Applesauce Cookies and Cream Cheese Frosting

4 c flour
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 t soda
2 c applesauce
2 eggs

Cream shortening, add sugar, gradually add flour and dry ingredients. Add applesauce and eggs. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2-8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in refrigerator after use.

Oh Henry Bars

1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo Syrup
1 cup peanut butter
5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Frosting:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and Karo Syrup to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Slowly stir in Rice Krispies. Spread in pan. Melt together chocolate and butterscotch chips. Spread over top of Rice Krispies. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Yellow Bread

1 large instant vanilla pudding mix
1 yellow cake mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract

Combine all and mix well.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 T cinnamon. Spray pan with Pam. Sprinkle bottom of two loaf pans with 1/3 cinnamon mix. Pour cake mix into loaf pans and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

Pecan Pumpkin Cake

2 - 15oz. cans pumpkin

12oz. evaporated milk

1 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 c. butter - melted

1 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix together pumpkin, milk, and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with dry cake mix, drizzle with butter, then sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Cool completely on wire rack.

Invert on serving tray.

Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

12 oz. cool whip

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together. Mix in cool whip.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 sm. instant butterscotch pudding
4 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Cool in pan before removing to wire rack. Serve with whipping cream.

Banana chocolate chip bread!

I started making this a few years ago for my mom because she is allergic to nuts. It is delicious!

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugar well. Add beaten eggs. Add flour sifted with soda and mashed bananas. Stir in chocolate chips!

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or (I do four mini loaves at 350 for about 25 minutes)!

Enjoy!

Sweet Apple Dumplings

These may well be my FAVORITE dessert. Well, this and cheesecake, but who has the time to make cheesecake?

AND...they are so easy, but look like something you spend DAYS making!

1 can Pillsbury Grands refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (see how easy this is already?)
8 tsp butter or margarine
4 small to medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and halved
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9 X 13 glass baking dish.

Flatten biscuits with rolling pin. Place 1 tsp butter in the core area of each apple half. Wrap each biscuit around 1 apple half. Place seam side down in greased baking dish. Combine sugar, water, melted butter and vanilla; pour over dumplings. Sprinkle cinnamon over dumplings.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and apples are tender.

Serve with HEAPING scoops of vanilla ice cream, and prepare to die and go to heaven!!!! Oh, just typing this makes me want to whip some up right now!!!

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
2 t grated orange peel
2 cups (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate morsels (I always use milk, or better yet, white)
1 cup Craisins
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13 X 9 baking pan.

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour, oats, and orange peel until crumbly. Stir in morsels and cranberries; reserve 2 cups mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Beat cream cheese in small mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Pour over hot crust; sprinkle with reserved flour mixture. Bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

ENJOY!!!! THESE ARE SO YUMMY!!!

The BEST Apple Crisp....

YOU'LL EVER EAT!!!

6 cups sliced apples
1 t cinnamon
1 T water
1 t lemon juice

OR

1 (21-0z) can apple pie filling

Topping:

1 cup rolled oats (I've used both kinds)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

Heat oven to 375. Place fruit in ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, water and lemon juice (or just put your pie filling in!).

In large bowl, combine all topping ingredients. With pastry blender or fork, mix until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over fruit.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ICE CREAM, cream, or whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 t soda
1 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
3/4 bag milk chocolate chips

Beat eggs until light; add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well and add zucchini and dry ingredients. Grease and 'sugar' two loaf pans (same as using flour, just use sugar instead...makes for a crispy sweet exterior!). Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Carmel Popcorn

Prefect treat for Family Home Evening or a picnic.

10-12 cups freshly popped popcorn

1/2 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place popcorn in a lightly greased large bowl; set aside.

Place butter in a large (at least 6 cup) bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Microwave for 4 minutes.

Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir until all is coated and no sugar mixture remains on the bottom of bowl.

Spread popcorn mixture evenly over a cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Or if in a hurry, microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring each minute.

Cool and break up into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Yummy Summer Dessert

1/2 carton pineapple or raspberry sherbet (approx 1/4 gal)
1 carton vanilla ice cream (approx 1/2 gal)
2 bananas, sliced
1 package frozen raspberries
1 can crushed pineapple with juice

mix together and serve

**can be frozen, but let thaw a bit before serving. You want it to be the texture of a soft serve ice cream cone.

Cake Balls

Sorry there is no picture to add to this recipe. I can't make these now because I am on a diet, and this is just something I could not resist, but if you want to see what the finish product is suppose to look like log on to http:simpledailyrecipes.com/cake-balls-the-new-candy-truffle/. Here in Texas, Neiman Marcus is selling them for $75.00 for 18.

CAKE BALLS

1 (18.25 ounce) boxed cake mix

1 (16 ounce) can prepared frosting

Almond Bark Coating or Confectionery Wafer Coating

Prepare and bake the cake mix according to package directions. While warm, crumble the cake into a bowl and with a electric  mixer mix to a fine texture. Mix in 3/4 of a can of frosting to make a paste. Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours.

Using a mellon baller, your hands or a small Ice Cream scoop, form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls on wax paper, and freeze at least 6 hours.

Working in small batches, remove balls from freezer and coat with melted bark coating or wafer coating.  Place on wax paper to harden. You can drizzle with contrasting melted coating to decorate. Makes 30 balls.

ALMOND BARK COATING

In double boiler, melt one (20 ounce) package vanilla or chocolate flavored almond bark, stirring constantly. Or microwave at short intervals, stirring between, until melted. When melted add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. If desired stir in oil based coloring.

COMBINATIONS

Devil's Food Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Dark Chocolate Coating

Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Orange-Colored Vanilla Coating

White Pillsbury Funfetti Cake, White Frosting adding more rainbow sprinkles and rolling in sprinkles after coating.

Orange Julius

Okay, I know this is lame but I seriously love an orange julius. My mom used to make them for us and I made some tonight...perfect summertime treat. So, if you didn't know how to make them like I didn't know here are some instructions.


Ingredients:

6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
15 ice cubes

Instructions:

Combine and blend all ingredients except ice. Add ice after other ingredients are mixed.

Yum...

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Combine coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Set aside. In electric mixer,using whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt on high speed until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Using ice cream scoop, drop batter onto parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Optional: Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream in microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir. If not melted, microwave a little longer, being careful not to overcook.

Dip 1/3 to 1/2 of the cookie in chocolate. Let firm up and them wrap individually in plastic wrap to store.