Carmel Popcorn

This recipe is from my sister Becca. I love it! Andelin is in charge of the Family Night treat tonight and this is what she chose.

Pop about 1/4 C. popping corn.

In a saucepan, heat 1/4 C. brown sugar, 1/4 C. butter, and 1 rounded Cup of mini marshmallows, 1 tsp. vanilla.
Melt butter in a suacepan. Throw in brown sugar, mini marshmallows and stir until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and pour over popcorn. Mix with a wooden spoon and enjoy!

$40 Raspberry Ribbon Pie

Originally posted in summer 2008. It looks like a perfect Valentine's dessert!

This pie was sold for $40 at our Young Women's Girl's Camp fundraiser last year. Joe and I bid up to $38- but finally let it go and got the recipe instead. It is delicious! I made it for Father's Day yesterday and had to substitute cool whip for the whipping cream- it was still yummy.

1 9 inch bake pie crust (recipe below)

1 3oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C boiling water
10 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries (can substitute freeze-dried raspberries without rehydrating- just
                                                       add to the water/jello mixture)
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 C. heavy cream
fresh raspberries or whipped cream for garnish

Prepare pie crust. In medium bowl, stir jello and sugar with boiling water until dissolved. Add raspberries and lemon juice. Stir mixture. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally until mixture mounds when dropped from a spoon.
In a medium bowl mix cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. In another small bowl beat heavy cream until soft peaks form, then add cream cheese mixture and gently fold into whipped cream.
Spread half of the whipped cream mixture into the cooled pie crust, then spoon half of the raspberry mixture over it. Repeat with the rest of the cream and berries. Refrigerate until set, then garnish with raspberries or whipped cream.

Never Fail Pie Crust
4 C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 C. softened butter (or Crisco)
1 egg beaten
1 Tbs. vinegar
1/4 C cold water

Cut butter into flour and dry ingredients. Mix water, vinegar and egg. Add to flour and knead gently. Press dough into pie pan- will make enough for two or more pie crusts- I freeze the extra dough. Bake @ 400 degrees for 9 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cookie Dough Truffles

This recipe is from Taste of Home. It was made at the Taste of Home cooking school in October. I made these for dessert when I cooked dinner for a group of our hunters last month.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1-1/2 pounds dark chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped (or 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions                                                                                              This picture from Taste of Home

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.
• In a microwave bowl, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls in coating; allow excess to drip off; Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.

Nilla and Banana Pudding

I remember my Mom making this pudding. This is actually the only pudding I remember eating as a kid. And I love it! 

Prepare one large box of Vanilla pudding according to instructions on box.

Line a medium sized bowl with Nilla Wafers. 

Pour 1/3 of pudding into bowl. Top with a layer of Nilla Wafers and one layer of sliced bananas. Repeat until you have used all of the pudding. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Don't make this too far in advance or the Nilla Wafers will be soggy!

Cookies & Cream Bars

Ingredients

• 1 pound Oreo Cookies
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
• 24 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
• ¾ cups Granulated Sugar
• ¾ cups Sour Cream At Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 3 whole Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).

2. Make the crust: place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.

3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.

4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight.)

5. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Yield: 24 bars

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Strawberry Frosting

I made cupcakes for Laurie's birthday. We didn't end up eating a single one at her little party. When I finally tried a cupcake I loved the frosting!

1/4 C. butter softened
4 oz. cream cheese
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/4 C. pureed strawberries (can used freeze dried strawberries)

Beat butter & cream cheese in mixer. Sift powdered sugar into bowl. Whip. Add more powdered sugar if consistency isn't right. Add strawberries. Use spatula to scoop into ziploc bag and cool in refrigerator. Cut corner of bag and frost cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.

Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake

I can't remember the first time I had this cake. But I remember thinking it was dangerously delicious. My Mom made this for every birthday since...once again I can't remember! It has become my traditional birthday cake. Since I have had to make it myself I appreciate my Mom so much for all the times she made this for me. I have the best Mom!

THE CAKE...
ANGEL Food Cake

1 1/2	C. powdered sugar
1	C. white flour (use cake flour if you have it)
1 1/2	C. egg whites (about 10-12)
1 1/2	tsp. cream of tartar
1	C. granulated sugar
1 1/2	tsp. vanilla
1/2	tsp. almond extract (optional)
1/4	tsp. salt

	Print these coupons...
	$0.50 off Green Giant® Create a Meal!® Stir Fry $0.50 off Yoplait® Yogurt $0.40 off Betty Crocker® Warm Delights® Bowls Plus 19 more...
	About Concordance™

	Set one dozen eggs on counter for 30 minutes. They whip up better when they are closer to room temperature. Be careful to keep all egg yolks out when you separate so it will whip up better. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 375ºF.
	Sift powdered sugar and flour together 3 times; set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar,tablespoons at a time, on high speed, adding vanilla, almond extract and salt with the last addition of sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy meringue forms. Do not underbeat.
	Lightly sprinkle sugar-flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, folding in just until sugar-flour mixture disappears. Push batter into ungreased angel food cake pan (tube pan), 10x4 inches. Cut gently through batter with metal spatula.
	Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cracks feel dry and top springs back when touched lightly. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool. Loosen side of cake with knife or long, metal spatula; remove from pan.

I made the cake the night before.
Whip 1 pint heavy whipping cream adding about 1/2 C. brown sugar as you beat it. If you beat it too long you will have butter. You want it to form soft peaks.
When cake is cool, hollow out a "tunnel" around the inside of the cake (as shown in picture below).

Break or cut removed cake into small pieces.

Mix together 1 1/2 C. sliced strawberries and 1/2 of whipped cream with broken cake pieces.

Fill tunnel and center of cake with this mixture.

Use remaining whipped cream to frost the cake. Decorate with strawberries. Refrigerate until serving.

Crispy Cookie Treats

I have seen something like this on Picky-Palate. I made these for our Halloween carnival Cake Walk. I used the devils food cake cookie recipe ( add 1/3 C. oil & 1/2 C. water). I added chocolate chips and baked in mini & regular muffin tins. When they are cooled, just top with rice krispie treat balls (6 C. melted marshmallows w/ 2 Tbs. butter + 5 1/2 C. Rice Krispies). Top with melted chocolate chips (melt & then scoop chocolte into a small ziploc bag, cut the tip of the bag and squeeze chocolate onto treats). These tasted better the next day. YUM!

Easy Peach Blackberry Cobbler

I needed a quick dessert for company...this is what I made. It was super was easy and delicious!

1 yellow cake mix
1 stick butter
6 Cups Peaches (if using canned- partially drain them)
6 oz blackberries

Melt the butter and mix into cake mix until moist. Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Pour peaches and blackberries into pan. Crumble cake mix topping evenly over peaches. Bake @ 350˚ for 30 minutes. Option: cook in crock pot on low for several hours. Option: add chopped walnuts to cake mix.

CINNAMON ROLLS!!!

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law. Her cinnamon rolls are famous- no kidding! But- I have learned that just because I follow the same recipe doesn't mean they turn out quite as incredible as hers. Last night I decided to make a batch and they turned out really good.... almost as good as Merlene's! Here is MY version of her cinnamon rolls.

Start by making this dough:
Never Fail Rolls
2 Tbl. Yeast
1 tsp. sugar
Dissolve in 1 Cup lukewarm water
6 Cups flour
1/2 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Canola Oil
1 Tbl. salt
3 Tbl. Powdered milk

Mix together, add yeast mixture after it has raised a few minutes. Add 1 1/2 Cups lukewarm water. Add flour until you can knead it. Knead 5 minutes, raise once or twice depending on time.

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 Cup cinnamon

1 C. butter

Mix sugar, and cinnamon together, and melt butter on stovetop. Roll dough into 18” x 27” rectangle. Spread dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Start rolling from the short end, and roll into a log. Cut cinnamon rolls with serrated knife about 1 ½” thick, put in pan that has been coated with butter.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Frosting:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

1/4 c. butter

German Chocolate Cheesecake

My friend Dawn Nielson made this for Young Women's one night. I loved it so much and have made it a couple of times since. Don't let it overcook- and make sure you have time to refrigerate it! YUMMY!!!

CRUST:

1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 egg
1/3 c. soft butter

FILLING:

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

TOPPING:

2 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sugar

Blend the crust ingredients on low speed until crumbly. Lightly press in a 13x9 inch pan.

Beat the filling ingredients on low-medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cake mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mix the topping ingredients until smooth. Spread topping over cheesecake and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight. Cut into small squares or bars or larger pieces for dessert.

Banana Freeze

The idea for this concoction came from Joe's Uncle Frank. When you have bananas that are starting to brown, slice them into coin like pieces and then freeze them in a ziploc bag. When you're in the mood for a cold treat- get them out of the freezer. Use at least 3 cups of bananas. Break them apart and blend together in food processor (or blender- our food processor did better!) Add a little bit of milk and a little sugar if you want. I added in half an apple and some blueberries on top. If you serve this immediately it has a similar consistency to ice cream. YUMMY!

Cupcake Cones

A fun treat for the kids. I had extra cake mix the other day and it was just enough to make these. If you have cake cones you can set them in muffin tins. Dallin picked these sugar cones out and so I set each one in a pint jar. Fill with cake batter - don't fill to the top- an inch from the top should work. Bake @ 350˚ for about 12 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and then frost.

Razz•Ma•Tazz Bars

This recipe is one I found in my recipe folder. The kids and I made it this weekend while Joe was away for a hunt. We had fun making them- but I am the only one who ate them. That's never a good thing! The recipe calls for white chocolate chips. I didn't have quite enough so I threw in some dark chocolate chips. Otherwise it would be white.
1/2 C. butter
2 cups Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 C. raspberry jam
1/4 C. toasted, sliced almonds

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease and sugar 9-inch-square baking pan.

MELT butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir.
BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.

BAKE for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.

HEAT jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.

What a helper!

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Yummy!

Peach Raspberry Cobbler

This recipe is another from a friend (Johnna Meek) on the Deseret Land & Livestock ranch. It is really easy and delicious.

1 C. Bisquick buttermilk baking mix
2 T. sugar 3 T. milk
2 T. margarine 1/3 C. sugar
2 T. cornstarch 1/8 tsp. salt
3 C. peaches canned in juice
1 package raspberries (10 oz.)

In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, 2T. sugar, the milk and margarine. Set aside. In pan blend 1/3 C. sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in drained peaches and the raspberries. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
Drop dough from a Tablespoon onto hot fruit. Sprinkle dough with additional sugar.
Bake at 400˚ for 20 min. or until biscuits are done. Don’t overcook! Fresh or frozen peaches may be substituted.

Prince Family Peanut Butter Fudge

This recipe is famous on the Prince side of the family. There wasn't actually a written recipe until Joe's Mom wrote it down as she made it a few years ago. We had a Peanut Butter Fudge making contest at the Prince family reunion in 2004. That was the first time I ever tried to make it. It turned out so dry and crumbly that I decided I had better practice. I practiced more than I should - but I finally mastered it (although no one can make it as good as Joe's Mom or Grandma Prince!).
Since it is best to have someone teach you how to make it I took step by step photos....well, Dallin helped me take the photos. He's turning into quite a little photographer!

Start with these four very simple ingredients: Cocoa, Sugar, Milk & Peanut ButterMeasure 3 C. sugar into medium sauce pan. Add 3 Tbl. cocoa.Mix the sugar and cocoa together until all the lumps are gone. This is a good job for the kids- and they love to help! Helping make the fudge is part of what makes it so good.Pour the milk into the pan and stir until well mixed- kids can help do this as well. Cook on med-high heat, stirring until rolling boil, then stop stirring. It is important not to stir it after it has started boiling.Turn heat on medium-low and cook for approximately 7 minutes. Test the fudge ever few minutes until done. The time depends on your stove. A gas stove seems to cook faster.Testing: Put a heaping teaspoon of peanut butter on a small plate and add at least 3 Tbl. fudge. Stir together. The fudge will have boiled down (see picture below) when it is nearly ready. When the test is the consistency you like (when it sets up well), take the fudge off the burner and place in a sink with a few inches of cold water. Be careful not to get any water in the pan- that will ruin the fudge. Add about 1 C. peanut butter- a few heaping spoonfuls.Slowly stir peanut butter in. Let pan cool in water for a minute and then remove. Continue to stir VIGOROUSLY until the fudge gets thick. Then pour onto a plate. If you have a party this won't last long.

To keep fudge store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
recipe may be halved

Oreo Cookie Treats

This recipe is from my sister-in-law Ashlie. She has brought so many good recipes home from college. She has been home for a while and we love having her here! These cookies go so fast!

1 pkg. Oreo cookies or Nutter Butters
1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese
1 pkg. Almond Bark

Crush the cookies and mix with cream cheese. Roll into a ball onto wax paper. Melt the almond bark according to instructions on package. Microwaving it works well. Do NOT get water into the Almond Bark- it will crystallize. Cover the Oreos with the almond bark and let dry. They are best when frozen. Drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. Extra Almond Bark can be used for dipping pretzels in.