Blueberry Crumble Cake with Lemon Icing

Our current favorite special-occasion-cake.  Holy mackerel, it's a goodie.  I make it for John whenever he does something even remotely cool so that eating it several times a month is justified.  It comes together so fast, too.  Great for entertaining... 

{What you need}

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

3 oz. plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh/frozen)

For topping:

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

6 tablespoons frozen butter (to grate in)

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best!)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9 inch round cake pan and set aside.  Mix all dry ingredients together then add the wet and combine until just incorporated.  Fold in the blueberries and pour into prepared cake pan. For the topping, combine the flour and sugar and grate in the frozen butter.  Mix together with fingers until crumbly.  Sprinkle the topping over top the cake batter, making sure to cover EVERY SQUARE CENTIMETER with the topping because it will become the most delicious crumbly crust you've ever had and makes the cake.  Bake for 40-50 minutes (DON'T OVER BAKE!! It's better to under bake a little if you're worried...). While it's baking, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice until a glaze forms, then drizzle over hot cake.  Serves up great for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or for shameless grazing all day long.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

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This one is a winner, let me tell you.  I have made it at least four times in the last month to either take to people or to just stuff my own face with.  It comes together in literally 5 minutes and people just go nuts for it.  It comes from my dear friend Kate, who got it from her friend Jennie.  If you are making it for a smaller group it halves really well and just bake it in a smaller dish.

{What you need}

2 packages crescent rolls

8 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick melted butter

Press one package of crescent rolls in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish to form the bottom crust.  Mix the cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla together and spread on top of the crust.  Press the second package of crescent rolls on top and pat thin to cover everything.  Mix the rest of the sugar, cinnamon and melted butter together and pour over top, spreading to the edges to cover everything.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Serves great hot, cold, warm--or right out of the dish with a fork.

Individual No Bake Pineapple Cheesecakes

image of original recipe

These were so fun a refreshing!  The pineapple flavor wasn't very strong, so I would maybe alter it if you want more.  Or just use fresh pineapple.  We loved it as is, though, and it was a major hit at a spring bridal shower.  We served them in plastic champagne glasses from Zurchers for a little extra presentation.

{What you need}

crust:

3/4 cup crushed Nilla wafer cookies

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

12 oz pureed pineapple (we used canned)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 8 oz tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

whipped topping and extra cookies for garnish

Combine the crust ingredients and make sure the butter is evenly incorporated.  In each cup, press in about 3 tablespoons of the cookie crumbs to form a crust layer.  Combine all the filling ingredients and pour into a gallon freezer bag.  Seal bag shut.  Cut a little bit of the corner off and evenly pipe the filling into each cup. Top with whipped topping and a wafer cookie for garnish right before serving.

inspired by this recipe

Jillian's Soft Sugar Cookies

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I will never make another recipe of sugar cookies!!  My friend, Jillian, was so sweet to share this recipe with me.  I made a few batches of these for my dad for his birthday, and I thought he was going to cry when he opened the box.  Soft sugar cookies with no frosting are his favorite cookies, but he is always disappointed when he thinks he has found a kind he'll like.  He literally ADORED these sugar cookies.  They are the cookies he has dreamed about for his whole life.  And he's quite the critic when it comes to sugar cookies, so you can totally trust this recipe!  They also freeze great if you want to make a bunch in advance or just to have them on hand.

{What you need}

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup sour cream

4-6 cups flour 

(just until the texture is still just a bit sticky; it should be kind of a runny dough, though.)

Cream shortening, sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Add the eggs and beat well.  Alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream.  I added about 4.5 cups.  Chill the dough for 3 hours or up to 2 days.  Roll out batches of the dough on an floured surface with a floured rolling pin until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.  I actually took them out at 7 minutes 30 seconds so that they stay fluffy and soft.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool them on a towel.  Repeat until the dough is gone.

Muffin Tin Berry Pies

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These are so adorable and so fun!  You can make them weeks in advance and freeze them.  Just take them out the morning of the day you're serving them and let them thaw.  We're serving these for Thanksgiving this year as a fun twist on pie dessert.

{What you need}

4-6 store bought pie crust doughs

bowl or round cookie cutter about 4" diameter

muffin tin

decorative cookie cutters (optional)

4 cups assorted fruit of choice (I like berries, fresh or canned)

1/2-2/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

{optional crumb topping}

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter at room temp

Roll out the pie crust dough and with the cookie cutter cut out 24 circles, reserving the rest of the dough.  Place each circle of pie crust in each well of two muffin tins, pressing them to form a tad.  To make the filling, wash and prepare fruit.  In a large bowl, add fruit, sugar, corn starch and lemon juice, and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.  Spoon even amounts of filling into each muffin well.  Roll out the remaining crust dough and cut out desired shapes to place on top of the filling for the top pie crust.  If you'd rather have the crumb topping instead, mix all the topping ingredients together with a for until it is crumbly.  Top each pie with a heaping tablespoon of crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and pies are heated through.  Allow to cool completely before removing from tins.

inspired by this recipe

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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This is a very special dessert.  It's been in the H family for quite some time and is a favorite on Thanksgiving day.  It's a light and elegant twist on traditional essential for Fall.  

{What you need}

1 envelope Knox gelatin

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cool water

3 eggs (reserve whites)

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

{crust}

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup crisco

1/2 cold canned milk

For the crust, mix salt and flour.  Add crisco.  Blend with a pastry blender (not too fine).  Add milk (a little at a time).  Press into a 9" pie pan.  Bake at 400 until light and brown, about 8-12 minutes.  Set aside.

For the pie filling, mix the gelatin, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon together in a double boiler.  Stir in milk, water, egg yolks.  Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until dissolved and warm.  Remove and chill about 20 minutes in ice in double boiler until the mixture begins to set.  Beat the egg whites until very stiff, adding slowly 1/4 cup sugar.  Fold into gelatin mixture.  Pour into your pie crust and top with whipped cream.  Serve cold!

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

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Holy moly, it just doesn't get better than this.  I made these for John's birthday celebration and served them with Mexican Hot Chocolate.  We were all melting, it was just so yummy.  The pumpkin is really subtle.  Plus, these are baked, so they are way healthier than the regular donut!!

{What you need}

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

{for the coating}

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients except the brown sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar and all the wet ingredients, and then slowly incorporate into the bowl of dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups (I used a cookie dough scooper and was able to stretch it to about 30 muffins).  Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.  After they are baked, dip each one in melted butter, then cinnamon/sugar mixture until entirely coated.  Best served warm!!

inspired by this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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THE single most perfect cake for the fall season!!  So utterly moist and flavorful, this is one of my new favorite recipes.  It's a major hit at showers and parties and will drive you crazy with how many people ask you to give them the recipe.

{What you need}

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 
  

{frosting}

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.  In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Spread batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.  Combine all frosting ingredients and frost as desired, stacking the cakes with frosting in between.
• 
  
• Inspired by this recipe and this recipe.

Filled Vanilla Wafers

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This one is a delicate and tasty treat that is perfect for fancy showers or parties.  It takes a little time but is really quite simple and incredibly impressive.  This one comes c/o my precious grandmother-in-law, who in all honesty puts Martha Stewart to shaaaaaaaaame.

{What you need}

2 boxes vanilla wafer cookies

1 cup crushed pineapple—drained

1 cup finely chopped dates

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

2-3 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Cook together until it starts to thicken.  Cool.  Spread 1 teaspoonful or so between two vanilla wafers and roll each filled cookie in powdered sugar. Put in air tight container and age  24 hours or a little less.  These do not keep for a long time as they continue to absorb moisture, but I have recently discovered that they can be frozen and kept for some time.

The Best Brownies

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I don't think I'll ever use a box recipe again!  These are incredible and completely not complicated.  

{What you need}

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

{frosting}

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.  In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla.  In a separate bowl {I use my mixer} sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, salt, and powder.  Mix in eggs.  Add butter mixture and mix until all incorporated.  Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

For frosting, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Frost brownies while they are still warm.

(compliments of Angie from allrecipes.com)

Oatmeal Cake

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I've posted this recipe before, but I made it again this past weekend and remembered how absolutely incredible it is.  So I decided to re-post it for you all so you don't miss out on it.  This might be my all-time favorite recipe ever. I got it from a dear mission friend, Johna Jarnagin. She got me through some hard times on the mission by feeding my face with delicious food. This was my favorite of all the delicious food that she fed my face with.

{What you need}

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup margarine

1 1/3 cups boiling water

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

Mix oatmeal, margarine, and boiling water. Mix sugars and eggs into mixture. Sift flour and spices. Put in a 9x13" pan. Bake for 30 min at 350.

{topping}

1 cup brown sugar

1 cube margarine

1/2 cup canned milk

--boil these ingredients together--

add:

1 cup chopped nuts {I left these out}

1 cup coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

--pour hot mixture over baked cake--

Be warned that although this has oatmeal in it, it is not the most figure-friendly cake on the block. But it is sooo moist and rich. It really will change your life. Eat with a huge glass of cold milk.

Pumpkin Crumble Dessert

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My Aunt Lyssa brought these delectables to Baby James' blessing last week and I can't TELL you how incredibly they are!!  If you like pumpkin desserts, this will sink you.  If you don't, you'll still lurve it.  Perfect for the fall/winter weather, and could be a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving!!  This seriously might be my new favorite dessert... And they are soooo easy!!!!

{What you need}

1, 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1, 12 oz can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1, 18.25 oz package yellow cake mix

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts {optional}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spice.  Pour into greased pan.  Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top and drizzle melted butter on top.  Add walnuts on top, if desired.  Bake for one hour at 350 or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Serves great hot or cold!

recipe compliments of allrecipes.com

Eyeball Truffles

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These were a MAGOR hit at a recent Halloween party.  They are great for other occasions, too, if you leave off the blood-shot veins and pupils. . . and add sprinkles or something:)

{What you need}

1 package double stuff oreos {make sure they are double stuff!}

1, 8 oz. cube cream cheese

24 oz. white chocolate chips

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

2 lil' tubes of red cake decorating gel

dark colored m&m's

Crush all the oreos in a food processor and add cream cheese until a thick dough forms.  Form small balls from the dough and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer until they become firm enough to handle.  While they are in the fridge, melt the chocolate and shortening together.  Dip each oreo ball in the chocolate and place back on the wax paper.  Use the red gel to make "veins" coming out of the center of each truffle.  Place an m&m in the intersection of all the "veins" and see the eyeballs come to life!  Keep in the freezer until you are ready to serve.  These are absolutely DELICIOUS!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie S'Mores

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Untouchably delicious.  Really.  How can you go wrong with these ingredients??  This is a fun and mouth-watering variation on traditional s'mores.  I got the idea off a cooking segment on the Today show, but I don't know how to find it to reference... Sorry, Matt, Anne, and Al.

{What you need}

your favorite chocolate chip cookies {this recipe rocks}

peanut butter

Hershey Chocolate Bars

jumbo marshmallows

tin foil for grilling

Take two cooled chocolate chip cookies and spread your desired amount of peanut butter on the bottoms of both.  Using the two cookies as the ends of the "sandwich", stuff with chocolate bar and mallow, as you would with a traditional s'more.  Wrap the cookie sandwich in tin foil and grill on a low-heated grill for 5 minutes, or until the mallow reaches the desired meltiness.  Careful not to burn!

Aebelskivers

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Aebelskivers are a traditional Danish dish, sort of like donut holes but much better.  You have to have a special pan to make them:

John and I got one of these pans for our wedding and this dish has become a favorite in our home.  John requested them as part of his Father's Day feast.  

{What you need}

2 egg whites

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, or desired toppings

In a glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold a firm peak.  Set aside

In a separate bowl, combine flour, powder, sugar, soda, salt, egg yolks, butter, and butter milk, all at once, and blend until smooth.  Gently fold in the egg whites last.

Put about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bottom of each aebleskiver pan cup and heat until hot. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter into each cup. As soon as they get bubbly around the edge, turn them quickly (Danish cooks use a long knitting needle, but a fork will work). Continue cooking, turning the ball to keep it from burning.

Best Fruit Pizza

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This is such a beautiful, refreshing, and delicious summer treat.  It was a major hit at a family function we had this past weekend.  It was inspired by this recipe but I used a completely different frosting--this fruit dip, and made a thicker crust.  It was incredible!!!!

{What you need}

2 c sugar

2 sticks butter, softened

4 eggs

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

{for a thinner crust, half all of the above ingredients}

1 large jar marshmallow puff

juice of 1/2 lemon

9 oz. cream cheese

crisco and flour to grease the cookie sheet

fruit topping ideas:

strawberries

kiwi

mandarin oranges

peaches

blueberries

raspberries

bananas

etc.

Cream the sugar, eggs, and butter.  In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, powder, and soda.  Slowly add to the sugar mixture and form a soft dough.  Grease and flour the cookie sheet and spread the dough evenly on the sheet.  **This was a little hard for me, for some reason.  I had to grease my hands so the dough wouldn't stick to them.  That helped it be a little easier.**  Bake the crust at 375 for 12 minutes.  Set the sheet aside and cool completely.  Mix the puff, lemon juice, and cream cheese for the frosting.  Right before serving, spread the frosting evenly over the entire crust.  Slice as desired and put your choice of fruit on each slice.  I put strawberries, mandarin oranges, and kiwi on each slice.  It was so gorgeous!!!

Chocolate Chunk Rice Krispie Cookies

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This is my mother's best cookie recipe.  Incidentally she got it from my mother-in-law.  But it seriously is so delicious, and such a unique, hearty texture.  We have these at lest three times a month and they never get old.

{What you need}

  2 eggs

    1/2 c. butter

    2/3 c. sugar

    2/3 c. brown sugar

    1 c. oats

    1 1/2 c. flour

    1/2 tsp baking soda

    2/3 c. rice krispies

    1 c. chocolate chips

    1 c. white chocolate chips  


Cream together eggs, butter, and sugars.  Add oats, flour, and soda and blend evenly.  Fold in rice krispies and chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy with a huge glass of ice cold milk!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

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So easy.  So uniquely delish.  They are really peanut buttery, so if you don't like PB these might not be for you.  But if you do, then these are heaven!

{What you need}

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

18 bite-size reese's peanut butter cups

Cream sugar, pb, and egg.  Form dough into small balls, forming each dough-ball around one peanut butter cup.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  It is CRUCIAL that you do not over-bake them.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These totally are not in season, but they are delicious as ever!  Tonight for dinner I made this pasta so I thought I'd try to get the most out of the can of pumpkin we bought.  I googled a recipe for cookies and found this winner here.  The only change I made was I used chocolate chips instead of raisins and nuts.  That was a no-brainer to me.  They turned out to be the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies John and I have ever had.  Enjoy!

{What you need}

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, cream together sugar, egg, shortening, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl sift together the rest of the dry ingredients and gradually add in to sugar mixture until blended.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Spoon onto greased cookie sheets and cook for 10-15 minutes.  We found that 12 minutes is perfecto.

Eggless Cookie Dough

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Some people are paranoid about eating cookie dough because of the raw egg in it.  This has never fazed me, but I stumbled across this delicious recipe and whipped it together for a tasty treat for a sisters day.  It keeps great and I just keep a batch in the fridge to snack on every once in a while when I'm having a sugar craving.

{What you need}

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 small (~3.5oz) box instant vanilla pudding 

1/4 cup milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light in color.  Add pudding and combine well. Stir in vanilla and milk.  Add in baking soda and flour, 1/2 cup at a time until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Keep refrigerated. 

(compliments of The Sisters Cafe)