raspberry mascarpone cupcakes

I just made these for our luncheon after Eden's blessing. They were so good and so easy to make. The best part, in my opinion, is that they look fancy and kind of professional so they are a great dessert to serve. I wish I had gotten a picture.

Cupcake:
white or vanilla cake mix
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond
lemon juice

Add vanilla and almond extract to prepared cake mix {following the box directions}. Add just a tiny bit of lemon juice. Bake as directed. {My secret: I use the Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix anytime I have to make a cake or cupcakes. I always get compliments and asked if they were made from scratch. They always end up really moist.}

Frosting:
1 carton {pint} of heavy whipping cream
1 {8 oz.} tub of mascarpone cheese at room temp {Found these near the specialty cheeses in the deli area. It is very similar to cream cheese.}
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of powdered sugar {give or take for desired taste}
1-2 cartons of fresh raspberries, saving a few to garnish on the top, if desired {I end up using a frozen bag}

Directions: Whip the whipping cream and the softened mascarpone cheese together. Then slowly mix in the powdered sugar. It will be done when the whipped cream stands in peaks. It should not be lumpy. If it is lumpy, your cream cheese was too cold. Add red food coloring to make the desired pink color. Fold in raspberries. Spread on top of cooled cupcakes.

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Pudding Cake

I found this recipe here (directions copied directly). It is so good. You must try it. It reminds me a lot of this recipe, which we love.

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups boiling water

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Coat a medium round or oval slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and stir in widening circles, gradually incorporating the dry ingredients, until you have a smooth batter. Stir in the peanut butter. The batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the crockpot.

To make the topping, in another medium-size bowl, combine the cocoa, and sugar; pour in the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Gently pour over the batter in the cooker; DO NOT STIR. Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and the top layer is set, 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Turn off the cooker and let it stand, covered for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Soft Gingersnaps

Soft Gingersnaps (or Ginger Bends, says my dad, because they’re too soft to “snap”)

These are one of the best cookies ever. Ever. Soft and yummy. They do work your mixer so use a stand mixer or make them to blow out your hand mixer to get a stand mixer.

4 cups flour                        1 ½ cups cooking oil

4 tsp. soda                          2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt                             2 eggs

2 Tbsp. ginger                    ½ c. molasses

2 tsp. cinnamon

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. With beater, blend together thoroughly the oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. Stir in dry ingredients until blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Form into balls, using 1 tsp. dough for each. Roll in granulated sugar and bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Variation: Roll chilled dough ¼-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Decorate with slices of gumdrops, candy corn, red cinnamon candies, etc. for features; then bake. They really are a hit!

from my Aunt Margie

Pomegranate, Pineapple, Cool Whip Salad

We call this P.C.P. It is very yummy.

Mix pomegranate seeds, pineapple cut in chunks and cool whip together.
Eat it.
Yum.

The amount of seeds and pineapple is up to you. We have never used canned pineapple but I am sure it would taste good too.

I got this from my friend Michelle at Bountiful Baskets.

{hot fudge sundae cake}

This was one of our absolute favorite desserts in my family growing up and now Brett and the kids love when I make it. I made this for Fathers Day and Brett asked me if I had put this on here. I thought I had, but I couldn't find it anywhere. It is super simple to make and so good. You have to try it.

1 c. flour
¾ c. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ c.milk
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. brown sugar
¼ c. cocoa
2 c. HOT water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an ungreased 9x13 pan combine 1 c. flour, ¾ c. white sugar, 2 Tbsp. cocoa, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Then mix in oil, vanilla, and milk with a fork until smooth. Stir in nuts if desired. Smooth out batter in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and ¼ c. cocoa. Pour 2 c. hot water over the top. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with ice cream. Spoon hot fudge sauce found underneath the cake on top of ice cream and cake.

crock pot fruit cobbler

This is a dutch oven recipe that I think everyone has probably had while camping. It's delicious! My ward recently had a crock pot enrichment night and gave us a whole bunch of crock pot recipes. This was one of them. I never thought of being able to transfer dutch oven to crock pot - how silly of me since they're pretty much the same thing. Instead of cans of fruit, I've been using frozen bags of fruit, and the cobbler has been great.

Crock Pot Fruit Cobbler

1 can apples or peaches or any fruit/fruit mix you like
OR 1 bag frozen fruit
1 yellow cake mix (recipe called for white, but I prefer yellow)
1 can sprite
1/2 cube butter

If using canned fruit, drain.
Place fruit in bottom of crock pot.
Sprinkle cake mix over the top of the fruit.
Add 1 can of sprite
Cut butter into little chinks and place all over the top.

Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours.

Cream Cheese Pie

This is a family favorite that my mom always had on her birthday. We've started the tradition now too!

Cream Cheese Pie (from Karen Abreu)

Crust
1 pack (minus 2 pieces) graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
6 TBS butter

Finely crush graham crackers with a rolling pin. Add sugar. Then mix in melted butter. Press firmly into a pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least a few hours. (I like to leave it overnight)

Pie Filling
8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Soften the cream cheese then mix all ingredients together until creamy. Refridgerate a few hours or overnight.

Pour the cream cheese pie filling into the crust and chill for another hour.

Top with your favorite fresh fruit (a mix of strawberries and raspberries is our favorite) or canned pie filling (cherry is really yummy). Add the fruit when you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

{black bottom cream cheese cupcakes}

In one bowl, cream together really well:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
When creamed together, add:
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

In another bowl, sift together:
1 1/2 c. flour + 2 T. flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1 c. sugar
1 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Once sifted together, add:
1 c. water
1/3 c. oil
1 T. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla

Line a cupcake pan with liners. Put a little of the cream cheese mixture in the bottom, then add 1/4 c. of the chocolate mixture, then top it off with another small amount of the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar. Bake @ 350 degrees for 16 minutes.

*recipe from Ashlee Ward

{oatmeal caramelletos}

70 Kraft caramels
10 T. milk
-Combine caramels and milk and microwave in 1 minute increments (about 5 times) taking it out and stirring in between.

1 1/2 c. melted butter
2 c. oatmeal
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
-Mix these ingredients together and put half in a well greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min. Take out and sprinkle half bag of chocolate chips and then caramel mixture on top. Pour remaining oatmeal mixture on top of caramel and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

*I got this recipe from Ashlee Ward. These are so good. She brought these to one of our work meetings and I've been wanting to make them ever since.

Better Than (what ever you choose) Cake Fruit Version

Credit for this recipe goes to Tina Smith, the county clerk of McCulloch County Texas. May she be forever blessed for making this for me on my 22nd. Birthday.

1 yellow Duncan Hines Cake mix (this one works the best for some reason)
1 can of mandarin oranges, drain juice.
Make cake as directed. Fold oranges into batter. Cook according to directions and cool completely.

Icing (mmmm....)
1 large tub Cool Whip
1 small box (4 servings) instant French Vanilla pudding or plain vanilla
1 can crushed pineapple, drained but save the juice

Mix pudding into Cool Whip. Add pineapple. Then add pineapple juice till it tastes right. Ice cake and keep stored in the refrigerator till time to serve. Then eat it all yourself, I mean share it.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I had this at Anthrea's wedding. It is amazing. The recipe is from KathieLeeGifford.com

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

1 pkg. 8oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. brown sugar
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Chocolate Graham crackers

Beat softened cream cheese, butter, & vanilla until creamy. Slowly add sugars until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies!

These are my new favorite cookies. So if you ask me to bring a dessert anywhere...be forewarned that this is what I will bring. I am in LOVE.


1 spice cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry cake mix with can of pumpkin. Add chocolate chips.
Yes, that is all. Really. Truly. No more ingredients. Jump up and down and shout hooray.
Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Makes aprox. 3 dozen. (or less if your husband makes man-cookies like mine did! They were perfect, Babe!)

Drink with glass of milk and hide them from everyone else. Seriously. They are that good.

And one more thing: Since it is fall...this recipe is floating all around blogdom. I don't know who to give credit to...just know I didn't make it up myself!

Chocolate Heath Bar Brownies

This is so easy and is delicious!

Ingredients:

1 box of ready to make brownies
1 bag of heath bar pieces

Mix box of brownies according to directions and bake. As soon as you take the pan of brownies out of the oven sprinkle the bag of heath bar pieces over the top of the brownies. Let cool. Pieces melt into the top of the brownies. Yummy!