins
Yield: 

12-15 muffins*
Ingredients: 

Muffin ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown or white sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen whole blueberries

Streusel topping ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup rolled oats
Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, briskly whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream,
vanilla, and sugar. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moist.
Gently stir in blueberries.

3. To make streusel topping, combine butter, sugar, flour, and
cinnamon in a mixing bowl and press with a fork to mix. Add oats and mix
until coarse crumbs form.

4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin pans 2/3 or 3/4 full of batter.
Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of streusel topping on each muffin.

5. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20-23 minutes, until
done. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove and cool on wire racks.

Additional Notes: 

*If lining muffin cups with paper liners, this recipe will make 15 or so muffins. Directly in the pan it makes a full dozen. 🙂

These muffins remove very easily from a greased muffin pan, if you cool for 5 minutes in the pan.

I used dark brown sugar in my muffins, which is why they look rather dark in these photos. That, and the blueberries gave the batter a purple hue as well! 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A sweet candy-coated popcorn with honey and peanut butter!
Yield: 

About 14 cups or 14 large popcorn balls
Ingredients: 

1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped (about 16 cups of popped corn)*
Instructions: 

1.
In a heavy 3 or 4-quart sauce pan, melt sugar and honey, stirring
frequently. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Stir constantly with a
spoon that won’t melt! I use a wooden spoon. 🙂 Be sure to boil for a
full 5 minutes, or the sugar coating will be rather sticky even after
the popcorn has cooled.

2. Remove sugar mixture from heat and stir in peanut butter.

3. Pour the peanut butter mixture over popcorn in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat.

4. Spread popcorn on wax paper to cool, or form into popcorn balls and wrap in wax paper when cool. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Hearty pumpkin and raisin cookies with oats and coconut
Yield: 

8 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
4 cups flour (I use 2 cups all-purpose and 2 cups whole wheat)
2 cups quick oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups raisins
3/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
Instructions: 

1. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs and pumpkin.

2. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins and coconut.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-18 minutes on lightly greased cookie sheets. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets before removing cookies to wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container or bag.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.