S'mores Bars

Submitted by: Amy Davis

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 6 sheets)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (1.5 ounces) Hershey milk chocolated bars
1 cup marshmallow creme

Preheat oven 350. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer- until
creamy. Add egg and vanilla until combined.

In a small bowl combine: flour, graham crackers crumbs, baking
powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat until combined.
Press half of dough in the pan, spreading evenly. Lay chocolate
bars on top of dough, breaking apart as need to create an
even layer of chocolate. Spread marshmallow creme
over chocolate bars.

Spread remaining dough over marshmallow cream and
chocolate bars. Bake 30 minutes.

Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce

Submitted by: Misty Sullivan

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 peeled and chopped granny smith apples (or any kind seem to work)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Mix sugar and oil for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Mix 3 minutes on high. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix with wet ingredients (may need to mix by hand). Fold in apples. Do not over mix. Pour into well greased Bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Carmel Sauce:
½ pound butter
2 cups cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar

Melt butter over low heat. Wisk in sugar on medium heat until light brown. Stir occasionally. Carefully add cream. Bring to a boil for 8-10 minutes while wisking. Let cool until thickened and then add vanilla. Serve warm on top of cake.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Submitted by: Ashley Garback

50 Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup butter
4 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13" by 9" baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Mix crumbs, 1/2 cup nuts and butter; press into the bottom of pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream flour and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan. Drizzle with topping; top with remaining nuts. Let stand until topping is set.

Goulish Meringues

Submitted by: Ashley Garback

2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup regular chocolate chips

Beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form.

Shape meringue in ghoulish ghost shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet using a pastry bag or a teaspoon. Use 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes and a large chocolate chip for the mouth.

Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Meringue will feel firm to the touch but will not be browned.

Pumpkin Bars

Submitted by: Janet Smith

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Beat first four ingredients until fluffy. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a different bowl. Mix with the first mixture.
Spread into a greased 15" by 10" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar.

Cream first 3 ingredients and gradually add powdered sugar.

Yummy Pumpkin Dessert

Submitted by: Brandi Montoya

In a small bowl mix:
1 stick melted butter
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup pecans (optional)

In a medium bowl mix:
1 big can pumpkin (approx. 3 1/2 cups) or 2 small cans pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Optional: can use nutmeg, ginger or pumpkin pie spice at your discretion

Spread 1/2 of the cake mixture in a 9 by 13 pan. Pour pumpkin mixture over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of cake mixture over top of pumpkin. Cut through with a knife to distribute topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean. Serve with whipped topping sprinkled with cinnamon.

Lemon Drop Cookies

Submitted by: Erica Williams

1 cup butter
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 ½ cups flour

Mix and roll dough into cylinder. Cut dough to create small, flat, round circles. Bake at 350 degrees for about 9-12 minutes or until the edges start to become golden. Cool before frosting.

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1 Tablespoon milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Powdered sugar

Beat butter, milk and lemon juice. Add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Frosting can be spread on cookies or piped on to make them look a little more fancy.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Submitted by: Erica Williams

2 quarts half and half cream
1/2 pint heavy cream
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Combine half and half, cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt in freezer container of ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Pink Lemonade Pie

Submitted by: Debbie Hermansen

1 pkg. graham crackers, crushed
1/2 stick melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 can frozen pink lemonade concentrate

Mix graham crackers, butter and sugar and layer in bottom of 9x13 pan (reserve some to sprinkle on top). Soften ice cream and mix thoroughly with pink lemonade. Spread over top of crust mixture. Sprinkle remaining graham cracker & butter crumbs on top.
Freeze at least 1 hour before serving.

*You can substitute the lemonade and use frozen orange juice for a
"creamsicle" taste.

Oreo Ice Cream Dessert

Submitted by: Heather Van Leeuwen

1 package Oreos
3-4 Tablespoons margarine
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 jar hot fudge
8 oz tub of Cool Whip

Crush package of Oreos into crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of crumbs in a separate bowl to sprinkle on top of dessert at the end. Melt 3-4 Tablespoons margarine and add to Oreo crumbs, and then press into bottom of 9x13 pan. Add softened vanilla ice cream in an even layer on top of Oreo crumbs. Heat jar of hot fudge in microwave until melty and then pour on top of ice cream layer. Spread around the hot fudge layer as evenly as possible. Put in freezer to let those two layers set up a bit (maybe an hour or more). Spread softened cool whip on top of hot fudge layer. Then take the reserved cookie crumbs and sprinkle on top. Put dessert in freezer for all the layers to set up together. Take it out of the freezer just before serving.

Easy, Eggless Strawberry Ice Cream

Submitted by: Erica Williams

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed fresh strawberries
2 drops red food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, strawberries, and food coloring. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Chocolate Eclairs or Cream Puffs

Submitted by: Debbie Hermansen

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs

Heat oven to 400°. Melt butter in 1 cup boiling water. Add flour and salt all at once; stir vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn't separate. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until smooth.

Prepare a greased cookie sheet.

For Eclairs: If you have a pastry bag with a large round tip, you can squeeze the mixture out into bar type shapes--small or large if you make each bar thicker and longer.

For Cream Puffs: Drop by heaping tablespoons about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 400° until golden brown and puffy, about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size. Remove from oven, cool on rack. To fill with cream, split the sides with a sharp knife, then fill a pastry bag with thick pudding and squirt into middle. Frost top with chocolate frosting or Ganache.

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

Submitted by: Stephanie Maxfield

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 pkg. (18-21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup salted mixed nuts, divided
5 rolls of Rolos (40 pieces total), divided

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bar pan. Chop 1-1/2 c. chocolate chips. Combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs, and 1/4 c. brown sugar. Fold in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into bar pan & spread evenly.

2. Chop nuts. Combine half of the nuts and remaining 1/2 c. brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cut 16 Rolos into quarters. Place remaining 1/2 c. chocolate chips in microwaveable bowl & microwave on high 1 minute or until melted, stirring after each 20-second interval. Spoon melted chocolate into resealable plastic bag; set aside.

4. Remove bar pan from oven. Immediately press remaining 24 Rolos evenly into brownie in four rows of six caramels each. Sprinkle quartered Rolos and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate-filled bag; drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Serve warm. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Yummy Holiday Fudge

Submitted by: Janet Smith

20 oz. Hershey chocolate bars
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Melt Hershey bars completely, stirring carefully so as not to burn. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Put in buttered 9x9 pan and cool completely.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Balls

Submitted by: Erica Williams

1 cup peanut butter*
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 teaspoons shortening

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and marshmallow creme; add cereal and stir until well coated. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until chips are melted; stir until smooth.

Roll cereal mixture into 1-in. balls; dip in chocolate. Place on a waxed paper-lined pan. Refrigerate until set.

*Don't use reduced-fat peanut butter.

Janet's Mint Truffle

Submitted by: Janet Smith

1 1/2 lb milk chocolate chips -- melt very, very carefully (I use adouble boiler)
3/4 cup evaporated milk -- add to chocolate mixture, beat and add
1/2 - 1 tsp peppermint extract -- to taste

Mix well, put in greased 9 x 9 pan . Let stand until firm, do NOTrefrigerate.

EASY!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by: Alesia Hanson

1/2 C Shortening
1/2 C margarine
2 C brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 3/4 C white flour
4 Tbsp instant hot chocolate powder
1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
18 oz chocolate chips

Cream the shortening, margarine and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

I usually double the recipe and freeze a bunch of the cookies.

Caramel Fudge Cheesecake

Submitted by: Chrissy Garback

1 package fudge brownie mix (8-inch square pan size)
1 package (14oz) caramels
¼ cup evaporated milk
1¼ cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 squares (1oz each) semisweet chocolate, melted
2 squares (1oz each) unsweetened chocolate, melted

Prepare brownie batter according to the package directions. Spread into a greased9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Cool for 10 min. on a wire rack. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with milk. Pour over brownie crust; sprinkle with pecans. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar; mix well. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate. Pour over pecans. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 min. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool completely. Chill overnight. Remove sides of pan before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Yield: 12 servings

Time/Money Saver: Instead of cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and melted chocolate - use the premade cheesecake filling.

Pretzel Salad

Submitted by: Liz Francom

2 c. crushed pretzels
3 tbsp. sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
4 tbsp. drained, crushed pineapple
1 med. container Cool Whip
1 lg. pkg. raspberry Jello
2 c. boiling water
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. raspberries

1st layer: Mix 2 cups crushed pretzels, 3 tablespoons sugar, and butter. Press into 9 x 13 glass dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Let this completely cool before adding second layer.

2nd layer: Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons drained crushed pineapple. Fold in 1 medium container Cool Whip. Add to pretzel crust.

3rd layer: Dissolve 1 large raspberry Jello in 2 cups boiling water. Add 2 (10 ounce) packages raspberries. Place in refrigerator 10 minutes or so that it is cool enough not to disturb the second layer when added. Refrigerate.

Best if served same day it is made.

Chocolate Bundles

Submitted by: Ashley Garback

Bundles:
1 sheet puff pastry
2 eggs
1 teaspoon heavy cream
8 chocolate kisses (recommended: Hershey's)
8 miniature chocolate candy bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unfold puff pastry and cut the sheet into 2 (4 by 4-inch squares). Beat eggs and cream together to create an egg wash. Brush pastry squares with egg wash. Place 2 chocolate kisses and 1 mini candy bar in the center of each pastry square. Repeat with remaining kisses and mini-bars. Pull corners of the square up around the chocolate, brushing edges with more egg wash, if necessary, to create a secure bundle. Brush exteriors of chocolate bundles with more egg wash. Repeat with remaining bundles. Place bundles on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Ganache:
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces milk chocolate, broken into small pieces
Sweetened whipped cream, optional Fresh strawberries, sliced, for garnish Mint sprigs, for garnish

In a sauce pan bring the heavy cream to a boil. Place the chocolate pieces in a bowl and pour hot cream over top. Whisk until smooth.

Serving:
Puddle ganache onto a plate and place 1 bundle on top. Top with whipped cream and additional ganache, if desired. Serve bundles garnished with strawberry slices and mint sprigs.