Grandma Noall's Cherry Chocolate Cake

I am not big on fruit and chocolate combined... but I actually do like this one..

1 package of chocolate fudge cake
21 oz can of cherry pie filling
1 tsp of almond extract
2 eggs

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Stir until mixed well. pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 35 min. Cool and frost.

Hot Fudge Frosting

1 cup sugar
5 Tbs butter
1/3 C of milk
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 t vanilla

In sauce pan combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until smooth. Pour over partial cooled bars. Serve only to very important people :).

Saucepan Brownies

1 c butter
6 T of cocoa
Melt together

Then stir in the following:
2 c sugar
1 c flour
2 t rounded BP
1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla
4 eggs

bake 350
8x10 in pan

High Altitude
3 T Flour
bake for 15-20 minutes.
Add ins: chocolate, mint, or peanut butter chips, walnuts, mint extract.

Blackberry Orange Cheesecake Bars

I started a Sunday dinner group with a few of my neighbors a couple of months ago. It's been a really fun way to get to know them, and it is always nice to come home from church and not have to make anything for dinner. Anyway, I needed a dessert for dinner group a few weeks ago and came across a few recipes similar to this. I was surprised at how well they turned out. They were gone by the end of the night. They are less heavy than most cheesecake desserts and the brightness of the orange really helps lighten the flavor and gave a good freshness. I think in the future I would add a drizzle of blackberry jam on top. The blackberry and orange melded so well and it took so little effort to make!

Ingredients

Crust from NY Style Cheesecake or 1 tube of sugar cookie dough

12-16 oz cream cheese (I would do more, but I used what I had on hand)

1 egg

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

1 tsp orange juice

1/2 -1 C blackberry jam

Make crust or bring cookie dough to room temp. Press into a 13x9 glass baking dish. Cook about 10 minutes at 375 until dough is barely cooked. While crust is baking, place all ingredients except jam in a bowl. Mix until smooth. pour over crust. Dollop two-thirds of the jam over top of mix and swirl in. Bake 25-30 minutes or until middle is set. Cool slightly. Drizzle remaining jam over top. Cool the remainder of the way in the fridge and serve. 

Brownie Pudding

For some reason, when I was little I thought this was the most amazing recipe to make, and remember making it a lot.. I think it was one of the first 'recipes' I remember trying to make...  lately it feels like I have gone to people's homes for dinner a lot, and last night I brought the dessert... here it is... because I did not know how many people would be there, I made one and a half batches...and baked it in one of those in between size pans...

Ingredients

1

cup all-purpose flour

3/4

cup granulated sugar

2

tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2

teaspoons baking powder

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup milk

2

tablespoons cooking oil

1

teaspoon vanilla

1/2

cup chopped walnuts

3/4

cup packed brown sugar

1/4

cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2

cups boiling water

 

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, granulated sugar, the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, the baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in the walnuts.
2. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and the 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Stir in the boiling water. Slowly pour brown sugar mixture over batter.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 45 to 60 minutes. Serve warm. Spoon cake into dessert bowls; spoon pudding from the bottom of the pan over cake. If desired, serve with vanilla ice cream.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/brownie-pudding-cake/

Enjoy!

New York Style Cheesecake

Every year for Heather's birthday we make this. I think it is probably my favorite cheesecake recipe I've ever made, but I would recommend having other people around to eat it. It's pretty rich. Most people use graham crackers for the crusts of their cheesecakes, but I think this crust is way better. It almost tastes like a sugar cookie. Combined with the smooth texture and flavor of the rest of the cheesecake this really is one of the best recipes out there. I originally got the recipe from Kyle.

½ C. Butter

¼ C Packed Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

1 ¼ C. Flour

4 8­oz pkg. Cream Cheese

1¼ C. Sugar

¼ C. Flour

1 TBS Vanilla

2 8 oz Sour Cream

¼ Sugar

1 t Vanilla

Preheat to 350. Beat butter 30 sec. Add brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add one egg; beat well. Slowly beat in 1 ¼ C flour. Divide in half. Cover and chill one portion.

Spread remaining portion of dough onto bottom of 10­inch spring­form pan with side removed. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool. Attach sides. Press chilled dough about 1¾ up the side of the pan.

Increase oven temp to 450. Combine cream cheese and sugar; beat until fluffy. Beat in ¼ C. flour until smooth. Add remaining eggs and 1 TBS vanilla; Beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in ½ C sour cream. Pour into pan. Place in shallow baking pan and bake 10 min.

Reduce temp to 300. Bake 30 minutes, or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken.

Remove from oven. Combine remaining sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spread over cheesecake.

Bake 15 minutes more.

Cool on wire wrack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust; cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours. Let stand 15 min at room temp.

Lemon (or Grapefruit) Yogurt Cake

The base of this recipe is from one of my favorite cakes, which is a Grapefruit Yogurt Cake. However, Dad can not eat grapefruit because of his meds, so I switched it out to Lemon to see how it would turn out... and it worked... (from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pink-grapefruit-yogurt-cake-recipe/)

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 1/2 pink grapefruits
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup canola oil

Grapefruit Syrup
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit
2 T granulated sugar

Grapefruit Glaze
1/3  cup powdered sugar
2-3 T freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Dust lightly with flour too. Set pan aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside

In a small bowl, add the grapefruit zest to the sugar. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant, In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, and zest with large spoon or spatula. Whisk in the eggs- you can do all three at once. Mix until smooth and then add in the vanilla and stir again.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until flour is incorporated

Add the oil and mix well. It might take a minute to get the oil mixed in, but it will.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until your cake tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.

Cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes and then remove from the pan. While cake is cooling make the syrup and glaze.

For the syrup, in a small sauce pan add the grapefruit juice and sugar. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

For the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice. If it is too thick, add more juice, if it is too runny, add more sugar.

Poke little holes into the cake with a toothpick. Spoon the grapefruit syrup over the cake and let it soak in. Let the cake cool to room temperature and then add the glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

I don't like Texas sheetcake, I think the last two times I have tasted an after taste or something.... I had to take a treat to tonight... so I searched the internet, and used the sheetcake pan mom gave me for it's purpose... I think I stand by Katie in liking pies and other such things better then cakes, but it's not bad... even brownies more...

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 Eggland's Best Eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ICING:
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set aside. In a small
• saucepan, bring butter, cocoa and water to a boil. Immediately
• remove from the heat. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla; mix well.
• Stir into cocoa mixture. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in.
• baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick 
• inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa and milk to a boil,
• stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add sugar and vanilla.
• Mix well. Spread over hot cake; immediately sprinkle with nuts. Cool
• completely on a wire rack. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Zucchini/Apple Bread

The last time, at the end of September I stopped at Danny & Fred's house (super late after the RS broadcast) they gave me a zucchini that was the size of my thigh... no joke.. so I used some in a green curry, and the rest has gone to bread & the freezer for future usage ;-) I have made a couple of zucchini bread recipes, but this one always wins for the best tasting one... there is  is also a very ation to do it as apple bread which I have also used and had a lot of people like... it's super simple.. thank you better homes and gardens!

Zucchini Bread

Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices)

Prep 20 minsBake 350°F 50 mins

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1/4 teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup  sugar
• 1 cup  finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
• 1/4 cup  cooking oil
• 1/2 cup  chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2.In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, shredded zucchini, and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

from the test kitchenApple Bread:

• Prepare as above, except substitute 1-1/2 cups finely shredded, peeled apple for the shredded zucchini.

nutrition facts (Zucchini Bread)

• cal. (kcal) 147,
 
• Fat, total (g) 6,
 
• chol. (mg) 13,
 
• sat. fat (g) 1,
 
• carb. (g) 21,
• Monosaturated fat (g) 2,
 
• Polyunsaturated fat (g) 3,
 
• fiber (g) 1,
 
• sugar (g) 12,
• pro. (g) 2,
 
• vit. A (IU) 49,
 
• vit. C (mg) 1,
 
• Thiamin (mg) 0,
 
• Riboflavin (mg) 0,
• Niacin (mg) 1,
 
• Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0,
 
• Folate (µg) 8,
 
• Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0,
 
• sodium (mg) 123,
 
• Potassium (mg) 49,
 
• calcium (mg) 10,
 
• iron (mg) 1,
 
• Starch () 1,
 
• Other Carb () 1,
 
• Fat () 1,
 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/quickbreads/zucchini-bread/

Apple Pie Bars

Turns out I like pie. Like, a lot. Cake with frosting: no. Pie with or with out ice cream: yes. So when I saw a recipe for apple pie bars, I new I wanted to make them. I just had to wait because you really shouldn't make an entire pan of treats that just you will eat. When I was invited to a "Fall Fiesta Bonfire" last weekend, I knew I wanted to take these. I was not disappointed. I cut the recipe in half so to make them in a 9x13 instead of a jellyroll pan, which made them a little thicker than I think they are supposed to be. Thick or thin, they are still delightful. Adapted from mybakingaddiction.com

Crust
3/4 C unsalted butter

6 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 C flour
dash of salt

Filling
3 lbs tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used granny smith)
3 Tbs brown sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Topping
2 cup oats (quick cooking is better, but I used old fashioned and just processed them a bit)
3/4 C flour
2/3 C brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C cold butter, cut into small cubes
nuts optional

Preheat oven to 375. Line 13x9 with parchment. Combine butter and sugar for crust and beat until fluffy and lighter in texture and color. Slowly add flour and salt and beat until a soft dough forms. Evenly over bottom of the pan and press down to create crust. Bake 15 minutes. Let cool while making remaining parts.
In a large skillet, add apples and brown sugar. Apples should let out some juice, but you may add some water or butter if you are worried about burning. Cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until the apples are soft. Add nutmeg and cinnamon. Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated (5-10 min.) Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine everything except butter (and nuts if using.) Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and small clumps begin to form. Add nuts.
Pour apples over the crust. Lightly toss topping evenly over apples. Bake for about 45 min-1 hour, turning the pan halfway through baking process. Cool before cutting and enjoy! 

Blondies

My roommate is in charge of ward prayer, which means we make a lot of treats around here. I am always surprised when I take these to something at how many people really like them. Not that they aren't good, but when I took them a week ago, I think I got asked for the recipe from about 8 people. Considering there where only about 30 people there, it was more than I would have guessed. They don't take a lot of work to make either. So next time you have to take a dessert to something, try these.

Blondies (Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

2 cups packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1 cup chopped nuts (We used hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in eggs one at a time; stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (avoid chocolate chips). Cool slightly on wire rack. Cut into bars while warm.

PLUM KUCHEN

While Dad is getting the graphics together, I get to write my part...This is the basic recipe all of you in the family should have had access to by now, but thought I would include for any others who may be interested. It came by way of a memory for me of something grandma would make in the late summer or early fall with all the plums which were so prolific on our trees.  I have since used the cake portion for other similar stone fruits (mostly apricots) and find it to be a very simple, but good dessert especially for potlucks.  The  picture for this one is of one I made to take to Linger-Longer at the branch; unfortunately the handle on the bag gave way as Dad was trying to carry it and it bit the dust in the parking lot, breaking the dish. This one never made it into anyone's tummy, but I have made four of them this past week.  Most people don't have that much fruit to bake with, so it becomes an unusual, but popular cake at a potluck and is something different than store bought cookies!

½ C. Butter or margarine

1 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1 C. Flour

1 Tsp. Baking powder

1 Tsp. Vanilla or almond extract

¼ Tsp. Salt

¼ C. Cinnamon sugar

1¼ Lbs. Plums

Powdered sugar as desired for garnish

-Mix butter and sugar together until fluffy

-Add eggs, extract

-Gently add flour, baking powder, and salt

-Pour batter into greased 9 X 9 baking dish

-Pit plums and place plum halves in the batter skin-side down covering the

  surface of the  batter

-Bake 350° for 60 minutes or until done

-After baking and while it is still warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

Blackberry Cobbler

Mom brought a blackberry cobbler to the family reunion last weekend. It turned out to be a hit, especially with Uncle Andy. Blackberries seem to have taken over the farm. Almost any other time of year, I would probably be bothered by that, but this year, I am glad I am in town to enjoy them. Now, if I could just figure out how to get them back to Utah!

Berry Mixture
6+ C blackberries
1 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping
1/4 C butter
2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs baking powder
2 eggs
3/4-1 C milk

Combine blackberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl. Pour into 13x9 baking dish
For the topping, combine butter, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in bowl until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add eggs. Add enough milk so mixture resembles cake batter. Pour batter over berries and bake at 425 for 20-25 min. Drop temperature to 375, and bake another 20 min or until berries are bubbling.

Simple Almond Cake

I pretty much love this recipe. I can't even guess how many times I have made this simple almond cake. It is so so easy and so good. The recipe for this almond cake is in the ward cookbook from the Woodruffs, but I've seen it a few other places as well. I like to serve it with berries and sometime ice cream. We made it for the missionaries last week and they loved it. To be fair though, they live at the MTC their whole mission so anything that is not cafeteria food is probably amazing. Elder Tucker who has been in the MTC for the past 23 months was so excited at the thought of fruits and vegetables not from a can. The cake was still good, regardless of whether or not your diet consists of cafeteria food.

1/2 C butter, melted and cooled

1 C flour

1 C sugar

2 tsp almond extract

2 eggs

Slivered almonds

Combine butter, flour, sugar, extract and eggs in a bowl. Pour into a pie tin. Sprinkle almonds over batter. You can also sprinkle a spoonful of sugar over the top if desired. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with mixed berries and ice cream if desired.

German Chocolate Cake Bars

A few weeks ago I got a text late on Saturday night asking if I'd teach RS Sunday morning. I did, and my RS president brought over a few of these bars as a thank you. They were so delicious! The original recipe comes from Six Sisters Stuff. I like them more cake-like because I think the density of brownies is too much for me sometimes. The great thing is, you can decide if you want these more like brownies or more cake-like depending on the type of cake mix you use. Cake mix with pudding in it makes it more like a brownie. Without the pudding and the bars are more like a cake. Either way, you should try these.

1 box devil’s food cake mix 
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans (walnuts would work too)
1 cup shredded coconut 
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (I used a broken up chocolate bar)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Melt butter in medium bowl. Add cake mix and egg and combine. Press mixture into the bottom greased pan. Bake 7 minutes and remove from the oven. (Crust won't look done.)
Combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg, pecans and coconut. Pour over the warm crust and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 24-30 minutes. The top should be almost a golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Oatmeal Crispies

So earlier this week... I realized I still have about 4 cans of oatmeal that are almost out of date if not already in my food storage, and I decided I wanted to make oatmeal cookies because well why not? I knew I'd easily find a way to use them up as I had lots of visits this week... anyways...I remembered those ones mom used to roll and put in the freezer or fridge and going to snitch the dough... so I asked Dad about it, and mom found the recipe... It's a good basic, simple recipe, but I'd say next time I'll probably add some cinnamon if not that AND maybe some craisins... I ended up taking a bunch up to our movie night and some people REALLY liked them...

I do not remember it, but apparently mom and dad used this recipe a lot when they worked in the nursery.

(Makes about 5 dozen cookies)

  

1 C Shortening (we use butter)*

1 C Brown sugar

1 C  Granulated white sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 C Sifted flour

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking soda

3 C Quick oats

½ C Chopped nuts (optional)**

Cream shortening and sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

Add oats and nuts, mix well.

Shape in roll 2 inches in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill in refrigerator.

Slice into ¼ inch thick rounds.

Bake on cookie sheets at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

*Dad's notation that they used all butter, but I used half butter/shortening.

**I did not use nuts.

German Chocolate Pudding

So last time I made chocolate pudding, I did not point it out to anyone, but it tasted a little powdery. It was good, but left room for improvement... Lately I have been short on money, but the last 3 days with all of the hiking that I have down or who knows what I have been craving sweets... but not caved to buy anything... rather I have made a few things here and there... I noticed the stamp date on my milk was yesterday, and there were about 4 cups left, so I began to think...  and re-create... I had some German Chocolate baker squares I found at the dollar store earlier this year... so... here is what became of it...

German Chocolate pudding...

In large enough pan add:

3 c whole milk

1 c sugar

2 oz of Baker's German chocolate 

(half of the box)

2 T of cocoa 

Bring to a light boil at medium heat.

While the first pan heats, in small bowel whisk: 

1 c whole milk

2 t vanilla

1 t salt

3 egg yolks

6 t of corn starch

Once the pan comes to a boil gradually add small parts of the the cold mixture in, whisking fast while adding. 

The flavor of this pudding turned out really good, but there were small pieces of egg that had cooked  before beating in, and I probably should have cooked it a bit longer because it did not set up fully... even this morning when I had some for breakfast... Anyways the flavor was good enough, the lack of powder flavor was gone, so I enjoyed it ;-) Maybe next time I'll use the same ingredients, but once the chocolate mixture boils gradually pour it in as my kitchen aid beats everything, then return it to the stove for a boil? We'll see ;-)