Santa Hat Brownies

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

I found this recipe on Pinterest. I just had to make it for Christmas Eve. They tasted as good as they looked.

  • 1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
  • 1 pound of strawberries, hulled
  • icing of your choice

Make brownies according to directions on the box. After they have cooled, cut them into the desired shape. I used a smallish, round cutter. Hull the strawberries and place them on the brownie after you have piped icing around the edge of the brownie. Top the strawberry with a dollop of icing. I used the bottled icing for ease of use.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

This recipe comes from cookiesandcups.com via Pinterest. It was really, really yummy.

  • 1 15 oz can of pumpkin
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of 9×13 pan; set aside. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine. Pour into your prepared pan. Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers. Pour melted butter evenly on top. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the middle is set and the edges are lightly browned. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Coca-Cola Cake

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

This recipe comes from my maternal grandmother, LaVerne Parker. It is really yummy and a family favorite.

Cake

  • 2  cups sugar
  • 2  cups (256 g) flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2  eggs
  • 1  teaspoon vanilla
  • 1  cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup coca-cola

Frosting

  • 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1⁄2 cupcoca-cola
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  In a saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa, coke and buttermilk to a boil. Once it has come to a boil, mix into the dry ingredients.  Then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake for about 40 minutes. For the icing, bring the butter, cocoa and coke to a boil, then mix with the powdered sugar. Spread immediately over hot cake.

*If baking at altitude, add an extra 1/4 cup of flour and reduce the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon.

Brownie Ice Cream Cake

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

This recipe comes from a Betty Crocker magazine. It’s my favorite kind of recipe, delicious and easy to make.

  • 1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
  • 1⁄2 gal vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
  • 1  cup hot fudge topping
  • 2  tablespoons decorator sprinkles

Heat oven to 350°. Line 2 9” round cake pans with foil, leaving about 2” of the foil overhanging sides of the pan; grease bottoms only with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on the box, using water, oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 19-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted 2” from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pans, about 1 hr. Do not remove from pans. Spread ice cream evenly on brownies in pans. Freeze at least 2 hours or until ice cream is firm. Use foil to lift desserts from pans; remove foil. Cut each dessert into 8 wedges, decorating as desired. Store covered in freezer.

 

Cranberry Orange Loaf

On By sarafillmerIn Bread, BreakfastLeave a comment

This cranberry-orange loaf recipe also comes out of Better Homes and Garden Fall Baking magazine. It makes a great breakfast bread.

  • 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1  cup sugar
  • 2  teaspoons baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1  teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
  • 2  eggs
  • 1⁄2  cup milk
  • 1⁄2  cup butter, melted
  • 3⁄4 cup coarsely chopped cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of a loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in orange peel. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside. In a medium bowl beat eggs with a fork; stir in milk and melted butter. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

On By sarafillmerIn Bread, DessertLeave a comment

This pumpkin bread recipe comes out of Better Homes and Garden Fall Baking magazine. I think it’s even better than Starbucks pumpkin loaf, which is saying something.

  • 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1⁄2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 1⁄3 cups (427 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2⁄3 cupwater
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of three loaf pans; set aside. In an extra large bowl combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Add eggs; beat well. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and the water to sugar mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. Beat in pumpkin. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Lemon Pecan Cake

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This candied loaf is my father’s other must have at the holidays. The original recipe belonged to my maternal great-grandmother, which is hanging in a place of honor above my stove.

  • 1 lb (2 cups) butter or margarine
  • 1 lb (2 1⁄4 cup) brown sugar
  • 1 lb (4 cups) flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pound pecans
  • 1⁄2  pound candied cherries
  • 1⁄2  pound candied pineapple
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 3 tablespoons lemon extract

Dredge the fruit and nuts in 2 cups of flour and set aside. Combine the remaining 2 cups of flour and baking powder. Cream the sugar and shortening. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour alternately with lemon extract. Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the egg whites, then the fruit and nuts. Put in 2 greased loaf pans or 1 stem pan. Cover with a clean cloth and let it set for a couple of hours. Bake at 300° until done (1 hour or more, depending on size of pan.

Pumpkin Squares

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

This recipe comes out of one of my Gooseberry cookbooks. Although they are called squares, it’s really more of a cake, but still incredibly moist and delicious.

Cake

  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 2⁄3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup  vegetable oil
  • 2  cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Frosting

  • 1⁄2 cup margarine, softened
  • 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly blended; pour into greased 13×9 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes; cool Frost with cream cheese frosting; decorate with sprinkles if desired.  For thinner squares, bake in a greased 15×10 at 250 for 50-60 minutes.

Frosting:
Combine ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Reese’s Krispies

On By sarafillmerIn Cookies, DessertLeave a comment

These are very similar to the previous entry, peanut butter cornflake balls. But they have Reese’s peanut butter cups. Yum.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 11⁄3 cup peanut butter
  • 41⁄2 cups rice krispies
  • 12 Bite sized reese’s peanut butter cups
  • pinch of salt
  • handful of chocolate chips

Combine sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined. Remove from heat. Quickly add salt and cereal and stir to combine. Add chocolate chips and stir again. Wait about a minute, then add candy, quickly folding the mixture together so as not to smash the candy. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet. Makes about 30 good sized balls.

Peanut Butter Cornflake Balls

On By sarafillmerIn Cookies, DessertLeave a comment

Otherwise known as peanut butter cookies of amazingness. These things are highly addictive. I recommend giving them away to family and friends so you don’t gorge on them all at once.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1 jar peanut butter (I prefer smooth)
  • 6 cups corn flakes
  • 3 oz chocolate of your choice

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan.  Place over medium high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boi.  Remove from heat and stir in the whole jar of peanut butter. Mix well. Add corn flakes to a large bowl Pour peanut butter mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all the corn flakes. With a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls and place them on a wax-lined cookie sheet. Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 30 sec. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. When cooled, eat these cookies with reckless abandon.