Apple Fritters

• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup apples, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Sift dry ingredients together.  Combine beaten egg and milk.  Gradually blend into dry ingredients.  Stir in apples, beat well.  Drop by spoonful onto hot, greased griddle.  Fry on both sides for 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Roll in mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve warm.

YUM!

Mom’s Carrot Cake

Trust me on this one . . . anything that starts with “Mom” is the bomb!   My mom should have opened her own bakery – we would be ka-BLILLIONAIRS by now!!!

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Sift together all these ingredients and set aside.

• 2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil, (canola is preferred)
• 4 eggs

Beat all these ingredients well, and slowly add flour mixture.  Add the remaining ingredient.

• 3 cups grated carrots
• 2 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Pour batter into 2 round cake pans, greased and floured.  Bake at 375 – 400 degree’s for 35  – 40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 8oz cream cheese, soft
• 3/4 box powder sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 stick butter

Cream butter and cream cheese, then add sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Note:  Let cakes cool before frosting and make sure to get some of that cream cheesiness in the middle layer too!  The less sugar used the better, apparently this recipe is a ‘consistancy’ sort of thing.  You want it thick enough to spread without pulling the cake apart while doing so.

No Kidding – this is a YUM, YUM, YUMMY!!!!

Quick & Easy Key Lime Pie

• 1 3oz box sugar free lime-flavor jello
• 1/4 cup boiling water 2-6oz containers key lime pie flavored light yogurt
• 1 8oz fat free Cool Whip, thawed in refrigerator
• 1 prepared 9″ reduced fat graham cracker pie crust

In large heat resistant bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Stir in yogurt with wire whisk.  Fold in Cool Whip with a wooden spoon.  Transfer to crust and refrigerate two hours or overnight.

This is a low calorie, flavorful, YUMMY pie and is super easy to through together ahead of time.  Just by taste, you’d never know it’s also a Weight Watchers recipe and when cut into 8 serving slice, is listed as 3 points per serving.

This recipe can also be made into different flavors depending on the flavor of jello and yogurt you choose to use.  Just stick to low-fat or fat free and you can get creative and enjoy eating your dessert all at the same time.

Poppy Seed Bread

• 3 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (soft)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 tsp butter flavoring
• 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix all the above ingredients together in large mixing bowl and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.  Check for doneness with a kitchen knife inserted through the center straight through the top of bread.  When the knife comes back out clean bread is done.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.  Spoon glaze generously over tops and sides. 

Almond Glaze:

• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup sugar

Mix until sugar is dissolved.

Strawberry Bread – YUM!!!

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cup sugar
• 2oz package strawberries with juice, thawed
• 1 1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, sift together the first 4 ingredients: flour baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate large bowl, beat eggs and then add oil and sugar.  Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, alternating strawberries and nuts.  Pour into 2 greased 9×5x3″ loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Check doneness by sliding knife straight into top of loaf, remove from oven when knife comes out clean.  Spread a pat of butter over the tops of both loaves while hot and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Like banana bread this bread is irresitable while it’s still warm right out of the oven.

Pineapple Pie

• 9″ unbaked pie shell
• 1 Tbsp softened butter
• 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 9oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Using Pillsbury pie shells bake according to instructions, or make your own.  Once baked let cool.

Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees.

In medium saucepan blend the 1/3 cup of sugar with the cornstarch.  Add the pineapple with the juice and cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and clear remove from heat and set aside to cool.  Blend the softened cream cheese with the remaining sugar and salt.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Blend in the milk and the vanilla.  Spread the cooked pineapple mixture evenly over the bottom of the baked pie shell carefully pour in the cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with the pecans.  Bake for 10 minutes reduce oven temperature again to 325 and bake for another 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature to set.  Cover well and you can refrigerate until serving but let it get back up to room temperature before serving.

This tasty little pie was contributed by Diane Hale – I’m just not sure who she is or how I ended up with her recipe – ???

THANKS DIANE!

Hazelnut Coconut Cake

• 1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur (i.e. Frangelico)
• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine liqueur, cake mix, eggs, water and almond extract.  Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8″ cake pans.  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.  Cool 4 minutes.  Turn onto cooling rack.

For the cream frosting:

• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• shredded coconut

Whip cream and sugar until stiff.  Split cake layers in half horizontally and spread with whipped cream.  Stack on serving plate and frost top and sides of cake with cream frosting.  Sprinkle with coconut.  OR, add desired amount of coconut to whipped cream mixture before frosting the middle and outside of cake.  Toasting just enough coconut to sprinkle on top after completing the cake with frosting adds a nice visual touch too.

This would make a real pretty wedding cake if you were making your own and can be very easily decorated with edible flowers to make even more special.

I haven’t tried this one yet, so let me know if it’s any good and if you would make any changes to the recipe to make it better.

Lemon Raisin Oatmeal Bars

• 2 cups raisins
• 1, 14oz can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1 Tbsp lemon
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar (packed)
• 3/4 cup butter, soft
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups oats

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In saucepan, combine raisins, condensed milk, lemon juice and peel.  Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture begins to bubble; cool.  Meanwhile, in a mixer bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.  Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well.  Stir in oats.  Reserving 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture, press remainder firmly on bottom of greased 13 x 9″ baking pan.  Spread raisin mixture over crust to within 1/2″ of edges.  Top with the rest of the crumb mixture; press lightly.  Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Cut into bars.  Store covered at room temperature.  (Makes 24 – 36 bars, depending on how thick you cut them.)

This recipe is a great treat or even a makes a great dish to take to your next church or school/work functions.

Cranberry Cheese Bars

• 2 cups unsifted flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1/4 lemon juice, from concentrate
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and butter until crumbly.  Reserving 1 1/2 cups of crumb mixture. press remainder firmly on bottom of greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  Bake 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in small mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy.  Gradually beat in milk until smooth; stir in lemon juice.  Spread evenly over prepared crust.  In small bowl, combine remaining 1 Tbsp sugar and cornstarch; stir in cranberry sauce.  Spoon evenly over cheese layer.  Top with reserved crumb mixture.  Bake 40 minutes or until golden.  Cool, chill and stand out of the way of the stampede.  Store covered in fridge.

Chocolate Turtle Pie

• 1/4 cup caramel dessert topping
• 1 graham pie crust (6 oz or 9 inch)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 cups cold 2% milk
• 1 package (8 serving size) Jell-O chocolate Fudge Flavor instant pudding and pie filling
• Whipped cream, homemade or thawed store bought

Spread caramel topping onto bottom of crust.  Sprinkle with pecans; refrigerate.

Pour cold milk into large bowl, add pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 1 minute.  Pour at once into crust.  Refrigerate 2 hours.  Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle additional chopped pecans and drizzle with additional caramel topping if desired.  Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Easy and YUMMY!!!