Category Archives: Desserts

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
  4. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield

24 muffins (2 12-muffin tins)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 6)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. Spray muffin pan with Pam (this recipe fills 2 – 12 muffin tins)
  3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, bananas and eggs; mix thoroughly.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.

SunButter Blossom Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup SunButter, creamy or crunchy
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda*
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder*
  • Additional sugar for rolling
  • 36 plain Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. In large bowl, cream butter and SunButter together until smooth.
  3. Add sugars and cream for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add egg, beating until combined.
  5. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder until dough forms.
  6. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional sugar.
  7. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 Kiss candy in the center of each cookie.
  9. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack

Notes

  • Sometimes, the natural chorophyll contained in sunflower seeds reacts with baking soda and baking powder in the recipe, cuasing a green color in the cookies after they cool. This is harmless. Depending on the recipe, you can reduce the baking soda/powder by about one-third or add a splash of lemon juice to help prevent any “greening”.

Pretzel Salad

Time

Prep: 30 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 c crushed pretzels
  • ¾ c margarine, melted
  • 3 T sugar + 1 c sugar
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
  • 1 8-ounce package of cool whip
  • 6 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 c boiling water

Prep/Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Greased 9×13 pan

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. In medium bowl, combine layer #1: pretzels, margarine, 3 T sugar. Place in prepared 9×13 pan and bake at 400° for 8 minutes.
  3. In clean medium bowl, combine layer #2: cream cheese, 1 c sugar, cool whip. Spread over layer #1.
  4. In clean medium bowl, mix Jell-O with boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Spread on layer #2.
  5. Chill until hardened.

Mandarin Orange Salad

Time

Prep: 15 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg orange jello
  • 1 can mandarin oranges (save juice)
  • Hot water (measurement in Step 1)
  • 1 container Cool Whip
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

Prep/Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Jell-O ring mold

Directions

  1. Place Jell-O in medium bowl. Use juice of oranges and hot water to equal 1 cup.  Pour over Jell-O.  Let set until firm but not set.  Whip until frothy.  Add cool whip and softened cream cheese.
  2. In Jell-O mold, arrange orange sections in bottom of ring. Pour gelatin mixture over.
  3. Chill in fridge until hardened.

Jell-O (Sue Robertson)

Time

Prep: 15 minutes              Ready In: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large pkg red Jell-O
  • 16 oz frozen strawberries, thawed (separate liquid)
  • 1 c hot water
  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1 small can crushed pineapple
  • 1 ½ pint sour cream

Prep/Equipment

  • Jell-O mold
  • Small bowl

Directions

  1. In Jell-O mold, add 1 c hot water to Jell-O.
  2. Separately, use liquid from frozen strawberries and additional water to equal ¾ c. Add to Jell-O mold.
  3. Add remaining ingredients.
  4. Chill in fridge until hardened.

Rice Krispies Treats

Time

Prep: 15 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 T butter
  • 1 pkg marshmallows (40 large or 4 c miniature; alternatively, can use 1 7-ounce jar marshmallow crème)
  • 6 c Rice Krispies cereal

Prep/Equipment

  • Large sauce pan
  • 9×13 pan, coated with cooking spray

Directions

  1. In a large sauce pan, melt margarine over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat.
  2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.
  3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper, evenly press mixture into 9×13 pan coated with cooking spray.   Cut into 2” squares.

Notes/Suggestions

  1. Best if served the same day, but can be stored at room temperature in airtight container for up to 2 days.
  2. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks.  Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Puppy Chow

Time

Prep: 15 minutes              Ready In: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 9 c Chex cereal (Rice Chex is common; Wheat Chex is very good as well)
  • 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ c smooth peanut butter
  • 1 ½ c confectioners’ sugar

Prep/Equipment

  • Sauce pan
  • Large bowl
  • Saran wrap

Directions

  1. Pour cereal into large bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth.
  3. Remove from heat. Pour over cereal and stir until coated.
  4. Pour ½ of powdered sugar over the cereal mixture. Place Saran wrap on the top of the bowl and shake.  Remove the Saran wrap and add the rest of the powdered sugar.  With Saran wrap on top of the bowl, shake again until cereal is well coated.
  5. Spread on waxed cookie sheet to cool (in refrigerator for faster cooling).

Notes/Suggestion

  1. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
  2. Alternatively, add ¼ c of butter and microwave the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter 30 seconds at a time until melted. Once melted, stir in 1 tsp vanilla.  Then follow Step 4-5 above.

Pecan Nut Balls

Time

Prep: 10 minutes              Ready In: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 c flour
  • ¼ c white sugar
  • ½ t vanilla extract
  • 1 c margarine
  • 2 c chopped pecans
  • ¼ c confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Prep/Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Cookie sheet

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. Sift together in a medium sized bowl the flour, sugar and vanilla. Work in the margarine with a spoon or hands until well blended.  Add chopped pecans and mix well.
  3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, or crescents. Bake at 325° for about 25 minutes or until pale brown.  When slightly cool, roll or shake in confectioners’ sugar.

Notes/Suggestions

Store in airtight container.