Orange Bars

I suppose you could call them Orange Brownies, which I think was their original name, but when I think of brownies I think of chocolate and these do not have any chocolate in them....they actually remind me a little bit of orange rolls but of course different.....My friend Brittany made these for a girls night and they were a big hit....I made them for Shawn and he loved them too....so nice to have a new dessert that does not contain chocolate, even though chocolate is probably my first love! Ha!

Makes: 13x9

1 ½ C Flour
2 C Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 C (2 sticks) Butter, softened
4 Eggs
2 tsp Orange Extract
1 tsp Grated Orange Zest

Glaze:
1 C Powdered Sugar
2 T Orange Juice
1 tsp Grated Orange Zest

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 13 and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract and orange zest and beat with a mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

For glaze: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over hot cake. Cool cake and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Almond bars

So many of you that know me, know that I LOVE the smell and flavor of Almond Extract.....I could seriously smell a bottle of it all day....I love adding it when I can and I usually add it to boxed brownies to give them a little more pizazz....anyway my friend Sarah made these for a make-up party we had at her house....she also makes this yummy punch with almond extract but I will save that for another post....anyway these Almond Bars are simple and made with ingredient most have in their pantry.....They are so tasty but of course not the healthiest but what dessert is.....anyway lots of things you could do with these, top with fruit.....So explore! I find them highly addicting just the way they are.......

Makes:13x9

4 Eggs
2 C Sugar
1 C Butter, melted
2 C Flour
2 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until lemon colored. Add the melted butter, flour and extract. Mix well. Spread into greased 9 x13 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!

Oreo Cheesecake Squares

We love Oreo Cookies in our house. Oreo cheesecake is one of my favorites at the Cheesecake Factory. Here is a quick and easy way to make some Oreo treats that everyone will enjoy!.....These do not last long at our house, I mean who doesn't LOVE Oreo Cookies! The Recipe is divided into the amount of cookies, but all you need is 1 package of Oreo Cookies.....

Makes: 13x9 pan

30 Oreo Cookies

1/4 Butter, melted

4 8oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened to room temp

1 C Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

4 Eggs

20 Oreo Cookies, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the 30 Oreos into a food processor and process for 30-45 seconds, until finely ground. Add in melted butter and mix well. Press cookie mixture into a 13x9 in baking pan, set aside. In a bowl mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla w/hand mixer (or you could use your kitchen aid) until well blended. Add in eggs and mix until incorporated & blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 C of the chopped Oreos (leaving a small pile left for the top). Pour into crust. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped cookies. Bake for 35-40min or until the center is almost set. Cool to room temp and then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Dirt Cake....

So this one is suppose to be placed in a plastic flower pot and served with gummy worms on top and a fake plant, hence the title dirt cake....but I prefer to serve it in a trifle like dish.....my pic isn't the greatest maybe I will make it again and do a better job of evening out the layers.....the kids love this one as do I since it reminds me of my childhood....I mean you can not go wrong with Oreos and Vanilla pudding....definitely a recipe that will cause you to hit the gym after.....Not so waistline friendly!

Makes: A dish full

1 18oz package of Oreos, crushed in food processor

1/2 C Butter, softened to room temperature

1 80z package Cream Cheese, room temperature

3/4 C Powdered Sugar

3 C Cold Milk

2 Small Boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 12oz Cool Whip

In a large bowl cream together butter, cream cheese and powered sugar until smooth, set aside. In a separate bowl mix together milk and vanilla pudding, then fold in the cool whip. Add pudding mixture to the butter cream cheese mixture and combine well. Layer in a dish starting with the cookie crumbs then a layer of pudding/cream cheese mixture and then cookie crumbs again. Finishing with cookie crumbs on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve in bowls and enjoy!

MMmmm Pumpkin Pie

I love pumpkin.....pumpkin scones, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bars....I have never met a pumpkin recipe I didn't like.....When I was little I remember my aunt use to make so many pumpkin pies for our family gatherings that each family was able to take home a leftover pie...(my mom had 9 brothers and sisters to give you an idea on how many pies she use to make).....man they were so good.....this not her recipe but one that to me tastes similar to the pies I remember from childhood.....

Makes: 2 9 inch pies

1 1/2 pints (3 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
3 eggs
1 3/4 C pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie shells (I use my homemade recipe for pie dough that I have up on the blog with my quiche recipe, but you can use store bought to save time)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place ice cream near the warm oven to soften. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Stir in the pumpkin puree, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix in soft ice cream until smooth. Pour filling into two 9 inch pie shells. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until filling is set. Serve with homemade vanilla whipped cream on top....Enjoy!

Nana's Cottage Cheese Cookies

We love sweets in our house and most anything with chocolate. These cookies are a family favorite. It does sound a bit strange with cottage cheese and I had never had anything like them growing up, but at first bite I fell in love with them. I bet its the Almond Extract that I love in them.....The only problem I find with them is getting them cooked but not over cooked....there is a fine line for that with this recipe....don't forget to allow time for the chill in the fridge.....

Makes: 2 Dozen

3/4 C Butter, softened

1 3/4 C Sugar

1 T Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 C Cottage Cheese

1/2 T Vanilla Extract

1/2 T Almond Extract

1/2 C Unsweetened Cocoa

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

2 3/4 C Flour

Powdered Sugar, for dusting cookies

Mix sugars and butter. Add eggs, extracts and cottage cheese. Beat until blended. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Chill dough in the fridge for 1 hour then roll dough balls about size of a whole walnut. Then roll in powdered sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 min. I bake mine on parchment paper. Enjoy!

Puppy Chow

Ok, So I have had this unopened jar of Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter in my pantry for awhile, I think we traveled with it down here when we moved.....Well, I am an All-Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Gal......Yes, I keep my PB in the Fridge......it's what we all eat and we all like (including the kids)....and to me it taste way better then the keep-in-the-pantry PB, which, to me taste as though it has a ton of sugar in it........So I have been trying to figure out what to do with the one in my pantry that also contains the evil Partially-Hydrogenated Oil....Well, I decided what the heck I will cook with it.....So the one recipe that came to mind was something I grew up eating and I figured it was a good time to introduce this favorite of mine to my kids (in small amounts, of course)......and now it looks as if my girls too LOVE Puppy Chow......It's just all around goodness.....Beware, it is addicting....and next thing you know, it's all gone.....

Makes: A whole lot (But goes fast)

1/2 C Butter
1 C Creamy Peanut Butter
2 C Chocolate Chips
1 (17.5 ounce) package Crispix Cereal
1 lb (box) Confectioners' Sugar

Melt the peanut butter with the butter and chocolate chips. Place cereal in large bowl and pour the sauce over the cereal and toss until well coated.

Place the coated cereal in a large paper sack then add the confectioners' sugar, fold down the top of the bag and shake to coat.

Eat and Enjoy!!

Nana's Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

So growing up I use to love to spend the Christmas Holiday with my Mother's Family and one of the things I really loved about it besides being with all gazillion of my Cousins, Aunts and Uncles were my Aunt Ruth's Sugar Cookies. She would make every holiday cut out shape that you could think of....and she was an amazing cookie decorator.....anyway I thought I would never find a cookie recipe as good as hers but Shawn's Mom's recipe is equally good and maybe even better......and I just love them.....These are fun to make with kiddos.....my girls love cutting them out and sprinkling on the sugar.....and who knows maybe one day I take it to the next level with my decorating....for now some colored icing, colored sugar, and child's finishing touch will do.....Thanks Nana for such a good recipe.....

Makes 2 dozen (depends on size of cookie cutter)

1 C Butter, softened

1 8oz Package Cream Cheese, room temp

1 C Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Almond Extract

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 3/4 C Flour

Mix together softened butter and cream cheese. Blend in Sugar, Egg, Salt and Extracts. Mix in flour until well combined. Wrap dough in plastic and chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After well chilled roll dough to 1/8th inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake about 7 min. Cool and decorate with your favorite icing....

Sugar Cookie Icing:

1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
3-4 tsp Milk
3 tsp Light Corn Syrup
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
Assorted Food Coloring

In a small bowl, stir together Confectioners' Sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush or small spatula.

Freakin' Good Fudge

Ok...So a previous co-worker gave me this recipe and it is the best fudge I have ever made. It will be hard to stay out of it so plan on giving some away or serving at a party. The original recipe called for semi sweet chips, but I prefer bittersweet chips....What can I say I LOVE dark chocolate......I can only make this 1 time a year or I will just get FAT!

3 Bars German's Sweet Baking Chocolate

1 11-12oz pkg 60% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (or Semi-Sweet Chips)

2 C Marshmallow Cream

4 1/2 C White Sugar

2 tsp Butter

1 12oz can Evaporated Milk

Break sweet chocolate into squares and place in large bowl with chocolate chips and marshmallow cream, set aside. Bring sugar, butter, and milk to a boil in a large sauce pan. Boil stirring frequently, for 6 min. (mixture can boil over so use a large pot) Pour boiling syrup over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir until chocolate and marshmallow cream are melted and mixture is well blended. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Cool until firm (I let cure in a cool place for 1-2 days)....Cut and enjoy!!!

**Nut Lovers: You can add 2 C of chopped nuts (I do not like nuts in my fudge), if you do add nuts you will need a 9x13 pan and an 8x8 pan.

Pullman Pound Cake

So Nana Anna bought a huge box of peaches at the farmers' market to make a pie and we had to figure out what to do with all the rest of the peaches...I came across a peach pound cake recipe...and man was it good and I am not big on fruit desserts. I decided that the pound cake was good enough to stand on its own with maybe some flavored icing on top (lemon, orange, almond, etc).....This cake is so good...the peaches mixed in the cake were good too (See Picture)....So feel free to make it plain with some icing or mix in just about any fruit....serve with whip cream or pudding cream or dip in melted chocolate. You know me I love chocolate...

10 inch Tube Pan

1 C Butter, room temp/softened

2 C Sugar + extra for pan coating

4 Eggs

1 t Vanilla Extract

3 C Flour

1 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Salt

Optional: 2 C Fresh Fruit, Chopped (Peaches, Blueberries, Apples, etc)

Optional: Icing Recipe or Glaze Recipe (Flavored with Lemon, Almond or Vanilla)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10 inch tube pan and coat with white sugar. In a large bowl or mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs 1 at a time beating well after each one. Then stir in vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl and then gradually stir into creamed butter mixture. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 min before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

***If adding Fresh Fruit****
Follow same directions except, reserve 1/4 cup of the flour for coating fresh fruit, coat fruit and then fold into batter, pour into pan and bake.

Top with your favorite icing, glaze, powder sugar, fresh fruit, pudding, whip cream...you name it anything is possible!!