Good Desserts- My Family Favorites

Who doesn't love good desserts?! Ever since I was in high school, I have enjoyed trying recipes to find new good desserts to make again and again for friends and family or the occasional holiday. Over the years, I've accumulated many recipes that I've torn out of magazines and taped into my "dessert binder". I've also gotten a collection of recipes passed down to me from family members. There's no telling where some of these originated from... most of the time, I was given a scap piece of paper with the recipe jotted down on it...but I'm sure you could find them in just about any local church or booster club cookbook!!

As I sort through my many cookbooks, binders, and recipe cards I'll be adding more to this list- so check back periodically for updates.

I have personally made all the recipes listed below...numerous times! I hope you try them and enjoy them just as much as I do!

Cranberry-Peach Cobbler (author unknown)

Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients- cut in butter until crumbly. Combine egg and milk and then stir into dry ingredients until moistened.

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup cranberry juice cocktail

3 cups peaches, peeled & sliced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

In a saucepan- combine sugar, cornstarch and juice. Heat on medium until thickened. Add fruit and cook until cranberry skins pop. Pour into cake pan or similar dish. Spread topping as evenly as possibly over the top (it won't cover it completely). Bake 25 min or until golden brown @ 400 degrees.

Even more delicious?! Top the warm cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

No-Bake Cookies

(this is one of those recipes my mom made for us growing up!)

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup peanut butter

2 cups oatmeal

6 Tablespoons cocoa

Combine oatmeal and cocoa in a bowl.  In a saucepan, combine sugar, milk and vanilla.  Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and mix well.  Add oatmeal/cocoa mixture and stir to well blended.  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool for 1 hour.

Nutty Date Bars

(I think mom got this recipe off a Bisquick box long ago...she would always make these at Christmas!)

1/4 cup butter, soft

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup dates, cut up into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1-2/3 cup Bisquick

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a square pan. Mix butter, sugar and egg. Stir in Bisquick, dates and nuts (batter will be stiff). Spread in the pan and bake until light brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool. Cut into 1 inch squares and sprinkle with powered sugar.

** I guess I have a thing for cranberries! I decided to try this same recipe and replace the chopped dates with dried cranberries- it was SO good! My son and husband have decided they like this better with the cranberries! When I made this, I used 2 of the small bags of dried cranberries- but probably should have used less. Not sure just "1 cup" would be enough, but I guess if you want to take the time to cut up the dried cranberries they may go further. I poured them out on a cutting board, took a knife and made a few cuts but that was it. I would suggest though starting off with a cup, mix it in, and then see if you think you need more. I'm thinking about 1.5 cups of dried cranberries would be good! If you try this with another dried fruit, make sure to reply below and let me know if it turned out good or not!

Chocolate Bread Pudding -by Paula Deen

If you have never watched Paula Deen, you should do it sometime! She makes wonderful "southern style" recipes that are SO GOOD!!

Ingredients:

Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce, optional, recipe follows
8 ounce semisweet chocolate chips
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cup milk
1 (1-lb) loaf French or Italian bread, cut into cubes

Directions:

* Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

* Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish fill with bread cubes.

* In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and liqueur. In another bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the cocoa powder and mix well. Add the cocoa mixture to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.

* In a medium bowl, add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and the cinnamon to the beaten eggs. Combine the egg mixture with the milk mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes; let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the milk mixture.

* Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until set; a cake tester inserted into the center of the pudding should come out clean.

* Serve the pudding warm or cold, with Pecan Rum Flambe, dessert sauce.

Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dark rum

In a large skillet, melt the stick butter and add brown sugar, stir together. Add the pecans and cook until sugar has caramelized over medium-high heat. Turn off the stove and pour in the rum. Stand back and carefully light with a long lighter. Be careful; a flame will shoot up above the pan. As the alcohol cooks out, the flame will die down. Serve over chocolate bread pudding.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 8-10 servings

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

http://recipes.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view/chocolate_bread_pudding/

Dump Cake

I got this recipe years ago from my mother-in-law (no idea where SHE got it from). It's so easy to make because you don't mix anything...you just layer it all and bake!

1-1/2 cup brown sugar

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup hot water

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Butter a 9x13 pan. Layer ingredients in order given. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce temp to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

I found this recipe not too long ago on a site called Granny's Favorites Cookbook...not sure where they got it from but it is VERY good! I'm sure most of you have probably heard of "Stripe it Rich" cake from years back...I know when I was growing up my mom would fix a white cake mix, poke a bunch of holes in it, pour liquid strawberry jello all over it and the chill until it was set...then top it with Cool Whip. Well this recipe is using the same basic idea, but using pudding instead of jello!

1 box yellow cake mix
2 small boxes 3.4 oz. instant banana pudding
4 cups milk
8 oz whipped topping
20 vanilla wafers, crushed
sliced bananas

Mix cake according to directions on box; pour into greased 9×13 cake pan. Bake according to directions on box.

Remove from oven and poke holes with a wooden spoon in warm cake. Mix together banana pudding and milk. Once it just starts to thicken, pour banana pudding over cake. You don't want pudding to be TOO thick when pouring or it won't seep down into all the holes enough. Allow cake to cool overnight, covered.

Next morning top cake with sliced bananas, whipped topping and crushed vanilla wafers. Chill, serve and enjoy!