Harvest Pumpkin Scones

My friend and former co-worker, Alice, sent me this link for Harvest Pumpkin Scones. Sound yummy...and appropriate for this time of year.

Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

I'm scared to try this! I think I might never stop eating it if I do...lol. Thanks, Elizabeth, this sounds heavenly!!!!

Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

Filling

¾ cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese softened

½ tsp vanilla

1 egg

½ bag chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy then stir in chocolate chips

1 Chocolate cake mix or plus butter recipe

1 cup water

½ cup melted butter

3 eggs

1 tbs flour

½ bag chocolate chips

Combine all cake ingredients until moist, the beat for 2 minutes at high speed

Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan spoon filling over cake evenly, sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over entire cake

Bake a 350 for 45-55 min cool for 15 min. then top with frosting

Magic Fudge Frosting

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tbs water

Sprinkle of salt

2 packages of choco melt or 2 squares of unsweetened bakers choc. Melted

Cook on medium until thick stir constantly

When thick remove from stove and add ½ tsp vanilla

Pour on top of cake and spread evenly

Apple Recipes

We were visiting family in southern Illinois this past weekend and the fruit stands were selling local apples. How exciting!! Fresh from the tree apples are yummy!! I thought it was time to share a couple of Carol's apple recipes she sent me recently. Enjoy!

CARAMEL DIP FOR APPLES

1 C butter

1 Can Eagle Brand milk

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C Karo Syrup

Melt butter, brown sugar and syrup. Add Eagle Brand Milk. Boil 5 minutes. Serve with sliced apples.

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FRESH APPLE CAKE

2 C sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 C flour

3 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 C oil

1 tsp vanilla

4 C diced apples

Mix first 7 ingredients well. Batter will be a little dry at first. Add diced apples. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

TOPPING

1/2 C sugar

2 T flour

1/2 stick margarine

1/2 C brown sugar (firmly packed)

1 C water

1 tsp vanilla

Cook all ingredients on stove until thick, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Remove from heat. Pour on cake while cake and topping are still warm.

Too Much Chocolate Cake

I love Facebook!! About a year ago, my brother sent me a text and asked me if I remembered Dawn, a fellow student at a junior college we all attended. I hadn't heard her name in YEARS! Through Facebook, we have reconnected. Turns out that she still lives near my hometown and is related, through marriage, to one of my former students. Anyway...this recipe is from Dawn. I thought it sounded like another hit with our chocolate lovers. Thanks Dawn!!!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

1 (18.25 oz) pkg Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1 c Vegetable oil

1 (5.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding

4 eggs

1 c sour cream

½ c warm water

2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the cake & pudding mix, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a WELL greased 12 cup bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an 1 ½ hours before inverting onto a plate. If desired dust the cake with powdered sugar.

****To make it better, I melt a stick of butter & another pkg of chocolate, semi-sweet or whatever kind you like morsels & drizzle over the top of the cake! All the calories are taken out!!! No guilt!!!

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe comes all the way from Utah...from my niece, Sierra. Thanks for sharing!!!! It sounds great and the best part...you don't have to heat up the kitchen because they are no-bake!!

2 cups peanut butter
1 and a half sticks butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups chocolate chips

grease 13x9inch baking pan
mix 1 cup peanut butter powdered sugar
graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup chocolate chips
put in pan

melt the rest of the chocolate chips and peanut butter over stove lowest heat
pour chocolate and peanut butter over graham cracker crust refrigerate for 1 hour and eat them !!!!!!!!!!! keep in refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

Images borrowed from www.cookiesandcups.blogspot.com

If those pictures don't tempt all the chocolate lovers out there, I don't know what will!!!! My good friend, Amanda, made these one evening for our small group Bible study. I was in chocolate heaven and HAD to have the recipe. She forwarded the link to me and I was just looking for an excuse to make them. Fortunately, my brother and his family came up for a visit and I had just that excuse. In the words of my niece, Emily, "They are A-MAZ-ING!" Of course, in all fairness, Emily also thinks Justin Bieber is amazing...lol. But seriously...yummy, yummy, yummy!! I hope you have a reason to make them...SOON.

Just in case you missed the link above, please click here for the recipe...and while you're at it, check out the rest of the recipes on Cookies and Cups!!!

A few more zucchini recipes...

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I am going to post a couple of zucchini recipes that I've received from two different people...just in case you have some of the yummy veggie hangin' out in your fridge.

Sorry that the font is all wonky. For some reason I couldn't get it to format properly. Oh well.

This first recipe for zucchini bars and frosting is from my good friend, Carol.

ZUCCHINI BARS

2 C sugar

1 C oil

3 eggs

2 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 C shredded, ungrated zucchini

1 sm carrot, shredded

¾ C rolled oats

1 C chopped nuts

Beat together sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl or food processor. Beat in flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and powder and vanilla. Beat 1-2 minutes until well mixed. Fold in zucchini, carrot, oats and nuts; mix well. Pour into 15x10x1" pan (jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides). Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen bars in this size pan.

Also makes a good cake in a 9x13" pan.

FROSTING FOR ZUCCHINI BARS

½ C soft butter

¼ tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla

2-½ C confectioners sugar

1 pkg (3 oz) creamed cheese, softened

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Set aside. Frost after bars are cool.

Cut into bars.

Hope you can use this. This is zucchini season. Seems like people who grow them are trying to find ways to use them now. When I make these I usually just use a 9 X 13" cake pan and bake them as a cake.

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The next two recipes are from my former co-worker, Alice. Enjoy your retirement, my friend...assuming your husband lets you slow down...lol

EGG-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

4 medium zucchini squash (about 1 ½ pounds)

½ cup water

1 large tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 beaten eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

½ cup shredded sharp American cheese (2 ounces)

Halve zucchini lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving ¼-inch shell. Chop pulp to make 1 cup; set aside. Place zucchini shells, cut side down, in large skillet. Add the water. Simmer, covered, till just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain; turn cut side up in same skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt.

Meanwhile, in medium skillet cook zucchini pulp and tomato in butter till squash is tender, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, the ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat till just set, lifting with spatula so uncooked portion runs underneath. Spoon egg mixture into zucchini shells. Top with cheese. Cover; heat till cheese melts. Makes 4 servings.

Alice is well-known in her circle of family and friends for her quick bread recipes. Yummy!

ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 Loaf pans 9 X 5 X 3 Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees

3 eggs 3 cups flour

1 cup Crisco oil 1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sugar ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups grated zucchini 3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla ¼ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Beat eggs until foamy. Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. May add nuts if desired.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Here's a favorite cookie recipe from Amanda and her family. It's another Taste of Home yummy recipe.


Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.

Makes about 7 dozen small cookies or 4 dozen medium sized cookies.

Pina Colada Pie

Here's another dessert recipe...sounds great!! Thanks, Elizabeth!!

Pina Colada Pie

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pineapple-coconut nectar or plain pineapple nectar
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 1 (3.4-ounce) box instant Jell-O vanilla pudding and pie filling
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 8 ounces whipped topping, divided
• 1 (9-inch) pie crust, baked
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, combine nectar, coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Sprinkle pudding mix over liquid and whisk for 2 minutes. Fold in coconut and 1/2 of the whipped topping. Pour into pre-baked pie crust and chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Combine remaining whipped topping with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Top chilled pie with whipped topping and toasted coconut.

Gooey Butter Cookies

I think it's time for a sweet treat! Thanks Alice!!

Gooey Butter Cookies

8 oz package of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 yellow cake mix
1 egg

Cream the ingredients together (I use a mixer until it becomes too gooey and sticky)
Refridgerate for 30 minutes
Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet
Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.