Lemon Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
5 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat oven to 350F

Spray or butter and flour 2 loaf pans or one large Bundt pan.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.  Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each one.

Add dry ingredients in three additions to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and zest.

Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes.  Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers)
• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the filling

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1-ounce package sugar free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (or 1/3 of a non-sugar free instant pudding may be used)
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, plus extra for garnish if desired

Instructions

1. Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the crackers into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar and pulse until combined.
2. Spoon the crumbs into individual 9-ounce plastic cups (or other individual sized cups for serving). Place in the refrigerator to set while you are preparing the filling.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until light and creamy.
4. Add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and pudding mix and beat until completely mixed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
5. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix again until well combined.
6. Change your stand mixture attachment to the wire whisk. On slow speed, fold in the tub of Cool Whip until well combined.
7. Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up.
8. Using a large pastry bag with a large tip, or a spoon, top the graham cracker crust in each cup with the pumpkin mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.
9. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.

S'mores Hershey's Kiss Cookies Recipe:

(Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 large marshmallows, cut in half
About 40 chocolate kisses

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth.  Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet, 1-2" apart.  Bake for 6-8 minutes or until edges are just getting golden brown.  Remove from oven and gently press a half marshmallow, sticky side down, onto each cookie.  Let cool completely.  Once all cookies are cooled down, preheat broiler.  Place cookies back on baking sheets and broil for 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don't burn.  Once marshmallows are golden brown, remove from the broiler and place a chocolate kiss on top of each cookie.

Summer Torte

Summer Torte by Marion Burros

1 stick butter, softened (I always use unsalted)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour; sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Pinch of salt

NOTE: I added 2 teaspoons vanilla Extract
Fruit of choice; sliced into wedges (I used about 7 plums. Peaches, nectarines, strawberries all work great and in combination)
I used Red Currants.
Cinnamon sugar for top

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and add sugar. Beat well. Add eggs and beat. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to batter. Mix. Spoon globs to greased 9 or 10 inch springform. Use a knife to spread batter to cover entire pan. Arrange fruit on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (amount depends on the sweetness of the fruit).
Bake for 45 min.

Blueberry Chiffon Pie

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar

16 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries, pureed
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you wish to bake your crumb crust.  Baking helps hold the crust together but is not necessary. 

1. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Make a well in the center of the crumbs and pour in the melted butter. Using a whisk mix together the crumbs and butter until moistened. Shape the crust with the edge of a cup pressing the crumbs against the bottom and sides of the pan. If you choose, bake the crust for 6 to 8 minutes or until the edges are barely browned. Set aside to cool.
2. In a mixer, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the pureed fruit and gelatin until dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Fold the fruit mixture into the whipped cream until smooth using a whisk if necessary.  Pour filling into the crumb crust. Refrigerate until set for at least 45 minutes. (You can speed up the process by putting it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.)

Serve cold with whipped cream and fresh berries for garnish.

Cream Cheese Variation

Whip only 1 3/4 cup of cream, instead of 2 cups, and add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese. Continue beating until fluffy. Continue with the recipe.

Pecan cobbler

For the filling:

One 16 oz. bottle of Karo light corn syrup

2 cups of sugar

4 large eggs

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 tablespoon Vanilla

10 oz. bag or 2 cups of finely chopped pecans

For the "crust":

1 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 stick butter, very cold in small chunks

1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water

Filling:

In a mixing bowl, put together all of the ingredients except pecans and blend with a mixer until mixed very well. It's going to be a syrupy mess, but it will come together and be smooth. It helps if your eggs are room temperature.

Crust:

In a food processor, put in the oatmeal and pulse until it is a powder similar to flour. Once you have the oatmeal ready, add in the flour and pulse again to mix together. Next, add in the butter pieces and pulse again until it's lightly incorporated. Last, slowly pour in the water (not the ice) until the mixture is thick, yet spreadable (think like peanut butter.)

Let's put it all together!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 11x17 baking pan, then spread the crust mixture on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top of the crust. Then pour the filling all over the top of the pecans. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden and bubbly.

Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving - it is like lava when it first comes out of the oven.

Pineapple-Blueberry Cream Tart

 

Crust

 

1 

box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box 

 

Filling

 

1

  box (4-serving size) lemon pudding and pie filling mix

1/2 

cup granulated sugar

1/4 

cup water

2 

egg yolks

2/3 

cup canned crushed pineapple with juice

1 1/3 

cups water

1 

teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 

cups fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries, thawed, drained on paper towels

1/2 

cup blueberry preserves, heated 

 

Topping

 

1 1/2

  cups whipping cream

1/3 

cup powdered sugar

1/2

  teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 

teaspoons grated lemon peel

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom or 9-inch glass pie pan, but do not prick crust. Trim edge if necessary.
2. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. If crust puffs up during baking, gently press crust down with back of wooden spoon. Cool while making filling.
3. In 2-quart saucepan, mix pudding mix, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup water and the egg yolks until smooth. Stir in pineapple, 1 1/3 cups water and 1 teaspoon lemon peel. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
4. In small bowl, mix blueberries and preserves. Spread in bottom of cooled baked shell. Spoon pudding mixture over blueberry mixture. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
5. In another small bowl with electric mixer, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon or spread over pudding mixture; sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel. Serve immediately. Store in refrigerator.