Recipe: Raspberry Fluff Dessert

Raspberry Fluff Dessert

I first learned of this recipe from my friend Valerie in Idaho. A decade later, my friend Amanda reintroduced me to this dessert, and any time she takes it to a potluck or event, it's the favorite.

Ingredients:
5.1 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding
32 oz. vanilla or plain yogurt
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
12 oz. frozen raspberries

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, add yogurt and dry pudding mix. Mix for 2 minutes.
Stir in cool whip until evenly distributed.
Fold in frozen raspberries. Wait 20-30 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Cook’s Note: Raspberry Fluff takes on a slightly different vibe when stored in the refrigerator overnight, and is equally tasty. 

For a less sweet version, use plain yogurt. My favorite is mixing with 16 oz. vanilla yogurt and 16 oz. plain yogurt. All three options are yummy.

Recipe: Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

 

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars 

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1-3/4 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1 t. almond extract (optional)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

5 c. all-purpose flour

 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 convection). If desired, line baker’s half sheet pan with parchment paper; otherwise, grease bottom of half sheet pan with cooking spray.

2. Cream together butter and sugar using beater attachment. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated.

3. Add vanilla, almond extract, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.

4. Using paddle attachment, mix in flour 1 cup at a time until all flour is incorporated.

5. Press dough into pan until flat (avoid high spots in the center).

6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just barely golden. Do not overbake--cookie bars should remain soft.

7. Let cool. Frost with 1 batch Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting or Buttery Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting. Cut into 30-48 bars.
   

      

Half-batch recipe for 9x13 pan

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

1 c. less 1 T. sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

1/2 t. almond extract (optional)

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Follow instructions above, except shorten baking time 2-5 minutes.

 

Recipe: Oatmeal Craisin Raisin Breakfast Cookies

If you like the chewy breakfast cookies at Wendy's, you will probably love these even more. My mom, Rose Wride, created this original recipe to copycat the cookies mentioned above, but in the process, she improved it. To learn more about my amazing home-economist, recipe-book author mother, click here.

Oatmeal Craisin Raisin Breakfast Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/4 cups brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon molasses 

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and molasses until light and fluffy. 

3. Stir in all-purpose flour, soda, salt and cinnamon until just moistened. 

4. Add the rolled oats and mix well.

5. Stir in Craisins, raisins and walnut pieces. Dough will be stiff and slightly sticky. 

6. Drop by spoonfuls about 2-inches apart on a baking sheet, and bake 12-14 minutes in a 350-degree oven until golden on the edges. The centers will look slightly shiny and undercooked. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cookies finish cooking on the pan for about five minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Makes about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

Cook's Note:  Molasses keeps these cookies soft and chewy. Store covered at room temperature for up to one week. These cookies freeze well and maintain their soft, chewy texture--just pop them into a ziploc, and then set the ziploc on the counter to thaw 30 minutes before you want to eat them. If the cookies look like they will spread too much, stir in a rounded tablespoon of flour before baking.

Recipe: Candied Popcorn

Candied Popcorn

by Heath Lee

3 bags Butter Lover’s microwave popcorn, popped

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. dark Karo syrup

1 t. vanilla

handful nuts (optional)

Remove old maids from popcorn and place in large bowl. Boil butter, sugar and Karo syrup for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. 

Pour over popcorn and stir well. Devour! 

Shake the unpopped kernels out of the bag.

Don't open the bag until you shake, shake, shake.

Use a bowl with plenty of space for mixing.

Melt butter, sugar, and karo syrup.

Consistency when it begins to boil.

Consistency after boiling 2-3 minutes.

 

Pour and stir thoroughly.

Stir until coated evenly.

Recipe: Sticky, Chewy Caramel Corn

Sticky, Chewy Caramel Corn

by Heath Lee

2 c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. butter

1⁄2 c. corn syrup

1 t. vanilla

20 c. popped popcorn (microwavable)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Cook’s Note: Heath’s trick is to use microwave butter popcorn because it adds a burst of butter flavor. You know you want to make some!

Shake unpopped kernels from bag...

...before opening the bag.

Start with microwave popcorn, butter flavored.

Pour, stir unto coated evenly, and enjoy.

 

Recipe: Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, cold

1/2 c. butter, room temperature (not melted)

2-3 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. to 1/2 t. almond extract, optional

 

Instructions:

1. In a KitchenAid or using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. (You won't be able to beat the lumps out once you've added the powdered sugar.)
   

2. Add powdered sugar 1 c. at a time. (For already sweet desserts, like cinnamon rolls, I only use 2 c. powdered sugar; if you're frosting something, and you want the frosting to be the main hit, use closer to 3 c. powdered sugar.)

3. Mix in vanilla (and optional almond extract).*

*I like to add almond extract for frosting sugar cookies, sugar cookie bars, and cupcakes. I do not add almond extract if I'm frosting cinnamon rolls.

 

 

Buttery Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, cold

1/2 c. butter, room temperature (not melted)

2-3 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

milk (optional)

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Mix in vanilla.

Cook’s Note: If using this on top of cinnamon rolls, you can add a few drops of milk to reach desired consistency.

Recipe: Rose's Cinnamon Rolls

Rose’s Cinnamon Rolls

1 batch Rose’s Rolls recipe

1/2 - 3/4 c. butter, softened

Brown sugar

Cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 c. butter, melted

For Drizzle: powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and water or milk. Advanced bakers can guestimate the amounts. If you would like a specific recipe, check out my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.

 

Instructions:

1. Roll out dough into rectangle about 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick. Spread rolled out dough with a 1/8” layer of softened butter.

2. Sprinkle about 3/8” brown sugar on top of butter layer. 

3. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top of brown sugar until sugar is a shade darker. Starting with wide end, roll up dough and pinch edges to seal. Cut into 1 to 1-1/2 inch slices using quilting thread wrapped around rolled up dough and pulled tightly while crossing thread ends, dip sliced roll in melted butter, and place butter-side up in a greased casserole dish. 
   

4. Bake for 16-20 minutes at 380 degrees, depending on oven, until golden brown.

5. Once out of oven, turn out on rack to cool for 5 minutes. Return to baking pan and coat with glaze made from powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and water. The drizzle should be thick enough to ribbon from a spoon.

Cook’s Note: To make bubble bread, roll scraps of dough into a rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut it into 1-inch squares. Dip the squares in melted butter, then a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place in a generously buttered baking pan. Let rise until doubled and bake at 380 degrees for about 15-30 minutes, depending on size of pan and thickness of dough.

Recipe: Maple Buttercream Frosting

If you want to level-up your donuts or cupcakes, or even your French toast, this is the right decision. My oldest daughter spreads it between two pieces of French toast and eats it like a sammie, food-boss style. *I woke up and dreamed up the most incredible stuffed French toast with maple buttercream frosting, and then I found that I had, in fact, not invented maple buttercream. Here is the recipe the way I make it.

Maple Buttercream Frosting

 

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, room temperature (I use salted butter)

3 c. powdered sugar (for a less buttery taste, add up to 3/4 c. more)

1 t. vanilla extract, no fake stuff

1 t. maple extract or mapleine

 

Instructions:

1. Beat butter and add powdered sugar one cup at a time until well blended.

2. Mix in vanilla and maple extracts.

3. Beat mixture for several minutes until light and fluffy.

Cook’s Note: You can put it in a piping bag and pipe onto your baked goods, or you can spread it on with a knife or spatula. If using on French toast, let toasts cool slightly or mixture will melt too much. Do not use real maple syrup if you want a true buttercream frosting because it will be runny, from what I have read. Also, I do not like real maple syrup anyway (Team Log Cabin!), so I am biased.

Pairing ideas: use on donuts, chocolate cupcakes, carrot/spice cake, homemade gingersnaps, sugar cookies; French toast, pancakes, crepes; baked sweet potatoes, cooked carrots.

This tastes freaking amazing on these homemade donuts. Just skip the maple icing and pipe on this maple buttercream instead. 

Recipe: Peach Dessert

This recipe comes from my husband's Aunt Lanita who passed just before she would have turned 41. From what I hear, she was an excellent cook and baker, and until this post, I'm not sure this recipe ever existed on the internet. It's about time, because y'all have been missing out! This is a real crowd pleaser.

This is my hubby's favorite dessert (besides pecan pie). It is a no-bake layered dessert that requires a minimum of 2 hours of refrigeration and a decent amount of self-control.

Aunt Lanita's Peach Dessert

Crust

1/2 c. salted butter, melted

3 pkgs. graham crackers, crushed

Instructions:

1. Crush graham crackers in food processor; slowly add melted butter. Optional: reserve 1/4 c. to sprinkle on top of finished dessert. 

2. Press crust into 13x9 casserole dish. Set aside.

Creamy Whip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 pkgs. Dream Whip, no substitutes

1 cup milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth; set aside.

2. Beat Dream Whip, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until it has a whipped consistency. Fold in cream cheese; mix until thick and smooth.

3. Spread 1/2 of mixture onto crust; reserve remaining half.

Fruity Jello Layer

2 c. water

3/4 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch, heaping

1 small pkg. (3 oz.) orange Jello

4 c. sliced peaches, with skin removed (fresh is best)

 

Instructions:

1. Combine water, sugar, cornstarch, and jello; cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool (in refrigerator or ice bath).

2. To prepare fresh peaches, blanch in boiling water, place in ice water, and remove skin. Slice thinly.

3. Once mixture is cooled, but not fully set-up, stir in 4 c. of sliced peaches until mixed. 

4. Spoon fruity jello mixture on top of creamy whip layer and smooth out.

5. Spoon remaining half of creamy whip onto fruity jello layer and smooth out. (It is a little easier to spread if the fruity jello layer has set up some, but either way works and tastes delicious.)

6. Optional: Sprinkle reserved portion of crust onto top layer of creamy whip.

7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

 

Cook's Note: This recipe is time consuming, but is worth the toil. You can also switch out the fruit and jello flavors, for example, with fresh raspberries and raspberry jello. I've tried peach jello, and trust me, orange works best.

Shown with optional graham topping