Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake

This was my very own Christmas creation.  Well, sort of.  I never know what it really takes to claim a cake as your own.  I used other people's recipes but combined them in my own unique way so does that count?   Anyway, this was fabulously rich and yummy.  I was inspired by this layered cake in Southern Living that combines white cake with layers of peppermint cheesecake and finished it off with a white chocolate frosting- sounds yummy, right?  I made it for a gathering in early December and it was a hit.  Then I remembered this amazing chocolate chip cheesecake recipe I found a few years ago using Andes mints and I thought, hmmm.. If this was THIS amazing with white cake, it's GOT to be that much better as a chocolate version, right?!   

So here's what I did...

Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake

Mint Cheesecake Layers:

32 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup Andes mint baking chips

green food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Layers

Chocolate cake mix (I used milk chocolate

instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

Dark Chocolate Silk Frosting

1/4 cup cocoa plus a dash extra

1/4 cup boiling water

1 1/4 combo of dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butter, slightly harder than room temp

1/4 cup powdered sugar (I added a good bit more)

To Assemble:

I adapted this recipe for the cheesecake layers.   First prepare your cheesecake layers as follows:

Beat 32 oz softenened cream cheese with 1 cup sugar.  Beat in 4 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla, beating until just combined.  Stir in 1 cup of Andes mint baking pieces.  I also added a bit of green food coloring (not too much).  Line 2 9 inch cake pans with foil so that the foil hangs over the edges of the pans giving you a handle.  Divide the batter between the two pans and bake at 325 for about 25 minutes or until set.  Cool completely on wire racks (in pans) about 1 hour.  Cover cheesecakes (in pans) and freeze 4-6 hours until frozen solid.  Lift cheesecakes from pans using foil as handles.  Remove foil, wrap in plastic wrap and return to freezer until ready to assemble cake.  

I adapted this recipe for the chocolate layers.  Beat together all ingredients.  Divide between 3 9" greased cake pans and bake 15-20 minutes at 350 or until done. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes and remove from pans to cool completely.  Can freeze layers until ready to assemble cake.  

I adapted this recipe for the frosting.  Combine cocoa and boiling water.  Stir to dissolve and set aside.  Slowly melt chocolate chips in double boiler stirring until smooth.  Set aside and bring to room temperature stirring frequently.  Beat butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add cooled chocolate and cocoa mixture beating until spreading consistency.  I didn't think this looked like enough to frost the cake so I added about a cup more of powdered sugar at the end and beated until smooth.  

To prepare cake.  Alternate chocolate and cheesecake layers beginning and ending with cheesecake layers.  Frost and chill until ready to serve.  

Apple Cake with quick caramel frosting

This is an amazingly yummy fall recipe and so quick to throw together.  It's one my mom gave me years ago and I have not a clue where she got it- my Memommy maybe?  If you are one of those sadly deluded people who think that things can be "too sweet" then you might not be a fan (or you just might scrape off most of the icing like my husband did) but if you are a true sweets lover than indulge!

Apple Cake

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

3 cups chopped apples

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 pckg butterscotch chips (optional- use if you are NOT frosting with caramel icing)

Mix oil, sugar and eggs.  Sift dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture.  Add vanilla.  Stir in apples and nuts.  If using, sprinkle with butterscotch chips.  Bake 1 hr at 350 in 9x13 pan.  Leave out chips if you plan to make caramel frosting.

Caramel Frosting- quick and easy

(this is a great substitute for the old fashioned caramel icing that can be pretty difficult)

Melt 1 stick butter (1/2 cup).  Add 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup milk.  Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes.   Remove from stove and add 2 cups powdered sugar.  Beat until creamy and frost cooled cake.  

Tip:  I poke holes in the top of the cake before frosting it because how could it not be good for the frosting to seep down into the cake?!  

Mint Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

The recipe for this cake came about completely by accident, but it was an instant hit!  Maddie came home a month or so ago needing to take a cake to school the next day.  Since it was 6 at night, dinner wasn't made and I did not want a trip to the floor, I scrounged around and realized I had the ingredients for chocolate chip pound cake.  The recipe called for a box of instant chocolate or vanilla pudding.  I didn't have just regular pudding but I had a box of magic color changing pudding that Jason's mom had brought months ago- it had gotten pushed to the back of the cabinet and forgotten but I found it in my hunt for ingredients.  So I figured why not (knowing that a room full of hungry 5th graders were not going to be hard to impress especially if chocolate is involved!).  Anyway, we used the pudding, and WOW- that batter turned the most amazing (and by amazing I mean VERY bright and sort of obnoxious...) shade of green.  Maddie was a little distressed that the cake would seem weird so I scrounged around in my cabinets again and decided that by adding a bit of peppermint extract, the green color would fit right in and voila, mint chocolate chip pound cake!  This time, I stuck with the regular recipe (using the regular box of vanilla pudding) and just used a few drops of green food coloring along with it.  I also went online and found a recipe for peppermint glaze which finished it off very nicely!

Mint Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (I have yet to use yellow- the first time all the store had was coconut and this last time, it was white chocolate...)

1/2 cup sugar

1 box instant vanilla pudding

2/3 cup water

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

8 oz sour cream (for those in the ME- I used labneh which worked great)

6 oz chocolate chips (I chunked up a semi sweet chocolate bar)

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Combine first 6 ingredients.  Mix well.  Stir in sour cream, chocolate and extract.  Bake 350 for 1 hour.  Cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely.  Top with peppermint glaze

Peppermint Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

hot water

Combine sugar and extract.  Add hot water until desired consistency reached.  

Strawberry Dream Cake

And here is yet another amazing strawberry dessert recipe (I am obviously blogging therapeutically about food since I'm dieting and can't eat any of it!).  I had to go back a few years to find a picture of this cake.  I made it for Maddie's birthday several years ago shaped like a big white bow...

This year I made it for our traditional Easter bunny cake and of course forgot to take a picture.  But let me tell you this cake is AMAZING.  I've had lots of experience with strawberry cake and this is the all time best I think...I got the original recipe from all recipes.com but changed it up a bit.

Strawberry Dream Cake

1 white cake mix (i used yellow)

1 1/2 cups frozen sweetened strawberries, pureed (I used fresh and mooshed them)

12 oz cream cheese

8 (1 oz) squares white chocolate

1 pckg strawberry jello

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (8oz) container cool whip (I used the equivalent of whipped cream)

sliced fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour 2 9inch round pans.  Make cake per directions except substitute the 1 1/2 cups strawberries for the water and add 1 extra egg, (if mix calls for 2 eggs, add 3), and 8 oz cream cheese at room temp and package of strawberry jello.  Beat well and pour into prepared pans.  Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  A toothpick inserted in center will not come out clean when this cake is done since it is so moist.  Let cake cool fully before frosting.

Frosting:  Heat the heavy cream until just beginning to boil.  Pour it over the white chocolate (chopped) and the remaining 4 ounces cream cheese.  Mix well and let cool.  Once cool fold into the whipped topping (I used whipped cream).  Use to frost cooled cake.  If the frosting needs to be thicker, you can beat in powdered sugar but I did not have to do that this time.  Garnish with fresh strawberries.

I promise the combo of white chocolate, cream cheese and strawberries in this cake is to die for!!

Strawberry Sour Cream Pie

This pie is one of our summer favorites.  The recipe actually says that it can also be done with peaches or blackberries which I've never actually done but I'm sure would be amazing.  It kind of ends up being a pie/cobbler combo- best of 2 worlds!

And on this post, not only am I a horrible food photographer, but I actually forgot to take a picture of the finished product so you'll have to use your imagination...

First you pile your strawberries in the crust..

Then put on the topping...

And voila....

A delicious strawberry cream pie

(here's the part where you have to use your imagination or just try it, believe me, you'll be glad you did...)

Strawberry Sour Cream Pie

1 unbaked pie shell (9 inch)

(you can find my favorite pie crust recipe here)

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBSP sugar

1 quart fresh strawberries 

1 cup sifted flour

1 cup sour cream (middle east friends- I substitute labneh and it works great)

Rinse, drain and half strawberries and place in pie shell.  Sift sugar, flour and salt together and add gradually to sour cream.  Pour mixture over strawberries.  Sprinkle remaining 2 TBSP sugar evenly over top.  Bake until firm and lightly browned.  (450 for 15 minutes and 350 for 50-60 minutes).  I used a shield around the crust to keep it from getting too brown.  

Germantown Chocolate Pie

I discovered this pie by accident this winter and it's oh so yummy.  I've realized that in our overly connected world, I typically used recipes I've always used and then those that I find on the internet.  But I have mounds of cookbooks that sadly rarely get touched.  Anyway, I was going through some old ones this winter and came across this pie recipe.  It was so worth it!  I got this recipe as a wedding gift.  It's a Junior League cookbook and has some great recipes in it.

I actually forgot to take a picture of the finished product but I took a picture a day or so later for another post on dieting.  Again, food photography, not my strongest gifting, but you get the idea...

Germantown Chocolate Pie

1 4 oz package German sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup milk, divided

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee crystals

3 oz cream cheese, softened

3 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup heavy cream, whipped (or 2 cups whipped dessert topping)

1 9 inch baked pie shell or graham cracker pie shell

chocolate curls

In a 1 quart sauce pan, combine chocolate, 2 TBPS milk and the coffee crystals.  Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts.  Cool to room temperature.  

In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, remaining milk, and cooled chocolate mixture with an electric mixer until smooth.  Fold in whipped cream.  Spoon into pie shell.  Freeze about 4 hours or until firm.  Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.  Garnish with chocolate curls before serving.  YUMMY!!

Cocoa- Mint Yo-yos

This recipe has some background.  Click here for the full story..

Cocoa Mint Yo- yos

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400.  In large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until softened.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Beat in egg.  In mixing bowl stir together dry ingredients.  With mixer on low speed add half of the flour mixture and beat well.  Beat in the buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture until well mixed.  Drop by rounded tsp about 3 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake 7-9 minutes until edges are firm and cookies are no longer shiny.  Move to racks to cool.  Mix up mint filling.

Mint Filling

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

6 TBSP butter softened

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

2 TBSP milk

3-4 drops green food coloring

In small bowl combine all and beat on low speed until smooth.  Add additional milk if needed until easy to spread.  

Assemble by spreading rounded tsp of filling on flat side of half of the cooled cookies.  Top with remaining cookies, rounded side up.

Comfort Food: Bread Pudding with Warm Lemon Sauce

No picture of this one- I completely forgot... but hopefully it will speak for itself.  So yummy and easy!

Bread Pudding
Baguette (day old) broken into pieces
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
6 beaten eggs
1 tsp rum extract (or vanilla)

Break baguette into pieces and arrange in 9x13 dish (I used almost 3 small baguettes).  Melt butter in saucepan, stir in sugar and milk into heated.   Stir in beaten eggs and extract and pour mixture over bread.  Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top and set.

Warm Lemon Sauce

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp butter

Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan.  Stir in water until smooth and bring to boil over medium heat.  Boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, lemon peel and butter, stirring until butter melts.  Serve over pudding.

**this sauce was also fantastic with crepes!

Fantabulous Key Lime Pound Cake

One of this spring issues of Southern Living featured lots of different, creative takes on the traditional favorite- pound cake.  Being that I am unable to turn down anything with key lime in the title, I had to try this fabulous looking pound cake.  Actually, I first had it when Jason's mom made it and it was everything I hoped it would be.  Here is the link to this fabulous cake- enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

If you know me at all, you know that key lime pie is one of my all time favorite desserts.  Actually, key lime anything- I'm not a pie purist- key lime ice cream, key lime cheesecake, oh and Jason's mom made a fabulous key lime pound cake from Southern Living when we were there last week for spring break.  Jason's family loves to tell a story on me from when we first started dating about key lime pie.  We had only been dating a few months and I was still super shy around his family- freakishly so actually.  I really didn't say much at all around them- not sure why, I was just very shy.  Anyway, his grandparents came to town and I went out to dinner with his grandparents and all of his family- brothers, sisters, me.  It came time to order dessert and someone commented that they had key lime pie.  I said I would have that and Jason said something to the effect of not being a huge fan if it was too tart because it made him pucker.  I immediately came back with, "that's why I like it".  They all burst out laughing and in my innocence it took me a few seconds to figure out why- I truly love the tartness of key lime pie, NOT the fact that it made my boyfriend pucker, and I surely would not have said that in front of his family!  All that to say, as much as I love key lime pie, I have never attempted to make it...  until a few weeks ago.  I found this recipe on "all recipes" and modified it slightly according to some of the comments.  The recipe given is for a deep dish pie.  I'll give a modified version at the bottom for a regular 9 inch pie.

Key Lime Pie

 1 sleeve graham crackers crushed (about 1 1/4 cups)

4 TBSP sugar

6 TBSP butter

3 jumbo eggs, divided

3/4 cup key lime juice

1 1/2 cans (14.5 oz) sweetened condensed milk

pinch salt

pinch cream of tartar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 lime, sliced (for garnish if desired)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press into 9.5-10 inch pie plate (deep dish works best) and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.   Separate egg yolks from whites, reserving all 3 yolks and 2 egg whites.  Combine yolks with lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.  Whisk until smooth. With clean mixer blades or a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry. Fold whites into filling mixture. Pour filling into partially baked crust.  Bake in preheated 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cool at room temperature, then freeze 4 hours to overnight. Just before serving, whip cream to form stiff peaks. Serve decorated with whipped cream and lime slices. 

Pucker up and enjoy! 

Caramel Glazed Pear Cake

Even if you think you are not a huge fan of pears, I encourage you to give this one a try!  It is AH_MAH_ZING.  I've been making it for several years now and it always gets rave reviews.

Caramel Glazed Pear Cake
4 ripe pears (3 cups diced)
1 TBSP sugar
3 large eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. oil
3 c. all purpose flour (I often use wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c. pecans
2 tsp vanilla
Toss pears with TBSP sugar and set aside.  Beat eggs, sugar and oil.  Combine all dry ingredients and add to egg mixture.  Beat on low until well blended.  Fold in pears, pecans, vanilla.  Bake in bundt pan at 350 for 1 hour.
Caramel Glaze
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c butter
1/4 c evaporated milk
Stir in small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to boil and cook stirring constantly 2 1/2 minutes or until sugar dissolves.  Pour over warm cake.  Reserve extra to serve along with cake and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Brithday punch

I've made this punch now for several of the girls birthdays and it's a hit with kids and adults and VERY easy.
First scoop the ice cream (1 quart vanilla, 2 pints of sherbet) into a punch bowl.

Pour 16 oz of Sprite and 1 quart of whole milk over the balls of ice cream.  Stir gently to combine and serve immediately.

This time I used just raspberry sherbet.  The original recipe calls for orange and I've also done it with rainbow.  I think the raspberry was my favorite but it's yummy any of the ways you make it.

Birthday Milk Punch

1 quart vanilla ice cream

2 pints sherbet

16 oz lemon lime soda

1 quart whole milk

Scoop ice cream into punch bowl and pour liquids over ice cream.  Serve immediately.

Lemon Coconut Layer Cake

This was okay. I thought it sounded fun and a little exotic and I needed something to bring to lunch at a friend's house so I went for it. I don't think I'll be making it again any time soon - it didn't blow me away, but then again, coconut is not my favorite thing. If you love coconut and lemon, then you just might love this.

For the layers and filling:
1 c. all purpose flour
pinch of salt
8 eggs
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T grated orange rind
grated rind of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. shredded coconut
2 T cornstarch
6 T butter

For the frosting:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. confectioners' sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
6-8 T fresh lemon juice* (I didn't need this much...)
1 package (14 oz) shredded coconut (I only used a little over 1/2 the bag and it was plenty)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line 3 8" cake pans w/ wax paper and grease them. In a bowl, sift together flour and salt and set aside.

Place 6 of the eggs in large heat proof bowl. Set over hot water. With an electric mixer beat until frothy. Gradually beat in 3/4 c. granulated sugar until the mixture doubles in volume and is thick enough to leave a ribbon trail when the beaters are lifted, which takes about 10 minutes.

Remove the bowl from hot water. Fold in the orange rind, 1/2 the grated lemon rind and 1 T of the lemon juice until blended. Fold in the coconut. Sift the flour mixture in 3 batches, folding in thoroughly after each addition. Divide the mixture between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 3-5 minutes. Then unmold and transfer to a cooling rack.

In a bowl, blend the cornstarch with a little cold water to dissolve. Whisk in the remaining eggs until just blended. Set aside.

In a saucepan combine the remaining lemon rind and juice, the remaining sugar, butter and 1 c. water. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Whisk in eggs and cornstarch and return to a boil. Whisk constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming and set aside.

For the frosting, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon rind and enough lemon juice to maintain a thick, spreadable consistency.

Sandwich the 3 cake layers with the lemon custard mixture. Spread the frosting over the top and sides. Cover the cake with the coconut, pressing it in gently.

Banana goodness

 Let me start this post by saying that I am somewhat picky about bananas.  I like them plain (or with peanut butter because there is very little that doesn't go well with PB).  I like banana bread and banana muffins.  I do NOT like banana flavored candies, gum, milkshake, ice cream.  I love banana pudding (recipe to follow) but I like it oh so much better without bananas.  So, as Maddie said, "Mom, you don't like banana pudding.  You like vanilla pudding with lots of mushed up cookies and whipped cream on top."- true.  All that to say that when I first saw the below recipe, I wasn't all that excited about it, because it looked like it would fall in the camp of things I don't like with bananas in them.  Oh how wrong I was!  This has got to be one of the best pies I have ever made and it was oh so easy to make.  Oh, and I got this out of Kelly Minter's Bible Study book on Ruth- WONDERFUL if you haven't done it!


Who in the world knew (a lot of people apparently besides me- according to my mom this technique has been around a while).  Anyway, who knew that you could take this....

and do this....  (boiling water )

and three hours later come out with this...

Yummy!

 Maddie helped me layer the toffee and bananas (I used VERY thin slices of banana given my history with bananas in desserts...)

The combination of the vanilla and instant coffee in the whipped cream was divine. And of course, I opted for the chocolate on top- is there ever a choice when chocolate is the option??

 The only thing that I"m not sure about on this pie (the taste was by far one of the best desserts I've had in a long time) is the consistancy of the toffee.  Would it have gotten thicker if I boiled the cans longer.  Should I have let it set in the freezer and then moved it to the frig?  It was just very soupy and runny, but if I kept it in the freezer, the whipped cream got too hard- any thoughts? 

Banoffi Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
10 TBSP butter, melted
2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3 large bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp powdered instant coffee
freshly ground coffee or chocolate shavings

Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and press mixture into 9" pie plate.  Bake for 5-8 minutes.  Cool.   Immerse unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk in a deep pan of boiling water.  Cover and boil for 3 hours, making sure the cans remain covered with water (add water as needed).  Remove the cans from the water; allow to cool completely before opening.  Whip the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee until thick and smooth.  Spread 1/3 of the toffee over the base of the crust, slice the bananas and lay them on the toffee.  Spoon another 1/3 of toffee over the bananas.  Layer more bananas and more toffee.  Finally, spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle with the freshly ground coffee or chocolate shavings.

A few weeks ago I made homemade banana pudding and layered it in a trifle dish.  Sadly, I forgot to take a picture- it was beautiful and oh so good.  This banana pudding recipe came from Jason's Pappaw's mother.  It's as basic as they come.  I layered it in the trifle dish with digestif cookies (similar to graham crackers, but better- can't get nilla wafers here), followed by the pudding, a thin layer of bananas, repeat all layers and top with whipped cream.  Yummy!


Mamaw's Banana Pudding

6 egg yolks
3 c. sugar
3 c. milk (I used whole-not looking for low fat here...)
6 TBSP flour
8 TBSP butter
3 tsp vanilla

Beat egg yolks with milk.  Add sugar, flour and butter and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickens (15-20 minutes).  Add vanilla and let cool.

Peach Cobbler (or cherry...)

Cobbler of any kind is one of my all time favorite recipes.  Topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or ice cream- just can't beat it!  My Memommy made this peach cobbler last summer when we were in the states and I just HAD to have the recipe.  It's simply divine and for those of you in the good old US of A, quite easy as it calls for store bought pie crusts.  I don't have that convenience so I used my fave recipe (see below) for a double crust pie and doubled it.  You actually probably need about three crusts because I had some dough left over that I froze.  Here's the recipe:

Perfectly Delicious Pie Crust (for double crust pie)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar'
1/3 cup Crisco
1/3 cup + 2 TBSP butter
\5 TBSP ice water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in large bowl.  Add Crisco and 1Tbsp butter and cut into flour mixture with pastry cutter until it resembles "pill size" consistency.  Add the rest of the butter and blend the same way.  Handle the dough as little as possible. (the less it's handled, the flakier it will be) Add 5 TBSP ice water and blend with knife.  Roll out into two 8 inch crust or whatever you need for your recipe.

Peach Cobbler

4-6 cups fresh peaches, chunked
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/8 t salt
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 TBSP melted margarine
(I also added cinnamon this time and it was yummy)

Put peaches in large bowl and stir in sugar, flour and salt.  Add almond extract, margarine and cinnamon if desired.  Line large casserole dish with pastry (I shaped two pie crusts into bottom of dish).  Pour peaches into pastry and then top with pastry strips or solid pastry.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 and bake about 45 more minutes until browned.

Top with cream or ice cream and enjoy!

One glory of living in Lebanon is the fresh fruit and veggies we can find year round.  I think early summer is my favorite though when the cherries and apricots are in season.  The cherries here are like none I've ever had before.  I LOVE cherry cobbler but don't love the mess it makes to pit all those cherries.  Thankfully I have a Maddie who loves all things messy and all things cooking so it makes cherry cobbler so much more enjoyable to make...

I don't have a picture of a finished cherry cobbler but here is the filling recipe I use.  I've tried several different crusts and I think the way I made the peach cobbler above is all around the best with any fruit, especially cherries...   Here's the cherry filling recipe:]

Cherry Cobbler Filling:

6 cups fresh pitted cherries
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP cornstarch
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract

Mix all and let stand for 10 minutes.  Cook in saucepan until thickened and bubbly and add to favorite cobbler crust.

Strawberry Shortcake

One of my favorite things about summertime is fresh fruit. Right now I've got strawberries, cherries, watermelon, apples, green plums and purple plums all in my fridge. Yum! I decided to whip up some shortcake (is there a better use for strawberries?) the other day. Here's my version (I have to give MmB credit for the biscuit portion, which is what makes it so yummy in my book).

You will need:
Strawberries (I chop them up small and sprinkle a teaspoon or 2 of sugar over them in a bowl and let that sit in the fridge for awhile to make them sweet)

Whipping cream - I use 1 small container and add 2 T powdered sugar and 1 t vanilla for tasty cream

Rolls
2 c flour (I use 1 c. whole wheat, 1 c. regular)
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
5 T cold butter, cut up
2/3 c. milk

Heat oven to 450. Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk. Stir with a fork until soft dough forms. Knead 10-15 times. Roll out. Cut. Bake on cookie sheet 12-14 minutes.

Once the rolls are done cut one in half and layer strawberries, cream, roll, strawberries and more cream. Delicious! This is not super sweet, which is probably why I like it so much!

Good Ol' Pecan Pie

This is the recipe from the Karo bottle. AT's dad was kind enough to bring us some pecans - and I figured you can't go wrong using the recipe on the bottle of Karo...

1 c Karo Light Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c (6 oz) pecans
1 unbaked 9 in deep dish pie crust*

Stir the first 5 ingredients thoroughly using a spoon. Mix in Pecans. pour into pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for 55 to 60 mins. Cool for 2 hours.

*In-pan pie crust (this pie crust is a piece of cake and works well for nutty pies)
1 1/2 c flour
1 t sugar
1 t salt
1/2 c oil (I use olive oil - the best!)
2 T cold milk

Stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the oil and milk. Stir with a fork to moisten. Press in pan with fingers.