BANANA BREAD COBBLER

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 medium-size ripe bananas, sliced
streusel topping, recipe below
vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease a an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium to large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, and milk together just until blended.  Whisk in the melted butter.  Pour into the prepared baking dish.  Cover with the banana slices and sprinkle the struesel topping over all. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve with the ice cream, if desired.  (I suggest it!)

STRUESEL TOPPING:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Using a fork, stir the brown sugar, flour, and butter together until crumbly.  Stir in the oats and the pecans.  Use as directed above.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings                                                          
This is a North Carolina recipe.

SIMPLE BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp grated lemon or orange rind

May be made with mixer or in a food processor.

Cream the butter; add sugar gradually.  Blend together until light and creamy, beat in the eggs.  Add the flour and greated citrus rind.  Stir until blended. 

For molded cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Press the dough into ungreased cookie mold/s and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are just light brown.  Remove from the molds while still hot.

For pastry bag or cut-out cookies:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.

Note: To make the cut-out cookies, chill dough until chilled enough to roll out.

4-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE FUDGE PIE

1 baked 9-inch pie shell
6 squares (1-oz each) unsweetend chocolate
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk (fat-free would be a good idea!)
1 carton (8-oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
fresh berries or chocolate curls for garnish, if desired

Microwave chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until melted and smooth (stir after every 30 seconds). 

Whisk the sweetened condensed milk into the chocolate until smooth; let stand 2 minutes.  Fold half the thawed whipped topping into the chocolate mixture.  Pour into the prepared crust.

Cover and chill for 4 to 8 hours. 

Before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping over the top of the pie.  Garnish with fresh raspberries, blueberries, etc, if desired.  May also garnish with chocolate curls, if preferred.

COCONUT MOMENTS

One of my favorite things in the world: coconut!

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix the flour, cornstarch, and sugar together in a bowl.  Blend in the butter to form a soft ball.  If this dough is too soft to handle, chill until firm enough to shape.  Shape the dough into balls approximately 3/4-inch in diameter.  Roll balls in the coconut and place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until ligtly browned.

Yield: approximately 3 dozen

BASIC YELLOW CUPCAKE BATTER

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt with the mixer on high speed for 1 minute or until well blended.  Add the eggs to the butter mixture and beat about 2 minutes until fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and beat in the milk and vanilla (it is okay if the batter looks curdled).  Beat in the flour just until blended.  Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups filling each 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely on the wire racks before frosting.

                                                 

SO GOOD BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled*
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp low-fat milk
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. (Leave 2 of the center cups empty and then add a couple tablespoons of water to each.)

Into a large mixing bowl sift the flours, baking powder and salt together.  Stir in the sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, and milk.  Pour over the flour/sugar mixture and whisk until just blended.  (Mixture will be slightly lumpy.)

Gently stir in the blueberries, just until blended in.

Divide the batter evenly between the 10 muffin-lined cups.  Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 24 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

These muffins are good anytime but especially good served warm.

*If you use salted butter, cut the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon.

FUDGY CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

1 cup butter
1 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup very hot water
1/2 pint heavy cream
10.5-oz semisweet chocolate
6-oz white chocolate finely grated for garnish, if desired

Grate the white chocolate so it can chill while you prepare the cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly oil the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper; set aside.

In large mixer bowl combine the butter, sugar, flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and eggs.  With mixer on medium speed, beat until smooth.  Continue beat for a couple more minutes until the volume has increased.  Add the hot water and beat to incorporate, about a minute.  Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.  All cakes to cool in pan for about 10 minutes then gently remove from pans, peel of parchment paper and allow to cool completely on wire racks. 

While cake cools heat the heavy cream just to a boil - do not boil!  Break the chocolate into pieces, adding to the cream and stirring until melted.  Let cool then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and whisk until thickened to a spreading consistency.

To assemble the cake, place one layer on the cake plate and top with 1/3 of the frosting.  Spread the frosting and top with the second layer.  Spread the remaining of the frosting over the sides and top of the cake.  Sprinkle the white chocolate over the top, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings                                       This is a Great American Recipe.