#2784 - Cocoa Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup sifted CAKE flour (measure before sifting)
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
2 egg whites + 1 egg
3/4 cup white sugar
6 TBSP plain applesauce
2 TBSP canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
chopped walnuts (optional)

In a bowl add sifted cake flour, cocoa and salt--stir. In a separate bowl add egg whites, 1 egg, white sugar, applesauce, vanilla and canola oil--whisk until mixed. Add flour mixture to egg mixture--stir just until mixed. Pour batter into a greased 8 x 8 square cake pan. Sprinkle walnuts over the top if you wish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

#2783 - Shrimp and Sausage

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large onion (chopped)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup chopped celery
8oz. smoked sausage (cut into coin shaped pieces)
1 - 28oz. can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
12oz. (or more) medium shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
cooked rice

In a crockpot add chopped onions, chopped green bell peppers, chopped red bell peppers, chopped celery, sausage pieces, diced tomatoes/juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano--stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add shrimp and parsley--stir, then cook on high heat for 20-30 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve over cooked rice.

#2782 - Crock Pot Pork Goulash

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/4 lbs. boneless pork butt (cut into 1" chunks)
1 - 14oz. can Italian style crushed tomatoes
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets beefy onion soup mix
1 or 2 TBSP paprika
2 tsp. minced garlic (more if you wish)
3/4 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1 TBSP dill weed
water if necessary

In a crockpot add pork pieces, crushed tomatoes, onion soup mix, paprika and minced garlic--stir well. Add a little water if necessary, then stir again. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-9 hours or until pork is tender. Once tender, add sour cream and dillweed--stir well. Serve over rice or over cooked egg noodles.

#2781 - Baked Apple Pancakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large granny smith apple
3 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 TBSP butter (softened)
1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Domino's powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Wash, peel, core and slice the apple very thinly. In a bowl add eggs, milk, flour and vanilla--stir with a whisk until smooth. In a 10" cast iron skillet add softened butter--turn heat to medium low and melt the butter. Spread the apple slices in the melted butter--cook/stir for about 4 minutes over medium heat, then turn apple slices over on to the other side and cook them 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the apples--cook/stir apples until brown sugar melts. Remove from heat--stir the apples so they are all coated with brown sugar. Spread the apples out evenly in the pan. Pour all of the batter over the apples. Place the skillet in the oven and bake at 450 degress for 15 minutes or until mixture gets puffy and gets brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cut into wedges. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top before serving.

#2780 - Hot Milk Banana Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
Frosting: 1 egg white; 1 cup white sugar; 1/2 cup Crisco shortening; 1 stick softened Parkay margarine; 1 tsp. vanilla; 3/4 cup hot milk (not quite boiling)

In a mixer add 1/2 cup Crisco and 1 1/2 cups white sugar--beat. Add 2 eggs--beat. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt--beat. Add mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frosting: in a mixer add 1 egg white--beat until stiff. Add 1 cup white sugar--beat. Add 1/2 cup Crisco, vanilla and Parkay--beat. Turn mixer to very low speed and slowly add hot milk--beat until mixed, then beat on high speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost the cake.

#2779 - Coconut French Toast

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
4 tsp. white sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup Baker's angelflake coconut
2/3 cup crushed Kellogg's corn flakes
4 TBSP softened butter
1 TBSP canola oil
9 slices of bread
maple syrup

In a bowl add eggs--beat well. Add milk, white sugar, vanilla and cinnamon--stir well. In a shallow pan add coconut and corn flakes--stir well. In a skillet add half of the butter and half of the canola oil--heat until mixed and bubbling. Dip one slice of bread in the egg mixture (both sides) and coat both sides in the cornflakes mixture. Place it in the skillet--cook until browned on one side, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with all bread slices, adding more butter and oil when necessary. Serve with maple syrup.

#2778 - Chocolate Muffins

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 TBSP softened butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brewed coffee
2 tsp. Hershey's cocoa (more if you wish)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
Domino's powdered sugar for sprinkling

In a mixer add 2 eggs whites--beat until stiff and set aside. In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add egg yolks--beat. Add brewed coffee, cocoa, baking powder and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add egg whites--stir until mixed. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill each 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely, then sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops.

#2777 - Italian Cauliflower

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large head of cauliflower
2 TBSP butter + extra for dotting
2 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp. salt + almost 1 tsp. salt for cooking the cauliflower
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheese (your choice of type)4C Italian bread crumbs

Wash the cauliflower and break it into smaller pieces. In a saucepan add the cauliflower pieces, cover them with water, and add just under 1 tsp. salt--cook until cauliflower is tender (don't stir while cooking or the cauliflower will break up). Drain the cauliflower. In the same saucepan add 2 TBSP butter and the flour--warm/stir over low heat until melted and mixed. Turn heat to medium--slowly add the milk. Cook/stir until mixture thickens. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper--stir. Place the drained cauliflower into a greased 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Pour the milk mixture all over the cauliflower. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, remove from oven, spread shredded cheese over the top, sprinkle bread crumbs over the cheese, and dot some butter over the breadcrumbs. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

#2776 - Smooth Peanut Butter Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 Keebler ready-made graham cracker crust OR chocolate crust
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1 cup Domino's powdered sugar (sifted--measure before sifting)
1/2 cup Jif smooth peanut butter
1 bag Reese's peanut butter chips

In a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add Cool Whip and peanut butter--beat. Slowly add powdered sugar--beat until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Spread mixture into the graham cracker crust. Sprinkle peanut butter chips over the top, then use the back of a spoon to lightly press the peanut butter chips into the batter. Refrigerate overnight.

#2775 - Cinnamon Nut Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
a heaping 1/2 cup softened butter
3 eggs
2 TBSP hot water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour (sifted after measuring)
1 cup chopped nuts

In a mixer add brown sugar and butter--beat. Add eggs, hot water and vanilla--beat. Add baking soda, cinnamon and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped nuts--stir until mixed. Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

#2774 - Brown Sugar Layer Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1st layer batter: 1/2 cup Crisco shortening; 1 cup white sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp. vanilla; 3/4 tsp. salt; 1 1/2 cups flour

2nd layer batter: 1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed); 1 egg white; 1 tsp. vanilla; 3/4 cup chopped walnuts; 1 TBSP Hershey's cocoa

First layer--in a mixer add Crisco and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add vanilla and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Spread batter into a greased 8 x 8 square cake pan. Second layer--in a mixer add the egg white--beat until stiff. Remove bowl from mixer--add brown sugar, cocoa and vanilla to beaten egg white--stir until mixed. Spread the batter over the 1st layer batter. Sprinkle the chopped nuts all over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

#2773 - Buttermilk Spice Donuts

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
canola oil for frying

In a mixer add white sugar and eggs--beat. Add Crisco--beat. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and buttermilk--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator, roll it out on to a floured counter and flour the top of the dough. Knead the dough a few times--form the dough into a ball. Cut the dough in half. Roll out one half of the dough 1/3" thick and cut donuts with a donut cutter. Reapeat with all dough. In a heavy saucepan or a deep fryer, add an inch (1") canola oil and heat oil to 365 degrees--fry donuts. When donuts are browned on one side, flip them and fry the other side. Drain donuts on paper towels. Cool the donuts.

#2772 - Scratch Banana Cream Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 beaten eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
ripe bananas (peeled and sliced into coin shaped pieces--enough to fill the bottom of the pie)
1 baked pie crust

Bake a pie crust and let it cool completely. In a saucepan over medium heat add milk--stir and bring to a boil, then remove from heat temporarily. In a bowl add white sugar and cornstarch--stir with a spoon. While stirring, pour some of the hot milk into the cornstarch mixture. Once smooth, add the beaten eggs--stir until mixed. Put the rest of the milk back on medium heat--while stirring slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the milk mixture--stir with a whisk until mixture thickens. Remove from heat--add vanilla--stir. While the milk mixture cools for 10 minutes, slice and place the banana pieces all over the baked crust. Carefully pour the milk mixture over the bananas in the pie crust. Cool completely. Refrigerate until cold.

#2771 - Maple Oatmeal Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 unbaked pie crust dough
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup (it's better with REAL maple syrup)
3/4 cup Quaker quick oats
3/4 cup white sugar
1 stick Parkay margarine (melted)

Grease a pie plate, insert the pie dough, flute the edges of the dough and spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam. In a bowl add beaten eggs, maple syrup, oats, white sugar and melted Parkay--stir to mix. Pour the mixture into the pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely.

#2770 - Chocolate Pretzel Rods

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag large salted pretzel rods
1/2 cup coarsely crushed Coca Puffs cereal
1/2 cup Baker's angelflake coconut
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
6oz. good quality white chocolate (melted)

In a bowl add crushed Cocoa Puffs, coconut and chopped peanuts--stir to mix. Spread the mixture out on a piece of wax paper. Melt the white chocolate, then dip a pretzel into the white chocolate to coat the bottom half of the pretzel. Roll the chocolate coated end of the pretzel in the Cocoa Puffs mixture, then place on wax paper to harden. Repeat with more pretzels until you run out of chocolate.

#2769 - Scratch Coconut Cream Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 beaten eggs
1 cup Kayro clear corn syrup
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup white sugar
1 TBSP flour
2 tsp. melted butter
1 cup shredded coconut
1 unbaked pie crust dough

Spray a pie plate with Pam, insert the pie dough, flute the edges of the dough and spray the inside of the dough with Pam. In a bowl add eggs--beat. Add corn syrup, milk and vanilla--stir to mix. Add white sugar, flour, melted butter and shredded coconut--stir until mixed. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. If you have trouble with the edges of your pies getting browned too quickly (or burnt), place pieces of foil over just the edges of the crust and remove them for the last 15 minutes of baking time.

#2768 - Quick Sliced Sugar Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup white sugar + extra for sprinkling
1 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 TBSP vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

In a mixer add white sugar and softened butter--beat. Add egg and vanilla--beat. Add baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--divide the dough in half and shape each dough half into a log. Wrap each dough log in Saran wrap and place the dough logs in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove one dough roll from freezer and unwrap it--place it on a cutting board. Slice the dough into 1/4" slices and place them on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle a little white sugar on top of each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Repeat with all dough.

#2767 - Spice Cutout Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

In a mixer add brown sugar and softened butter--beat. Add egg and vanilla--beat. Add baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Flour your counter, roll out 1/2 of the dough to 1/8" thick (flouring the top of the dough when necessary). Use cookie cutter shapes to cut out cookies and place them on greased cookie sheets. Continue with all dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool completely. Frost or decorate as desired.

#2766 - Scratch Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP white sugar
3 TBSP melted butter
5 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 cup white sugar
3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP vanilla
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
4 eggs
Topping: 12 Kraft caramels (unwrapped); 32 pecan halves; 1 TBSP water

Crust: in a bowl add graham cracker crumbs, 3 TBSP white sugar and melted butter--stir to mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9" springform cheesecake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Batter: in a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add 1 cup white sugar, flour and vanilla--beat until mixed. Add sour cream--beat. Add eggs--beat until smooth. Pour batter into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight. The next day put the unwrapped caramels and 1 TBSP water in a microwave safe bowl--microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted--stir until smooth. Arrange the pecan halves over the top of the cheesecake. Drizzle the melted caramel all over the top of the pecans and the cheesecake.

#2765 - Chocolate Cake Brownie Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 cup Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits

In a bowl add cake mix, 1 egg, and canola oil--beat with a spoon, then mix with a pastry blender until it makes crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture--set aside. Press the rest of the crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven--cool slightly. In a bowl add cream cheese, 1 egg and white sugar--beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the baked cake mixture. Sprinkle the reserved cake crumbs and the chocolate chips over the cream cheese layer. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes longer at 350 degrees. Cool completely. Cut into bars or squares.