Chocolate-glazed peppermint cookies

1 package (18 oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough

3 TBSP. finely crushed hard peppermint candy

Glaze

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp. shortening

Heat oven 350 F. Cut cookie dough into 1/4 tsp. peppermint candy in center of each slice.

Bake for 7 to 11 minutes or until slightly golden. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheets. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

Blueberry Turnovers

1 (8 0z) package refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup prepared vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out crescent dough triangles onto a baking sheet.

Place 1 tablespoon blueberries on the widest end of each triangle. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar over blueberries on each roll. Beginning with the wide end, roll up each crescent around blueberries; pinch both sides to seal completely.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 12 minutes. Remove to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes; dust with the remaining powdered sugar. Drizzle with the vanilla frosting.

Lori's Chocolate Chip Cookies from January Relief Society Meeting

mix dry ingredients together:

2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix and beat (in separate bowl):
1 c. butter flavored shortening
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla

After mixing the wet ingredients, add 2 eggs and beat well. Then add the dry ingredients to the mixture and beat until blended.

Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir well. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes until barely browned on top.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix

3 eggs

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

1¼ cups water

½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

GANACHE GLAZE:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10 inch Bundt pan with non-stick spray.

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In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, melted butter, sour cream, and water. Beat for 4 minutes, then mix in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the glaze: Melt chocolate and cream together. Stir until smooth and drizzle over cake.

NOTE: for the Relief Society Christmas Dinner I made a Chocolate Buttercream Frosting rather than the ganache glaze. (RECIPE YIELDS 24 CUPCAKES).

CREAM CHEESE LEMON BARS

Shortbread or sugar cookies, finely crushed to 1¼ cups crumbs

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted

1 package lemon pie filling, prepared with egg yolks and sugar as directed on package (NOT instant)

1 eight-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter; mix well. Press into bottom of 9” x 13” pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, prepare lemon pudding as package directs. Leave pudding in pan you cooked it in; set aside to cool slightly while you blend the cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Fold cream cheese mixture into warm pudding, stirring/whisking until smooth.

Pour mixture into crust. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours before cutting into small squares. Serve chilled. Dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.

RS Birthday Brunch Apple Pie in a Jar

Apple Pie in a Jar makes
about 8 small individual pies
You'll need:Half pint jars (about 8) sanitized ( I used Kerr)Pie crusts ( about 4 homemade or store bought)
Pie filling (recipe as follows)7 cups apples cored, peeled, and sliced small
2tbs lemon juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Combine apples and lemon juice in large bowl. Make sure they apples are well coated. Add remaining ingredients to apples.
Step 1: Pie Dough Use the jar lid to cut out circles of the pie dough and line the bottom of each jar with the pie cut out. Cut strips or use scraps of dough to fill the inside of jar sides. Use your fingers to smash the dough until the entire jar is lined with pie dough. Do this to each jar.
Step 2: Fill up the Jars. I used about 1/2 c of pie filling for each jar but you can play around with how much you like.
Step 3: Top it off Cut out 8 more circles using the jars lid. Place on top of pie filling and crimp edges. Make sure your “lid” has a vent so steam can escape. You can use a knive to make a couple of slits or a tiny cookie cutter to make it decorative. Brush pie tops with butter and sprinkle with sugar at this point.
Step 4: Pop em in the oven:Place jars on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 45-60 min.Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!!! Tip: I found the lining of the jars with dough very time consuming so grab a hubby, mom, or kiddo to come help you.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto cookie sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown.

Pumpkin Bars
1st layer:
1 yellow cake mix (1 cup reserved)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg

2nd layer:
1 large can pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 c. brown sugar

3rd layer:
1 cup reserve cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (softened)

Grease bottom only of 13x9 pan. Reserve 1 cup cake mix for topping. Combine remaining cake mix, butter, and egg. Press into pan. Prepare filling by combining all ingredients in layer 2 until smooth. Pour over 1st layer. For topping, combine 1 cup reserve mix with sugar and softened butter. Sprinkle over filling. Bake 350 for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting
adapted from Recipe Anatomy
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
2 cups bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour but bread flour makes them lighter)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
CARAMEL FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 dash salt
3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. In small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter just until warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.
2. Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly.
3. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Spray a surface with cooking spray or turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy enough to handle. Roll dough into 12x10 inch rectangle.
4. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll into twelve 1- inch slices. Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 11X17 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Caramel frosting. Makes 12 rolls.
Caramel Frosting:
In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk.
Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium low heat 1 minute.
Transfer to small mixer bowl and cool mixture. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Beat with electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more confectioners' sugar for desired consistency.

Apple Crumb Pie by Jeri Metheny

5-7 apples (5 cups)
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
6 TBSP. Butter

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and apples in a bowl. Pour mixture into pie shell. Mix 1/3 cup sugar with flour, cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Strawberry Trifle by Julie Winter

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c. cold water
1 small package instant pudding
8 oz. cool whip
1 angel food cake, prepared
4 c. strawberries, sliced
3 whole strawberries
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Whisk milk, water, and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Fold cool whip into pudding mixture. Cut cake into 1/2 inch cubes. In a glass bowl, spoon 1/3 of the pudding mix, half of the cake cubes, and half of the sliced strawberries. Repeat. End with final 1/3 of the pudding, whole strawberries, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

1 c. sugar
1 c. Karo
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips

mix sugar and Karo together. Microwave 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and rice krispies and shape into egg shapes. Melt chocolate and butterscotch together and roll eggs in the mixture. Cool.

Easter Bunny Cupcakes by Jeri Metheny

A cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe)
White Icing
Shredded Coconut
Pink decorators' sugar
Jelly bean nose
Jelly bean eyes
Large marshmallow
Mini marshmallows

Instructions: Frost a cupcake with white icing and sprinkle on shredded coconut fur. Cut a large marshmalow in half widthwise. Squeeze each half slightly to give it an oval shape, then decorate the sticky side of each on with pink decorators' sugar and set them in place for ears. Add a jelly bean nose and a jelly bean snipped in half for eyes and a mini marshmallow for cheeks. For a finishing touch, drow on decorators' gel pupils or whiskers if you like.

Jell-o Eggs by Jeri Metheny

Add 2 1/2 cups boiling water to 4 small or 2 large packages of Jell-o. Dissolve Jell-o completely. Pour into Easter egg molds and chill for at least 3-4 hours.

Jell-o Dessert by Jennifer Fitzgerald

For a 9x13 pan graham cracker crust (graham crackers, sugar, melted butter)
2 boxes Jell-o
2 containers fruit added yogurt frozen or fresh berries
container sour cream
Cool Whip

Make graham cracker crust and put into bottom of 9x13 pan. Put in frige to set the crust. Stir up the sour cream so it is easy to spread over the graham cracker crust. Make 2 pkgs. of Jell-o according to directions. When just about set, add yogurt and berries. Pour over the sour cream in the 9x13 pan. Put in frige to set. Top with Cool Whip and set.

Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Cupcake Ingredients

3/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup of sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup of canned coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of sweetened desiccated 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
1/4 cup of sweetened desiccated coconut
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 coconut milk and a teaspoon of vanilla. 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 Slowly add the powdered sugar, taste as you go adding more sugar until you have reached the desired sweetness.

3 Fold in the coconut. Spread onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle on a bit of extra shredded coconut on top and serve.

Makes 20 cupcakes.

Strawberry Cream Shortcake by Celeste Gaian

1 large pound cake
1 small vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sweetend condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
12 oz. Cool Whip
3 cups strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

Slice the cake very thin and lay 1/2 of the slices in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. In a bowl, combine the pudding, water, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Fold in the Cool Whip. Pour half of this over the cake and lay half of the strawberries on top. Repeat to make the 2nd layer. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Sleeping Baby Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so easy! Mini-Nilla Wafers, food coloring faces put on in advance with a toothpick; Starbursts, microwaved for a few seconds and rolled out with a rolling pin in advance; and Teddy Grahams stuck on with a dab of icing. Ta-da!

The decorating was so easy, I even filled the cupcakes. Some had a raspberry-cream cheese filling (1/4c raspberry jam and 4 oz cream cheese, blended) baked in, others had a chocolate pudding and whip cream filling piped in. I preferred the chocolate, but fruity cream cheese stuff has a sweet place in my heart, too.

Nutter Butter Frozen Pie

Crust:

18 Nutter Butters, crushed
5 TBSP. melted butter

Press mixture onto bottom and sides of pie pan

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP. vanilla
8 oz. cool whip

Mix everything but Cool Whip on medium until well blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of Cool Whip. Spoon into crust. Spread thin layer of Cool Whip over top (very thin). Freeze for 4 hours or overnight. Let pie stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Sharon's Toffee

2 cups white sugar
1 lb. butter

melt butter and slowly add sugar. Stir about 20 minutes over low heat. It will start to separate and look like gravy.

Sprinkle chocolate chips, spread when melted. Sprinkle chopped nuts if desired.