Lemon Raspberry Bars

Found this recipe on PW's Tasty Kitchen site and made them for my mother-in-law's birthday last night. She is a lemon/raspberry fanatic. Even though I believe all desserts should include SOME element of chocolate, I must admit these were pretty good. Below is a modified version of how I will make it next time. I followed directions to the letter and the crust was a little tough, and I didn't use the full amount of lemon juice and it was VERY lemony. Here's the original recipe if you want to compare.

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• zest of one lemon

Filling

• Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 pkg fresh raspberries

To make the crust, combine all ingredients and press into the bottom and sides of an 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temp.

For the filling, whisk together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add lemon juice and zest and whisk until thick. Gently fold in raspberries. Pour over crust and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

I made this to celebrate Ellie's birthday with family tonight.

1 box white cake mix
1 (3oz) box strawberry Jell-O
2 cups fresh (or thawed frozen) strawberries
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Beat together cake mix, Jell-O mix, strawberries, flour & eggs, on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add vegetable oil and beat an additional minute. Bake in a bundt pan at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

You could ice this, but it's such a pretty pink that I am going to just dust some powdered sugar on top.

'Smores Bars

Smores... without the campfire and the mess. :o)

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

3 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Grease a 13x9 pan and press graham cracker mixture. Top with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Bake at 357 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press marshmallows and chocolate down with a spatula. Cool and cut into bars.

Totally Bitchin' Blondies

Did you know that Friday is National Blondie Day? You MUST make a pan of these to celebrate.

-1 1/2 sticks butter

-2 cups brown sugar

-2 eggs, beaten

-2 tbsp vanilla

-2 cups all-purpose flour

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/4 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp salt

-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter, mix with brown sugar until sugar begins to dissolve. Add beaten eggs and vanilla; mix until smooth. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with a fork until there are no lumps. (I NEVER sift... too much work. Do you?) Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray (I use Pam for Baking) . Add batter and smooth evenly into the pan. Top with chocolate chips (as many as you want!) and lightly press into the batter. Bake for about 35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Grandma's Cheesecake

This is a family favorite, especially during the holidays!

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 stick butter, melted

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool slightly.

Filling:
5 - 8oz. blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat cream cheese blocks in a mixer, gradually adding sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and then pour over cooled crust. Bake at 300 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before adding topping.

Topping:
3 cups sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and then pour over partially cooled cheesecake filling. Bake at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.

White Chocolate Fruit Salad

From my cousin, Mary Ann. Her words? To die for. :o) Enjoy!

-1 large can pineapple tidbits in its own juice
-2 regular cans Lite Fruit Cocktail
-2 regular cans mandarin oranges
-1 cup lite sour cream
-12 ounce tub lite cool whip
-2 small boxes instant Jell-O White Chocolate Pudding

Drain pineapple and save 1 ½ cups juice (you may need some of the juice from other cans to make the 1 ½ cups). Mix pudding with juice in a large bowl. Mix in sour cream. Mix in cool whip. Fold in fruit. Refrigerate.

*If you use fat-free sour cream, fat-free cool whip and sugar free pudding, this will count as 3 Weight Watcher points per cup.

Cookie Salads

My sister is in love with these two recipes. What could be better than cookie SALAD?

Keebler Cookie Salad
-2 c. buttermilk
-2 (3 oz. each) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
-1 (16 oz.) Cool Whip
-1 (13 oz.) pkg. Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies, broken into pieces

-2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained well

Mix buttermilk and puddings. Fold in Cool Whip, add oranges slices and cookie pieces. Chill and serve.

*Susie says not to add the cookie pieces until ready to serve. It keeps them crunchy, although she says this is still good the next day.

Oreo Cookie Salad

-1 (8oz) tub cool whip
-1 jar marshmallow fluff
-1 package oreo cookies, broken into pieces

Fold together and serve!

Pumpkin Dip

I love all things pumpkin. But when you get to dip cookies and apples in all things pumpkin, it's even better. This is a unique take on a pumpkin dessert. It's great with low-fat cream cheese; that's usually how I've always made it.

-1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

-2 (7 oz) marshmallow fluff

-1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

-pumpkin pie spice to taste ( I like A LOT! )

Use an electric mixer to mix the pumpkin and softened cream cheese together. Fold in fluff and pumpkin pie spice. Serve with ginger snaps, molasses cookies or vanilla wafers, apple and pear slices.

Coconut Creme Cake

This recipe comes courtesy of Jennifer in my office. We all kind of go crazy when she brings this in. Perfect for Easter. My mom is going to make it for our family. Enjoy!

1 box yellow cake mix, prepared according to package directions

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can creme of coconut (found in the mixed drinks aisle)

1 tub Cool Whip

optional - mandarin oranges, pineapple, almonds, coconut

Bake cake as directed. When cool, use the handle of a wooden/resin spoon to poke holes all over the cake. Pour the condensed milk over the cake, allowing it to settle into the holes. Follow with the creme of coconut. Frost the cake with Cool Whip. Dress it up however you like.

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake

Next to zuchinni bread, this is Chris' favorite dessert. I make it at least twice a month. Funny thing ... this recipe originally came from Missy. She made it and brought it to the station years ago. I asked for the recipe and have made it dozens of times since but she never makes it. In fact, she had forgotten all about it until I showed her the recipe last week!

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon softened butter

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Grease an 8x8x2 baking pan and set aside. For streusel topping, in a small bowl combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup brown sugar, the 2 tablespoons peanut butter and the 1 tablespoon softened butter. Stir together until crumbly (may need to use your hands here). Stir in 1/4 chocolate chips and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat the 1/4 peanut butter and the 2 tablespoons softened butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds or until combined.

Add about half of the one cup flour, the 1/2 cup brown sugar, half of the milk, the egg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined, scraping the side of the bowl constantly. Add the remaining flour and milk. Beat on low speed until combined. Stir in 1/4 of the chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake in a 375 oven for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. ** I always cover mine with foil after about 10-15 minutes since this tends to brown fast. **

Cool 15 minutes and cut into squares. Serve warm.

* Don't skimp on the chocolate chips (why would you?!). I actually use more than the recipe calls for.

Happy Cake

You guys know me. If my dessert doesn't have chocolate in it, it's not worth the calories. There are very few exceptions to this rule, but this cake is one of them. My mom makes this and I've been craving it lately. Perfect for Easter if you're looking for a dessert to serve.

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 egg whites
1 (11 oz) can mandarin orange segments
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (3.5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites and mandarin oranges with juice. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

To make the topping: In a large bowl, beat together whipped topping, drained pineapple and dry pudding mix until blended. Spread on cake.

**Update 04/09/09 -- This recipe has been corrected from what I originally posted. My mom was in FL all winter and didn't have her cookbooks. When I sent her the one with the oil, she said she thought it looked right. My sister corrected me. ;o) This cake is AMAZING, I hope you try it.

Easy Pudding Pie

Today is Matt's birthday and he doesn't like cake. So, I have to be creative with a dessert for him on his birthday. This year, I made him this easy pudding pie. I used lemon pudding (Matt's favorite) but you can use your favorite pudding flavor mix. Enjoy!

2 pkgs. instant pudding mix
2 cups milk
8 oz. pkg. Cool Whip
graham cracker pie crust

Whisk together pudding mix and milk. Spread 1-1/2 cups of the pudding into the bottom of the graham cracker pie crust. Fold in 1-1/2 cups Cool Whip into the remaining pudding. Spread on top of pudding layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Chill for one hour or longer before serving.

Ritz Cracker Treats

My friend, Kirsty, has been after me to keep All In Flavor updated more regularly. She is a "regular" and even has us on an RSS feed. Thanks, Kirst! Unfortunately, she won't like this recipe at all. Apparently, we Americans are obsessed with peanut butter and the rest of the world doesn't understand it! Haha.

If you do like peanut butter, you will love these. I got the recipe from my sister and my mom and I made them together last year at Christmas. I made them again when I got home and they were a hit with my in-laws. So, they'll be on the list every year now. YUM!

1 package white chocolate chips

Ritz crackers

peanut butter

Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl over hot water. Make peanut butter sandwiches with the Ritz crackers. Dip sandwiches in melted white chocolate and sprinkle with colored sugar or any kind of sprinkles you like. Place on cookie sheets lined with wax paper and refrigerate until chocolate firms. You can store at room temp or in the fridge.

I think Santa would be happy to see these after a ride down the chimney!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

I'm at my parents' place in Florida, leafing through my mom's cookbooks. I came across a recipe that I can't wait to make. I just ate something like this on our cruise for dessert.

1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups hot water
Whipped topping

Heat oven to 350. Stir together 3/4 cup sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top. Do not stir.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes; spoon into dessert dishes, spooning sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top. Garnish with whipped topping.

Heather's Holiday Bark

This one is perfect for Christmas and it tastes just like an Andes candy - but with more chocolate!

Heather actually made it several years ago and brought it into the newsroom to share. She ALWAYS brought in treats for us - both homemade and store-bought. But this was homemade and I immediately requested the recipe.

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper; set it aside.

Melt the semisweet chips in a heatproof bowl set atop a pot of simmering water over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until smooth. Pour the chocolate onto the cookie sheet and spread it to about a 1/4-inch thickness with the back of a spoon.

Using the same method, melt the white chocolate chips with the oil. Stir continuously until smooth. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring; stir well. Pour the mixture over the chocolate layer and spread to about a 1/8-inch thickness with the back of a spoon. Draw the tip of a butter knife through the layers to create swirls.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bark from the pan. Peel off the waxed paper. Set the bark on a cutting board and cut it into 2 dozen bars with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Buckeye Bars

I have no idea where I got this recipe, but I make it a lot - especially on game day. Chris actually prefers these to the traditional Buckeyes.

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 1/2 cup powdered sugar

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Soften peanut butter and butter in the microwave and mix together. Mix in graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Pat mixture on the bottom of 9x13 pan. On low heat or double boiler, melt the chocolate. Stir in the vegetable oil. Pour over crust and refrigerate several hours. Cut into bars.

* I tend to think these are best served chilled - they get a little messy at room temp.

Double Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies

When I was growing up, chocolate covered cherries were considered a delicacy. We always got them on Valentine's Day, and in our stockings for Christmas. I've always considered the combination of chocolate and cherries a real treat. I've been looking for a cookie recipe and came across this one. I think it won second place on a Food Network competition. Anyway, I made them over the weekend. They're really rich and chocolatey; not too sweet, though. The wine brings out the flavor of both the chocolate and the cherries. I'll be adding these to my Christmas cookie list.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry red wine
10 ounces dark chocolate, broken into chunks (I just used 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup dried tart cherries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl. In a bowl of an electric mixer, or with a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and wine and combine. Slowly in batches add the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and cherries. On a nonstick cookie sheet, place a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are still soft looking but edges look firm.

Cindy's Pumpkin Pie

My Aunt Cindy makes the most delicious pumpkin pies every year for Thanksgiving. She has used this recipe for years. We look forward to those pies every year. Note that this recipe makes three pies. One for you and two to share!

Crust

4 cups of flour

1-1/3 cup of Crisco

2 tsp. salt

10-14 TBSP cold water

Blend crisco and flour together with pastry blender until the consistency of corn meal. Add salt and blend. Add water. Knead a few times on a floured surface. Roll out. Makes three pie crusts.

Pie Filling

1 29oz. can of pumpkin

1 tsp. salt

3 1/2 cups of milk

5 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Mix ingredients together with a mixer. Fill homemade pie crusts. Bake pies at 350 for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Robby's Cookies

I make these for my brother and just shared with his girlfriend. :o) He's a big fan of oatmeal chocolate chip. I've modified the recipe to make it my own over the years. For one, I almost ALWAYS add extra vanilla in cookies with chocolate chips. It just tastes better. I also usually add extra flour to make sure I don't end up with a flat cookie. And, no raisins...! Don't get me wrong... raisins have their place in certain baked goods... but not in cookies. They'd just get in the way of a good time here. Hope you enjoy!

1 cup butter, softened to room temp
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (at least)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar together.

Add vanilla, milk and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add in batches to sugar mixture.
Mix well but do NOT overbeat.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 9-10 minutes. I like them a little under-baked.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

I love all things pumpkin; so when a fellow Kindermusik mom busted these cookies out after class one night, I knew I had to have the recipe. I baked a big batch over the weekend and they were a hit. Really soft and cake-like. I will be making these again. The only thing I did differently from the recipe below was add the 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the glaze. The original recipe does not all for it.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: On the stovetop over low heat, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice; stirring constantly until smooth. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.