#233 - Lemon Cheesecake

(by Dot [Schuck] Amerman - friend)

1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
1 - 3.5 oz. box lemon Jell-O instant pudding
2 cups milk
1 - Pre-made graham cracker crust
graham cracker crumbs (optional)

In a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in 1/2 cup of milk and beat. Add pudding mix and the remainder of the milk and beat. Pour batter into graham cracker crust. If you want, you can sprinkle some graham cracker crumbs over the top. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Keep refrigerated.

#232 - Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines devil 's food cake mix
1 - 21oz. can cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure almond extract

In a mixer, combine all ingredients and beat on low for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. The batter should look thick and well blended. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 cake pan and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the cake in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Remove cake from oven and cool on wire rack. Use our icing recipe #2 for vanilla icing.

#231 - Garlic Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 stick of butter, softened
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP McCormick's garlic and Italian herb seasoning
1 loaf French or Italian bread

By hand in a bowl, mix butter, garlic/Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese until well blended. Cut the bread in 1" slices but do not cut all the way through the bottom of the loaf. Spread the garlic mixture on both sides of each slice. Wrap entire loaf in foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. To serve, tear off the slices from the loaf.

#230 - Chewy Brownie Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2/3 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups firmly packed Domino's dark brown sugar
1 TBSP cold tap water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 12oz. package Nestle's 12 oz. chocolate bits

In a mixer on medium speed, combine Crisco, brown sugar, water, and vanilla. Add the eggs and mix well. Add baking soda, salt, cocoa and slowly add flour. Mix at low speed until blended. Remove from mixer and stir in chocolate bits with a spoon. Drop teaspoonsful on greased cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are set--ONLY bake one sheet of cookies at a time and do not overbake. After removing cookie sheet from oven, allow cookies to cool a few minutes before removing them.

#229 - Oreo Cheesecakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 - 8oz. packages softened Philly cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 package Oreo cookies

Place cupcake liners into muffin tins. Place one Oreo cookie on the bottom of each cupcake liner. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese, add the sugar and mix until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Mix until smooth. Spoon batter over each Oreo cookie in the cupcake liners until they are each 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the center of each cupcake is almost set. Remove from oven, cool completely and refrigerate overnight before serving. They can be drizzled with melted chocolate or Cool Whip if desired. Keep refrigerated.

#228 - Really Easy Brownies

(by Hannah Garman - friend)

1 box graham cracker crumbs
2 cans Borden's condensed milk
1 - 12oz. bag Nestle's chocolate bits

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together using a spoon. Pour batter in a greased 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into squares.

#227 - Sour Cream Cookies

(by Harriet Weaver - friend)

5 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixer, combine butter, sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add sour cream and beat. Add baking soda, salt, nutmeg and vanilla--beat well. Add flour one cup at a time and mix--if it gets too stiff for mixer, continue adding flour and stirring by hand. Drop teaspoonsful on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle a little white sugar over the top of each cookie before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

#226 - Cookie Bars

(by Lynn [Moyer] Simington - friend)

1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped English walnuts
1 cup Nestle's chocolate bits
1 1/3 cups Baker's angelflake coconut
1 - 15oz. can Eagle brand condensed milk

Pour melted on to bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the top of the graham cracker crumbs. Scatter chocolate bits over the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the coconut evenly over the chocolate bits. Pour the can of milk evenly over the top of everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until top is lightly browned. Remove from oven--allow to cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars.

#225 - Earthquake Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup chopped pecans
7oz. Baker's angelflake coconut
1 box Betty Crocker German chocolate cake mix
1 stick butter
1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
1 lb. Domino's powdered sugar

Grease a 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the pecans and the coconut. Prepare the German chocolate cake mix according to box directions. Pour cake batter over coconut and pecans. Melt the butter together with the cream cheese in a saucepan. Stir in the powdered sugar and stir while cooking--this mixture scorches easily so use low heat. Pour this mixture on top of the cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. When you remove it from the oven it will have a large crack in the middle--that's why it's called Earthquake Cake.

#224 - Hawaiian Slush

(by Donna Ranck - friend)

6oz. Hawaiian punch (frozen concentrate--in grocery store freezer section)
6oz. frozen concentrate pineapple orange juice (same as above)
6oz. rum

Put all ingredients in a blender and add enough ice cubes to fill to the top of the blender. Beat until slushy. Store in freezer until ready to use.

#223 - Cream Puff Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
Hershey's chocolate syrup
4 cups milk
3 small boxes instant Jell-O pudding (vanilla or French vanilla)
1 - 8oz. Philly cream cheese
maraschino cherries

In a medium saucepan, add water and butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and add flour to the water butter mixture--stir by hand until it forms a ball. Allow the ball to cool. Add 1 unbeaten egg at a time to the ball and stir thoroughly. Spread the ball mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. In a mixer, beat milk and pudding mixes together until thickened. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture on to the cooled crust. Spread the Cool Whip on the top of the cream cheese mixture. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Drain and slice maraschino cherries into halves, dry them on a paper towel and add to the top of the cake. Refrigerate before serving, and keep refrigerated.

#222 - Wet Bread Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8 inch pie shell (baked)
1 cup bread broken into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup water
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs (separated--reserve egg whites for later)
the juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp. lemon zest (grate the lemon peel)
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP white sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Add the 1 cup of bread pieces to a bowl and pour the 1/2 cup water over the bread pieces. In the top of a double boiler (water in bottom pot--if you don't have a double boiler use two pots that fit inside of each other) add the wet bread, 1 cup white sugar, 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Cook on medium heat until thick, stirring occasionally. Pour this mixture into the baked pie crust. In a mixer, combine 3 egg whites, cream of tartar. Beat until foamy, then add the 3 TBSP white sugar and continue beating at your mixer's highest speed until the mixture is stiff. Pour the egg white mixture on top of the pie. Use a spatula to spread the egg whites all the way to all edges of the pie. Using your index finger, start in the center of the egg whites and begin making a small spiral and continue as it gets larger until you get to the edge of the pie (for decoration). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the egg whites (meringue) are brown.

#221 - Pineapple Angelfood Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Betty Crocker confetti angelfood cake mix
1 - 20.5 oz. Dole crushed pineapple (do not drain)

In a large bowl, add dry angelfood cake mix and crushed pineapple (including juice). Stir with a spoon until it's completely mixed. Pour batter into an UNgreased 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve with Cool Whip if desired.

#220 - Peach Cobbler

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Bisquick
1 TBSP softened butter
1/2 cup Domino's brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
1 can DelMonte sliced peaches (cut in bite sized pieces--do not drain)

By hand using a fork, mix Bisquick, butter, brown sugar, cinamon until crumbly. Add the milk and stir with a spoon until smooth. Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish. Spread batter evenly on the bottom. Pour the pieces of peaches and the juice over the top of the batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. You can eat it hot or let it cool first. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

#219 - Holiday Chocolate Butter Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa

In a mixer, combine all ingredients EXCEPT flour and cocoa--beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Gradually add flour and cocoa and mix well (2-3 minutes). Bake on greased cookie sheets--drop by rounded teaspoonsful on to cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until they are set. Remove from oven and cool.

#218 - Midnight Mocha Brownies

(by Aunt Eileen [Knouse] Carter)

2/3 cup Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 cup butter
1 cup + 2 TBSP white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup hot water
2 TBSP instant coffee granules
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
Mocha frosting: 3 cups sifted Domino's powdered sugar, 2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/3 cup hot water mixed with 2 TBSP instant coffee granules.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the 2/3 cup chocolate bits, 1/2 cup butter and pour into mixer bowl. Beat and add 1 cup + 2 TBSP white sugar, and add 2 eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added. Combine 1/4 cup hot water and 2 TBSP instant coffee in a cup or bowl--stir until dissolved. Add coffee mixture to the chocolate mixture (no need to cool). Add 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 cup flour and beat well. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 x 2 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted on side comes out clean--do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Frosting: in a mixer, beat 1 cup powdered sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla. In a cup, add 1/3 cup hot water and stir in 2 TBSP instant coffee granules--let cool before adding. Once cooled, add half of the cooled coffee mixture to the frosting mixture in the mixer and beat. Gradually beat in the other 2 cups of powdered sugar and the remaining half of cooled coffee mixture. Beat until frosting is a good consistency for frosting. Frost the cooled brownies.

#217 - Milky Way Fudge Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 17.6 oz. box brownie mix with milk chocolate chunks
1/4 cup melted butter
2 TBSP hot tap water
1 egg
12 mini-Milky Way square bars, cut into small pieces (smaller than fun-size Milky Ways; found in grocery store candy aisle)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a brownie pan with enough foil to overhang edges by 2 inches. Coat foil with Pam cooking spray. In a mixer on low speed, beat brownie mix, butter, water and egg until combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the Milky Way pieces by hand. Pour batter in pan. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees or until center is solid. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes. Use foil to lift fudge brownies from pan and cool it on a rack. Refrigerate until solid (about 1 hour). Cut into squares.

#216 - Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup cinnamon/sugar (pre-mixed)
4 chopped apples (small pieces)
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Glaze: 2 TBSP butter, 1/2 cup firmly packed Domino's brown sugar, 2 TBSP milk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan and coat with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. In the mixer, combine eggs, apples and oil. Add white sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour. Mix well. Pour batter in pan and bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to stay in pan at least 15 minutes after removing from oven. Invert cake on to a cake plate. To prepare glaze, in a medium saucepan add butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Spoon over cake so it drips down the sides. Allow the cake to cool before serving.

#215 - Rocky Road Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Brownie Topping: 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits, 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1/4 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping (warmed)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pan that you would normally use to make brownies. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat in a saucepan, stirring frequently. Remove from stovetop and allow to cool. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt--stir with a spoon and set aside. In a mixer, beat eggs until light. Add sugar 2 TBSP at a time until you have added the 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating until mixture is thick. Add vanilla and gradually add chocolate/butter mixture. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in flour mixture with a spoon, just until it's blended. Spread batter evenly in greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the edges slightly pull away from the sides of the pan. Don't overbake. Remove from oven. Sprinkle peanuts, chocolate bits and marshmallows over the top evenly while it's warm. Drizzle with the warm chocolate fudge topping and return to oven--bake 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into squares.

#214 - Chocolate Sheet Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/4 cups butter
1/2 cup unsweetened Hershey's cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups Domino's brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Domino's powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1 cup butter, stir in 1/4 cup cocoa and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In mixer, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the cocoa mixture and beat well. Blend in 1/3 cup of Eagle milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour batter into a greased jelly roll pan (15 x 10 x 1). Bake 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/4 cup butter and stir in 1/4 cup cocoa, and remaining Eagle milk left in can. Stir in powdered sugar and nuts (optional). Spread this mixture on top of the warm cake when you remove it from the oven.