Cream Cheese Peach Pie

 Cream Cheese Peach Pie

STEP 1:

Prepare and bake pie shell. Let cool completely. (my favorite is my "Easy Pie Crust" recipe)

STEP 2:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (soft)
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 small tub cool whip 

Beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, and condensed milk together until smooth. Fold in the cool whip. Poor into the cooled, cooked pie crust. 

STEP 3:

1 c. water
1 smashed peach
2 TBS. cornstarch
small box (3 oz.) peach jello
8-9 peeled and sliced peaches (small chunks)

Mix the water, smashed peach, cornstarch and cook until thick. Add small box of peach jello. Let cool 5 minutes (transfer it to a different bowl to help it cool). Add sliced peaches and mix gently. Spread overtop the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set before serving. 

Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

5 c. blackberries
1 1/4 c. Sugar 

*Stir together fruit and sugar and set aside; let stand 15-20 minutes.

Batter:

2 c. flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c sugar (optional)

*sift together, then add:

2 c. cold milk

1 c. (2 cubes) melted butter 

Pour batter into ungreased 9x13 pan. Spoon blackberries on top of the batter.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes. 

Serve with ice cream! 

Lemon Meringue Pie (using lemon jello pudding)

From the back of the Lemon Jello Pudding box. It seems that not all boxes have this recipe listed anymore, but it's a good one!

Lemon Meringue Pie (using lemon jello pudding)

-Small box lemon pudding (3 oz.)
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 beaten egg yolks
-2 1/4 c. water
-baked pie crust

Mix everything together and bring to a full boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. 

Cool 5 minutes stirring twice

Pour into cooled baked 9" crust

Meringue

-3 egg whites
-1/3 c. sugar

Beat whites with a mixer until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over filling sealing around the edge of the crust. 

Bake 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.

Cool at room temperature for 4 hours. Refrigerate

Quick Easy Sugar Cookies

 I love sugar cookies! A friend of mine brought these to an event, and they were great. She says they don't roll out well to make shaped cookies, but great to use a cookie scoop and bake. The dough does not need to be chilled first.

Sugar Cookies   (Betsey)

3 cubes butter, softened

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

4 c. flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp. Baking powder

Cream together the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet and Bake at 350 for 9 minutes.

Frosting

¾ c. butter

6-7 TBS. milk

1 tsp. Almond extract

Powdered sugar (enough for a light consistency)

Chocolate Sheet Cake (Brownie Like)

From Bobbi:

Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2  tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. cocoa
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1 c. boiling water
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

-Mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
-Melt the butter in a pan and add the cocoa.  

-Mix the butter and cocoa well, then add boiling water and let the mixture boil for just a       minute.  

-Remove from heat and mix this in with the flour mixture.

-In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, baking soda, and vanilla.  

-Next, stir this into the chocolate and flour mixture to complete the cake batter.

-Pour into greased and floured cookie sheet (13"x 18") and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Icing:
1/2 c. + 6 TBS butter (equal to 1 and 3/4 stick of butter)
1/4 c. cocoa
6 TBS milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 - 3 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan, and then add cocoa.  Whisk well until there are no lumps (on low heat). Remove from heat and pour over top of powdered sugar in a bowl or electric mixer.  Add vanilla and milk, and then beat well so there are no lumps.  Poor over the top of the warm (BUT NOT HOT!) cake.

A LITTLE LESS FROSTING:
10 Tbs. Butter (1 stick + 2 Tbs.)
3 Tbs. Cocoa
5 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar

Cream Puffs with Custard Filling

NOTE: This recipe is easily halved.  I have a large family so I make a lot.  If you don't want to make the filling, you can use Jell-O instant vanilla pudding, but make it with 1/2 c. less milk than it calls for.  Mix the pudding with whipped cream. 

Cream Puffs
2 c. water
1 c. margarine or butter (2 sticks)
2 c. flour
8 eggs

Preheat oven to 425.  In a saucepan, combine water and butter.  Let the butter melt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add the flour and stir well.  Cook on low about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add the eggs all at once.  Initially, the dough will appear coagulated, but just keep mixing until is all combines and a smooth dough is formed. 

Put the dough in a Ziploc bag with a small hole snipped in the corner.  Squeeze it onto an ungreased cookie sheet to your desired size.  The original recipe says 1/4 c. each, and will yield 24 cream puffs.  This is way too big for me.  The ones I make are usually about 2-3 Tbs. 

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 400 and bake an additional 15 minutes.  They will be puffed up and golden brown.  Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.  When ready to pipe the filling in, cut a small hole near the top of the cream puff and fill them up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Custard Crème Filling
2 c. milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c, flour
2 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Scald the milk in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat.  In the meantime, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl until the sugar is almost dissolved.  Add in the flour and whisk some more.  Take about 1/2 cup of the hot milk and mix it into the egg mixture to temper the eggs (so you don't cook them).  Add about another 1/2 cup and mix it in.  Return the egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining milk.  Cook on medium until the pudding becomes thick and starts to bubble.  Do not Scorch the pudding!  Remove from heat, and add in the butter and vanilla.  Pour the pudding into a separate glass dish and cover with saran wrap so a film doesn't develop on the pudding.  Let cool completely.

Whipped Cream: (optional)
1 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat the heavy cream until it starts to get thick.  Add in 1/3 cup powdered sugar (more or less depending on your sweet tooth) and vanilla.  Continue to beat until its the desired consistency.  Mix with the custard when completely cooled, and then pipe it into the cream puffs. 

Tip: If you don't care about a great presentation and you want to speed things up, just drop the batter by spoonful onto a cookie sheet.  They won't look as pretty, but they won't be half the mess either when dealing with piping them through a bag.  To fill just cut in half and spoon the pudding in, and replace the top.  EASY! (see pics below)

 

Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza

Sugar cookie dough
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/4 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
Fruit (bananas, kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, etc)

Roll out dough like pizza crust and bake according to directions.  Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cool whip together.  Spread over crust and top with fruit. 

Spudnuts (doughnuts)

This recipe is from my Grammy Blanche!  She is 92 years old, and it wasn't that many years ago when I heard she made these for her entire church congregation for a Halloween Party! 

Spudnuts
1/2 c. warm water
1Tbs. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 c. scalded milk
1 c. mashed potatoes (she uses instant)
2 c. beaten eggs
6-7 c. flour

Scald milk and cool.  Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 c. warm water.  Beat eggs, sugar salt, and shortening.  Add to milk and yeast and potatoes.  Add flour until you are able to knead.  Knead 5-10 minutes.  Let rise.  Knead again and roll our 1/2" thick.  Cut with a donut cutter (or a mason jar screw band will work, just be sure to remove the center also with a milk lid or something similar).  Let rise until double in size and then fry in hot oil. 

Glaze:
1/2 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Boil water and sugar until first indication of small thread.  Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.  Reheat if needed, add a little more water if needed. 

Yummy Lemon Bars

These are really good!  I think the fresh lemon juice and the lemon zest make a huge difference.

Lemon Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
zest from one lemon (or more if you'd like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust, mix butter 1/2 c. sugar, 2 cups flour, and salt until a crumbly dough forms.  Press lightly into the bottom of a 9"x13" pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  Mix whisk the eggs, 1/4 c. flour, 1 1/2 c. sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together.  Set aside, and then whisk it really good again once the crust is done.

Poor the filling mix over the hot crust and bake an additional 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with a light powdering of powdered sugar.  Cool slightly before cutting.

Note: these are good warm, but even better after they are completely cooled.  

Grandma Obrey's Jello Cheesecake

This is a great summer dessert because it's pretty light.  Today I didn't have raspberry flavored jello, and my husband didn't want lime.  I used cherry instead, but I have to say it's not as good as the raspberry, lime, or lemon.  I will stick with them in the future.

I'm not sure the real name of this recipe, it seems like I've hear it called ice-box cheesecake or something like that.  This is my Grandma Obrey's recipe.

 Grandma Obrey's Jello Cheesecake

1 can evaporated milk, chilled overnight or put in the freezer (the colder it is, the more it whips)
3/4 c. boiling water
1 small package lemon, lime, or raspberry jello
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese (softened)
1 c. sugar
Graham cracker crust for 9"x13" pan. ( 1 1/2 c. crumbs mixed with 3/4 cube butter)


Dissolve Jello in boiling water, set aside to cool slightly.  Meanwhile, prepare the graham cracker crust in a 9"x13" pan.  Cream together cream cheese and sugar, and then add it to the Jello.  Mix well.  In a separate bowl, beat the evaporated milk until stiff peaks form.  Immediately  fold the thick milk into the jello and cream cheese mixture.  Pour on top of the crust and refrigerate until well set, about 2 hours.

Caramel Pecan Rolls

I love caramel and pecans!  Plus I hate making frosting, so this is a great alternative to cinnamon rolls. 
 

Caramel Pecan Rolls

Dough:
1 c. warm water
2 Tbs. yeast
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg 
3 1/3 c. flour

Add water to a mixer and sprinkle yeast over top.  Sprinkle sugar over top of the yeast and mix it slightly to get everything wet.  Add in the oil, salt, egg, half of the flour.  Mix until smooth.  Slowly mix in the rest of the flour, letting the flour incorporate between each small addition.  You may not need all of the flour, and yet you may need a little more.  You want a soft dough that is not sticky to the touch.  I always know there is enough flour when the dough cleans the sides of the bowl itself as it mixes.  Refer to the pictures below to see what I'm talking about.  Let the dough knead for at least 5 minutes.  In the meantime, prepare the pan by making the caramel sauce: 

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. dark corn syrup (light will work if that's all you have)
3/4 c. pecan halves.

Bring the sugar and butter to a boil.  Remove from heat and add the corn syrup.  Pour into the bottom of an ungreased rectangular pan (13"x9" or slightly bigger) that has tall sides (not a cookie sheet).  Sprinkle with pecan halves.  

When your dough is done kneading, grease a counter-top with either a little shortening or oil (using flour will make the dough too dry).  Roll the dough out into a rectangle. Then add the filling.

Roll Filling:
2 Tbs. soft butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. Packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Spread the butter overtop of the rolled out dough. Mix the pecans, sugars, and cinnamon together and sprinkle over top of the dough.  Roll up tightly starting with the long end.  Pinch the seam together.  Cut into 12 equal slices.  Place in the bottom of your prepared pan on top of the caramel.  Let rise until double in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.  Cover with tin foil towards the end if the rolls are getting too dark on top.  Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a heatproof tray.  I use a cookie sheet.  Let stand 1 minute to allow the caramel to drizzle down.  Enjoy!

This is what the dough should look like as you first start to mix in the flour.  

In this picture you can see a little more flour is needed since the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Here you can see the dough is perfect.  It is not over-floured, yet it is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl either.  It has essentially cleaned the bowl as it has mixed.  By the way, I didn't back when I took these pictures but I now have a little plastic gadget called a dough hook extender that I use with the dough hook.  It is fabulous because it cleans the center of the bowl as it mixes so you don't get the build up of dough around the centerpiece.  It works amazingly!  If you have a Bosch, I highly recommend it. 

Pumpkin Pie Cake

The original recipe can be found here: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-crunch-cake/. 

• Pumpkin Pie Cake

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped Fisher Pecans
• 1 cup  butter, melted

Mix together the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugars, vanilla, pumpkin spice and salt.  Pour it into a buttered 9X13 pan.  Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over top.  Press slightly into the batter.  Sprinkle pecans over top and then top it off by drizzling melted butter over all.  

Bake at  350° for 40 minutes.  Check it, it may need an additional 10-20 minutes until it is set.  It is recommened to let it chill for a couple of hours before serving. 

Banana Bread

This is my friend Jill's recipe.  You can visit her blog at http://jbeanrecipes.blogspot.com/.  I will note that you HAVE to use the little foil pans for the best results with this banana bread.  I have tried it in large loaf pans, and it really just doesn't work.  I bought 5 foil loaf pans at my local grocery store for $1.25.  They are supposed to be disposable, but if you are careful, you can use them quite a few times. 

Banana Bread
2/3 c. oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1/2 c. cold milk
1 tsp vanilla


1 3/4 c. flour
scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix oil and sugars together, then add bananas, eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add in the dry ingredients: flour, salt, soda, and baking powder.

Grease and flour pans well.  Pour batter into 5 mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  (Watch closely, my convection oven takes about 10 minutes less).

Tips:
Mini chocolate chips and/or nuts can be added.  Stir in with a spoon after all other ingredients have been mixed together. If you don't use mini chocolate chips the chips will all sink to the bottom. I've even tried just sprinkling them on the top and not mixing them in, but they still sink.

110 Year Old Pie Crust

I'm not sure when this recipe was named "110 Year Old Pie Crust", but I'm pretty sure it's a lot older than that since my mom has had this recipe over 30 years :).  This is a very good recipe for pie crust.  Pie crust is not my favorite thing to make, so sometimes I opt for a simpler recipe.  But even so, this pie crust really isn't complicated at all.  Make sure you use ice-cold water.  By this I mean have your water on ice for at least 5 minutes before using it. 

110 Year Old Pie Crust (2 crusts)
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. butter shortening (if you don't have butter just use regular, I don't even like butter flavored)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 Tbs. white vinegar
ice cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt using either a fork or a pastry cutter. Mix slightly until small balls form. (Or, you can cheat like my mom taught me and put it in the Bosch mixer.  Just pulse your beaters a few times until small balls appear. ) In a one-cup measuring cup, mix the egg and vinegar.  Fill the rest of the cup with ice water.  Mix it around well.  Add 7 Tablespoons of the egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Mix slightly and then roll out for crust.

Tips:
*Never over-mix pie crust or it will be tough.
*For extra-flaky crust, put the dough in the freezer after you've rolled it our and put it in the pie plate.  Chill at least 15 minutes. 

Easy Pie Crust

Time for Pumpkin Pie!  This recipe for pie crust was given to me by my sister-in-law Jennie, and it is really quite simple.  It's a little tricky to get rolled out, but it really doesn't need to be beautiful, especially if you're just doing a bottom crust pie - like pumpkin pie!  If you want a little more sophisticated pie crust, or if you need one that makes a pretty top crust, check out my mom's 110 Year Old Pie Crust recipe. 

Pie Crust
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
3 Tbs. Ice Cold water

I mix this in a Bosch mixer using my beaters.  You could use something else, including a fork or a pastry blender. 

Mix flour and salt and then add in the oil.  Add 3 Tbs. ice cold water and mix just until crumbly.  You never want to overmix pie crust.  Roll it out between two pieces of lightly floured waxed paper or saran wrap.  Put in the pie plate and pinch he edges to make it look nice.  Add your pie filling and bake according to pie directions.  This is also great for cream pies.

For a baked pie crust: prick the bottom of the crust and bake at 375 degrees 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Alternative way to roll out:
This could also be considered a "pat in the pan" crust.  After you've mixed everything together to form the dough, place it in a pie dish and simply press it around with your fingers.  VERY EASY! If you're not doing a top crust there is no need for the dough to be perfect. 
Tips:
*If you want to make a very flaky crust, don't overmix.  After it is rolled out and in the pie plate, place it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before filling and baking. 
*This is for one crust, double the recipe for two crusts- such as for an apple pie.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

I really like the pumpkin spice cookies that are made with a spice cake mix and pumpkin because they are extremely easy.  But this Halloween I found myself without a spice cake mix, so I had to come up with another solution.  My children wanted a pumpkin treat as they carved their pumpkins.  These were a good alternative. 

Soft Pumpkin Cookies:
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened (1 stick)
1 c. pumpkin puree (Libby's is the best)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla

**Mix all together and then add the dry ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

--Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 13-15 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for a minute before moving cookies to a cookie rack to cool completely.  Drizzle glaze over cookies.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
3 tbs. milk
1 Tbs. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

6-8 apples, peeled and sliced

3/4 - 1 c. sugar

2 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. uncooked tapioca

1 Tbs. water 

2 tbs. butter 

Peel and slice the apples.  Add the sugar, cinnamon, flour, tapioca and toss to coat.  Cook the apples breifly with about 1 Tbs. water.  This step is just to cook the apples down a little so that there is not a gap between the top crust and the apples.  

Prepare the bottom crust and fill it with apples.  Dot the top with 2 Tbs. butter. Cover with the top crust, flute the edges, then poke holes in the top for ventilation.  

Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  

First, peel and cut the apples.  I like to get it done fast, so I just use my apple corer/slicer.  The slices are a little thick, but I don't mind.

Usually when I make an apple pie it is with apples that I've picked from a tree rather than apples I've bought from the store.  Usually they are smaller, so I determine exactly how many I'll need by filling my pie plate to the very top and then some, so it is heaping.  In the pie I made today it took 9 apples.  Some spots had to be thrown away because of bruising.  

Place all the apples in a saucepot and add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, tapioca, and water.  I let the apples cook down for about 5 minutes so that they don't shrink after I've already put on the top crust. This step can be skipped, but I would recommend slicing my apples a little thinner.  

Poor apples into the pie plate with the bottom crust.

Dot the top with butter.

Put the top crust on and pinch the edges together.  Cut small slits in the top crust for ventilation.  

Bake at 375 about 25 minutes.  Serve with ice cream!

Neiman's $250 Cookie Recipe (Dee and Nellie)

You've probably heard the silly story behind this recipe; I'm not sure if it's true or not, but these are some very rich cookies!

Neiman's $250 Cookies

small batch, makes about 28

1 cube soft butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flour

1 1/4 cup blended oatmeal

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6-8 oz chocolate chips (i use a combo of butterscotch, white, and mini semi-sweet)

1/2 c. coconut

2/3 c. chopped nuts

2 oz. hershey bar, grated

Cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bakiong soda.  Add chips and nuts.  Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake 6 minutes at 375 degrees.  

Notes:  The original recipe was 4 times this one!  If you want to make the whole thing (112 cookies), the extra dough freezes wonderfully.  Just roll into balls prior to freezing.  

Soccer Bars

I got this recipe on the back of a 25 lb. Western Family sugar bag.  

Soccer Bars

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. peanut butter

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. flour

1 c. oatmeal

1 c. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg and peanut butter; mix well.  Stir in dry ingredients. Press into 9"x13" pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Banana Cookies

I like the alternative way to use up brown bananas rather than just making banana bread all the time.  

Banana Cookies

3/4 c. soft butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 c. mashed banana

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 3/4 c. oatmeal

raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips

Mix all together in the order shown above.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.