Peanut Butter Bars

Judy Davis' Recipe:

1 cup Brown sugar
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Butter
2 Eggs
1 cup Peanut Butter
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cup Flour
2 cup Oats

Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs and beat until smooth
Add Peanut Butter blend
Sift baking soda, salt, flour, oats
Add vanilla

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
Approx. 1/4 cup water (my mom said not to do a full 1/4 cup)

blend until water is absorbed

add powdered sugar until you get the thickness you want
approx. 2 tbsp cocoa (until you get the right color)
1 tsp vanilla


A few times she has whipped peanut butter and put a layer on before the frosting, it's good!

** I'll have to ask her about the baking temperature and time.

M & M Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. margarine 3 eggs
1 c. shortening 3 tsp vanilla
1 c. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 lg. package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips
3/4 pkg. white chocolate chips
3/4 lg. package M&M's

Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Hmmm... missing the flour. I will come back and add.

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups salted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 heaping cups uncooked oats
12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir together in separate bowl flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add to creamed mixture a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in oats. Fold in nuts, chocolate chips and coconut. Spoon cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.

"MRS FIELD'S" CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES -- Alternate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

CREAM:
2 c Butter (1 lb)
2 c Sugar
2 s Brown Sugar

ADD:
4 Eggs
2 t Vanilla
4 c Flour
5 c Oatmeal (Process oats in blender until coarse powder)
1 t Salt
2 t Baking Powder (for softer cookies, use less Baking Powder)
2 t Soda

ADD:
24 oz Milk Chocolate Chips (recipe calls for Guittard brand)
3 c Pecans

Place golf-ball size balls on ungreased cookie sheet. [I use small ice cream scoop]
Bake at 350 for 14-15 minutes. Makes 112 Cookies.


Note that this is a large recipe -- I usually cut it half.

ALTERNATE: Replace choco chips with 2 c raisins -- makes my favorite Oatmeal/Raisin Cookie.

FRUIT BARS

When I was young, my Grandma Wilson (Leona) lived on South Temple just four doors down from Backer's Bakery. Often, we would walk over for a treat, and Grandma usually ordered their Fruit Bars. Here we are forty some years later, I've found a recipe that takes me back to my childhood -- it's pretty dang close to what I remember!

INGREDIENTS:

2 c Sugar
3/4 c Butter
3 Eggs
1/2 c Honey
3 T Molasses
4-1/2 c Flour
1 t Salt
2 t Soda
2 T Cinnamon
3/4 c Coconut
1-1/4 c Chopped Dates
1 c Raisins
1 c Chopped Walnuts [I don't add Walnuts]
1/2 c Rolled Oats


INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream sugar and butter. Beat in Eggs.
Stir in Honey and Molasses.
Sift dry ingredients and add slowly along with remaining ingredients.
Knead with hands to blend ingredients. [I use my 7 quart KitchenAid Mixer, but it's a very thick stiff dough]
Add a little water if the mixture is too dry.
Use ice cream scoop to place balls of dough across a greased cookie sheet.
Flatten dough uniformly across the cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 17-18 minutes or until golden brown. Toothpick test: slightly sticky
Cut with a pizza cutter while still warm -- I typically cut squares 1x1 or 2x2 etc.
Glaze with frosting.


FROSTING GLAZE:

1/2 c Sugar
1/4 c Water
1T White Corn Syrup
1-1/2 c Powdered Sugar

In a small sauce pan, stir together sugar, water and corn syrup.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.
Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
Gradually stir in powdered sugar beating until smooth after each addition.
Mixture should ahve a syrupy consistency.

Makes 3 dozen large or 6 dozen small bars.

[Thank you Naborhood Bakery, Gardner Village!]

INCREDIBLE CHOCOLATE MINT BROWNIES -- Decadent!

BROWNIES

1 c Butter, softened
2 C Sugar
4 oz unsweetend chocolate (4 squares)
4 Eggs
1 t Pure Peppermint Extract
1 C Flour (add 3 T flour for high altitude -- ie. Utah)
1/2 t Salt
1 C Chopped Nuts [I usually delete the nuts]

Melt unsweetened chocolate over very low heat with 2 T butter
Cream remaining butter with sugar; add melted chocolate
Add eggs and beat well
Add extract, flour and salt
Fold in nuts
Bake in 9x12 baking pan at 350 for 28-30 minutes, toothpick test -- very slight moist dough
Let cool


ICING

4 T Butter
2 t Pure Peppermint Extract
2 T Cream or Milk
2-3 drops Green Food Coloring (not too much here)
2 C Powdered Sugar

Melt butter, and add cream, extract and coloring. Add powdered sugar and beat until creamy smooth. Spread on cooled brownies, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for thirty minutes until icing is set.


GLAZE

6 oz Milk Chocolate Chips
6 t Butter

Melt chocolate chips and butter. Mix with small wire whip until blended. Pour over frosted brownies and spread to cover completely. Let glaze set.


These brownies are so incredibly rich that I recommend small servings, ie. 1" squares. Enjoy!!

[Thanks to dear college friend Suzi Keller Lynch}

Pat Nelson's Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:
3 tbl powdered sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
12-15 graham crackers

Filling:
3 oz lemon Jell-O
1 can evaporated milk, chilled
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
8 oz softened cream cheese

1. Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water and cool. Cream sugar and cream cheese together and add the milk slowly. Combine the two mixtures and pour over the graham cracker crust. Chill until set.

Pat Nelson's Pumpkin Cake Roll

2/3 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp giner
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmet
1/2 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs until lemon colored. Gradually add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; add to egg-pumpkin mixture. Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan with wax paper, then grease the paper. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on kitchen towel. Turn cake onto towl and remove wax paper. Roll up cake and towel lengthwise and cool. Refrigerate or freeze.

Filling:
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup soft margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Whip cream cheese and margarine. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Unroll cake and spread with filling. Roll up again. Cut in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

Gloria Nelson's Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp ginger
salt
1 tsp vanilla

1. Scald milk with pumpkin and sugar in it. Beat eggs and add other ingredients. Add egg mixture to the pumpkin and stir well. Cool before adding filling to cooked pie shells. Makes 2 small pies. A double recipe will make 3 large pies. Refrigerate.

Pat Nelson's Delicious Pumpkin Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 tsp ginger
1 small can pumpkin
1/2 tsp soda
1 cup water
1 package vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together. Bake in an ungreased cake pan for 35 minutes.

Frosting:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Whip together, then fold in 8 oz Cool Whip. Store in the refrigerator.

Nicole Nelson's Blonde Brownies

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup nuts
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 package chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pat Nelson's Marshmallow Brownies

Cream:
1 cup soft butter
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar

Add:
4 eggs, one at a time
dash of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chopped nute (optional)

1. Bake in large, greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with minature marshmallows. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes. Cool completely and frost with chocolate frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk (or regular)
1/3 cup cocoa

Pat Nelson's Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Cookie:
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups quick oats
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 cup nuts

Fudge Filling:
2 tbl butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 large package chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix. Add flour, soda, and salt;mix. Press half of the mix into 9x13 pan.

2. Melt chocolate chips, butter, and milk in a double boiler. Add rest of the ingredients and then pour onto mixture in pan. Dot with remaining dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Cookies:
2 boxes devil's food cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together (batter will be stiff). Drop cookies on an ungreased cookie shhet and bake for 8 minutes. Let set on cookie cheet to cool before moving to rack.

Icing:
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese

1. Ice cookies and put two together like a sandwich.

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
11 oz package chocolate chips
1/2 cup shortening or 1 square margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs.

2. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn (butter kind)
12 - 16 oz. white chocolate chips, melted
3/4 C M & M’s
3/4 C peanuts (or more M & M’s)
1 1/2 C stick pretzels
1 C mini marshmallows (I wish I had used more)
6 oz. dark or milk chocolate

1. Pop popcorn, remove unpopped kernels. Put popcorn in a big bowl. In separate bowl, mix together melted white chocolate, M & M’s, peanuts and pretzels until coated with white chocolate. Pour over popcorn and mix to coat popcorn with white chocolate. Spread onto two jelly roll pans or cookie sheets.

2. Drizzle with melted dark or milk chocolate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer until chocolate has hardened and popcorn breaks apart in bit pieces. Munch away!

Thanks to My homebased Mom for this recipe!

Pumkin Muffins

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups pumpkin
• 2 cups milk
• 2 - 12 oz pkg. milk chocolate chips
• 8 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 2 t. nutmeg
• 6 c. unbleached flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream sugar, shortening, and eggs together.
3. Add milk and pumpkin - mix
4. In separate bowl mix all of the dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips
5. Fill large muffin paper cups 2/3 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes. Test with toothpick

Makes about 24 large muffins

Apple Walnut Spice Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups peeled and chopped Granny Smith apples (about 2 apples)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the caramel sauce:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1. Set oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla just until blended. Set aside.

3. Mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, allspice and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture; beating until well blended. Stir in apples, nuts, and raisins, if desired.

4. Pour into one greased 9-inch cake pan; bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

For the caramel sauce:

1. Combine butter and whipping cream with brown sugar. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm.

Notes: No pumpkin pie spice?
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves

This recipe calls for a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. So in a small bowl, triple this little recipe. THEN measure out a tablespoon. You will be sure that the portions are even and then the spice will better incorporate into the batter.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.rookie-cookie.com/

Lion House Chocolate Zucchini Bread

If you love chocolate you will love this!! It is amazing!!

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (2 blocks), melted
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Prepare two 8x4 inch loaf pans by greasing and flouring or by lining with parchment paper. Melt unsweetened chocolate and set aside. Wash and grate zucchini; set aside. Measure flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl, stir, and set aside. Place eggs in mixing bowl and beat. Add the sugars, oil, melted chocolate, and vanilla; beat until creamy. Add the zucchini and stir together. Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix in. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Short Cut Donuts

This is a fun activity for the kids and so good too.

1 package large refrigerator biscuit (10 in pkg.)

Preheat oil in deep fryer. Cut centers out of biscuits with a 1 inch cutter or (the cap from a 2 liter pop bottle). Fry donuts for 1 1/2 minutes, turn and fry 1 1/2 minutes more. Fry donuts holes for about 2 minutes, turning once. Drain on absorbent paper.

Place the hot donuts in cinnamon sugar, powder sugar or top with a glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 C. chocolate chips
1 T. light corn syrup 2 T. milk

Combine chocolate chips, syrup and milk in a 2 C. glass cup; microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes; stir until melted. Dip donuts and holes in glaze.