Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Mix 1 envelope Knox gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water; set aside.
Separate 3 eggs and add yolks to a sauce pan; beat slightly. Save whites for later (no need to refrigerate).
Add to the sauce pan 1/2 cup sugar,
1/2 cup milk, and
1/2 tsp each: ginger, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon.
Cook in a double broiler until thick.
Add gelatin/water mixture and combine then cool thoroughly.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peak while adding 1/2 cup sugar slowly.
When pumpkin mixture is cooled, pour that into the meringue (egg whites and sugar) and gently fold together.
Pour into precooked pie shells and cool completely. The pies will turn more orange as they cool.

Pecan Pie

In a sauce pan mix
3/4 cup sugar
2 T flour
1 tsp salt.
Add 1 cup dark corn syrup
and heat until sugar is dissolved.
Cool until luke warm and beat in
2 eggs, one at a time.
Mix in
1/2 cup canned milk
1 cup pecans
1 tsp vanilla
Pour mixture into 9 inch unbaked pie crust.
Bake 375 50 minutes or until firm.  Cool before serving.

Classic Pie Crust

Makes two pie crusts.
2 cups flour mixed with
1 tsp salt
Add 3/4 stick well chilled crisco shortening stick (3/4 cup).  Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two butter knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.
Sprinkle 2-4 T ice water over the flour mixture; mix gently with a fork.  Add more water by the tablespoon full, mixing until dough holds together.
Divide dough into two balls and flatten each into 1/2 inch thick round disks.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Place one disk on lightly floured counter top.  With floured rolling pin, roll dough outward from center into a circle two inches wider than your pie plate.  Ease crust into pie plate, trim edges if needed and flute around edges.
Bake according to pie directions or fill and then bake.
Repeat with other disk.

Basics of Frosting

A basic frosting consists of butter, vanilla, and milk mixed together and then powdered sugar added to the right consistency.  I usually use about 1 T butter (melted), 1 tsp vanilla and 3-4 T milk, then add teh powdered sugar.  Buttercream frostings have more butter and it's not melted, so you get a thicker, stiffer frosting with more butter flavor.  You can also add cocoa (1 T?) to make chocolate frosting.

Sugar Cookies - Mauri's

from Mauri Winder

2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
Cream together
Add 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
Beat until creamy
Add 2 T milk and beat again until fluffy.
Add
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Mix thoroughly.

Divide dough in half; chill 1 hour (or more).

Roll out and cut desired shapes.
Note: one key to a good sugar cookie is not getting the dough too thick or too thin.
Note: an easy way to roll out dough is to use saran wrap on top and bottom.

Bake 375 6-8 minutes, do not overcook!  They should be just slightly brown underneath and on the very edge.

Sugar Cookies - Heather's

from Heather Hartman

1 cup butter, softened
cream with 2/3 cup sugar, then 2 eggs, adding one at a time.
1 T vanilla, mix in.
2 1/2 cup flour + 1/8 tsp salt
Combine.
Roll out and cut desired shapes.
Bake 400 6-8 minutes.

Sugar Cookies - Angela's

from Angela Bogenrief

1 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
Cream those three together
Add 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla and mix
Add 2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Fork stir dry ingredients then mix all together.
Refrigerate overnight.
Roll out and cut desired shapes.
Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes.

New Year's Eve Cake

from Mauri Winder

1 boxed white cake mix, made following the directions on the back but separated into a 9x13 pan and an 8x8 pan, so the cake is thinner.  Reduce baking time by 10 minutes and check.  Cool.

Mix
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup whip cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

When smooth, spread on top of cake.  Top with Danish dessert (pie glaze recipe) plus 2 cups raspberries.  Chill.

Hot Fudge Sauce

from Mauri Winder

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa

Mix above ingredients with a wire whisk.

In pan, melt 1 cube butter, add 1 cup (NOT one can!) evaporated milk, and pour in sugar mixture.
Bring to boil for 1 1/2 minutes, whisking the entire time.  Watch closely, it can scorch, as soon as it starts to thicken, remove from heat.

Add 1 tsp vanilla.

Impossible Chocolate Pie

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 ounces unsweetened bar chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix

Whipped cream

Heat oven to 350. Grease a pie plate.
Melt chocolate in microwave and set it aside to cool off a bit.
Combine all ingredients except whipped cream, including chocolate, into a blender.
Blend on high until all ingredients look well blended.
Pour batter into pie place and bake for about 30 minutes.  Check it at 25, middle should be set.
Cool completely and cover with whipped cream.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

1 cup margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 1/2 cup flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  In a large bowl, cream together margarine, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Add the flour, soda, salt; mix well.  Blend in oats.  Set aside while you make the fudge filling.

Filling: 1 12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 T margarine, 2 t vanilla.
Put all ingredients except vanilla in a glass bowl and warm in microwave for 1 minute.  Stir and microwave in 30 second increments until all ingredients are melted and blended together.  Add vanilla and stir in.

Spread 1/2-2/3 dough in the prepared pan.  Cover with fudge filling.  Crumble the remaining dough on top of filling. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars.  Makes 30 bars.

Crisp

Mix together:
1 cup flour
1/2-1 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit
1 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 unbeaten egg

Add: 1/2 cup oil.

Pour or layer 1 pint fruit in a baking dish.  Sprinkle batter mix over fruit, sprinkle cinnamon on top.  Bake 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Jana's Brownies

2 sticks butter/margarine, melted
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
1 T vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 t salt

Blend sugar and margarine and add eggs and rest of the ingredients.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 chocolate cake mix (can use white or yellow)
1 3 oz instant pudding mix (chocolate or vanilla)
1/4 cup oil
1 cup water
4 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour bundt pan.  Mix together dry ingredients.  Add oil and water, mixing with wooden spoon.  Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each.  Add sour cream or yogurt and chips.  Pour into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Magic Bars

Preheat oven to 350.
In a 9x13 pan layer the following:
1 stick of melted butter (to cover the bottom  of the pan)
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk (drizzle over everything)
Put in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Lemon Bars

3/4 cups flour
1/3 cups powdered sugar
6 T butter/margarine, softened
Combine and pat into lightly greased 8x8 pan.  Bake 350 degrees 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together until frothy:
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 T flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
Pour over hot crust.  Bake 20-25 minutes more.  Cool.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

3 cups flour
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil and beat together.  Add the dry ingredients to the top and fork stir to combine dry ingredients before mixing with wet ingredients.  Stir and mix dry and wet ingredients together until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into two greased 8x4 loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Scotcheroos

1 C karo syrup

1 C sugar

1 C creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

6 C rice krispies

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Bring Karo and sugar to a boil. Add peanut butter. Take off heat and add vanilla.  Pour over rice krispies and mix thoroughly. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan.  Cool.  Melt chips and spread over cooled krispies. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Best Cupcake Recipe (Mauri)

Filling-

Blend:

1 8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1 egg

1/3 c. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Stir in: 6 oz chocolate chips

Set aside.

Cupcakes-

2 c. water

2/3 c. oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

2 tsp. soda

2 c. sugar

Mix liquids in one bowl and dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then mix together until batter is lump free. Preheat oven to 350. Fill each cup (in muffin tin) 3/4 of the way with batter. Add 1 Tbsp. cream cheese filling on top.  Bake 25-30 minutes. Yields 2 dozen

**They are not pretty when they come out of the oven, so frosting them is a must! I used the Wilton chocolate buttercream recipe.**

Wilton Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

3-4 tablespoons milk

Makes

About 3 cups of icing.

Instructions:

Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Monster Cookies

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 -ounce jar creamy peanut butter

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.