Pumpkin Bars

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1- 15oz can pumpkin
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 15x10 pan. bake at 350 for 20-25 min.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp milk, if desired to thin out the frosting.

Cream butter and cream cheese; add powdered sugar slowly. Mix in vanilla. Spread onto bars. Chill.
Serve chilled.

Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe

One 9 inch Pumpkin

1 cup tart apples, cored and chopped

1 cup cranberries

1/2 cup dates

1/3 cup walnuts

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp orange rind, grated

1 tsp lemon rind, grated

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cut the top off the pumpkin and save.

Scoop out the inside.

Combine all the remaining ingredients and fill the pumpkin.

Bake at 350 without top for 45 mins.

Place the top back on the pumpkin and continue baking for another 30 mins

Serve warm.

Sharon's variation:

Use 1 big can of pumpkin, 2 apples, 1 reg size can of crushed pineapple, the brown sugar and spices. You can omit walnuts, then put craisins on top after it was done. Dont put any orange or lemon rind in. Bake for 45 mins.

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

3.4 ounce box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

1/2 cup sour cream

15 ounce can pumpkin

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (start w 1/4 cup and add a little more cream if needed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray.

2. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

3. Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.

4. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate if not serving same day.  Enjoy with milk!

Makes 16 to 20 squares

Submitted by: Jessica Haslam

Momma Roach's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Vegetable oil
3 Cups Sugar
2 eggs
1 large can pumpkin (29 oz)
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla (add last)
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips


Grease cookie sheet. Mix oil and sugar. Add eggs and pumpkin and 2 cups flour.  Mix in salt and spices. Add remaining flour. Mix. Add chocolate. Mix.


Bake @350 for 12 mins

Submitted by: Melissa Dension

Toffee Squares

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups gold medal flour

¼ tsp salt

3 to 4 milk chocolate bars (7/8 oz each)

½ cup  small chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350%

Mix butter, sugar, egg yolk & vanilla.

Measure flour, stir in flour & salt until dough  is well-blended. Spread on jelly roll pan 13 X 10 leaving 1 “ all around edge.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven and immediately place sep squares of chocolate on top- let stand til soft and then spread.. sprinkle nuts on top of chocolate.

Submitted by: Bonnie Sandsmark

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs

1 c sugar

2/3 c pumpkin

1 t lemon juice

3/4 c flour

2 T cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1 t baking powder

1 t ginger

1 t nutmeg

1 c chopped nuts (optional)

Filling:

1 c powdered sugar

6 oz cream cheese

1 t vanilla

1 T butter

Beat eggs at high speed 5 minutes.  Gradually add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice.  Stir.  Fold in flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg.  Spread into a large cookie sheet (with sides) that has been sprayed and floured.  Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle clean towel with powdered sugar.  Tip out onto towel.  Roll up in towel.  Cool completely.

For filling, mix together 1 c powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and butter.  Unroll.  Spread with filling mixture.  Roll up again (without the towel) and chill until cool.

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren

Creamy White Chili

1 lb chicken-cut into 1/2" cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 t garlic powder

1 T vegetable oil

2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained (or any small white bean)

sprinkle chili powder

1 can chicken broth

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilis

1/2 t salt

1 scant t ground cumin

1 c sour cream 

1/2 c whipping cream

In large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream and cream.  Serve immediately.  Makes approximately 6 cups.

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren

After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 leftover turkey carcass 3 medium onions, chopped 2 large carrots, diced 2 celery ribs, diced 1 cup butter, cubed 1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half cream 1 cup uncooked long grain rice 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules 3/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place turkey carcass in a soup kettle or Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove carcass; cool. Set aside 3 qt. broth. Remove turkey from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside.
2.	In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute the onions, carrots and celery in butter until tender. Reduce heat; stir in flour until blended. Gradually add 1 qt. of reserved broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3.	Add cream, rice, salt, bouillon, pepper, remaining broth and reserved turkey. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender.

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren

Judy Fawcett’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from a sister that was in our ward when it was Renton First Ward.  I loved Judy.  

I made this recipe one time and put in a cup of butter rather than one pound.  Everyone loved the cookies.  When I realized the mistake, I started decreasing the butter to just over a cup.  I figured if people liked them with less fat - it made this a healthier cookie ... good way to rationalize.

cream together:

1 ½ cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

1 lb. butter

1 ½ tsp. salt

3 eggs

     add:

6 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

3 cups Hershey bars, broken

Bake on foil at 325 – 350 degrees for about 15 minutes

or until golden brown.

Submitted by: Diane Batschi

Creamy Double Decker Fudge

Made with easy to use sweetened condensed milk, this peanut butter and chocolate fudge requires no candy thermometer and is smooth and creamy every time.                    Prep Time: 15 min.  Start to Finish: 2 Hrs. 20 min.                    Ingredients:                         1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips                         1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk, divided (not                         evaporated milk)                         1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided                         1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips                    Instructions:                    1. Line 8-inch square pan with foil. In small microwave-safe bowl,                    place peanut butter chips and 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk.                    2. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring after 1                    minute, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.                    Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly into prepared pan.                    3. In small microwave-safe bowl, place remaining sweetened                    condensed milk and chocolate chips; repeat above microwave                    procedure. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly                    over peanut butter layer.                    4. Cover; refrigerate until firm. Remove from pan; place on cutting                    board. Peel off foil. Cut into squares. Store tightly covered in                    refrigerator. About 4 dozen pieces or 1-1/2 pounds.                    NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe.

Basic Cream Fondant

(single recipe. can 1 ½ Xs) (The McMullin family Making the fondant and dipping the chocolates takes time and effort and is a bit tricky, but well worth it. We recommend you tackle it when you have (make) plenty of time and are not in a hurry. …Good things in life take time. J ,) 4       cups white sugar 1 ½    cups milk or cream 2       Tbsp. white corn syrup 2       Tbsp. Butter, divided  few grains salt (2 to 3 shakes) Combine sugar, cream or milk (we mostly use fresh cream), syrup and half of butter in pan, place over heat and stir constantly until mixture begins to boil. Keep boiling rapidly until fondant reaches soft ball stage (230 degrees F). Do not stir once it boils. Drop rest of butter into hot syrup, place tight cover on pan, remove from heat. Cool as rapidly as possible by siting pan in cold water, or any cold place. In winter time sit out in snow. Let cool thoroughly until mixture feels cold to the touch. Take out of pan into platter or Pyrex cake pan or on flat table top and beat continuously. Mixture will be shiny and stiff. As beating continues mixture will become thinner and lose its gloss. Continue beating until mixture thickens again. Add flavouring. Place in container and cover tightly to keep from drying on top. TIPS: Use real butter. Use mostly cream and some half and half or whole milk. Keep sides of pan clean of sugar. Wash down before boiling. Use as     little water as possible, use no water after boiling. As it boils and gets closer to the temp. (230 degrees, or soft ball stage),     remove excess foam and using a spoon, drop some into cold ice water     in a tall clear glass to test (string, soft and putty like). When ready, cut up rest of butter in slices - do not stir in – and lay on     top of fondant and cover with tight lid. Lift cover to wipe inside of lid     to remove any water droplets. Cover and place in cold 1 ½ hrs.- 2 hrs. Fondant should feel same temp. as finger - neither warm or cold. We stir ready fondant on top of large marble slab using two large flat     utensils (spatulas). Use scooping and folding motions, keeping it from     spilling off sides. Depending on its temperature and how fast you mix, it     could take about 15 min. for it to “turn”. (it changes color and consistency) Flavors:   (hint – mix in flavorings and taste!   May need to add more) Fudge – approx. 2 heaping Tbs. cocoa. Mix with sugar first before    cooking fondant. After cooling, mix well in pan, adding ½ tsp. vanilla. Cherry-Almond – approx. ¼ tsp. imitation almond flavoring and about     7- 9 Maraschino cherries, finely chopped. This fondant is sometimes     difficult to roll as it is sometimes liquid-y – try to keep it ‘dry’. You     may have to keep popping it in the fridge to re-harden to aid rolling. Almond – use almond flavoring, place an almond on top. Lemon – approx. 1 12 tsp. fresh lemon rind, grated finely; plus about 1/8     tsp. pure lemon extract. Orange – approx. ½ - ¾ Tablespoon grated orange rind. Strawberry or raspberry – approx. 2 tsps. extract. Maple – approx. ¼ - ½ tsp. Mapeline. Place walnut on top. ? Vanilla – approx. 1 tsp. vanilla extract Peanut clusters – mix unsalted, dry peanuts with melted chocolate in a     bowl and drop onto wax paper with spoon. Preparation of Chocolate (for dipping Fondant)   Cut up chocolate (Ghiradelli is great) and put in heat-proof bowl or pan in warm oven (150 degrees) or over warm water (double boiler) to melt. Be careful that no water or steam gets into choco-late. Stir often. When melted, place some in a dipping bowl or pie plate. Mix with hand until cooler, just the right temperature. Test chocolate by dipping fondant. If chocolate runs and makes a skirt around base of dipped fondant, or if the chocolate dries slowly, the chocolate is too warm. Continue mixing chocolate with hand until when fondant is dipped, chocolate dries quickly.    Dot wax paper with chocolate, placing dipped fondant piece on top. Chocolate should be well mixed at all times to keep the cocoa butter from separation from the chocolate. Allow dipped fondant to stand on wax paper for about one hour before boxing. If possible let set several hours before boxing. Dip in cool room and remember chocolate must feel cool to the touch. Seven pounds of chocolate will dip about ten pounds of sugar cooked into fondant. Submitted by: Kathy McMullin

Resurrection Rolls

On one of the YW message boards  (back in 1999-- from Debbie McEwen): Pillsbury Crescent Rolls Melted Butter Large Marshmallows Cinnamon Sugar Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls.  The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in in the tomb. Give each child a marshmallow.  This represents Jesus. Have them dip the marshmallow in melted butter.  This represents the oils of embalming Then dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar.  This represents the spices used to annoint the body. Then wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll-roll...but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside)  This represents the wrapping of Christ's body after his death. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  The oven represents the tomb. When the rolls have cooled slightly open the rolls to discover that Jesus (marshmallow) is no longer there.  HE IS RISEN!  The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up but empty. HAPPY EASTER! Submitted by: Kathy McMullin

Frango Candy

4 cups  /  12 oz. (2 cups, works) package chocolate chips 1                ½ cup butter or margarine 3                1 ½ cup powdered sugar 4                2 Tablespoons vanilla 4                2 eggs 2 3/4          1 tsp. mint flavoring (used 3/4 tsp. & was fine) Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. In your Cuisinart insert the steel knife and combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, mint flavoring and the cooled chocolate. Process to thoroughly combine. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper or if you are feeling fancy, put into a pastry bag with a fluted tip and make gorgeous mints. Refrigerate. Makes 2 dozen.

Submitted by: Kathy McMullin

Chocolate Toffee Candy Recipe

1/2 c Coarsely chopped pecans 1/2 c Butter 3/4 c Brown sugar, packed 1/2 c Semisweet chocolate pieces Sprinkle pecans in bottom of buttered 8 inch square baking pan. Combine butter and brown sugar in 2 quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches hard crack stage (295F) on candy thermometer. Immediately pour hot mixture over pecans,spreading evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate evenly over all. When chocolate is set, break up into pieces. Makes about 3/4 of a pound. Submitted by: Kathy McMullin

Caramel Candy Recipe

3 c Sugar 1 1/2 c White karo 2 c Cream Pinch of Salt Cook 1 cup cream with sugar and Karo, until soft ball stage. Add last cup of cream very slowly, not to stop boiling. Cook to hard ball stage. Pour on buttered plate and cut in squares. Wrap in oil paper. Submitted by: Kathy McMullin

Giant Ginger Cookies

• 4-1/2  cups all-purpose flour

• 4   teaspoons ground ginger

• 2  teaspoons baking soda

• 1-1/2  teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1  teaspoon ground cloves

•  1/4  teaspoon salt

• 1-1/2  cups shortening

• 2  cups granulated sugar

• 2   eggs

•  1/2  cup molasses

•  3/4  cup coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Directions

1. In mixing bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds to soften. Gradually add the 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture.

3. Shape dough into 2-inch balls using 1/4 cup dough. Roll balls in the 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar. Place about 2-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed. (Do not overbake or cookies will not be chewy.) Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Makes twenty-five (25) 4-inch cookies.

Fudgy Bon Bons

1 – 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ cups butter or margarine

1 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

2 cups flours

1 tsp. vanilla

50 Hershey’s Hugs

½ cups white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat.  Add milk and mix well.  Remove from heat.  Add flour and vanilla.  Wrap about 1 tablespoon around each hug.  Place about 1 each apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 6 – 8 minutes  Melt white chocolate and drizzle over cookies.

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren

Caramel Corn

Pop about 1 cup of un-popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1 cube margarine

½ cup Karo syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil over low heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes.  Pour over popped corn and stir well.  Spread onto wax paper and let cool

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren

Frightful Finger Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

1  ¾ cups flour

1 cup ground pecans

Red food coloring and blanched or slivered almonds

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Beat butter and sugar in bowl of heavy-duty mixer until light and fluff.  Add vanilla and salt.  Add flour, ¼ cup at a time.  Blending after each addition.  Stir in ground pecans.  Dough will be heavy
• Using 1 heaping tablespoonful per cookie, shape dough into “fingers” about 3 inches long and ¾ inch in diameter.
• Place cookies on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Using a knife, lightly scour “fingers” a few times across the center and near the top to resemble knuckles.  “Paint” almonds with red food coloring and press into the top of the cookie to resemble a fingernail, if desired.  Or, make an indentation in the top to resemble a fingernail. 
• Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. 

• cool cookie sheets between batches.

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs                                     

1 cup sugar                             

2/3 cup pumpkin                       

1 tsp lemon juice                          

¾ cup flour                               

2 Tbsp cinnamon                      

½ tsp. salt                                

1 tsp. baking powder                

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup chopped nuts 

Filling

1 cup powdered sugar

6 oz cream cheese

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp vanilla

Beat eggs at  high speed for 5 minutes.  Gradually add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice.  Stir.  Fold in flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, ginger, and nutmeg.  Spread into a large sprayed and floured cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with nuts if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.  Tip out on towel.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Roll up in towel.  Cool completely.

Mix together powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.  Unroll.  Spread with filling.  Roll up and chill until cool.           

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren            

Caramel Apple Dip

1  8-oz package cream cheese

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Soften cream cheese.  Mix together with sugar and vanilla.  Serve with sliced apples.

Submitted by: Carla Rosengren

Molasses Crinkles

1 cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup shortening

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

2 ¼ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

Combine brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg.  In another bowl, add all dry ingredients.  Stir all together.  Refrigerate 1 hour or more.  Make into balls.  Roll in sugar.  Bake 375 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.

Submitted by: Jodi Turner

Smucker’s Spider Web Tartlets

Sugar cookie recipe or 1 – 16 ounce log refrigerated sugar cookie dough

¾ cup flour (if using log refrigerated sugar cookie dough)

Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

1 cup (12 ounce jar) SMUCKER’S Apricot Preserves

1 tube black cake decorating gel

• Preheat oven to cookie recipe temp.  With floured hands, knead flour into dough if using log refrigerated sugar cookie dough.  Cut dough into circle shapes, place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or use nonstick cooking spray.
• With thumb and forefinger, pinch the edge of each dough circle to create a ridge all around making eight points.
• Spread 2 tablespoon of jam onto each dough circle, making sure to spread it all the way to the edges and in points.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Remove tartlets from baking sheets and cool on wire rack.  When cool, use the black decorating gel to make a spider web design.

Submitted by: Melanie Clair

Miniature Pumpkin Cakes

1  16 oz package pound cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1  16 oz can of vanilla or cream cheese frosting

Orange food coloring

Large gumdrops

6  1 cup individual fluted tube pans

• Grease and flour six (1 cup size) individual fluted tube pans; set aside.  Beat cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, spice, and baking soda with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes.  Pour about 1/3 cup batter into each mini cup (Keep the remaining batter refrigerated.)
• Bake in a 350 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes or until  a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from the pans.  Cool.
• Repeat with the remaining batter to make six more mini cakes.  If necessary, us a serrated knife to trim flat the side of each cake evenly.  Tint the frosting orange.  To make each mini cake, spread some frosting on the flat (Bottom) side of one mini cake.  Press together with the flat side of another cake, forming a round pumpkin-shape cake.  Frost the outside.  Repeat with each cake.
• To make gumdrop stems, use a knife to trim the sides of a large green gumdrop straight; place in the center of each cake.
• You can flatten gumdrops and cut into leaf shapes to decorate cakes.

Submitted by: Melanie Clair

Rocky Road

2 eight ounce bars milk chocolate, cut up

3 cups tiny marshmallows

¾ cups coarsely chopped walnuts

• Line an 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.  Butter the foil; set pan aside.
• In a medium sauce pan, heat the milk chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until milted and smooth.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir in marshmallow and chopped walnuts.  Spread mixture into prepared pan.

• Chill candy mixture about 30 minutes or until firm.  When firm, use foil to lift candy out of pan; cut candy into 1 inch squares.  Store tightly covered.  Makes 64 pieces.

Submitted by: Melanie Clair

Donna’s Raspberry Pie

First Layer:

Cream together:

2 cups powdered sugar,

8 oz. cream cheese

1 TB vanilla

Second Layer:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 ½ TB corn starch

Boil until thickened. 

Add ¼ cup raspberry Jell-O.  Let cool.

Add 4 cups fresh raspberries.

 Spread thickened raspberry mixture over 1^st layer and top with whipped cream (and a few fresh berries) when ready to serve.  You can use other fruit such as peaches, blackberries, strawberries – just use the matching Jell-O flavor.

This should make filling for 2 (9 inch) pies.  Use whatever crust you like.  It can also be made in an oblong pan with a cookie crumb crust.  This is a very easy recipe.

Submitted by: Diane Batschi

Chocolate Caramel Bars

2 ¼ cups flour – divided

1 ½ cups packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 jar (12 ounce) caramel sauce

2 cups quick oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups cold butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine 2 cups of flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Set half aside for topping; press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9 X 13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans.  Whisk caramel and remaining flour until smooth.  Drizzle over top.  Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture and bake 18 – 20 minutes or until browned.  Cool 2 hours before cutting.

Submitted by: Marcia Jacobs

Pine Bark

35 saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

5 (4 ounce) milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces

(Bonnie suggest Symphony almond toffee bar)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 15 by 10 by 1 inch jelly roll pan with tin foil.  Lightly spray foil with a nonstick cooking spray.

Place saltine crackers, salty side up, in prepared pan.  In a saucepan, boil butter and sugar for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.  Pour mixture over crackers and bake for 4 to 6 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with candy bars, and spread evenly as chocolate begins to melt.  Cool slightly and transfer onto waxed paper.  Allow to cool completely.

Can embellish with crushed peppermint candy, and melted white chocolate for a spectacular presentation!

Submitted by: Bonnie Anderson

Easy Basic chocolate cake

½ cup margarine

4 heaping tablespoons cocoa

1 cup water

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt margarine in saucepan.  Add coca and water and bring to a boil.  Pour over flour and sugar.  Combine buttermilk and soda and add with eggs, vanilla and cinnamon.  Mix well and pour into a 9 X 13 inch pan.  Bake for 20 minutes and frost immediately with fudge 

frosting

 Fudge frosting

½ cup margarine

4 TBsp cocoa

6 TBsp milk

Comvine in saucepan and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and beat in

1 lb powder sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts

Pour over chocolate cake while still hot

Submitted by: Diane Batschi