Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

1/4 cup lemon juice
1 3/4 cups milk
1 stick butter
1-2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 330 degrees. Yes, three hundred and THIRTY.

Line regular-sized muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Combine lemon juice and milk, then set aside. Cream together butter and sugar, then add vanilla bean paste and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients. Then mix in oil and soured milk. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake at 330 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Recipe by Meredith

French Silk Pie

This recipe is 1 1/2 times the original recipe. I felt like the original recipe wasn't enough for a good pie, but doubling it was way too much.  This seems to be perfect!  My husband's sisters have experimented with adding peppermint extract or peanut butter to the recipe, but I'm a minimalist and love the original just the way it is!

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp Cocoa
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 pre-baked pie crust

Cream butter, sugar, and cocoa together.  Stir in vanilla.  Add eggs - one at a time - beating each egg for 3-5 minutes (a must!)  Pour into pie crusts and chill for 1-2 hours, or until set up. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Recipe from Annette & Karen

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Pie Crust

1 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 1/2 Tbsp cold water

Stir ingredients together, and mold into a ball.  Place dough ball on one sheet of wax paper, press down to flatten it out, and then place another piece of wax paper on top. Roll dough out with a rolling pin.  To pre-bake before adding fillings, poke holes all around dough with a fork, then bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.  Makes ONE pie crust.

Meredith's *Perfect* Rice Krispie Treats

 

I'm kind of a Rice Krispie treat snob and love it when I sink my teeth into a "perfect" one.  This recipe is completely from scratch, and as close to *my* perfect as can be!

2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (I used Knox brand; the 1oz box comes with 4 envelopes; I used 2 of those individual envelopes)

1 cup water, divided

1 cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup **

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp imitation butter flavoring (optional)

1/8 tsp salt

4 Tbsp butter, melted.

8+ cups crispy rice cereal

- Line a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with foil and then grease it.

- Mix gelatin and 1/2 cup of the water in an electric mixer bowl.  Set aside.
- On the stove in a small saucepan, bring the other 1/2 cup of water, sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar to a boil.  Use a candy thermometer and boil until it reaches 240 degrees (about 8 minutes once it starts to boil).
- Meanwhile, melt butter and set aside to cool.
- Remove syrup from stovetop once it reaches 240 degrees.
- Start the mixer on medium speed and slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin, which should have swelled by now.
- Once it is all poured in, increase speed to medium high to high.  Beat mixture until it becomes white and fluffy, and has about tripled it's size (approximately 5 mintues).
- Pour in salt, vanilla, and butter flavoring (if using) and mix until blended in.  Then pour in melted butter; the size of the mixture will decrease a little.  Mix until blended.
- Transfer into another bowl (if you want) and then stir in the cereal until it is well-coated.  Add more or less, depending on how gooey you like your rice krispie treats!
- Transfer coated cereal to baking dish and stick in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set.
- Cut into bars and eat, or store in an airtight container.

**If you don't have corn syrup, you may substitute with sugar.  So, it would be 2 cups of sugar and no corn syrup.**

Recipe by Meredith

Fudgey Pumpkin Spice Brownies

1 box brownie mix
1 can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground nutmeg

Optional mix-ins:  chocolate chips, pecans, or walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a fork until well blended.  Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool.  Cut with a plastic knife and serve.

Original recipe found HERE.

Green Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz green food coloring

Mix dry ingredients together.  In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.  Then slowly mix together wet and dry ingredients. Pour batter into greased or lined cupcake or cake pans.  Bake at 350 for about 18-20 minutes for cupcakes, about 30 or so minutes for 9" round cake pan.  Let cool completely and frost with cream cheese icing.

Recipe found HERE.

Marshmallow Fondant (How To)

Marshmallow Fondant:

16oz marshmallows (Kraft!  I used generic one time and the fondant sucked to work with!)

powdered sugar - between 1 and 2 pounds, plus more for the kneading and rolling out

2 Tbsp water

Crisco (forgot to throw it in the pic!)

Throw the marshmallows and water in a microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave for 2 minutes.

In the meantime, grease the crap out of your KitchenAid bowl with the Crisco.

And then grease the crap out of the blade.

When the 2 minutes is up, stir the marshmallows until smooth, then pour it into the KitchenAid bowl.

Turn on the mixer, maybe medium speed, and add powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time.

Add sugar and mix until it looks *kind of* dry, and is stretchy and pull-y.

This would be the time to add your food coloring gel (if you are using any).

And mix it in.  (Black takes A LOT, just FYI.)

Grease the crap out of your clean work surface.

Scoop out fondant onto greased countertop and knead until smooth.  (Like I said, to make black fondant, you need a lot of that gel.  I ran out...and it looked grayish/purple.  I later kneaded in more gel, after I grabbed some more from the store.)

Throw it on some lightly greased plastic wrap, and wrap it up.

Stick it in the fridge until you're ready to work with it!

Let it sit out on the counter for a few hours before working with it, or microwave it for a couple of seconds at a time to get it soft again.

Tips:

If it's too soft, knead in more powdered sugar.
If it's too hard, knead in more Crisco (or butter).
Roll it out on a very heavily "floured" surface with powdered sugar.  This stuff gets sticky, fast!

I forgot to weigh the final product to see how much it makes.  But it makes a lot.  This batch covered a double layer, 10" round cake, and had a little bit left over.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Cinnamon Filling/Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon


Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.  Mix all ingredients for glaze, then pour over cake while it is still warm.

Recipe found HERE.

Pumpkin Blueberry Bread Pudding with Custard Sauce

8 slices of bread, toasted
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups milk

Spread butter evenly over toasted slices of bread.  Cut or tear bread into pieces and place into a greased 2 qt baking dish.  Sprinkle blueberries over bread pieces.  In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.  Pour pumpkin mixture over bread and blueberries.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour, until set and when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Serve warm with butter sauce on top.

Butter Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
3 egg yolks

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add half and half and heat until bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan. Meanwhile, scramble egg yolks and mix in sugar.  When half and half is heated enough, pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of hot mixture into egg mixture, mix well, then return egg mixture to the saucepan.  Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Recipes by Meredith

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

 PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

 

Recipe from Allrecipes.com
 

Apple Nachos

5-6 apples, sliced
fruit protector or lemon juice
1 bag caramels
2/3 cup half and half
2 cups marshmallows
splash of half and half
mini chocolate chips
crumbled Heath bar

Slice apples and arrange on plate.  Sprinkle with powdered fruit protector or lemon juice to prevent browning.  Melt caramel and half and half over medium heat and stir until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.  Microwave marshmallows and splash of half and half until melted, stir until smooth.  Drizzle caramel and marshmallow sauces over apples.  Sprinkle chocolate chips and Heath bar chips on top.  May also use nuts, coconut, or other favorite toppings.

Recipe by Meredith

Easy Cherry Cobbler

2 (15oz) cans tart pitted cherries, drained with all of the liquid reserved  (NOT cherry pie filling!)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Stir 1 cup sugar into reserved cherry liquid.  Microwave for 2-3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved.  Add almond extract. Set aside.  Mix together Bisquick, other 1 cup sugar, and milk until smooth.  Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Layer cherries on top of batter.  Pour all of cherry liquid on top of cherries.  (Yes...all of it.  Looks like it won't turn out well, but it will!  Trust me!)  Bake at 350 for approx 45 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through center.

Recipe modified from original found HERE.

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla and sour cream. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir into batter. Mix in mashed banana last. Spread evenly onto a greased 10x15in jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 10-25 minutes.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com, found HERE.


Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 stick butter, softened
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
dash of salt
splash of vanilla
splash of milk

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add salt and vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar. Add milk to desired consistency.

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 sticks (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Cinnamon Chips
• Topping
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1-½ teaspoon Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and baking powder. Cut butter into pieces, then cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips.

Mix together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into flour/butter mixture, stirring gently with a fork to combine.

Turn onto work surface (mixture will be very crumbly and falling apart.) Gently press together on the sides as you flatten (or roll, with a rolling pin) the top. Form either into a large circle or a large rectangle. Mix together topping ingredients, stirring with a fork. Sprinkle over the top of the dough, lightly pressing.

Cut into wedges (from a circle) or triangles (from a rectangle.) Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Recipe from HERE.

Easy Caramel Corn

1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
splash of milk
2 large bags of microwave popcorn (I used Orville Redenbaker's Tenderwhite)

Pop popcorn, place in large bowl, remove unpopped kernels and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and splash of milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approx 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let sit for 2-3 minutes. Pour over popcorn. Toss so that popcorn is evenly coated. Let sit, then stir some more.

Recipe By Meredith

Evil Chocolate Cake

1 devil's food cake mix
1 large pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
5 eggs
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 c butter, melted
2 c. chocolate chips


Blend together, put in sprayed bundt
Bake 55 min. at 350
Cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar

Recipe from Jana & Jen

Whitman's Decorating Icing

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/2 cup butter, softened
splash vanilla
4 cups C&H powdered sugar
milk

Mix Crisco, butter, and vanilla until blended. Slowly add powdered sugar. It may look a little dry. Add a little milk to desired consistency.

For Chocolate Frosting: Add 1/2 cup cocoa (or more/less to taste) while adding powdered sugar.

Recipe from Heidi

Easy Bread Pudding

• 6 slices day-old bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins or Craisins (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Meredith's Gooey Butter Cake

Crust:
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients. Press into a greased 9x13 or (2) 9x9 pans.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 Tbsp butter, melted
2 egg
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Spread evenly over crust.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe by Meredith

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Layer:
10 Tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup Nutella
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Combine butter, Nutella, eggs, and sugar. Sift in flour and cocoa and mix until well combined. Pour batter into 9x9 pan (greased or lined with parchment) and spread evenly. Set aside to make cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake Layer:
8oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup Nutella

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Pour over brownie batter.

Bake at 325 until cheesecake looks set, approx. 40-45 minutes. Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before cutting.

Recipe from Micah

Gooey Butter Cake (Paula Deen's)

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare Filling

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Recipe found on Paula Deen's website.