Skillet Brownie

Sometimes Jamon comes home from work and says to me "hey here's a recipe for a cake we had at a work lunch and it was really good, or my coworker said we should try out this recipe, or you are such a hot and sexy babe." Okay, so he doesn't actually say that last one but I know he is thinking it.

Here is a FATastic recipe he brought home a few years ago and we have been making it since then. It is super fast and easy and very good.

2 sticks of butter (yes that's what I said 2)
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
6 eggs
3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Melt butter in an iron skillet. Mix dry stuff, pour in eggs and butter and vanilla, mix with a fork until all lumps are gone. Pour all in an iron skillet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. When outside edges are brownie like cake is done and center will be runny like fudge.

You can see what mine looks like when I take it out. The first time I made it I thought it might be raw in the middle. But actually it is very good. It reminds me a little of chocolate pie filling.

Apple Cobbler

Here is a super easy apple cobbler. My husband loves "fruit" dessert and this is one of his favorites. This came from Mama (Jamons maternal grandmother for those of you who are new to the blog). You can pretend it took you hours to make this one and everyone will believe you. If you are into that sorta thing.

Peel and slice apples. I used seven in this dish. You can fill it as high or low as you like.
Spread them in a 9X13 pan.
Melt a stick of butter and pour over the apples. Then sprinkle the top with brown sugar and cinnamon. I don't know how much. Lets just say a cup and if you feel the need to add more then please do so. You have my permission. Then sprinkle on the cinnamon.
Take a store bought crust and unroll and cut into strips and layer over the top. This 9X13 size takes two crust. But you can (and I do a lot) make this in a 8X8 and only use one crust. I sprinkle the crust with white sugar and a little tiny bit of cinnamon.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Heathers Apple Pie

Here's something new and different. I had never had anything like this. It was so easy. I really don't enjoy making pie crust so I was happy when this one was so easy. The only pain in the hiney thing is cutting up the apples. No one enjoys peeling and cutting up a bunch of apples. It is unpleasant.
This Heather (because we all know more than one Heather)is a gal I went to High School with and lived with for one year during college. During that time she baked a lot of sweets and in turn caused me to develop a sweet tooth I never had before. So yes, we can all agree to hold her solely responsible for my slight case of obesity.

Anyway here is the recipe. Plain and simple. Yes, it is weird there is cheese in the crust. No, I will not apologize for it. Just try it and see for yourself.

1 stick margarine (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup grated cheese
6 small apples
Apple pie spice

Mix softened margarine, sugar & flour. Pat 2/3 mix into pie plate. Sprinkle grated cheese over crust mixture and lightly press in. Peel apples & slice, put into pie shell. Sprinkle with apple pie spice and water. Crumble rest of crust on top. Sprinkle with nuts if desired.

Oven temp: 375
Bake time: 45 min

LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIE BARS

These cookies are the best lemon bar/cookie I have ever eaten. My friend Donna gave me an assortment of cookies last Christmas and this was in the box. I was pregnant at the time which makes me obsess over all things lemon. If you like lemon you should make these cookies. Perfect for a shower or tea (or for sitting down to eat a 9X13 of lemon cookies one hot afternoon). I, of course, would know nothing about such things.

Dough:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas. salt

Beat butter and sugar in bowl until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Mix both together well. Press dough into 13x9x2” pan refrigerate 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Just before dough is finished, make topping:

Topping:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. grated lemon peel

Pour mixture over baked dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.
This recipe is linked to the Grocery Cart Challenge. and Colleen's Kitchen and Mom Trends.

Sweet Babies

Don't ask me why we call these little balls of fried goodness sweet babies. Jamons grandma (Mama) makes these and I think she calls them sweet puppies (like hush puppies) anyway at this house they shall be called Sweet Babies per Meredith Reid. They taste like a funnel cake to me.
Take a can of cheap biscuits (the little kind)
Heat up some oil either in a fryer or a skillet and break the biscuits into small pieces. I pinch one biscuit into four parts. Then drop them in the oil, turning them frequently and take them out when done. Then you can either sprinkle with powdered sugar or make a glaze.
The glaze is 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and about 3-4 T. of milk. Then you just stir it until it turns to glaze and pour it over the biscuits. I do this before so I can pour it on the hot biscuits.
There you go. Cheap, easy (slightly white trash) dessert. Yum.

Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake

I saw this recipe in All You magazine and decided to try it out. I love all things lemon. This cake is so tasty. Very lemony flavor with a hint of blueberry. If you like lemon you must try it.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups blueberries

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 to 4 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with melted butter, add a few tablespoons of flour and rotate pan to evenly coat, tapping out excess.

2. Sift 3 cups flour with baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, vanilla and buttermilk.

3. In a second large bowl, beat butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add about 1/4 of flour mixture, followed by 1/4 of buttermilk mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Repeat, alternating dry and liquid ingredients, until batter is thoroughly combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Transfer batter to pan, spreading evenly.

4. Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold cake.

5. Make glaze: Mix confectioners' sugar, buttermilk and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Glaze should be pourable; if it's too thick, add lemon juice, 1 tsp. at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. Pour half of glaze over warm cake. Let cool for 1 hour, then pour remaining glaze over cake and serve.

Coffee Cake

This is a coffee cake but I thought it was very good as a dessert. If you like spice cake type recipes you will like this. If you made the apple cake and thought it was good then I think you will also like this cake.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans lightly tossed in 2 TBS. of flour
3/4 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Beat sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla until creamy. In a bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and soda. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to sugar mixture. Blend well. Add flour-coated pecans and coconut. Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes.
This recipe is linked to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is my favorite cake at the moment. I keep making it over and over so now I must share it with you.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, and 1 cup water. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate mixture to dry mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting in a medium saucepan bring the 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk to boiling. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. **At this point I add 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Pour warm frosting over warm cake, spreading evenly.

Oatmeal Cookies

I don't have a photo of these cookies because after I made them I sat down and ate every single one of them. Really I have just become terrible at taking the pictures of food. Okay so this is Nikki's recipe. It is more like a chocolate chip cookie consistency but with oats instead of chips if that makes sense. This was the best oatmeal cookie I have ever eaten. I asked Jamon if he loved them as much as I did and he said "they were a little too sweet for me." I just stared at him for about five minutes while all the mean cruel things that came into my mind about this comment passed. Then I simply said, "in all my thirty years I have never ever tasted anything I thought was too sweet and I can't wait until I do so that I can eat so much of it that I want to puke and then I will fill the tub up with it and bathe in it". And that's what I have to say about that. Here is the recipe. I do hope you will try it.

OATMEAL COOKIES

1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 overflowing tsp salt
3 c oatmeal (i use quick oats)
1 tsp vanilla

cream shortening & sugars. mix in eggs & vanilla. sift flour, soda and salt together. fold flour mix into wet ingredients. stir in oats. bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Breakfast Cookies

I know it has been a long time since I have posted. So sorry about that. I have been cooking a little more lately now that I have this whole pregnancy thing under control. I came across this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. These were good but more like a straight up cookie rather than a "breakfast" cookie. But don't think we didn't eat them for breakfast. I mean they are called a breakfast cookie right?

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins and/or milk chocolate pieces (of course I used the chocolate)
3 cups round toasted oat cereal (such as Cherrios)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in water, egg, and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour until combined. Beat in as much of the rolled oats as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining rolled oats. Stir in raisins and oat cereal.

2. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store cookies in tightly covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 24 (2-cookie) servings.

Texas Delight

1st Layer:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. chopped pecan
Mix all ingredients and press into a 9 X 13 dish. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2nd Layer:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 10 ounce size Cool Whip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Mix together and spread over cooled crust.

3rd Layer
2 (3 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding
2 1/2 c. milk
Mix pudding with milk until thick. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. Spread on remaining whipped topping and garnish with chopped pecans. Chill several hours. Cut into squares.

Mix first 3 ingredients together and put in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Fold in 1/2 of Cool Whip and spread batter over crust. Mix puddings and milk at low speed for 3 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Spread the rest of Cool Whip on top of pudding layer. Grate Hershey bar over top and refrigerate.

Apple Cake

This is Jamons favorite cake on the planet. I found this recipe right after we got married and have been making it since. Jamon brought home a big bag of apples from his grandma's farm last week so I was happy to get to make this cake. I just really hate peeling and coring apples. Check out more recipes like this at The Grocery Cart Challenge
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups of flour
4 cups peeled, chopped, raw apples
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. This batter will be really thick so you will have to spread it around in the pan.

Icing
Mix until smooth
1/2 stick butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 oz. cream cheese

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I thought these were tasty. I think you need to take them out of the pan after 5 minutes as the recipe says to do. I didn't. I just let them cool in the pan and mine were a little dry. Live and learn. Next time I will follow the rules.

12 -18 muffins



Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (11 1/2 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Grease twelve muffin cups.
3 In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
4 In another bowl, stir together milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla until blended.
5 Make a well in center of dry ingredients.
6 Add milk mixture and stir just to combine.
7 Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
8 Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
9 Now bake for 15-20 minutes
10 Remove muffin tin to wire rack.
11 Cool for 5 minutes.
12 Remove from tins to finish cooling.
13 Serve warm or completely cool.
14 These muffins freeze well.

I got this from RecipeZarr.com

Banana Nut Cake

I started to not post this recipe. The first day I ate it I found it to be dry and not really very tasty. Then the second day it was better. Today it was wonderful. So I am posting with the suggestion that you make this a few days in advance. As with any dessert with fruit it becomes more moist the more days it sits. So leave it alone and let it sit. Try not to be a hog about it and eat a whole dry cake on the first day.
1 1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda (baking soda that is)
3 mashed bananas
4 Tbsp. buttermilk ( at the bottom of the post I will tell you how to sub with sour milk as I do not keep buttermilk lying around really)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Add well beaten eggs. Stir in mashed bananas. Sift flour and soda. Add alternating with the buttermilk. Add nuts and vanilla. Bake at 350 in a greased 9X13 until done. I suggest you start with 30 minutes.

Icing
1 8 ounce cream cheese
1 stick butter softened
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecan

Mix cream cheese and butter. Add sugar. Stir in vanilla and pecans.

SOUR MILK
Measure 1 cup milk.

Add 1 tsp. plain vinegar or lemon juice. Stir ingredients.
Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Milk should began to curdle slightly. You now have sour milk for your baking needs.

Granola Bars

Let me start by saying I had no idea how to take a photo of these so that's the best I could do. These are so good! But I don't know that I would call it a granola bar. More like a cookie to me. Whatever, they are so yummy and easy. CLICK HERE for the recipe. I have been making a lot these recipes lately and have enjoyed cooking Tammy's food very much. I did cut the recipe in half and also I used a 9X13 pan instead of a jelly roll pan. Also I used marshmallows not marshmallow cream. She says you can use either. My only reasoning was that the marshmallows were cheaper at the store. I hope you will try this. We loved these.

Solpapilla Cheesecake (The best recipe)

Alright. Let's just get straight down to business. You may or may not have had this dessert. I have seen several versions of it in my day. THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE. I got this from a gal named Karen. I have cherished it ever since. You will always get compliments on this baby. Here's how you should make it. This photo is a half recipe. I only had two cans of crescents in my fridge so I thought I would do a half so I could do a half batch of the Salmon Turnovers later this week. Besides I won't kid myself that I won't eat this whole pan because I will.

2 cans crescent rolls
2 cups sugar
3 (8 ounce) cream cheese softened(yes that is what I said)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted

Preheat your oven to 350. In a large bowl cream 1 1/2 cup of sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. In a 9X13 pan, sprayed with non-stick spray, place one of the crescent rolls. Pinch the seams closed and flatten to edges. Spread cream cheese mixture over top. Cove with second crescent roll (pinch seems closed). Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over the top of crescent roll and then top with sugar mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Note: I took this photo before I put it in the fridge.

Banana Pudding

I have never been what you would call a fan of the banana pudding. It has always just been okay to me. That is until Janet Beaver brought this to my house after I had Benjamon. Now I am pretty sure she got this recipe from Jesus because it is just Heavenly. In the photo it looks like a plain banana pudding but it is so good and easy. Here goes:
1 (14 ounce) sweetend condensed milk
1 ½ cups of cold water
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups cool whip (I just use the whole tub) You’re not surprised right?
Vanilla wafers
3 medium bananas (I never use this many because I cut them thin, I’m really just in it for the pudding and cookies)
In large mixing bowl, combine milk and water. Add pudding mix; beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes (or until you get your babies down for a nap and have time to get back to the pudding) Fold in whipped cream. Layer pudding, cookies and bananas. You can eat this now but I prefer to stick in the fridge for a while so the cookies get mushy. Whatever floats your boat……….

Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

I don’t have a photo of these but a friend asked for a snack recipe. Here’s one that’s quick and easy. I normally have most of this on hand. Now the first time I ever had one of these was over at Brenda Payers house aka Buffys Momma. What a crafty gal to be able to whip up a cookie out of a cornflake. Makes me want to go kiss her right on the mouth it does! Okay so how this goes down is….
you will need:
1 C White Sugar
1 C Corn Syrup
¼ C Butter
1 C Peanut Butter
6 C Cornflakes
Bring sugar & syrup to a boil. Remove from heat & add butter and peanut butter. Melt, pour over cornflakes. Mix together good. Spoon onto wax paper. Now go make these cookies and kiss your Momma.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

Check this out. My friend Callie emailed this to me earlier today. She’s from Australia by the way. You never knew I was so sophisticated and cultured. Knowing someone from another country makes you cultured right? At the bottom of the email it said you must try it straight away. Ya’ll know we don’t say stuff like “straight away” here in Oklahoma. Anyway back to the cake I went and tried it, straight away I did. It was good. Not like a homemade cake that you worked on for hours but better than any store bought goodie you may purchase. Just last night Hubs wanted dessert and since I didn’t have one prepared he ran over to Braums and got a package of those brownies they sell. If I would have had this three minute recipe I could have whipped it up. Much easier on the budget also. Now I didn’t have any chocolate chips but I would imagine it is much better with the chips. This makes plenty for two people or one non calorie counting woman and two sweet babies. That would be me. Go ahead and say it. What a hog! Ps. Please do not comment on my peacock plate atop a rooster place mat. I’m no Martha Stewart folks!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Cream Cheese Pie

This is a quick and easy dessert that shows it’s pretty little face at the Reid house often. When hubs and I first got married his grandma (known as Mama) showed me how to whip this little gem up. Once, he made the comment that growing up his mother would always keep this pie in the fridge in case he wanted some. Awe, how sweet! Now ladies there comes a time in every marriage when you just gotta let em’ know…………I ain’t your Momma! Hope you enjoy this tasty treat.
1 stick cream cheese softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup lemon juice
1 can pie filling of your choice
Graham cracker crust (use the store bought one unless you’re feelin frisky. Then you can take 2 cups crushed graham crackers, 1 stick butter melted and 1/3 cup sugar mix it all up and press into a pie pan. Bake 400 for 10 minutes. )
Mix the cream cheese, milk and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into your cooled crust and put in the fridge until set. Hmmm….Maybe like 3 hours. I don’t know because we always take it out too soon and eat it runny. I know, I know what a hog! Then top it with a can of whatever (cherry, strawberry, blueberry or apple all lovely) or as you can see in the photo I didn’t have any topping so I just put fruit on top. And for you healthy eaters this can be made with fat free/low fat and is still great. Enjoy it! kreid