The Best Lemon Bars

This recipe came from AllRecipes.com via Family magazine. It was a BIG hit when Cheryl made them for our church small group.

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• Powdered sugar, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Beat together 2 cups flour, the softened butter, and 1/2 cup white sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. Press mixture into bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan. Bake until firm and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Whisk together remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl. Whisk in eggs and lemon juice. Pour mixture into baked crust.

4. Bake until filling is set around edges and center is soft, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, about 1 hour; it will firm up as it cools. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into 24 pieces. 

(Bars keep up to 3 days, chilled, in an airtight container.)

Mounds Cake Balls

This recipe came together due to a mistake.  When I made cupcakes, for some reason or another, they didn't rise.  I think the coconut was the problem.  It called for dessicated coconut and I did not dry out the coconut.  I didn't want to waste the cupcakes since they had such a great flavor, so I created the cake balls.  Thanks to my Mom for the dark chocolate suggestion.
----------
Cupcake Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of canned cream of coconut
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of coconut extract
• 2 1/4 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of sweetened coconut

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut

Cake ball ingredients

• dark chocolate melting wafers
• toasted coconut (cook coconut on a rimmed cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, stirring once half way through.)
• lollipop sticks

Method

Cupcake Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream till light and fluffy again, scraping down the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing.
2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each to ensure mixing. Be sure to scrape down the sides after each egg to ensure even mixing.
3 Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in one bowl. In another add 1 cup of a well shaken can of cream of coconut and a teaspoon of vanilla and ½ teaspoon coconut extract. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix, then add 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Continue alternating with the wet and dry mixtures, ending with the dry. Stop mixing once just as the ingredients become incorporated; do not overbeat.
4 Fold in the coconut. Scoop into cupcake papers about one half to three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 15 to ensure even baking. Be sure to check with a toothpick to see if the cupcakes are done. If the toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean, then they're ready. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a minute or two in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting Method
1 Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scraped down the sides and bottom.
2 Add the coconut extract and slowly add the powdered sugar, taste as you go, adding more sugar until you have reached the desired sweetness.
3 Fold in the coconut.

To make cake balls:
Take cupcakes and put in a bowl and turn them into crumbs.  Add about ¾ of the icing.  Mix together.  Make sure there’s enough icing to make the cupcakes stick together.  Shape in to 1-2 inch balls.  Put in refrigerator to harden up a bit.  Melt some dark chocolate wafers and dip the end of a lollipop stick in it and then poke that end into the cake ball.  After all the cake balls have sticks in them, put them back in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let the chocolate harden and band the cakeball to the stick.  Next, dip the cake balls in melted chocolate and cover with the toasted coconut.  Let harden in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

English Toffee

This is a recipe from a lady, Ann Minter, at the church where I grew up.  She made this every year for the Annual Lord's Acre, which is a fundraiser for the church.  It included baked goods, canned goods, an auction and fun stuff for the kids.

---------------
1 cup sugar
1 large Hershey bar (7 oz.) or milk chocolate chips
3 Tbsp water
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3 & 2/3 sticks real butter

Line a 9X13 inch pan with heavy duty foil.  Lightly butter.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.  Place sugar, water, and butter in large, heavy saucepan and cook on high to medium to exactly 300 degrees on candy thermometer, stirring constantly.  (It will appear to be burning.)  Pour onto buttered, heavy duty foil.  Let it cool and then spread with melted chocolate.  Sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans.  Let chocolate cool.  Break into pieces.

Recipe Note:  The secret to making this recipe is to use real butter that is salted and fresh.

Concord Cake

This recipe came from a little Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson, TX called the Stillwater Inn.  I have always gotten rave reviews for this dessert.    This is a moderately difficult recipe.  If you are ever in Jefferson you should stop in and try theirs. 

----------

For the Meringue:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

3 1/2 tablespoons bitter cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners sugar
5 egg whites (approximately 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2/3 cup granulated sugar


Butter and lightly flour baking sheets or cover with parchment paper. Sift the cocoa powder and the confectioners sugar 2 times.  Beat the egg whites until firm, adding the cream of tartar, then the sugar gradually.  When stiff, with a rubber spatula, fold in the cocoa-sugar mixture.  Do not over mix.  Spoon into pastry bag.

Pipe the meringue into (12) 4 inch circles and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours.  Allow the meringues to cool for 8-10 minutes before removing from sheet.  Once covered, they can be kept in an airtight container for 3 days.

For the Chocolate Mousse:

7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Melt chocolate over water or in a double boiler and allow to cool until just warm.  Beat cream until stiff and add confectioners sugar.  Place in a large bowl and return to refrigerator.

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Add sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved and meringue glistens.  Fold in chocolate and evenly mix.  Add to the whipped cream and evenly blend with spatula.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.

For the Topping:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
Vanilla
Confectioners sugar
toasted sliced almonds

Beat 1 pint of whipping cream and sweeten with confectioners sugar and vanilla at the last moment.

Assembly:  Concord cakes are best assembled immediately prior to serving.  On each plate place a small dollop of mouse (to secure meringue) and place a layer of meringue on each.  Add a layer of mousse on top and repeat with another layer of meringue and mousse.

Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.  Serve immediately, since it does not keep after put together.

Teacakes

This is my mom's recipe. I use this in place of sugar cookies.

----

8 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon- 1 teaspoon nutmeg (personal taste)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine flour, baking soda and nutmeg. Set aside. Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Alternately add flour and sour cream, then add vanilla. Mix well. Divide into 2 balls and cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut out. Place in a 350 degree oven for 9-10 minutes.

Strawberry Bread

This is one of my holiday favorites. I don't know why I just do it for the holidays.

----

3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2- 10 oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries
1 1/4 cup oil
4 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp. red food coloring

Reserve 1/2 cup strawberry juice for cream cheese spread. Mix all dry ingredients together. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour strawberries, oil and eggs in. Mix by hand until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add food coloring and mix. Pour into a large greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely.

I usually use small loaf pans and they take about 45 minutes to cook

Cream Cheese Spread:

1- 8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup reserved strawberry juice

Mix together, and place between slices of strawberry bread.

Mini Candy Bar Cheesecakes

I believe this is a Paula Dean recipe. It originally called for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but I have done it with a few different candies.

----

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbls. sugar
1/2 stick butter-melted
12 bite size candy bars of your choice

2 cream cheese-softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Put a small layer in each liner and press down with your fingers, for the crust. Set aside.

Cream the cream cheese and sugar. Add flour and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs and just mix until they are incorporated.

Put a small layer of cream cheese mixture on each crust. Place candy on top, and then fill the liners with the cream cheese mixture. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until middle is just set.

Note: I usually make mini cheesecakes, instead of the full size muffins. If you choose to make the mini ones, follow all the steps and just bake for 15 minutes. Makes at least 27.


To make gluten free: Use gluten free Graham Crackers, and gluten free all purpose flour. I made them gluten free the other day, and even though I could taste the difference, people who had never had them before raved over them.

Cafe Ole (Cafe au Lait) Cheesecake

This is just about everyone's favorite cheesecake. Aaron loves it because the bitterness of the coffee offsets the sweetness of the cream cheese so that, in his words, he can "eat piece, after piece, after piece, after piece".

-----

1/3 cup butter, melted
2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups finely crushed chocolate wafers (I just use Oreos...the whole Oreo)
4 tbsp water (added 2 tbsp. at a time)
1 tbsp instant coffee (I always use NesCafe)
3 8-oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

1) To make the crust, combine the Oreos and butter. Press it into the bottom of an 8" cheesecake springform pan and 2" up the sides. Chill the crust while you're doing the rest of the steps.

2) Combine the chocolate, 2 tbsp of water, and coffee. Cook and stir over low heat until the chocolate starts to melt. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Stir in final 2 tbsp of water.

3) Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium until it's smooth. Add the eggs all at once, beating on low speed just until mixed. Be careful not to over beat.

4) Set aside and cover 2 cups of this cream cheese mixture.

5) Stir the cooled coffee mixture from step 2 into the remaining cheesecake mixture, stirring just until it is combined.

6) Pour the results of step 5 into the pan. Place the springform pan in a shallow baking pan, place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until edge is set (but the center is still soft).

7) Pour the remaining cream cheese mixture from step 4 into the pan, around the outside edge of the chocolate mixture, letting it flow to the center. Spread it if necessary. Bake the completed cheesecake for an additional 25 minutes, or until the center appears nearly set when gently shaken.

8) Allow to cool in the springform pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Loosen sides of pan and cool for 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan and cool completely.

Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate Pie

This is my dad's favorite pie.

---

6 Tbls. flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbls. cocoa
2 egg yolks- beaten
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbls. butter
1 baked pastry

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa. Add beaten yolks and milk. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Add butter and vanilla. Mix well. Place in pastry shell.

Meringue:

4 Tbls. sugar
pinch of baking powder or cream of tarter
2 egg whites

Mix on high until stiff peaks form.

Put over pie filling and cook in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.

If you prefer you can just top with Whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Cherry Nut Pudding

This is another family favorite. Except for Aaron, who doesn't like anything flavored cherry. He says it tastes like cough syrup.

----

1 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I usually use pecans)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup drained, canned sour cherries (not pie filling) reserve juice

Combine sugar and egg. Blend thoroughly. Add nuts and mix well. Sift dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients, alternating with milk, to the sugar mixture. Blend well and fold in cherries. Bake in greased pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cherry Sauce:

1 cup cherry juice (add water if not enough juice)
2 Tbls. flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

Sift flour and sugar. Add juice and blend well. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Add butter.

Take a slice of cake, spoon some cherry sauce on top, and top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Mock Turtle Cheesecake

This is one of the first cheesecakes I ever made. It is real easy, and doesn't require a springform pan.

---

Crust:
1 cup crushed Oreo's
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbls. butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan with foil. Mix all ingredients and press into cake pan and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Filling:
2- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 eggs

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar and whipping cream. Beat in eggs. Pour over crust, and bake for 34-45 minutes until center sets. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Glaze:
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate squares (chopped)
2 Tbls whipping cream

On low heat, melt chocolate and whipping cream. Stir continuously until smooth. Pour on top of cheesecake and smooth it out to the edges. Store in refrigerator. After chocolate sets, cover with foil or plastic wrap.

Topping:
1 jar Caramel Ice Cream topping
1/2 cups toasted pecans

To toast pecans: set oven to 375 degrees; place pecans on a cookie sheet; cook for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Coarsly chop the pecans and add to the Ice Cream toppings. Drizzle some topping on each piece when ready to serve.

Milk Chocolate Bar Cake

At Jennifer S.'s request! :)

-----

1 (18.25 ounce) package Swiss chocolate cake mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 (1.5 ounce) milk chocolate candy bars with almonds, divided
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Pour into 3 greased and floured 8-inch cakepans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 1o minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until mixture is creamy.

Chop 8 candy bars finely. Fold cream cheese mixture and chopped candy into whipped topping.

Spread icing between layers and on top and sides of cake. Chop remaining 2 candy bars. Sprinkle half of chopped candy bars over cake. Press remaining chopped candy along bottem edge of cake.

Dedaddy's Sour Cream Pound Cake

This is my grandfather's recipe. A family favorite.

---

2 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour (sift then measure)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In one bowl stir together flour and baking soda. In another large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and the sour cream. Place in a greased and floured bundt pan. Cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Chocolate Crock Pot Cake

This is for my mother-in-law.

--

1 (18 oz) Chocolate Cake Mix
1 (16 oz) carton Sour Cream
1 (3.9 oz) Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
1 (12 oz) bag Chocolate Chips
3/4 c. Oil
4 Eggs
1 c. Water
Cooking Spray

Spray crock pot/slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients well. Pour into crock pot/slow cooker. Cook 4-5 hours on Low. Scoop out and serve with ice cream.