By popular request...

I've asked LoriJean if she would post her cake recipes--which she has graciously consented to do. I got so many compliments on the cakes at our last "to-do" (and I completely agree) that I wanted her to put them up here for (my) convenience.

May I present...

Stake Conference Cakes

Stake Conference Cakes

One of the many Stake Conference blessings that Liz and I enoy is the opportunity to feed the Stake Choir and the Leadership between sessions. Liz has an amazing Hosting Committee with great recipes that we share with each other and various other friends that may ask. So...that being said, and with much gratitude to all who waxed enthusiastic over the dessert cakes, here are the recipes. You might start thinking "hey - they all sound alike!" Well, they are. And you can do this with any boxed cake mix.

Basic Box Cake Recipe

1 Boxed Cake mix
2 Small Boxes Instant Pudding (in a complimentary flavor)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sour cream

Beat until well mixed, pour into prepared bundt or cake pan, (I just spray oil. I never flour) bake at 350 or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set to cool for 20 minutes exactly then you can remove from the pan with no trouble.

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

I used a Lemon Cake mix, 2 boxes lemon pudding, 2 tlbsp poppyseed. The glaze was 4 cups of powdered sugar and 3 - 4 tlbsp lemon juice.

Apple Spice Cake

I used a Spike Cake mix, 1 box butterscotch pudding, 1 box vanilla pudding, and an addititional tblsp of cinamon in the cake mix. I also cubed 2 tart apples, tossed them in about a tablespoon of flour and added them to the cake mix just before pouring it in the pan. The flour will keep the apple pieces from sinking in the mix. I didn't add nuts because its wise to avoid nuts when serving lots of people (allergy issues), but walnuts and pecan are particularly delish with this mix. The frosting was a typical buttercream with the addition of a tlbsp of cinnamon.

Chocolate Cake

I used a devil's food cake mix, and two chocolate pudding mixes. For the frosting I melted the butter in a buttercream frosting recipe until almost liquid, added 3 tlbsp of cocoa and then beat the frosting until it was light an fluffy.

I hope you enjoy!

Desserts - January 2010

Our monthly theme for January is Desserts. I think the point of that was so we could try some new ones out for the holidays and then share the recipes in January. I hardly have time to try anything out at Christmas anymore, but I keep hoping. And, when I stand in January looking at all the coming year’s birthdays, parties, holidays, and family events, it’s nice to have a new trick up your sleeve. I realize that this is a cruel theme for the great diet month, but hey... it made sense at the time.

I have sometimes found myself having to produce dessert for hundreds. When that happens there is nothing quite like the dessert buffet. Choices. I really love giving my guests choices. I’ve done a buffet of different versions of the same thing, as in cakes, bar cookies, cream pies, etc. But I’ve also done buffets where you can have a choice of a few really different things. I suppose since it’s all dessert that would explain why I’ve never had a complaint, so I really don’t know what my guests prefer. Oh well.

In my young life dessert was always special. It was never routinely served after dinner, so when it happened it was an occasion. I’ve kept the same tradition in my family. Dessert is a moment, maybe even a mind-set.

Who could not love desserts? I hate those party games where you have to pick a favorite, well, anything really. But why do I have to have a favorite dessert? Why can’t I just love a whole bunch of them? There are crispy, creamy, hot, cool, gooey, chunky, light, rich, sweet, not so sweet, you name it. Oh my.
I suppose my favorite desserts are the really good ones. Or, perhaps the really easy ones. No wait…


Old Fashioned Applesauce Cookies
Strawberry Crumb Bars
Brownies with Frosting
Peanut Crunch Snack Cake

Old Fashioned Applesauce Cookies

Old Fashioned Applesauce Cookies

2 cups applesauce (I like unsweetened in this, but it doesn’t matter)
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts are great)

Powdered sugar
milk

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine sugar, shortening and egg; beat until fluffy. Stir in applesauce. Mix well.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, bak. powder, cinn., soda, nutmeg, cloves). Add dry ingredients to applesauce mixture and mix well. Mix in nuts.
Drop by tablespoon-fulls on greased baking sheet. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, or longer depending on size. The bottoms should be just turning golden brown.

When cool, make a thick glaze with powdered sugar and milk; drizzle a tsp or more on top of each cookie. Glaze should pool down sides of cookie. Let glaze dry.

This is a pretty big batch of cookies. You can half it easily if you need to. I let them cool on foil sheets so there is no clean up from the glaze.

I just had to add this one in. It’s my grandmother’s recipe and a family favorite.

Stawberry Crumb Bars

Strawberry Crumb Bars

1 box *yellow cake mix
2 ½ cup quick-cooking oats
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup *strawberry jam (or a little more if needed)
1 Tbsp water (optional)

Combine dry cake mix and oats in a bowl, add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Put half of crumb mix (about 3 cups) in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Press firmly (cover bottom). Spread jam over pressed crumbs, covering completely. (Add Tbsp water before spreading if jam is too thick) Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Pat down gently. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until lightly browned.

*You can use white too, but I prefer the taste of yellow.
*Raspberry, blackberry, apricot, or peach jam can be used. It is out of this world with homemade freezer jam!!!

This is so easy and sooooo good served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Brownies with Frosting

Brownies with Frosting

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter (1 cube)
1 1lb can Hershey’s chocolate syrup
¾ cup chopped nuts
1 cup flour

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and blend well. Mix in choc syrup. Add flour and nuts and mix again. Pour into greased 10x15 (jelly roll) pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. When cool, frost.

Frosting:
1 1/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp milk
4 large marshmallows
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil slowly (not too high a heat). Boil for a minute or two. Remove from heat and add marshmallows and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Let cool a little. Spread on brownies.

This isn’t my favorite brownie recipe (good old Hershey’s is), but it’s a really good one and kind of splits the debate line of which brownies are better, fudgy or cakey.

Peanut Crunch Snack Cake

Peanut Crunch Snack Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup peanut butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup water
3 eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups semi sweet choc chips, divided
½ cup chopped peanuts

In a mixing bowl beat dry cake mix, peanut butter, and brown sugar on low speed until crumbly.

Set aside ½ cup.

Add water, eggs and oil to remaining crumb mixture; blend on low until moistened. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9x13 in. cake pan.

Combine peanuts, reserved crumb mix, and remaining chocolate chips; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Test with toothpick. Cool Completely.

Jello Salad

Jello Salad
(This jello salad is like those “choose your own ending” books. Use your imagination on the flavor combinations.)

1 (8oz) Cool Whip
2 cups sour cream
1 large (6oz) Jell-o, any flavor
*Fruit (a cup or two, it’s up to you)

Combine Cool Whip and sour cream. Add dry jello and drained fruit. Put in serving dish. Let it set for a couple of hours in the fridge (although I’ve made it and served it within 30 min. and it still worked).

*Some acidic fruits don’t work well in jello unless they are canned. Pineapple, oranges, etc… But apples and bananas are great fresh. You might want to add chopped nuts to some combinations too.

**When January rolls around and we are all dieting again you could also try this with:
lite cool whip
fat-free sour cream
sugar-free jello
fruit

Banana Cake (or bars) with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cake (or bars) with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

½ c butter, softened (1 cube)
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1½ c mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Pour into a greased 15x10 in baking pan (jelly roll pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until they test done. Cool and frost.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

½ c smooth peanut butter
3 oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
1½ Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp cream (light or heavy) or milk
2½ c powdered sugar, sifted

Beat first 5 ingredients just until blended. Add sifted powdered sugar about 1/3 cup at a time. Beat until smooth, but don’t overdo.

Peach Crisp (or Apple Crisp)

Peach Crisp

2 (29oz) cans of sliced peaches, well-drained or
*** sliced fresh peaches to cover well the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle sugar on fresh peaches (to taste) before putting them in pan.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon (you can add some nutmeg too if you like)
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)
2 cubes (1 cup) butter, melted

In a bowl mix dry cake mix, cinnamon (and nutmeg). Put peaches in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix with spice over the top. Sprinkle nuts on cake mix. Drizzle butter on top of cake mix and nuts. Bake at 350* for 50 to 60 minutes. (It should brown well and be mostly dry on top.) Wonderful served with ice cream.

*Variation: Fresh Apple Crisp
Use peeled and sliced fresh apples. Add some sugar to taste and half the cinnamon (1/2 tsp) to the apples. Mix the other ½ tsp cinnamon into cake mix. A little nutmeg is great mixed in with the apples too. Prepare and bake the same as the peach.