Turtle Bars

When I went to college I had one roommate from Bear Lake. We had so much fun being happy and giddy together. Oh, those days at Utah State University are never to be forgotten. As roommates we shared a wide variety of things like late night talks, library tables, friends, contact lenses (not intentional), and these yummy Turtle Bars her mom used to make and bring when she came to visit. Our favorite way to eat them now is al a mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzled on top, but they are also good enough to stand alone.

Recipe from T. Arnell

Ingredients:

48 caramels or 2 11 ounce bags of caramel bits

7 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups quick oats

1/3 teaspoon salt

2/3 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/8 cup brown sugar

1 1/8 cup butter, melted

1 8 ounce package chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt caramels with milk in double boiler or microwave. Stir until smooth; set aside. Combine flour, oatmeal, salt, soda, brown sugar, and butter. Press half of mixture in a 9 x 13 greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Wait for them to melt and spread to cover crust. Pour on caramel mixture and spread. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture on top. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

St. Patrick's Day Mini Cakes

I make this green cake every single year during the month of March in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Yes, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day here. And we may or may not have green milk, green pancakes, green eggs, and green toilet water in our house. Ya know, the toilet water doesn't really fit in with the green food, does it? No, but it is green none the less. On to the green cake. This is my mother-in-law's recipe for a super moist almond flavored pistachio pudding bundt cake. It's very easy to make. Throw in all of the ingredients, turn on the mixer for four minutes, and then while you have your food coloring out, go do your business in the toilets. Nothing like multitasking to keep the holiday stress low.

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 small package pistachio instant pudding

1/4 cup oil

7 drops green food coloring

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup flour

Directions:

Add all ingredients to mixing bowl. Beat for four minutes on medium speed. Pour into a greased and floured mini bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not under bake. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and carefully remove. Cool on wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.

*To make in a large bundt pan: Pour batter in greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees on center rack in oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and invert onto wire rack. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Lemon Bars

I remember Mom making lemon bars and taking them to Aunt Blodwyn's house when we were little. I must have breathed in while taking a bite, because I got a nose full of powdered sugar. Have you ever done that? I'm sure I nearly died on that occasion, because I can't eat a lemon bar without thinking about it. Anyway, I've been saving this post for Spring. Lemon bars seem like something to make when it's nice and warm outside when we're all gearing up for lemonade stands and lemonade ice cream pie. But it has been in the 80s this week here in Texas. It feels like Spring to me. I love the shortbread crust to lemony goodness ratio in these lemon bars. I cut them a couple hours after making them, so they were still a little gooey. I'd let them set up for at least six hours. They were actually perfect the second day.

Recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 cubes), at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 pan, building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing

You would not believe the amount of excitement that came from Aubrey when I told her we were making "pucakes" for family night this week. She loves to help make treats in the kitchen. I wanted to try a new frosting recipe and found this one posted by Ina Garten. I'm not usually a big fan of peanut butter cake or brownies, but this recipe reminded me of the peanut butter play dough I used to make for Olivia when she was Aubrey's age. We always ended up eating it all. It does taste very similar, only it's very, very light. So light that I thought it would lose its shape, but it didn't for several days. It's amazing that the cupcakes lasted that long in our house. It's all because of the "proper serving size" eating habit we started this month. Blast those cupcakes! I had to keep them out of sight.

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is one of my favorite comfort foods. I remember when I was playing basketball in middle school our bus broke down about an hour away from home after a game. It was a cold, Idaho winter night and we were freezing on that bus while we waited for another one to come and take us home. When Jessica and I got home, Mom had this warm rice pudding waiting for us. We sat and ate it and talked. It's a good memory.

A few weeks after I had Aubrey the Relief Society asked me to make 32 cups of rice pudding for a dinner they were having. Looking in my cookbook, I see that I made eight times the original recipe. That's 16 cups of milk, 16 eggs, 4 cups of raisins, 42 ounces of evaporated milk, and 5 cups of sugar. To make it worse, I accidentally made twice as much rice as I needed. And then, I put the pudding in plastic airliner cups like they asked me to only to find that the hot mixture melted the cups and they were crazy shaped. Why didn't I think of that? I blame it on my postpartum brain and lack of sleep. It turned out that the dinner was not well attended due to a snow storm and they brought almost all of the pudding back to me. We ate it for a long time and were so sick of it. And I hadn't made it since until yesterday and it was so good. Just the way I remember it. I had one warm bowl full and was completely satisfied.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice (leftover rice works best)

2 cups milk

5 1/3 ounces evaporated milk

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Scald milks together. Measure raisins into a strainer and set over boiling water long enough to plump them. Combine cornstarch, salt, and sugar. Stir into hot milk mixture, stirring constantly over medium heat until slightly thick and smooth. Add rice. Reheat to full boil. Remove from heat. Pour a 1/2 cup of hot rice mixture into beaten eggs while stirring rapidly. Return egg mixture to hot rice mixture while stirring. Continue to stir for about 2 minutes until thickened. Stir in raisins, spices, and vanilla. Ladle into bowls or dessert cups. Sprinkle with extra nutmeg or cinnamon. Serve either warm or cold. Makes eight 1/2 cup servings.

Dave's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are my least favorite thing to bake. And honestly, I can think of a hundred desserts I'd rather eat. I wasn't always like this. It's all Dave's fault. It really is. He ruined me. You see, many years ago, during the beginning of our marriage we made a deal. I wanted to go home for Thanksgiving and he wanted to go somewhere else. I really, really wanted to go home because I like to cook with my mom and sisters and because my mom knows how to make Thanksgiving the best holiday ever. I must have been pretty desperate because I agreed to bake Dave cookies every Sunday for one full year -- cookies of his choice -- if we could go where I wanted for Thanksgiving. It was a done deal. Thanksgiving was enjoyed and the year long baking was tolerated -- at best. The worst part was that he insisted on me making only about three different kinds of cookies all year. I don't like to cook the same thing over and over again. And so I got all cookied out. And now I never, hardly ever, make cookies. And the girls know I won't do it and they love the time they get to spend with their Dad in the kitchen cooking one of their favorite treats.

That being said, cookies in Texas are not that great. They just aren't the same as when you make them in the West. Let's blame it on the humidity and altitude. Dave finally perfected a recipe from an old friend's old girlfriend, Natalie. We call it Dave's Chocolate Chip Cookies. They have the perfect crunchiness on the outside and are chewy in the inside. I've had my fair share today.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions:

Beat butter, shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

New York Cheesecake

During the holidays, my mother-in-law and I made the Famous Borjas Cheesecake. The Borjas cheesecake is very traditional, in fact, it's practically a member of the family. It shows up at important family events and celebrations. It's been around since the early 1950's. And I can't deny it's good, but for me, it's temperamental. I have about a 30% success rate with it. So I decided to find out the the secret of this cheesecake, you know, why it only works sometimes. And I found an interesting tidbit: the difference between the New York cheesecake and other kinds of cheesecake, is the thin layer of sour cream on top. I also found a new recipe fairly similar to the Borjas Cheesecake and some cheesecake cooking tips. The girls and I had to try the new recipe. We made it and felt so rebellious! It worked perfectly and was so good.

(adapted from Joy of Baking.com)

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Filling Ingredients:

32 ounces (4 - 8 ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature (do not used reduced fat cream cheese)

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

5 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream (not low fat or fat free)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth, (about 2 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on low until mixed. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake on a cookie sheet and set on the center rack in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees and continue to back for about another 1 1/2 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).

Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. This tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day. Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.

To freeze: Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. Can be frozen for several months. Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

Tips: To help prevent the surface of the cheesecake from cracking, do not overbeat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and sugar. Also, do not overbake. Your cheesecake is down when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet. Finally, make sure the springfrom an is well greased as cracking can occur if the cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools.

Halloween Graveyard Cups

These Graveyard Cups are a Halloween tradition. Even when I try not to make them, I am told that I must do it. And then I'm glad we do because they are yummy. This year I tweaked the ingredients to make a superior recipe. It's basically a chocolate trifle -- with worms. Yum. I made these for my piano party last week. I also made some from Jessica's pumpkin trifle recipe since some of my students are weird and don't like chocolate. We put gingersnap cookies in them and used cinnamon for the "dirt" on top. Thank goodness Olivia helped me make them all. She said she has the "gift of whisking". The pudding was perfect!

Ingredients:

1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)

2 big boxes instant chocolate pudding

16 ounces heavy cream

1/8 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 brownie mix, made according to package CAKE BROWNIE directions

24 Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies

decorating gel

24 gummy worms

24 clear 12 ounce plastic cups

Directions:

Crush chocolate cookies. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons crushed cookies in the bottom of each cup. Cut cooked brownies in 1 inch cubes. Place 5 cubes on top of crushed cookies. Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together in mixer until it becomes the consistency of whipping cream. Put 3 tablespoons on top of brownies. Make pudding according to package directions. Put about 1/4 cup on top of whipped cream. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of crushed cookies on top. Write RIP on Milano cookies with decorating gel. Stick cookie in trifle. Place a gummy worm beside it. Refrigerate.

*I didn't actually measure each layer. Just estimate and eyeball it. The measurements are just suggestions. Happy Halloween!

Wanda's Donuts

It's that time of year again. The time of year to make an obscene amount of spice-tinged dough that grows to the size of a giant pumpkin and is rolled out all over my entire counter top only then to be deep fried and dipped in sweet glaze. And then we'll all know Halloween is here. Who needs trick-or-treating when you make donuts like these?

Actually, one of my favorite memories from growing up is when mom would drive us around to trick or treat from one house the next in our rural area. We were always bundled up over our costumes. One of my favorite stops was at Worthy and LaRue Beck's house. They handed out a very similar melt-in-your mouth donut and always sent one out to mom. Those were the days when treats didn't have to be individually packaged and store bought. When the neighbors talked to the trick-or-treat kids, made them sing songs, and admired their costumes. Good times. Good donuts. And the tradition continues on at our house.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup warm water

4 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

5 small eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

10 cups flour (more or less)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, potatoes and salt; mix well. Add remaining ingredients and flour a little at a time mixing well. Knead like a soft roll dough -- just enough to mix. Cover and raise until double. Roll dough out on a floured counter. Cut out into donuts. ( I use plastic cups and lids from spice jars.) Raise again 30 minutes. Fry in oil and dip in glaze frosting while hot.

*I usually make half the recipe in my mixer, but this year I did the full recipe all by hand in the biggest bowl I have. It was surprisingly easy.

Glaze Frosting:

powdered sugar

milk

vanilla

Mix ingredients together with a wire whisk until the glaze is the consistency you like. I like mine quite runny.

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Jessica put this recipe on our family recipe blog last week and I knew I had to make them. I love pumpkin anything. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any canned pumpkin in the grocery stores. So I was telling some of my friends about this recipe and the next day one of them brought me a can of pumpkin. She found it at the store and stocked up. So she was the one taking all of the pumpkin! By the way, today it was my turn and I bought a ton of pumpkin, too. Is there anything worse than not being able to cook with pumpkin during this time of year? No. I don't think so. These brownies are so good that I may or may not have had them as the main dish of my breakfast and lunch the day after I made them. Thank goodness I just ate the last one and they are gone! Happy Fall, ya'll!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients:

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 large beaten egg, plus 2 tablespoons beaten egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Brownie Batter

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch square pan with cooking spray. Make the pumpkin filling first. Beat cream cheese and sugars together with a mixer, then reduce speed and beat in the pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

In a second bowl, beat the butter, salt and sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate chips, then stir in the flour.

Pour all but about 3/4 cup of the chocolate mixture into the pan. Spoon the pumpkin mixture evenly over the brownie layer. Drop reserved brownie batter over the pumpkin layer to give the brownies a marbled look. Bake on the center rack at 350 for about 55 minutes. Let cool for at least two hours at room temperature prior to cutting. Cut into 16 squares.

When doubling this recipe, the egg in the cheesecake equals three eggs. Pour into an 8X8 and a 9 X 13 pan. Makes a very tall, thick brownie.

Apple Dumplings

This recipe seems to be floating all over the Internet -- probably because it's so good that people want to shout it from the rooftops! I love it because it tastes like something that was labor intensive to make and yet it is so not that. This recipe is quick to put together and makes for a delicious dessert. You also might be able to get away with it for a sweet breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 medium Granny Smith apples

2 cans crescent rolls

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 oz Sprite

cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel apples, core, and cut each one into eight wedges (16 total wedges). Open a can of crescent roll dough and carefully separate along the perforations. Place one apple wedge on each piece of dough and wrap it up. Place in pan and repeat with remaining can of dough and apples. Set aside.

In medium sauce pan melt butter; add sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour butter sugar mixture over the apples. Then pour the Sprite over top of that. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 40 minutes.

When dumplings are done serve with ice cream and a ladle full of sauce. Serves 8.

Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite summer desserts. With the tangy lemon or lime mixed in with the ice cream, it is absolutely refreshing. This recipe is from my Grandma Jex. Many times when we would visit in the summertime, she would serve this pie. It can be made in a 9-inch pie plate, a 9 X 11 pan or in individual serving dishes like the ones shown below that were a huge hit at Alyssa's wedding reception.

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker crust (see recipe below) with 3 tablespoons crumbs reserved

2 quarts vanilla ice cream

6 oz frozen lemonade, pink lemonade, or limeade concentrate

a few drop of corresponding food coloring

Directions:

Let ice cream sit on counter until slightly soft. Put in mixer bowl. Add frozen concentrate. Mix with electric mixer until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. Pour onto graham cracker crust. Sprinkle reserved crust crumbs on top of pie. Cover with foil and freeze for at least two hours. Slice and serve. If you make it in a pie plate put it in the freezer, but do not cover until it freezes solid.

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

Directions:

Melt butter; stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers; toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm.

Oatmeal Creme Pies

These cookies knock the socks off of Oatmeal Creme Pies by Little Debbie. And I LOVE her cookies! In fact, I love them so much, that when Dave and I were poor newly wed college students we spent our last dollar and some change on a box of them to hold us over until pay day. Well, these will hold you over too until you crave them again and have to make another batch!

Adapted from Yummy Fun

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Add to the butter mixture; stir until well blended --mixture will be drier. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 - 10 minutes. Don't over cook. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

When cool spread 1 tablespoon Cream Filling over each bottom side of half of a cookies. Top with remaining cookies, right side up to make a cookie sandwich.

Cream Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 oz cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with a electric mixer on low speed until combined, scraping bowl. Beat on high until light and fluffy.