Rugelach

• I apologize for the format of this recipe... I lifted it off Allcooks.com and it doesn't want to paste.  I followed it exactly and can see why it got 5-star reviews!  
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• This recipe was a total blast from my past!  I loved this as a little girl in Miami, Florida.   The recipe sounds like work.  It's really not!  It takes five minutes to mix up the dough, but you need to do it the day before.

Then, the next day, before baking or ,in advance because they freeze really well, you roll them  out, sprinkle the top and bake.   WARNING:  Only make these when company is expected so that you don't end up eating them all yourself!  These sound like a lot of work but they are so simple!

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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

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Cut cold butter or margarine and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter or margarine, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly. Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins (may substitute miniature chocolate chips for raisins).

Roll each disk into a 9 inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. Sprinkle round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With chefs knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)

After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of your oven 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers...they freeze very well.

Variations: Before putting the filling on the dough, use a pastry brush to layer apricot jam as well as brown sugar. Then add the recommended filling. You may also make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and roll the rugelach in this prior to putting them on the cookie sheets. ENJOY!

Grammy Cake

I'd heard about this cake three times from different people in one week.  It is to die for!  Seriously, we had it for breakfast the next morning with ice cream, it was so good!  When I looked up the recipe, it was referred to as a coffee cake.  My mind says dry when I hear the words coffee cake.  But, this cake is FAR from dry!  It's a MUST try!

Here's the recipe and then we are off for the day to continue on the honey-do list.  It's called Grammy Cake and I did not name it. ;)

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, including juice.  DO NOT DRAIN

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup evaporated milk (I accidentally used the whole can and it was perfect.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the sugar, clour, salt, soda, eggs and pineapple together and pour into a 9x13" pan.  Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar and chopped nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

While the cake is baking, cook the evaporated milk, sigar, butter and vanilla.  Immediately as the comes out of the oven,  pour the cooked milk mixture over the entire cake.  Keep refrigerated, if there is any left.  (We served it with ice cream.)  ENJOY!!

Peach Cobbler

Carol made this tasty peach cobbler for us last Sunday.  It was so good that we had to make more on Tuesday!  Love it! (Not my photo)

5 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and sliced  (I used 8 cups)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour

I drop the peaches into boiling water for a few seconds, the put them into cold water and the skins slip right off.  Then toll the dry ingredients over the peaches and stir.

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) of cold butter

Mix the dry ingredients then cut in the butter.  Spread the topping over the peaches in a 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream!  MMMM!  Enjoy!

Perfect Rice Pudding

I also found this recipe this weekend and made some rice pudding for the kids. They'd never tried "the real thing" before and they loved it.  I've always liked it but not loved it. This recipe, I loved!  It's a perfect way to use your leftover rice.  I found the recipe, where else, but it on Pinterest through The Hungry Housewife. Although, here's my version because I made a few adjustments to suit our tastes.

 4 cups leftover rice

    6 cups milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 cup craisins

1/2 cup coconut

1 tsp. cinnamon

All add ingredients to the cooked rice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently and at the end, constantly.  I stirred this for, literally 45 minutes.  It took that long to bring it to a boil because the milk and rice were ice cold.  I boiled it for about ten minutes stirring constantly. Once most of the milk is absorbed, remove from heat. Serve hot or cold!   We served it hot vanilla with ice cream.  (Corbridge Rule:  Breakfast is always better with ice cream.)  The kids were in heaven and then ate the leftovers for dessert later that night.

Strawberry Yogurt Cake

This was our Sunday night treat and seriously, you need to try this recipe!  It was divine!!!!  The only thing I'd change is make a little less glaze.  It doesn't need that much, but the lemon is a perfect touch to this cake!  It was so dang moist!  love it!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 Tb. lemon juice, divided

zest of 1 lemon

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt

12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325*. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Alternate add the flour mixture and the yogurt, until just mixed. Toss the strawberries in the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.  Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.  Enjoy!

Apple Nachos

Liza shared this idea with me two weeks ago and we've made them almost every day since. They are to die for and have become our new favorite fall treat. They're even somewhat healthy. Here's how to make Apple Nachos.

Slice apples and dip them in lemon juice, if you are making them in advance. Don't bother, if you'll be eating them immediately. Spread them out on a plate or platter and then drizzle or sprinkle or top them with any or all of the following toppings:

caramel apple dip or ice cream topping

chocolate syrup

nuts

Heath English Toffee Bits (found by the chocolate chips in your grocers) A MUST!

chocolate chips

peanut butter

marshmallow cream

coconut

brown sugar

yogurt

cinnamon sugar

cream cheese

Our favorite combo so far is what you see in the photo. Caramel topping, Hersheys Chocolate Syrup, Heath Toffee bits, Coconut, chopped pecans. Doesn't this sound divine? ENJOY!!

Wendy's Homemade Apple Dumplings

Wendy's family tradition, like ours, is to serve the birthday girl's favorites for their birthday dinner. Last night, I got to choose! I chose lasagna, green salad, garlic bread and "anything appley"for dessert. I'd choose apple desserts over chocolate anytime! What a delightful surprise! I'd never had a real true apple dumpling like this before, but, this would be my birthday request from now on! They were fabulous! Here's Wendy's recipe and a few photos to go along with.

Crust
2 Cups Enriched Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
2/3 Cups Shortening
1/2 Cup Milk

Place flour, baking powder and salt in medium size bowl and mix it together with a fork. Add the shortening to the bowl and cut in shortening. Add milk to bowl and use a fork to just moisten the mixture. (I used my food processer.)

Apples
6 apples
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
3 T. butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon Boil 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, 3 Tablespoons butter and ½ teaspoons cinnamon for 3 minutes. Peel apples and remove the center. Mix together ½ cup sugar and 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Roll out ¾ pie dough and cut into 4’s. Put 1 apple on each piece of dough making sure it will cover the whole apple. Add 1 T. cinnamon sugar mixture into the middle of each apple. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut into 2’s, put apples on dough, and add cinnamon sugar mixture. Bring dough up around and cover each apple. Put in 9x13 pan. Do not have apples touching. Pour boiled mixture over apples and cook at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Good served hot with half and half poured over. Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Oh my gosh! This is so dang good! This recipe was a combination recipe. I used the fruit recipe from a friend and the cobbler from my sister-in-law's mother's recipe. Together, we've made the perfect pair! It's a little labor intensive, but, this is seriously one great cobbler! It was so good that it didn't need ice cream!

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

8 cups sliced peaches

2 tsp. lemon juice

Peel and slice peaches. (To peel peaches quickly, drop whole peach into a pan of boiling water. Leave in water about ten seconds then remove and drop into cold water. The skin will just slip off.) Put peaches in a large saucepan and cover with above ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute and pour into an ungreased 9x13" pan.

(One of my favorite cooking tips is used with butter. Whenever a recipe tells you to "cut" in the butter, chill the butter and then shred it into the flour with a large cheese grater. The butter melts in perfectly during baking!)

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix well and cut in 1/2 cup butter

Then, mix:

1/2 cup milk

2 slightly beaten eggs

Toss the liquid mixture into the dry mixture but do not mix too much. Drop by spoonfuls on the hot fruit. Pat smooth. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream or half and half.

I loved this recipe! Make sure to be generous with the sugar on top of the cobbler before baking and I even added a touch more after for looks. ENJOY!

7 layer bars

This has to be my all time favorite treat. I remember the first time that I had them in 1969! It was Christmas-time and my Aunt Maxine brought them to a family party! I was in love them and am even more today. Actually, I mean that literally because I made them yesterday and by default (using what I had to work with before going grocery shopping), I made them better than ever! The Heath Bar bits were the secret! NUMMMMMMMM!

Crush one package of graham crackers to crumbs. (about 1 1/2 cups)

Melt 1/2 cup butter and pour over the crumbs in a 9x13 glass baking dish.

Mix the crumbs and spread to make a crust, pressing down with a fork.

Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips.

1 cup Heath Bar Tidbits (available near chocolate chips in the baking aisle.)

1 cup crushed pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees until the coconut is toasted slightly brown. (about 20-25 minutes)
Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature. ENJOY!

Crescent Roll Cheesecake

Liza ranted about this recipe during the holidays and dropped by with one leftover piece this week. OH MY! VERY tasty and so simple! I can't wait to make it again!

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Unroll one package of crescent rolls and line the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Flatten out well. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread this mix over the crescent rolls. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of the cream cheese mix. Pour the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Brownies and Peppermint Trifle

I created this recipe last night and it was a huge hit at our Christmas party. It sounds like quite the task. BUT... Actually, this whole thing can be prepared while the brownies bake and then the whole thing took about five minutes to "concoct". It sounds strange. BUT. It's very pretty, it looks like you spent hours on it and oh sooooooooo nummy!

Here's what you'll need:
1 box brownie mix. (I used Pillsbury Dark Fudge because I knew I'd share this recipe and won't share the brownie recipe.) Besides that, box brownies are more like Lo-Cal brownies compared to mine. We'd have had heart attacks after all the cream in the main dish and then cream cheese in my own brownies.)

Bake brownies as directed. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting. Cut into 1 inch squares.

2 cups cream cheese chocolate frosting. (I keep this frosting made and ready in the refrigerator all the time for brownies and cakes.)

4 cups powdered sugar

8 OZ. cream cheese

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa

NEXT, while the brownies are baking:


1 large package instant vanilla pudding
1 regular size Cool Whip
1 tsp. peppermint flavoring
RED food coloring

Mix pudding as directed on the box. Add peppermint flavoring and red food coloring. Whip well. Gently fold in the Cool Whip. Set aside.

1 bag Candy Cane flavored Hershey's Kisses

Unwrap the kisses and place in a double boiler. (or place in a bowl and place it in boiling water.) Stir until softened and melted.



Layer in Trifle Dish as follows:



An inch of peppermint mixture. A layer of brownies completely covering the peppermint mixdrizzle some of the melted Kisses onto the peppermint layerRepeat two more times, noting that the last drizzle of Kisses will set up and harden, giving this an extra crunch when served. Top with crushed candycane if desired. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN CRUNCH CAKE

Here's a tried and true favorite in our neighborhood! It's simple to make but read through the directions before you start, so you don't jump the gun, like I did the first time I made it. It's simple and sure to become a favorite at your house too!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix (2 layer size)
1 large can of pumpkin
1 can of evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour into a well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle about a cup of the cake mix over the top and very gently, fold the cake mix into the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cake mix on top of that and pat down with a fork or big spoon. Drizzle the melted butter over top and bake for about 1 hour at 350. Let cool and serve with plenty of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Fried Ice Cream that's not Fried!

I've never been a fried ice cream fan, but this no-fry recipe, shared by my friend, Jen, is amazing! I almost didn't make it but, I was out of an ingredient for the "Plan A" dessert and tried it while in a pinch. This will change ice cream forever in the Corbridge home! This recipe could not be any more simple and oh, my heck! You must try it! Honestly, don't let the reputation frighten you away because, start to finish, this took less than fifteen minutes to prepare and was almost as simple as whipping up a batch of Rice Krispie treats with much easier clean-up!

2 1/2 generous cups crushed corn flakes (measurements are after they are crushed)

1/2 cup crushed pecans

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Vanilla ice cream

Remove ice cream from the freezer as you begin to soften it just a bit. Melt the butter in a large bowl in your microwave. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is almost a "syrup". Add pecans, crushed cornflakes and coconut. Stir and mix well, coating all of the crunchy additions with the "syrup". Spread half of the crunchy mix to cover the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Then, slice or scoop your slightly softened icecream, placing it in the pan on top of the crunchy layer. Let the icecream soften enough in the pan to pat it together and make it one solid layer. (I did the layer about 1 1/2" thick.) Top with the remaining crunchy mix. Cover with saran wrap and refreeze. Serve it with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, or honey, or both, or caramel or strawberry ice cream syrup or just plain! OH MY! Enjoy!

Lemon Layered Dessert!

We had this delicious dessert at my nephew's missionary homecoming last week! I've been craving more ever since! Thankfully, his aunt, who'd made it, knew the recipe by heart and was willing to share! It's ever so good! OH MY!

1 cup oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Mix in a separate bowl:

1 8 0z. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup Cool Whip

Spread over crust layer.

Mix 4 small packages of instant lemon pudding (or any flavor you'd like, Jodie recommended chocolate or lemon) with 4 1/2 cups milk. Spread this layer next and then top with a layer of coolwhip. Chill and serve. Enjoy!

Scones a la mode

You call this leftovers? When Liza heard that we were having Navajo Tacos last night for dinner, she volunteered to bring something wonderful for the "leftovers". A few hours after dinner, she prepared these tasty treats for dessert. If they were this good, using three hour old re-heated scones, I can't imagine what they'd taste like with fresh out of the frypan scones! What a combination!

For the scones, I use my own basic roll dough, posted here on the blog. Let them raise, then roll them out very thin (about 1/4") and cut them to size with a pizza cutter. Dip them in hot oil (375°) to deep fry until they are golden brown.

Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel for a second, then dip both sides in cinnamon-sugar. Place on a plate and top with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Top the ice cream with cherry pie filling. Sprinkle with more cinnamon-sugar. Enjoy!

Red Hot Caramel Apples

I tried and altered this recipe a bit for Quayd's class report and it turned out to be a huge hit here in the Corbridge home. The kids in Quayd's class were pretty funny to watch. Some didn't want to even try it. Those that did all went crazy over the apples and then those that didn't decided that they wanted to try it after all. Quite simple. Very tasty and, although, I think I'd prefer it in the fall, it would be a great simple treat in the summertime served with a big scoop of vanilla icecream over top of it. Cooked in the crockpot, the oven isn't needed in the heat of summer. After trying it once, I think that you could also use sliced apples instead of cored. Either way, try it, you'll like it!

Core the apples. (I used Fuji apples and seven fit inside my crockpot.) Place them in the crockpot and fill the opening of each apple with:

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

3 brachs caramels

5 red hots

After all the apple cores are filled, pour 3/4 cup of apple juice over the top. Cook in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream! Enjoy!

Stuffed Strawberries

I first made these for my favorite niece, Brooke's bridal shower. It's a simple frosting recipe that works on just about anything, so I figured, why not strawberries? How could strawberries and cream cheese be anything but delish!? Well, last night, my friend, Jeana, did suggest that they could be chocolate dipped strawberries! FYI, creating two quarts of these beautiful babies takes about 30-40 minutes. But, clean-up is very tasty!

2 cups powdered sugar

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 quarts fresh strawberries

Mix the frosting until fluffy. Do not removed the caps from the berries. Cut strawberries in fourths from stem almost to the cap. I use my Pampered Chef Decorating Press to stuff the strawberries with the frosting. If you don't have a press, you could put the frosting in a heavy zip-lock bag and cut one tip off the corner of the bag. Open the strawberry a bit and fill with frosting. The close the strawberry back enough that the frosting oozes out the sides a tiny bit. Chill until served. Note: You can make these about four hours in advance but make sure the place the filled strawberries on a few layers of paper towels to store because the sugar in the frosting will cause the strawberries to become a bit juicy. Enjoy!

Wacky Cake

Years ago, Doug and I had a friend who was still single and spent lots of time with us. For his birthday, I made dinner and asked him what his favorite cake was. He said, "That chocolate cake... the one that everyone brings to their family reunions." I had no clue but imagined it was this recipe and made it for him. He took one bite and said, "Yep! This is the one!" It's a chocolate cake with a different kick to it. I've never understood why but it truly is the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted and it's the most simple. The lady who gave me the recipe 32 years ago mixed the cake right in her 9x13 pan, needing absolutely no cleanup except the fork she used to mix it with. I use my Bosch kitchen mixer but it taste just the same. Try it. You'll have all of the ingredients. It takes about three minutes to mix and have in the oven. You'll love it! It's every bit as quick and better than any storebought cake mix I've ever tried.



2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda

Mix. Then add:

1 Tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp. vinegar

2 cups cold water

Bake in a 9x13 pan and you don't even have to grease and flour the pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Frost with your favorite frosting. I'll include my favorite peanutbutter-cream cheese frosting for this cake below! Enjoy!

4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla

3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Mix till fluffy! Spread on warm cake. Enjoy!

"Cookie Salad"

This tasty salad is so odd that it doesn't even sound good, but it's always a hit at any gathering. It's super quick and looks great too! But, best of all, it's nummy!

1 6 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 c buttermilk (I'll use 2% milk and add 1Tbsp. lemon juice to equal the 2 cups)
1 12 oz cool whip
1 8 oz can drained tidbit pineapple
1 pkg Fudge Striped Cookies (bite-sized chunks)
2-5 bananas, sliced


Sprinkle dry pudding into milk. Fold in cool whip and fruit (gently). Add cookies just before serving and sprinkle a few on top. This can be a great dessert or salad! Enjoy!

Pink Cloud Salad

I was looking for something pink to serve with a pork roast dinner and happened onto about fifty variations on this recipe. Here's what I ended up with and it's too simple and most delish!

1 16 ounce Cool Whip

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can cherry pie filling

1 cup coconut

1 cup crushed pecans

1 large can of crushed pineapple (I didn't drain it. It seemed thin until I added the coolwhip and it was perfect! Like a cloud. Imagine that!)

Mix all of the ingredients, folding the cool whip in last. Chill for three hours before serving. I embellished the salad by cutting a V into a strawberry when removing the tops and placed one on the top of each dish. The strawberries look great dipped in sugar just before serving. (the photo was not when I actually served it but I remembered to take a picture when I was cleaning things up after our party! Even on a plain white plate and not fancy table setting, it looks pretty good, eh!? Enjoy!