Rice is Nice

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QUICK RICE PUDDING

Bring 1 cup KRAFT MINUTE RICE, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons raisins, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil; cover and let stand until cool. Prepare 1 package (3 and ¾ oz.) JELLO vanilla instant pudding, adding 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Fold in rice mixture and chill.

Don't Miss The Boat

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This recipe comes from the WEBER GAS GRILL COOKBOOK.

RUM PINEAPPLE BOATS

• 1 pineapple
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• ¼ packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Cut pineapple through top and core into quarters.  Cut pineapple into ½ inch slices, cutting to, but not through, the shell.  Mix butter, sugar, rum, cinnamon, and cloves.

Wrap pineapple tops in aluminum foil to keep from burning.  Place pineapple quarters on Cooking Grid, cover and cook until pineapple is hot through, about 15 minutes, basting several times with rum-butter mixture until it is gone.  Sprinkle generously with nutmeg.  Pineapple Boats can be served as a side dish or a dessert.

Cake Pot

Did you think you could make a cake in a Crock Pot?  You can, and it is delicious and moist.  You just follow the directions on the desired cake mix and place into the Crock Pot.  You will set it to Low for 7-8 hours.  The cake comes out warm and moist.  What is nice is that you can add any items to the cake.  In the picture, I added fruit and whip cream.  Perfect for a Labor Day get together.  Enjoy!

Merry Strawberry

A great Market Pantry product from Target

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE PIE

• 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 1 (21 ounce) can Market Pantry Strawberry Pie Filling or Topping

Beat cream cheese until fluffy in medium bowl.  Add condensed milk; mix thoroughly.  Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.  Pour into crust.  Chill at least 2 hours until set.  Top with strawberry pie filling.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

It is Noon Somewhere

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BEER CAKE

• ¾ cup butter
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups sour cream
• ½ cup beer
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• Dash of salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1-6 ounce bag chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugar, egg, sour cream, beer, and vanilla 2-3 minutes at low speed. Add flour, baking powder, soda, and salt and beat well. Mix remaining ingredients together to form filling. Pour ½ batter into greased 10 inch tube pan, cover with half the filling. Pour the rest of the batter over top and top with the rest of the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

I Love The Puff

This is a very easy dessert to make for the family.

FRUIT PASTRY

• 1 package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells
• Mixed berries of your choice (I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
• Ice Cream or a topping of your choice

Follow the instructions for the Puff Pastry Shells.  In a skillet, slightly cook the berries until the juice begins to come out.  Remove the inside of the shells and fill with the fruit.  Add the topping and enjoy!

Coffee Talk

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Have your cake and eat it to.  This is an excellent coffee cake.

HEATH TOFFEE BAR COFFEE CAKE

• ½ cup butter

• 2 cups flour

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ½ cup white sugar

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup chopped HEATH toffee bars (6 oz. toffee bars =1 cup chopped candy)

• ¼ cup chopped pecans

Blend flour, butter and both sugars; set aside ½ cup of this mixture. To the remainder, add the buttermilk, soda, egg, vanilla, and ½ cup of chopped HEATH toffee bars. Blend well. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Mix remaining ½ cup HEATH toffee bars with chopped pecans; add to set aside mixture. Sprinkle evenly over top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


HEATH TOFFEE BAR COFFEE CAKE

Sweet and Crunchy

This is a great time of year to make these treats.  This is the Publix version:


Marshmallow Squares (Rice Krispy Treats)

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 4 cups of mini marshmallows
• 5 cups of Crispy Rice cereal

Spray a 12 x 12 inch or similar baking pan with cooking spray.  Melt butter and add marshmallows in a pan at medium low heat.  Remove from heat and add the cereal.  Once stirred in evenly, add to the baking pan with a spoon.  Cool and cut into desired pieces.

You can add additional candies to the dessert to change it up.

PB Max

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PEANUT BUTTER AND HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• ¼ cup peanut butter

• ½ cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 cup boiling water

• Vanilla ice cream

• Fudge ice cream topping (optional)

• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts

In a bowl combine flour, ¼ cup sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, oil and vanilla; stir until smooth. Stir in peanut butter. Pour into ungreased 1-1/2 quart casserole.

In the same mixing bowl stir together the ½ cup sugar and the cocoa powder. Gradually stir in boiling water. Pour evenly over batter. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream and fudge sauce. Top with peanuts.

Peanutty Bar

Are you looking for a healthy alternative for a dessert.  Try these Post Grape-Nuts Peanut Butter Bars.

GRAPE-NUTS PEANUT BARS

• 3/4 cup of peanut butter
• 1 cup of light corn syrup
• 1 cup of sugar
• 4 cups of Post Grape-Nuts cereal

Microwave peanut butter, corn syrup, and sugar in a large microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on High or until mixture comes to a boil.  Add cereal and mix well

Spray 13 X 9 inch pan with cooking spray.  Add cereal and press evenly.  Let it cool completely, then serve.  You can add 1 cup of dried fruit if you would like.

Veggie Cake

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CARROT CAKE

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil

• 2 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons allspice

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

• 1 cup seedless raisins

• 2 cups grated carrots


Beat together sugar, eggs and oil. Sift dry ingredients and add. Beat well. Add nuts, raisins, and carrots. Pour into 3 greased 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

ICING

• 8 oz. package cream cheese

• 4 ozs. butter

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream cheese and butter together; add sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and on top of cake. To frost sides, double the recipe.

Low and Slow - Dessert

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The following dessert recipe comes from the Fix-It and Forget-It series of cookbooks by Phyllis Pellman Good.  The particular book is called "5-Ingredient Favorites" which contains recipes to be made in the crock pot.  I hope you like it.

PINEAPPLE TAPIOCA

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup dry small pearl tapioca
• 1 cup sugar
• 15 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained

Mix first four ingredients together in the crock pot.  Cover and cook on High for 3 hours.  Stir in crushed pineapple.  Chill for several hours.  Enjoy!

She's My Cherry Pie

Here is a an easy dessert recipe that I found.  It is called Crock Pot Cherry Cobbler from Budget Savvy Diva, (manly, I know).  It was excellent and only needs a few ingredients.  Visit the link, you will be glad you did.  Enjoy!

Apple Dapple

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A potential dessert for your next gathering.


GERMAN APPLE CAKE


• 4 cups sliced apples (use McIntosh or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced)

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup oil

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1-1/2 teaspoon water

• 2 cups flour

• 4 teaspoons cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup chopped nuts



Place sliced apples on the bottom of a 9x13 prepared baking pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour on top of apples. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until done. I use a combination of Granny Smith and McIntosh apples.

Grin and Bar it

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I just tried these Peanut Butter Bars over the Holidays when a coworker made them.  The recipe comes from allrecipes.com .  These bars were unbelievable.  If you like peanut butter cups, you will love these.  Enjoy!

Sweet Paradise

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This will be the first of some great desserts.  These recipes I received from my mother Ann Randall.


HAWAIIAN CAKE


• 1 package yellow cake mix

• 2 packages instant vanilla pudding

• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

• 1 (9 oz.) Cool Whip

• 1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

• ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries

• ½ cup chopped nuts

• ½ cup shredded coconut

Mix cake as directed. Grease and flour jelly roll pan. Pour cake batter into pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool. Mix 2 packages instant pudding with 2 cups cold milk. Beat cream cheese into pudding mix. Fold Cool Whip into pudding mix and spread onto cooled cake. Drain pineapple and place on top of pudding mixture. Sprinkle with nuts, cherries, and coconut. Keep refrigerated.

Carnival Cruises' Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

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My family and I just got back from a Carnival Cruise.  We went to Key West, FL and Cozumel, Mexico.  The best part about the cruise for me was the food.  Once again I tried the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake.  Here is the recipe so that you can enjoy it as well.

WARM CHOCOLATE MELTING CAKE

•8 ounces of semisweet chocolate

•1 cup (2 sticks) of butter

•7 eggs, divided use

•6 tablespoons of sugar

•1/2 cup of flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter and cool for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix four eggs with sugar. Whisk. Then add flour and whisk. Add the remaining three eggs and add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture. Pour this entire mixture into individual ramekins. Bake until just done, about 15-20 minutes (interior will be melting). Serve with vanilla ice cream.

What a Doll

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This is a great dessert for those that love coconut.

HELLO DOLLIES

Melt 1 stick of butter in an 8”x 8” baking pan. Layer:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1 cup chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1 cup flaked coconut

Pour over all 1 can of condensed milk. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut in squares.

I Love Scotch

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These are great brownies if you like butterscotch.

BUTTERSCOTCH BROWNIES

• 1/3 cup butter

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 unbeaten egg

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• ½ cup chopped nuts (any kind)

Melt butter, add other ingredients, and spread in a buttered 8”x8” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Throwing Snowballs

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These cookies are great for the Holidays but you can make them anytime.

CHOCOLATE FILLED SNOWBALLS

• ½ pound butter

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 cups flour (sifted all purpose)

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

• 1-5oz. package HERSHEY CHOCOLATE KISSES

• Confectioners sugar

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour and nuts. Blend well. Chill dough.

Shape dough around kisses. Roll between hands to make ball shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes until set but not brown. Remove to wire rack and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.