Very Berry Trifle

1 white cake mix: baked, cooled and cut into 1 inch squares. Can also use pound cake.
(Can be made and frozen in advance. Just pull out the day of the party.)

Cream topping:
1 8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sour cream
2 -1/2 cups powdered sugar
Mix in a medium bowl.

Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries
I use Costco's frozen berry blend.

Heavy whipped cream.

Layer cake, berries, cream topping in a trifle dish.

Top with fresh whipped cream.

Make sure that you put on that first layer of cream with a heavy hand. If you top it with cream, you only get one shot, so it needs to cover most everything.

I would top this with cream, but I wanted to show the layers, so it is missing a top layer.
I really like using the small, individual trifle cups. I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond and it keeps your dessert looking amazing until serving.  A regular dish, and you have to pull it out and ruin how pretty it looks.
This dessert is so easy yet very flavorful.

Michele’s Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup flour

Filling:
8 ounces soft cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a standing mixer, beat eggs for a full 5 minutes on speed 3 or high. Gradually add pumpkin, lemon juice and sugar. This would be on speed 2. Add spices and baking powder. Add flour last, (speed 1)  mixing flour as little as possible.

Pour into well-greased and floured jelly roll pan, 10-inches-by-15-inches. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Sprinkle granulated sugar on terry dishcloth. Plop cake onto towel, roll with towel and let cool in towel. Mix filling, Unroll cake carefully and spread filling on cake. Re-roll, wrap and chill.

Texas Sheet Cake

Bring to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup cocoa

Take off heat and add:

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix well with a hand mixer and then add
2 cups flour
Mix with mixer and pour into cookie sheet. (10x15 inches)

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
Allow cake to cool and then frost with frosting.
Frosting:

Combine in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa

Remove from heat and add:
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Beat with mixer until smooth
Cool before frosting the cake

I got this recipe when I was very young, maybe 6th grade? It is a Moutain Fuel recipe, anyone remember them?  My Mom took me to a cooking demo, that may very well have been the beginning? This is a great standard recipe. I have added the cinnamon and I doubled the frosting as it never seemed quite enough to cover a sheet cake.
The thing that makes this cake is the frosting is very fudgy and there is lots of it.

*This can be made as a 9x13 cake. Cook 25-30 minutes and cut frosting recipe in half.

Lemon cookie (Number 2)

In a standing mixer, cream the following:
2 cups room temperature butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 minutes.

Add:
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Juice of 3 lemons (1/3 cup)
1 small package of lemon instant pudding 3.4oz (four 1/2 cup servings)
10 drops lemon oil
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sour cream
Mix well and switch to dough hooks.
Add 5 and 1/2 cups of flour. Mix until incorporated.

Bake 375 degrees for 11 minutes. You are looking for a touch of brown on the tops. Let cool on the cookie sheet as these are very fragile.

Click here to view my first attempt at lemon cookies.  Thought I would try a variation and try for a softer cookie. It worked. They tasted even better the second day.

Pioneer Sheet Cake

Cook 1 cup raisins in 1 1/2 c water. Bring to a boil.
Drain and save 3/4 cup liquid, let mixture cool.

Combine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda dissolved in raisin liquid
2 cups flour
(Add this last and mix as little as possible.)
Add cooled raisins (or chocolate chips if you don't care for raisins.)
Spread in greased and floured 9x13 pan and cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Frosting:
2 Tablespoons soft butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk
Enough powdered sugar to make a glaze, or a thicker frosting if you like.

This is one of those old fashioned desserts. Couldn't even tell you where the original came from. I know my version is written on a paper sack! Double this to make cookie sheet size.

My kids won't eat raisins in a cake, so I hold them back and sprinkle 1/2 with raisins and 1/2 with chocolate chips. You could go straight chocolate chips if you wanted and skip the first two steps. This just reminds me of something the pioneer's would make, although I have no proof. But, they did make lots of things with raisins.

Zucchini Bread

Cream:

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups sugar
3 eggs

Add:

1 tsp. salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
A sprinkling of nutmeg
A sprinkling of cloves
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups shredded zucchini

Mix and then add:

3 cups flour
a handful of chocolate chips
1 cup coconut (optional)

Bake at 325 for 45 -55 minutes. Use toothpick method to see that is cooked completely.

I hesitate to put this on the blog. Doesn't everyone have a recipe for zucchini bread? It's so easy and such a great way to use your summer vegetables. This one saves you a bit of fat by using only a half a cup of oil. My kids won't eat the coconut, so I do have to make it without it, fairly often. I think it sweetens it up quite a bit though. I have to have chocolate chips. Then I feel like I'm eating dessert.

Modified Neiman Marcus Cookies

Cream in a standing mixer 3 minutes with wisps:
2 cups soft butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1/8 cup peanut butter


Add 4 beaten eggs and cream for
another minute.
Add:
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream for another 30 seconds and change to
dough hooks.


Add:
5 cups blended oatmeal. (This turns out to be 3 and 1/2 cups once you've run it through the blender.)
1 cup old fashioned oats (I add the 3 and 1/2 cups of blended oatmeal and then 1 cup old fashioned oats.)
4 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 giant grated Symphony or Hershey's chocolate bar
1 bag chocolate chips


Mix until just blended.

Bake for 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
Let cool for several minutes on the cookie sheet.

Yield: 100 cookies

We all know that this story about the woman being charged $250.00 is an urban legend right? But, what an ingenious way to get your recipe spread around the world. I even saw a South African version. Gives new meaning to the term, "smart cookies!" After years of being truly unhappy with these dry cookies, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I've come up with modified version that is much moister and I think better all around. These are the cookies to make when you have a sick neighbor, a bake sale and a dessert needed for school, as they make so many.

I recently added a handful of Heath chips to jazz it up even more.  It turned out just a bit dry, so if you do go with these try 5 eggs for moisture.

A bit better for you, Key Lime Pie

1-9" prepared graham cracker crust

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (that would be a total of 28oz.) This makes a bit more than 2 cups.

Enough plain yogurt to make three cups (this is usually a little less than one cup.) 

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup key lime juice

1 Tablespoon grated lime zest (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, yogurt, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest. Beat well with a hand mixer and pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Do not brown, but look for pinhole bubbles to pop.

Chill before serving.

If you are serving this for dinner, make it before lunch.

When I have made this, it has been too much for the pie crust. I've filled the crust then poured the excess into two custard cups and baked them for a crustless pie.

The traditional recipe calls for three cans of sweetened condensed milk. With this recipe you throw in a little yogurt so you can feel "a bit better" about eating it.

The original recipe is here:
Key Lime Pie VII


Just a side note: Last year on April 26, 2011 I started my recipe blog.  If you would have asked me if I had 52 recipes to share, I would have said, "of course not!" What a surprise to find I'm still going. Not sure how many more are there, but we'll see. Thanks to all who have come along on this journey with me. Discovering the "candy cane cookie" was  a big highlight for sure. Happy one  year mark!

Easy Pie Crust

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cold butter
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tablespoons Ice cold water

Using a food processor, cut butter (sliced into Tablespoons), flour and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Start mixing, then gradually begin adding the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough starts to come together as a ball. I usually use all 3 tablespoons of the water.

Take a piece of wax paper and place on table. Place dough on paper and put another piece over the top of the wax paper. Roll out to desired shape. Place in fridge until needed.
If you need to bake this: 8-10 minutes at 375.

I use mine for quiche and never bake it.

This makes one single pie crust.

Turns out beautifully every time. Here's what I do. If you make your wax paper long enough, you can hang it over the counter and hold it with your stomach. Not a very attractive picture, I know, but it works so you can use both your hands to roll out your dough.

Candy Cane Trifle

Base layer:
Pound cake, cut into 1-inch pieces

Mint grasshopper cookies, broken up into pieces
Brownies, cut into 1-inch pieces

Mousse layer:

1 small package white chocolate instant pudding
Make according to package directions and then add:
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
4 oz. white chocolate (melted)
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod

Assembly:
Place a couple pieces of Pound cake, mint grasshopper cookies and a couple pieces of Brownies in cup.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon or so of Mousse layer into the cup.
Repeat with base layer: brownies, pound cake, mint cookies
Top with fresh whipped cream.

Sprinkle Andes mint pieces on top.






Made this for a Relief Society party.  I think it turned out well. In the picture you can see mint Oreo's instead of grasshopper cookies.  I'm changing it because the Oreo's didn't stay firm the next day and I think the cookie will.

The white mousse turned out fine, it was tasty, but I'm not sure it was much  of a contrast from the cream.  I'm seriously thinking of trying a chocolate mousse for the next round.
I think people enjoyed it and it was a fun holiday dessert, dramatic and tasty.

Chocolate Cake Roll for Ice Cream Cake

3 eggs
1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup flour
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

In a Bosch mixer, beat 3 eggs on high, (speed 3) for 5 minutes.
They will look very thick and lemon colored.
With mixer on, beat in granulated sugar. Beat in sour cream and vanilla on low speed.
Mix in dry ingredients, beating until batter is smooth. (This does not take long.)
Pour into greased and floured jelly roll pan 10"x15", and tip to spread mixture around. It's okay if it doesn't fill in every corner exactly, but cover most of the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees, until toothpick comes out clean, about 12 minutes.

While hot, loosen cake from pan and plop onto a terry towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll cake from narrow end. Cool on a wire rack.

Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread with softened (but not melted) ice cream. Roll up; wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm.

Drizzle with hot fudge topping for a dramatic dessert.

Our favorite is mint ice cream inside the chocolate cake.

Any ice cream will work: cookies and cream, fudge revel, or vanilla.  I did try chocolate ice cream and thought it was a bit too much.

Candy Cane Cookie

1 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
Cream well

Add
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix again

Add
2 3/4 cups flour and mix just until flour is incorporated.

Gently stir in
Andes peppermint pieces (1/2 of the bag)







Bake 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool on cookie sheet then move to wire racks.

Makes 32 cookies.

Do not over-mix your flour.

Place on cookie sheet and bake.


Reader's Digest published this recipe in December 2010 as the number one cookie recipe in America (Easy Sugar Cookie). It is a fabulous cookie. I had the idea to add the peppermint pieces and turn it into my own holiday creation. These cookies have received some rave reviews. They are a very soft, tasty cookie. You can find the Andes pieces at Christmas time.
Also, I'm very excited to announce that this cookie won the UV magazine cooking contest. They get to be featured in the Utah Valley magazine.
http://blog.uvmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Picture-3.png.

So sad! There is a typo in the UV Mag recipe.  It should be 1-1/2 cups sugar.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup flour

Beat eggs in a Bosch mixer for 5 minutes on high. (Speed 3)
Gradually add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice.
Add spices and baking powder.
Add flour last, mixing as little as possible.
Pour into well greased and floured jelly pan, 15" by 10".
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle granulated sugar on a terry cloth dish towel. Plop hot cake onto towel, roll and let cool inside towel.

Unroll Pumpkin Roll carefully and spread on Ice cream.
Reroll, wrap and freeze.

Filling:
Softened (not melted) pumpkin pie ice cream.,

Just before serving, drizzle with Mrs. Richardson's butterscotch caramel.

This can be wrapped in saran wrap, then foil. 
Freeze for at least 3 to 4  hours so you can cut this easily. Makes a festive fall dessert. This may be made a day in advance.

Grasshopper Trifle

Ingredients:

9x13 pan of brownies, cut into 1 inch squares
1 Pint heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 package of grasshopper mint cookies

Chocolate Mousse:
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large package chocolate instant pudding
2 1/2 cups milk

1 container (15oz.) of cool whip

Prepare brownies and let cool, then cut into 1 inch squares.

Take one package of grasshopper cookies and break into bite size pieces. (Do not obliterate into crumbs!)

Make Mousse: (cream cheese, sour cream, pudding, milk,) and then fold in one container of cool whip.

Layer in trifle dish:
1. Brownies
2. Mint grasshopper cookies
3. Mousse
Repeat until Trifle dish is full.

Top with fresh whipped cream.
I add vanilla and a 1/4 cup sugar to my whipped cream to sweeten it up.
You can see in the picture, I sprinkled a few cookie crumbs on the whipped cream.

This is an original recipe and one of my first that I came up with by myself. Most of my recipes are adaptations, but this one I can claim as all mine. If you are a lover of all things mint, I guarantee you will love this recipe.

Like I said earlier, you can save yourself a lot of time if you prepare most everything beforehand and then assemble your trifle on the day of your party.
What makes a trifle so wonderful is the combination of crunchy (cake) and smooth (cream, mousse).  It gives your tastebuds everything they are looking for.
I would make my brownies and mousse the day before my party.  Whip your cream an hour before you serve it, so it will be as stiff as you need it to be.  If you are only serving four or five you will not need a pint of cream, more like a cup.  The cream is just a garnish on the top. (one big spoonful)

Pumpkin Cookies

1 large (32oz.) can of pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3 cups sugar
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup plain yogurt or applesauce
Cream very well.

Add:
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
A sprinkling of nutmeg
A sprinkling of cloves

Mix again then add:
6 and 1/2 cups of flour
Mix until flour is incorporated.

Add 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Yes, you heard it right. This recipe is low-fat! These are spongy cookies that freeze very well and make for a great treat for a school lunch. You can feel good about eating two, three, maybe even four of these babies.

The original recipe calls for 5 cups of flour but with the extra yogurt and banana it is just too wet. I bumped it up to six but seven is way too much, so be careful you don't over-do your flour. I've done it many times and they get a bit too chewy.
This makes 80 cookies.

BYU Cookies

Using a Bosch mixer with wisps,

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 lb. (4 sticks) soft butter
Cream very well, 3 minutes

Add:
4 beaten eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
Cream again.

Change to dough hooks and add
6 rounded cups flour
Add
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 bag York blue and white peppermint pieces

When flour is mixed in and dough starts to take shape, it's ready. This should not take more than around one minute.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

The mint chips are quite refreshing in this cookie. It works, trust me.

Peanut Butter Candy

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups powdered milk
1 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter
Mix all together. You will need to use your hands and get messy. Spread into a 7x11 glass pan and let it set. I like mine more firm, so I refrigerate until 15 minutes before serving.

This is one my kid's favorites. It is a great way to use your food storage. It makes a fabulous family home evening treat.

I believe this recipe hails from the all great state of Idaho. I think my Mom was served this as a child during her school lunch and it became a classic. You could also add chopped peanuts if you wanted some crunch.

Hot fudge sauce

1/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup flour
1 12oz. can evaporated milk
1 bag of quality chocolate chips
(I use Guittard 11.5oz maxi chip)

Melt butter and add sugar and stir. Add cocoa, and flour. Slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Add vanilla once it has cooled.

Once this has cooled completely it is ready for use. This freezes very well if you have extra or want use it another time. You can use it piping hot, but it will be very runny. If you want to serve it over ice cream, make it about 3 hours previous and it will have time to thicken to perfection.

When you pull it out of the freezer microwave for 30 seconds to a minute and stir and it should be ready to go. This is fabulously tasty stuff.

Oh Henry's!

2 cups sugar
2 cups corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups cooked, salted, peanuts
7 cups rice krispies cereal
1 (12 oz.) pkg. peanut butter chips
1 (12 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips

Stir sugar and corn syrup together in a pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-30 seconds*. Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter and nuts. Give it a stir to see that everything is melted together then add rice krispies and mix well. Pour into 13 x 18 cookie sheet and spread to the edges. Immediately sprinkle peanut butter chips on top of mixture. Allow to soften then spread using the backside of a spoon (softening may take several minutes).

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of peanut butter mixture. Allow to soften then spread using the backside of a spoon (softening may take several minutes). Be careful you don't push too hard. You don't want to bring the peanut butter layer up to the top. You want a solid chocolate layer.

Cool and cut into squares.

This recipe is always a hit at any outdoor party. It travels well. I've even frozen it for a boating party and by the time we got there, it was just right. The mistake most people make when preparing this is using butterscotch chips. Wrong on every level. They should be banned and labeled a crime! Peanut butter chips are the ONLY way to go here. It truly tastes so much better, just trust me.

* Next issue is that people boil their recipe for too long. This makes your bars tough and almost difficult to chew on. Less boiling time means a much softer, chewier candy. When I see a true boil begin, I usually start counting and don't go much past 15-20 seconds.

The recipe calls for 6 cups of rice krispies, but I've been adding 7 to 7 1/2 cups. I find it is a bit on the gooey side if I don't.

Another problem: you get busy and forget to melt your chocolate layer and now it's cooled. Problem solved: Pull out the blow dryer! I've had to do this a few times and it works fabulously! Just turn on your hair dryer for 30 seconds, run it over the chocolate chips and they will soon be melted to perfection. I've wondered if I should change the name of this recipe to "Blow dryer bars!"

You could half this recipe and use a 13 x 9 inch pan, but why? If you are going to a party you won't come home with any, so you might as well make the big batch.

Grasshopper S'more

Ingredients:
Two grasshopper cookies
1 mini York peppermint pattie
1 toasted marshmallow

Place toasted marshmallow and peppermint pattie between two grasshopper cookies.

If you are a fan of mint, like we are, it is to die for. My Mom told me about this one, and it is now our favorite camping indulgence.

Just got back from a family reunion. My sister had some new flat marshmallows. She got them at Macey's and they were awesome! So easy to toast and then fit in between your cookies. She also had caramel marshmallows and some coconut as well. These additions could take your s'more making to a whole new level. Happy camping.