Homemade Orange Sherbet

Ingredients:

1/2 C Sugar
2 t finely grated orange zest
1/8 t kosher salt
1 C freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 1 to 2 pounds oranges
2 t freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 C very cold whole milk

Directions

In a food processor combine all of the ingredients except the milk and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 1 hour.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. You may serve now or transfer to a lidded container and place in freezer until firm, approximately 3 hours.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Rated: Submitted By: KBehrens2 Photo By: WANDA Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 12

"For this delightful layered dessert, a pan is lined with graham crackers, and layered with a series of pudding, whipped topping, more graham crackers. To finish, chocolate frosting is smoothed over."

INGREDIENTS:

2 individual packages graham crackers 2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix 3 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir well. Stir in whipped topping to pudding mixture. Spread half of mixture over graham cracker layer. Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding. Top all with a final layer of graham crackers and frost with chocolate frosting. Refrigerate until serving. *I got this recipe from allrecipes.com some years ago. It is SUPER easy and delicious. On the last layer it is easier to frost the graham crackers and set them on top than to try to frost it once it is put together. :) Enjoy!!

Best Brownies - Ever

These are a Hershey's recipe. They are my very favorite. I never add nuts and I never frost them - they don't need it!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
   
   
2. 2 Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 2 to
   2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time,
   beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended.
   Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into
   prepared pan.
   
   
3. 3 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
   Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost if desired. Cut into bars.
   About 36 brownies.

Here's a 9x9 version:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows)

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
   
   
2. 2 Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
   Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture,
   beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
   
   
3. 3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
   Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING;
   spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.
   
   
   CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING
   
   
4. 43 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
   
5. 53 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
   
6. 61 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
   
7. 71/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
   
8. 81 cup powdered sugar
   
9. 91 to 2 tablespoons milk
   
   Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

Caramel Cookies

14 T unsalted butter
1/4 C granulated sugar
2 C packed DARK brown sugar
2 C + 2T unbleached all-purpose flour (10.5 ounces)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 T vanilla extract

1. Brown 10 T butter. Remove to large heatproof bowl and stir in remaining 4 T cold butter to melt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350,* Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In pie plate (or other shallow dish) mix granulated sugar and 1/4 C packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers until well combined. Set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder together in medium bowl and set aside.
3. Add 1 3/4 C brown sugar to cooled butter. Mix until no sugar lumps remain. Scrape down sides of bowl and add egg, yolk, and vanilla until fully incorporated (don't need electric mixer for this - just rubber spatula). Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined - about 1 minute. Make sure no flour pockets remain (I usually mix a little bit with my hands - don't over do this!).
4. Divide dough into 24 portions, rolling into balls. Toss balls in sugar mixture to coat and set on baking sheets - 12 cookie balls per sheet.
5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will have cracks and look raw between cracks). 12-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.
6. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature.
   

Carmel Brownies

Caramel Brownies

2 1/4 C brown sugar
2 C flour
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
4 beaten eggs

Mix ingredients thoroughly.
Pour into 9x13 pan (I use 8x8 or 9x9 for thicker brownies).
Bake at 350* for 25-35 min. (I bake mine longer... not sure how long - sorry!)
Cool completely.

Frosting

8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 C butter
1/2 Box (2 C) powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Blend cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy. Spread on brownies.

Brown Sugar Lollipop Cookies

1 C shortening

2 C packed brown

2 Eggs

1/2 C sour milk (or buttemilk)

3 1/2 C flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Mix first three ingredents. Stir in milk, sift together and stir in flour, soda and salt. Chill 1 hour. With flour on hands roll into small balls. Pace on cookie sheet, insert popsicle stick and flatten cookie with glass.

FROSTING

3 egg whites

2 C powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring

Beat egg whites stiff. Add sugar and vanilla gradually. Add water slowly as you beat. It will look like thick enamel paint. Frost cookies with pastry or paint brush. When frosting is completely dry, paint faces with a water color brush and food coloring. (or decorate like the psycho picture above)

Chocolate Sludge Cake (Kat!e's Favorite)

CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE

2 C sugar
1 C shortening
2 Eggs, beaten
3 Bananas, mashed
1/2 C Cocoa
2 1/2 C Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 C buttermilk
1 C boiling water

Preheat oven to 300°. In an electric mixer, cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and bananas. Mix well. Sift cocoa, flour, soda and salt together. Add alternately with buttermilk while whisking. Mix in boiling water. Bake in 13x9" ungreased pan 50-60 minutes.

Cool and cover with warm frosting.

1 C sugar
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 C butter
1/4 C milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and add to cake while frosting is hot.

Blueberry Jello Salad

BLUEBERRY JELLO SALAD
2 (3 oz.) pkg. blackberry or grape Jello
2 c. boiling water
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 can blueberry pie filling
Mix together and chill.

TOPPING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 pt. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream together. Spread topping mixture on top of chilled salad and serve.

Banana Cake - mommaduck

Banana Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 9x13 cake pan.

Blend together:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
Add in:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
dash salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix well.
Add in:
3 RIPE bananas
Blend well.

Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Allow cake to cool completely.
Frost with cream cheese frosting… Yummy!
Enjoy!

From the kitchen of Stephanie Stanley

Berry Crisp - mommaduck

Berry Crisp
Recipe by: Stephanie Stanley

My family LOVES the berries of cobblers
and the topping of apple crisps.
So I came up with this combination. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350F.

In medium bowl:
10 cups frozen berries, thawed*
Add:
2/3-cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
Toss lightly to coat.

(*If using fresh berries decrease cornstarch to 1 Tbsp.)

Spoon berries into 11 x 13 baking dish.
Spread streusel topping evenly over berries.
Bake 40 minutes, until topping is browned and fruit is bubbly.
Best served warm the first day. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Streusel Topping:
In large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar and ½ cup packed brown sugar. With pastry blender cut in 1 cup (2 sticks) butter until crumbly mixture is formed. Stir in 1 cup quick oats.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!! The BEST I've found YET!!!

1 c (2 sticks) butter - no substitutes
3/4 c packed light brown sugar (not the cheap stuff)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 pkg (10-12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or as Marnee suggested, cubed snicker pieces can be substituted, makes them gooey and sticky so just let them cool before eating)

Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars, syrup, vanilla, soda and salt. Beat the egg separately and add. Add the flour and chocolate chips. SECRET: the less mixing the better. Just enough to combine the ingredients.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes (I take them out early so they will be soft and chewy)

WHIT - Banana Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

I am making this tonight for my son's birthday party. I plan to use already made cream cheese frosting. I will only be using two round cake pans (they are larger than what are called for). Anyhow, I thought I'd share:

Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon plus pinch of salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 large bananas, peeled, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly butter three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust pans with flour. Combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl.
Mix mashed bananas, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon vanilla in another medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and sugar in large bowl until blended.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition.
Add dry ingredients alternately with banana mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and beating just until blended after each addition.
Divide batter equally among prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tops are just beginning to color and tester inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 20 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around cakes to loosen; turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
Beat cream cheese and remaining 1 cup butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate frosting until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes.
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Place half of sliced bananas evenly over frosting, leaving 1/4-inch border at edge. Place second cake layer on work surface. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over top. Place cake layer, frosting side down, atop bananas. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Place remaining half of sliced bananas evenly over frosting, leaving 1/4-inch border at edge. Place third cake layer on work surface. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over top. Place cake layer, frosting side down, atop bananas. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before serving.)

Serves 8 to 10.