A fun little dessert recipe

 

I thought I would share the nice little dessert that I took to our daughter Carrie's home on Mother's Day.  This choice of dessert was the result of an impulse buy at the grocery store.  Have you tried the Athens Phyllo Cups?  They've been around for years, but it's been awhile since I purchased or used any.  

While grocery shopping on the Friday before Mother's Day, I noticed a stack of the Athens Phyllo Cups on display in the produce department.  To my surprise, they had not only the traditional phyllo cups but also a chocolate flavor and a graham flavor.  They were 3 boxes for $5.  I scooped up a box of each, not sure what I would do with them.

A recipe for Petite Cheesecakes was on the box of the regular flavor shells.  I had all of the ingredients on hand (very simple ones), so that decided the matter.  Here is the recipe as I prepared it.

PETITE CHEESECAKES

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 pkgs. (15-count each) Athens Phyllo Shells (I used 1 box of regular and 1 box of chocolate)
1/2 cup seasonal fruit, preserves, or favorite topping for garnish

Preheat oven to 325º.  Arrange phyllo shells on a sheet pan.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and flour.  Blend in egg, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth.

Spoon filling into each phyllo shell.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  ( I went for 15.)  

Let cool for 10 minutes.  Garnish as desired.  I used lemon curd, strawberry pieces, halved Andes mints, and some lovely organic raspberry preserves that Vee had given me when we met up in February.

As you can see, these turned out quite pretty.  They were also delicious.  

These little tarts transport well and are easy to serve and eat.  They would make a fun dessert to share at upcoming graduation parties, weddings, recitals, and more. 

Apple Crisp Pie Bars

 

A couple of weeks ago I had a lot of apples to use up and made a couple of apple desserts.   One of them was this recipe I put together by combining a couple of different recipes.

Regular readers may have noticed I have a tendency to do this.  I'll see a recipe I like the look of but on closer inspection it looks too complicated.  I'll streamline it if I can, but sometimes I'll see a similar recipe I can borrow from to create a whole new recipe.  Sadly, I also have the regrettable tendency to forget what I've done if I don't write it down.

That's what happened with these bars.  I had seen an apple bar recipe on Instagram that looked absolutely scrumptious, but when I looked the recipe up on Taste of Home (where it was from), it didn't have very good reviews and looked like a lot of work.  So I combined it with a dutch apple pie recipe, adjusted the quantity of crust to work with a 13x9 pan, and it all turned out quite well.  So ...

APPLE CRISP PIE BARS

For the crust:
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup butter, melted
Mix all crust ingredients until crumblly and set aside 2 cups or so of the crust mixture for the topping.  Press the rest of the mixture evenly onto the bottom and partway up the sides of a 13X9 baking pan.

For the filling:
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons apple pie spice (or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon)
8 cups peeled, sliced, tart apples
Combine the sugar, flour and spices in a large bowl.  Add the sliced apples and toss well to combine.  Arrange the apples evenly over the crust in the pan.  Crumble the remaining topping over the apples. 

Bake in a preheated 375º oven for 45 minutes or a little more, or until the apple filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.  Cool in pan on wire rack before cutting into bars.  Makes at least 24 bars, depending on the size you cut them.

These bars are best served with a fork rather than eating out of hand.  They're a bit crumbly and the filling is a bit juicy.  They'd be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side -- and a couple of times my husband and I had one for breakfast with vanilla Greek yogurt on top.  Hope you enjoy these bars if you try the recipe!  I've made them twice now and they went over very well with everyone who tasted them.

Friday five ~ August 30

Some weeks Friday seems to roll around very quickly.  This week it seems to have taken a bit longer.  I am looking forward to the weekend!  No concrete plans as yet, other than having a friend over for supper tonight; we aren't even sure yet if my hubby will have Monday off.  But weekends are always a nice respite!

Without further ado, here's my Friday five:

1.  A nice change in the weather made it cool enough to bake cookies last Friday.  I had bought some of these baking chips on clearance at Walmart.

Have you seen them?  Here's the description:

I was quite surprised that they contained no artificial flavors.  All I tasted was salted caramel, but still I assumed artificial flavors were used.  Guess I didn't read the bag too thoroughly!

I used the cookie recipe on the back of the bag.  Here's the link:  Sea Salt Caramel Chip Cookies.  I made them quite a bit smaller than specified and I formed them into balls rather than dropping them.  l also used the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour.

After so much hot, humid weather where one couldn't even think of turning on the oven, it was nice to be able to bake.

2.  A great time with friends on Saturday as we were invited to a get-together to see their family members visiting from out of state.  This is what we like to do ourselves when our faraway family is able to visit -- we try and host a get-together where they can see a lot of family and friends at one time.  I took along this  S’mores Pizza, plus a tortellini salad.

As mentioned in a previous post, it took less than 3 minutes for this dessert to disappear!

3.  A beautiful afternoon on Sunday for a hike to a peaceful lake.  Sometimes one just needs to be near water.  That's how it was for us and we tried to store it up for the week to come.  Something about that sailboat just speaks peace to my heart. 

4.  Seeing God answer prayer for wisdom this week.  When I'm outside my comfort zone, I might tend to ask someone who is comfortable in a specific area for advice.  This time my hubby was working on a job site where he had no cell service.  I briefly thought of consulting someone else, but the Lord impressed upon me that He is wisdom and that He promises to give wisdom when we ask.  There was no need to rely upon anyone but Him.  What a blessing to see how He answered my prayers!

Delightful graphic from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

5.  Nicer weather this week made it possible for me to work on some of my projects outdoors at the patio table on the back deck.  (We bought this table toward the end of last summer and I hadn't really thought of it as more than a place to eat.  But it's a nice large rectangular table, perfect for working on many different kinds of projects.)  Here's some of what I did:

* Planned menus and made my grocery list

* Worked on my Sunday School lesson

* Made some mailing envelopes to package orders from my Etsy shop, using repurposed calendar pages.  I made 5 larger envelopes and 1 of the smaller ones.  This is a project I plan to take up north when we go at the end of September.  If we get some rainy days (and it would be truly surprising if we didn't), I will work on a bit of envelope making.  They are easy once I get started.

Back of a larger envelope

Front of the same envelope

Back of smaller envelope

Front of smaller envelope

* Did some work in my scrapbook journal.
 
I'm currently using this as a place to journal my study of this book: Make Room for What You Love.  Inching my way through this book one question at a time has enabled me to work in my scrapbook journal much more regularly.


Oh, what an encouragement this book has been to me!  I've been so blessed by this thought:

And I really find myself thinking about it when I am about to set something down in a place where it doesn't really belong.  Try this for yourself and see if it doesn't help!

Yes, it truly has been a blessed week!  What are some blessings you've seen in your own life this week?

This 'n' that in the kitchen

I had a few kitchen experiments that turned out well in the past week or so, and just wanted to share them.  I love it when an idea to use up a leftover (or solve some other similar problem) works out well!

I'd mentioned that last Sunday was our corn roast at church.  We ended up bringing some of the leftover corn home, and I reheated it to serve alongside a couple of different meals -- wrap sandwiches and turkey burgers, if I remember right.  I had a couple ears left over after that,  and decided to cut the corn off the cob and put it in this Hearty Butternut Squash Soup. 

In that same soup, I also used up a few more leftovers: a quart of chicken broth, frozen from the last time I cooked chicken breasts in the crockpot; and instead of using fresh sliced peppers and chopped onions, I used dibs and dabs of frozen ones I had on hand.  I changed the recipe up a lot; used frozen pureed squash, left out the beans, and cut the quantities down a good bit.  The soup turned out fantastic and fed us for several meals. 

And then there was the leftover blueberry sauce.  I mentioned in my Friday five that our dear friends Sam and Jenn and their boys had joined us for supper last Sunday. Mr. T had made waffles, and I made this

BERRY SAUCE FOR PANCAKES OR WAFFLES

1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 cups blueberries, raspberries, OR cut-up strawberries

Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in the water. Add the fruit and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Makes about 2 cups.

I had made a batch of blueberry sauce and one of strawberry.  Nearly a pint of the blueberry one was left.   Not wanting it to mold,  I cast about for a way to use it.  We also had in the fridge a cup or two of fresh blueberries that a landowner on a logging job had given to my hubby.  I mixed them with the sauce, put it in the bottom of a pie pan, and made this

DOWN EAST BLUEBERRY COBBLER
3 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional but yummy)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tblsp. butter
-----------------
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tblsp. sugar
2 Tblsp. cold butter
1/3 cup cream or evaporated milk

Heat oven to 425º. In a bowl, toss the berries with the next four ingredients (sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla). Place the mixture into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Cut the butter into pieces and scatter over the berries.

Sift the 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together into a mixing bowl. Cut in the 2 Tblsp. butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cream and stir with a fork until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead 30 seconds or so. Roll the dough into a round slightly smaller than your pie plate and about 1/4 inch thick. Place the dough over the berries in the pie plate and cut several deep slashes in the top.

Bake the cobbler at 425º for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with powdered sugar sifted over the top.

Serves 4.

This experiment turned out to be absolutely delicious.  I had made this cobbler in the past but I would have had no idea it could turn out so well using the blueberry sauce.

(I left out the sugar in the blueberry part, and also omitted the lemon component because I had put lime juice in the sauce.  I also didn't put the vanilla in with the blueberries, but put it in the topping instead.  I did dot the filling with the butter, though.)

So last week I bought some strawberries at the supermarket.  I had no real idea how I was going to use them, but the price was great,  so I bought 2 boxes.  Of course you know that I didn't get to use them right away.  So I ended up tossing maybe a cup of them, and then decided I would try that cobbler recipe again using diced strawberries instead of blueberries.

This time I did use the sugar, and I think a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch would have been a good idea as well.  I also mixed in about a half cup of strawberry sauce that was left from the waffle buffet.  Again, I left out the lemon zest and juice, since I had put lemon juice in the sauce -- and again, I put the vanilla in the topping rather than the filling.

This also came out very good, though not as good as the blueberry one.  It tastes like warm strawberry shortcake in a pie plate, which is not a bad thing.

And then lastly for my kitchen escapades, a recipe I've blogged about before:   I made one of these S’mores Pizzas to take to a get-together on Saturday.  As you read the post (if you click over), you will see that the recipe actually makes two, but I decided to make just one because I didn't want any leftovers.  What was I thinking?

Photo from  Five Heart Home

These are so good and always a hit, but the reception of this dessert on this occasion had to set some kind of a record.  (To simplify serving at the picnic, I had cut the pizza at home, using a sharp knife dipped frequently in hot water to preserve the look of the marshmallows.  It worked really well.)

The serving table was pretty crowded with food, so I waited until everyone had been through the food line at least once before bringing out this pizza.  Well.  I am not in any way exaggerating when I say that within 3 minutes of placing this on the table, there was nothing left but crumbs.

Lesson learned.  Next time I'll bring two.

Those are my recent kitchen adventures.  What have you been cooking and/or baking lately?

One more slow cooker dessert: Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Photo from Taste of Home

Probably a good many of us have made a hot fudge sundae cake (also called a hot fudge pudding cake) in the oven.  It used to be a very popular dessert in the 1960s and 1970s and I had several other variations of it.  A lemon one, a caramel apple one, and a toffee raisin one.  All were good, but I think the hot fudge one was the favorite of most people.

Once I realized that my newly acquired 3-quart slow cooker was the perfect size for desserts, I decided to try the hot fudge sundae cake from my Gooseberry Patch Slow Cooking All Year Round cookbook. 

Here is  the recipe:
HOT FUDGE SUNDAE CAKE
1 cup flour*
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tblsp. unsweetened baking cocoa, divided use
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk*
2 Tblsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups hot water

Spray a 2 to 3-quart slow cooker with non-stick baking spray.  Sift flour, sugar, 2 Tblsp. baking cocoa, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.  Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla.  Spread this batter evenly in the greased slow cooker.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and the remaining 4 Tblsp. baking cocoa.  Slowly stir the hot water until smooth.  Pour this mixture evenly over the batter in the slow cooker.  Do not stir!

Cover slow cooker and cook on High setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Turn off slow cooker.  Let cake stand, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes before serving. 

Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes; add ice cream if desired.  Spoon sauce from slow cooker over top.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

(The recipe also called for 1/2 cup chopped nuts, but I don't think they are necessary.  If you use them, fold them into the batter just before spreading it in the cooker.)

* When I made this, I used the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 baking flour.  I also used almond milk instead of regular milk.

Oh, my, is this delicious!  I've made it twice now for our potluck lunch at church.  The second time I doubled the recipe and again, used the 3-quart slow cooker.  It worked fine.  Both times, I had French vanilla ice cream available to serve with this.  Coffee ice cream would also be fantastic!

To take this to the potluck, since I was going to be at church all morning anyway, I just cooked it there.  I spread the batter in the slow cooker and did not do the rest of the prep until I got to church.  I had the brown sugar and cocoa combined in a covered plastic bowl and just stirred in the hot water when I got there, then poured it over the batter.

And I just realized that -- although I followed the directions to turn the cooker off and let stand 30-40 minutes before serving, I didn't take the cover off.  It didn't seem to do any harm, but I'll pay attention to that next time!

If your family or potluck crowd likes chocolate and you like the idea of a nice warm dessert without any last-minute fuss, give this one a try!

Ever make a dessert in a slow cooker?

 I hadn't, until recently.  The concept has been around for awhile, but most slow-cooker dessert recipes call for a smaller cooker than what I have had.  Then I inherited a 3-quart crockpot with a removable Corning Ware casserole as the liner.  At first I used it mostly for smaller main dish recipes or for side dishes like vegetables.

Recently it occurred to me that now I could try one of the slow-cooker dessert recipes that so intrigued me.  I could take them to Sunday potluck lunches at church so we wouldn't have any leftovers tempting us at home.  I've now tried two recipes and am sold on this idea, especially for fall and winter.

The cookbook shown above, Slow Cooking All Year Round, is one that I received for having a recipe published in it.  I'm so thankful that I have this cookbook, as I have turned to it again and again.

But now I could turn to the dessert recipes!  There are 29 dessert recipes in this book.  A few of them are candies -- one combines and melts the ingredients in the slow cooker and then the mixture is dropped onto waxed paper to cool and harden.  Most, though, are some sort of pudding, cobbler, or cake.

This is really a great idea for a church potluck as the dessert can be cooking unattended in the slow cooker during the services.  When ready to eat, you have a nice warm dessert to serve.  Of course, it could also work to have the dessert in your slow cooker at home if you are planning Sunday lunch for guests or family.

On to the recipes.  The first one I tried (and my favorite of the two) is Gingerbread Pudding Cake:
GINGERBREAD PUDDING CAKE
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white*
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
----------------------------------
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup (or less) melted butter

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg white* and vanilla.  In separate smaller bowl or a measuring cup, combine molasses and water.  Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the molasses mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients and beating well after each addition.  Pour mixture into a greased 3-quart slow cooker. 

Sprinkle brown sugar over top of batter.  Combine hot water and melted butter; pour over brown sugar.  Do not stir.

Cover and cook on High setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted near center of cake tests clean.  Turn off slow cooker; let stand for 15 minutes.  Serve warm, scooped into bowls and topped with whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 6 to 8.

* Changes I made: I used a whole egg rather than an egg white because I just didn't have time to separate an egg right then.  The recipe did call for 1/2 cup chopped pecans in the batter, but I left those out.  I also used less melted butter at the end than called for; it called for 2/3 cup, which would have been impossibly rich.  It is a very rich dessert as it is.  Next time, I am going to try just 1/3 cup of melted butter, or maybe even 1/4 cup.

To make this at church, I had everything in the slow cooker except the hot water and melted butter at the end.  I just added those at church before turning the cooker on.  We just brought along a container of French vanilla ice cream to serve with it.

This dessert got rave reviews from those who tasted it.  It's delicious!

🍎 🍏 🍎 🍏 🍎 🍏 🍎 🍏 🍎 🍏 🍎 🍏 🍎

Now for the second recipe, Slow-Cooker Apple Pie:
SLOW-COOKER APPLE PIE
8 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
5 Tablespoons softened butter, divided use
1 1/2 cup biscuit baking mix, divided use
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

In a large bowl, toss together apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg; transfer to a greased slow cooker.  (I just tossed them together IN the slow cooker.) 

In a bowl, blend eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, 2 Tablespoons of the softened butter and 3/4 cup of the baking mixture.  (I beat them together with a hand mixer.)  Spoon this batter over apples.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar with the remaining baking mix and remaining softened butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Spoon brown sugar mixture over batter.  Do not stir.

Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours.  Serve warm, spooned into individual bowls and topped with whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 8 to 10.

I would not call this a pie, exactly; it was more of a cobbler.  But still very delicious!

So there you have it!  Some readers had been asking for the Gingerbread Pudding Cake recipe.  Now you can choose from two slow cooker dessert recipes if you are interested in trying this concept.  (And I highly recommend Slow Cooking All Year Round, too.)  Enjoy!

From the July archives, Part 2

Here are a few more posts from the July archives.  I'm planning to do one more before the month ends.

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Dessert is a delicious frozen treat that I want to make again soon.   I had actually planned to make it for yesterday's potluck at church, but that didn't happen. 

Photo from Jamie Cooks It Up!

I decided I was too pressed for time and made a double batch of no-bake cookies instead. This is so good, and quite easy.  Give it a try this summer, why don't you?

This post may encourage you if you are in need of strength today: The strength that comes from God.

Beautiful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

A day in the mountains recounts a fun day in the cool of the mountains while the valley sweltered.  I can still recall how hot and humid it was at home and how blessedly cool in the mountains.

And last but not least, a seashore-themed project which I had so much fun putting together from repurposed items.  It still hangs on our bathroom wall today, and it still makes me smile!

Another archive post to come this month, I hope.  Stay tuned ...

Lovely lemon dessert

This dessert recipe is one I've made many times over the years.  It would make a really nice Easter dessert because it is pretty, somewhat light, and has the bright flavor of lemon.  I made it yesterday, though, for a potluck lunch at church where a ministry team of teenagers would be eating with us.  Here's the recipe if you are interested:

LEMON AMBROSIA CAKE

1 (18.25 oz) lemon cake mix, plus the eggs and oil it calls for
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup sugar
2 (3.5 oz.) packages cook-and-serve lemon pudding and pie filling, plus egg yolks, water and sugar called for
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flaked coconut

     Bake the cake as directed in a 13x9x2” pan.  Combine the pineapple and sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil 5 minutes.
    Pour pineapple mixture over the hot cake.  Cool pineapple-topped cake in pan on rack.
     Cook the lemon pudding mixes as directed, with the egg yolks and water called for.  Pour the cooked pudding over the cake and chill until firm.
     Whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form, gradually adding the confectioners sugar (which serves as a stabilizer).  Beat in the vanilla.  Spread the whipped cream over the pudding.  Sprinkle the coconut over the whipped cream and refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
 Yield:  12 servings.

 This cake has been a family favorite for years.  I copied it years ago off the radio cooking show, Gus Saunders' Yankee Kitchen. Although the dessert is easy to make, it is somewhat time-consuming because the cake needs to cool and then chill in between the different steps of the recipe.  I'll run through those with pictures and captions.  (All photos were taken with my Kindle and so the quality is not of the best, but you will get the idea, I'm sure.)

Mix the cake with eggs, oil, and water as the package directs.  I used coconut oil because that's what I had.  Bake the cake as usual.

When the cake is done, put the undrained pineapple in a saucepan with a cup or less of sugar; bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes and pour over the hot cake.  Let cool completely.

When the cake is cooled, cook the 2 packages of lemon pudding as the package directs.  The kind I used called for egg yolks and water, and I think some sugar too.  When  a recipe calls for 2 egg yolks, I always substitute a whole egg (unless there is a meringue involved to use up the whites).  Spread the pudding over the cooled cake.  Place the dessert in the refrigerator until the pudding is cold.  You can even chill it overnight at this point.

Whip cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla.

Spread whipped cream over the chilled pudding layer.

Sprinkle coconut  over the whipped cream.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cut in squares of desired size to serve.  Enjoy!

Hope your family enjoys this recipe if you try it!

Peanut Butter Cookie S'mores Pizza

Photo and recipe from Five Heart Home

A couple of weeks ago our church family had a get-together at someone's home to say goodbye to one of our dear older members who was moving to another state far away.  Since our fellowship was planned for the Saturday before the Super Bowl, we decided to go with a tailgating theme (even though we would be eating indoors).

After a lot of looking through cookbooks and Pinterest, I decided to bring some Easy Cheese Logs and a couple of kinds of crackers.  I also brought a batch of Vee's amazing Shrimp Dip -- click her Recipes button to access it -- and potato chips, plus an artichoke and green chile quiche.  For dessert, I settled on this Peanut Butter Cookie S’mores Pizza.

What a great recipe!  You spread peanut butter cookie dough on a pizza pan and bake it, then sprinkle on chocolate chips and allow them to melt a few minutes before spreading them over the crust.  Lastly you arrange halved marshmallows atop the chocolate and put the pizza under the broiler for just a few seconds.  (If I had one of those little kitchen blowtorches, I'd have used that; the broiler makes me so nervous.  But it worked and the marshmallows were perfectly toasted and looked so pretty.)

Now, this recipe calls for a 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan.  The pans I had were 13 inches at best and were very shallow.   I found that I had enough of the peanut butter cookie dough to make 2 pizzas, so I did.  I brought one to the get-together and brought the second one to our potluck at church the next day.  This dessert pizza went over very well with people.  It was a little bit difficult to cut because of the toasted marshmallows being so gooey, but that was its only flaw.  A very delicious and unique dessert!

A few last-minute Valentine sweets

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

I'm going to share some Valentine sweets with you today, things quick and easy enough to make at the last minute.  But first, something even sweeter.  Stephanie, over at The Enchanting Rose, has written a beautiful post on The Love of God.  If you haven't seen this post, do go on over and read it.  Stephanie's words, the hymns and poems she shares, and her gorgeous, evocative photography will warm your heart today.

For the more temporal sweetness, now, a few candy recipes and a deep-chocolate dessert!  I'll start with the dessert since you might like to make this for after supper tonight:

Photo from Taste of Home

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TORTE

1 package fudge brownie mix (13x9-inch size) plus the eggs, oil and water it calls for
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups whipped topping (or, by all means use real whipped cream if you have it)
Chocolate or heart-shaped sprinkles

Prepare brownie mix as package directs for fudge-like brownies. Spread batter in a greased & floured 9-inch round cake pan. (Or do as I do and don’t bother with greasing & flouring -- just place a 9-inch round of wax paper in the bottom of the cake pan.) Bake at 350º for 38-42 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes.

Invert onto a serving plate and cool completely. In a bowl, stir together the chocolate and butter until smooth. Spread over brownie layer; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Just before serving, top with the whipped topping. Decorate with sprinkles.

Yield: 9-12 servings.

This recipe is so easy and takes such ordinary ingredients, yet produces something really special! You might already have all of the ingredients on hand. It is decadent, for sure. I found this recipe in an early Quick Cooking magazine.

Now just a few simple candy recipes.

Photo from Taste of Home

Angel Food Candy melts in your mouth and is so delicious!  I've had this recipe for years and years.

Photo from Taste of Home

Coffee Shop Fudge is one that I made at Christmas.  It's a lot like Arlene’s Easy Fudge, only with coffee and a touch of cinnamon.  Either one is a quick fudge that you can probably have in the pan in under five minutes.

Photo from Taste of Home

Peanut Butter Balls are a long-time favorite in our family, and maybe in yours too.  If you coat them in white chocolate and add some Valentine sprinkles or red sugar, you will have a festive treat indeed!  This is probably the most time-consuming recipe of the bunch, since it takes time to form the candies and dip them in melted chocolate, not to mention chilling time.

Photo from Taste of Home

Heavenly Delight is a tradition in our family.  Just a double decker chocolate and peanut butter fudge, it is easy and relatively quick to make.

Photo from Taste of Home

Chocolate-Covered Almond Brittle is a delicious candy I've made many times.  It's made in the microwave so it's quite easy, but beware!  The bowl or casserole dish you're cooking the brittle mixture in will get VERY hot.  I once destroyed a glass bowl cooking this mixture.  I recommend a Pyrex casserole to microwave it in.

Photo of full-size chocolate pizza from Taste of Home

And then last but not least, not at all, are Little Chocolate Pizzas.  The recipe is for a large chocolate pizza, but it is much more fun if you make them individual size.

Well, I could go on and on, but I will stop here.  Among these, I'd say you're sure to find a sweet treat that your sweethearts will enjoy!

Layered Pumpkin Dessert

Photo from Taste of Home

I've shared this recipe before (in 2013 and maybe other times as well), but it's a fall tradition with us and so I thought it was time to post it again.

PUMPKIN LAYERED DESSERT

Crust:
1 cup flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix together ingredients and pat into a 13x9-inch pan or dish. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

2nd Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
half of a 12-oz. tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

Beat cream cheese and sugar well. Fold in whipped topping and spread on cooled crust.

3rd Layer:
16-oz. can of pumpkin
2 small (3.5 oz. I think) pkgs. vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup half & half cream (or use evaporated milk or even regular milk)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves

Beat these ingredients together and spread the pumpkin mixture over the cream cheese layer. Chill for 1 hour.

4th Layer:
remaining 6 ounces of whipped topping (from the 12-oz. tub mentioned above)
Chopped walnuts

Spread the remaining whipped topping over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This wonderful dessert has been a favorite at our Thanksgiving dinners for years! In 1995, my youngest daughter's best friend, Emily, spent the Thanksgiving break with us, and the two of them made this dessert together.  I believe it was originally from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook.  It was a new recipe to us then, but it quickly became a tradition. God took Emily home to heaven in the summer of 1996, so this tradition is doubly sweet to us as we remember her and the wonderful Thanksgiving we spent together.

During the fall in recent years, I've seen pumpkin instant pudding in the stores.  You could certainly use 2 boxes of that that rather than taking time to make up the pumpkin mixture, but the real pumpkin will be much, much nicer.  Enjoy, and happy fall!

(Sharing today with Bernideen’s Autumn Garden Tea.)

While we're on the subject of apples...

(which we were, a day or two ago) it's the perfect time for me to share a bunch of my favorite recipes using apples.  I've done this before, but not everyone looks around in the archives and -- and besides, I'm always trying new recipes and forgetting to post about them!

Maybe you just bought a large bag or box of apples and would like some new ways to use them.  Read on ...

I think I'll start with a main dish that I frequently make for our church potlucks.  I actually made this for the Sunday just past, but I have a busy weekend ahead and think I will make this dish again for this Sunday.  People love it and it's quite healthy,  not to mention very delicious.

POLENTA BAKE

1 package of chicken sausage (fully cooked type such as Al Fresco) -- in the sweet apple flavor
1 large sweet onion
1 large apple (Honeycrisp is the best!) or 2 smaller apples
1 tube garlic and herb polenta
Olive oil
Salt and pepper (optional)

Have a 9 x 13-inch baking dish ready and just add the ingredients as you prepare them.  Slice up the chicken sausages.  I slice each one lengthwise and then cut them into about 1/4-inch slices crosswise.  Peel the onion, cut it in half and cut each half into wedges.  (Or cut them smaller if your onion is really huge.)  Wash, core and slice the apples into wedges.  Don't bother to peel them.  Then slice your polenta.  I cut it in quarters lengthwise and then slice it between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick.  Now drizzle some olive oil (at least a tablespoon, but it's up to you) over the ingredients in the baking dish.  Salt and pepper to taste if you like.  Stir everything together well.

Bake at 375º for 1 hour.

When I take this to our church potluck, I bake it in the morning, timing it to come out of the oven just before we leave the house.  I cover it with foil.   Then when we get to church I place it on an electric warming tray where it holds just fine until we are ready to eat a few hours later.

Next,  here is one of our favorite side dishes:

BUTTERCUP SQUASH and APPLES

3 lbs. buttercup squash
3 apples
6 Tblsp. margarine (or use 4 Tblsp. oil)
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 Tblsp. flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt

Cut squash in halves; remove seeds and fibers. Peel and cut in slices 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Arrange the slices in a 13 x 9-inch pan.

Core apples but do not peel them. Cut in 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch slices and arrange them on top of squash.Mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over top of apples and squash. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake at 350º for about 1 hour or until squash is tender. Serves 6 to 8.

I've been making this recipe for over forty years. It’s nice with any autumn meal and would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving. It would also make a nice contribution to an autumn potluck.

 Next I have a smattering of apple salad recipes.

This Apple-Feta Tossed Salad 

Photo from Taste of Home

came from Taste of Home, I think.  An older issue.  I changed up the dressing recipe a lot.  And oh, those walnuts.  Do make those.  They make a great addition to any number of salads.

This recipe is a bit similar to the one above: Sweet and Sour Apple Salad, 
 

Photo and recipe both by Andrea at The Cottage Market

but it's enough different that I decided to share them both.  One thing I really like about this sweet and sour salad is that you shake the diced apples right in with the homemade dressing.  This serves very nicely to keep them from browning.  

Now a salad so simple that it's really not even a recipe.

SIMPLE APPLE SALAD

Apples 
Mayonnaise or plain yogurt (or some of each)
Maple syrup
Broken walnuts or pecans or sunflower seeds
Raisins or craisins  

You just dice up the amount of apples you like and mix in equal quantities of mayo (or plain yogurt) and maple syrup.  (For a couple of big apples, I would start with a tablespoon of each.)  Then stir in nuts or sunflower seeds and raisins or craisins, to taste.  The dried fruit can be left out if you prefer, but I would definitely add the nuts.

And then this salad, which could be served either as a salad or dessert:

APPLE SNICKERS SALAD

4 to 6 large apples, cored and chopped (not peeled)
2 to 3 large Snickers bars, chopped into small pieces
Cool Whip or freshly whipped cream* to taste



Mix all together; serve and enjoy!


*  I have not tried this using freshly whipped cream; I imagine it would break down and become runny if allowed to set for too long.  If you choose to try it, be sure to stabilize the whipped cream by adding powdered sugar, and serve the salad immediately after preparing.
So we will segue into desserts with two of my favorites:
Apple Cranberry Crisp 
and
Apple Crisp Pizza.  

Photo from Taste of Home

I've already made this once this fall, but it won't be the last time.  Delicious.  Absolutely delicious.  This is a Taste of Home recipe and one that I've always been thankful that I clipped.

Not an apple recipe as such, but a dip for apple slices, this Fall Apple Dip 
 

Photo by Taste of Home

makes a great snack or a dessert.  It always goes over well.

And lastly, just a couple of apple tips, if you will.  This helpful apple hint is well worth knowing about, great for packing apple slices in lunches.

And then this apple pie spice blend is SO convenient to have on hand.  You'll be glad you took a few minutes to stir this up!
 
APPLE PIE SPICE

1/2 cup cinnamon
1 Tblsp. nutmeg
1 Tblsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Blend ingredients. Store in a tightly covered container -- I use an old International Coffee® tin. Use along with sugar in apple pie, applesauce, baked apples, etc. Use 1 1/4 tsp. for each 6 cups of sliced apples. You may find that cookie or muffin recipes call for apple pie spice as well; it’s a convenient blend to keep on hand in your pantry.

Hope these ideas are useful to some of my readers who enjoy cooking and baking!  They are tried and true!