SOFT AND CHEWY CARAMELS

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup butter
1 pkg (16-oz) light brown sugar
1 can (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of pan. Generously coat foil with cooking spray; set aside.

Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in the brown sugar, milk, and corn syrup until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees.

Remove pan from heat and stir by hand for 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth and no longer bubbling. Quickly pour mixture into prepared pan; let stand 3 hours or until cool.

Lift foil and caramel out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch pieces using a buttered knife.

Wrap each piece of caramel in plastic wrap.

Yield: 64 caramels

APPLE LASAGNA

 This is a recipe from a Bed and Breakfast in Arkansas.

8 no-boil lasagna noodles 

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg, slightly beaten or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp almond extract

2 cans (20-oz each) apple pie filling

Cinnamon to taste

1 tbsp chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9"x13" glass baking dish; set aside.

Combine the cheeses, egg, sugar, and extract in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread 1 can of the pie filling over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer half the noodles over the pie filling. Spread the cheese mixture over the noodles.  Top with the remaining noodles, the other can of pie filling and the remaining cheese mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and top with the chopped pecans. Cover dish with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool some before cutting into squares to serve.

Note: The no-boil noodles will expand so be sure they are an inch away from the sides of the pan.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

clipart photo

STICKY TOFFEE CAKE

This is a recipe a friend sent to me several years ago to share on this blog. I believe she got it from The English Kitchen.

8 ounces dried dates
300ml of water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
6 ounces soft light brown sugar
4 ounces butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
6 ounces self raising flour

For the icing:
6 TBS double cream
3 ounces soft light brown sugar
1 ounce butter
1 ounce icing sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter and base line a shallow 11 by 7 inch baking tin. Set aside.

Cut each date into 3 or 4 pieces. Place in a saucepan along with the water. Bring to the boil, and then boil uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the dates have softened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and set aside to cool.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the eggs and then fold in the cooled date mixture. Stir in the flour.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 35 minutes, until risen and just set. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

For the icing, gently heat the cream, sugar and butter together in a small pan until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and then cook, uncovered for 4 minutes, until golden. Do not stir. Leave to cool. When cold, beat in the icing sugar until smooth. Using the back of a wet spoon, spread it over the cake. Leave to set before cutting into 18 rectangles.

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LEMON LIME DESSERT

I got this recipe and photo from a 2003 issue of Quick Cooking. It was submitted by a lady in Fort Wayne, Indiana - the state where I was born and raised.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 24 squares)
14 tbsp butter or margarine, melted, divided
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 quart lime sherbet, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup lemon juice

In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, 7 tablespoons of the butter and 1/4 cup sugar; mix together well. Press into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch freezer-proof dish; freeze.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ice cream and sherbet; pour over the crust. Freeze until firm.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the eggs and remaining sugar. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining butter. Cook over low heat until the mixture is thickened and reaches 160 degrees. Cover and refrigerate until cool.

Spread the cooled lemon mixture over the ice cream mixture. Cover and freeze at least 3 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, remove from the freezer and cut into squares. Garnish with thin slices of lemon and/or lime, if desired.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

Note: This dessert may be frozen for up to 2 months. A great make-ahead dessert for busy times.

DEVILISH CHOCOLATE DIAMONDS

 One of my old magazine clipping recipes.

DICED APPLE CAKE WITH SAUCE

 This cake was served in the school cafeteria at one of the county schools where I grew up in Southern Indiana. It is very tasty. I put it in the family cookbook I made years ago.

Cake:

2 cups peeled, diced apples

1 cup sugar

1 egg 

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped nuts

dash of salt

Sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup butter

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

To make cake: mix sugar and apples together and allow to stand until sugar dissolves. Add the egg. Add dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

To prepare topping: Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Pour over the hot cake.

CLASSIC CREAMY CHEESECAKE

CRUST:

11 whole graham crackers (22 squares)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Using a food processor, crush crackers into crumbs. Add butter and sugar and process to mix.
Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan; chill.

FILLING:
5 pkgs (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a large mixer bowl; beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Blend in the sugar. Add the flour and beat until combined.

On low speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until blended, scraping down sides of bowl often. Add the sour cream, lemon peel, and vanilla extract; beat just until blended.

Pour the filling over the chilled crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and with the door ajar, let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife around the sides of the pan.
Cover and chill for at least 6 hours up to overnight.

TOPPING:
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Before serving remove the sides of the pan. Slide the cheesecake onto the serving plate. Overlap the strawberries in circles on the top of the cheesecake and fill the center with the raspberries.

Cut into 16 wedges.

FILE PHOTO

PEANUT BUTTER BARS WITH CRANBERRIES

This recipe won a national contest in 2004.

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (do NOT use natural peanut butter)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
2 (3-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter (do NOT use natural peanut butter)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside.

In a small bowl combine the cranberries and water; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain well.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter with electric mixer until well combined. Beat in the brown sugar. Beat in the flour with mixer on low speed; mixture will be crumbly. Stir in the peanuts and well drained cranberries. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture; press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar with mixer until smooth. Add the egg, 2/3 cup peanut butter, and lemon juice; beat until well combined.  Spread evenly over the crust; sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top, pressing lightly into filling.

Bake about 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the edges are puffed.

Cool on a wire rack before cutting into 16 bars.

FILE PHOTO

HERSHEY BAR TUBE CAKE

1 (10-oz) Hershey Chocolate Bar

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 (5.5-oz) can Hershey chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate bar in the top of a double boiler over hot water.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk.

Alternately add the buttermilk and the flour into the creamed mixture. Add the melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla extract.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan (not a Bundt pan) and bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake and remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

APPLE-PECAN-CARROT CAKE FROM SOUTHERN LIVING

When I saw this in a quite old Southern Living magazine I knew I needed to add it to this blog! Sure does look good to this diabetic. I will work on it and see if I can make me a diabetic version but you can enjoy the real thing!

• 2 1/3 cups finely chopped lightly toasted pecans, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil 
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled and grated Granny Smith apples
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots 
• 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Caramel Sauce (recipe below)
• Mascarpone Frosting (recipe below)
•  Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle 1 1/3 cups toasted pecans into 2 well-buttered shiny 9-inch round cake pans; shake to coat bottom and sides of pans.
• Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients.
• Stir together eggs and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Add flour mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in apples, carrots, and remaining 1 cup pecans. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
• Place 1 cake layer, pecan side down, on a serving plate. Spread top of cake layer with 2/3 cup Apple Cider Caramel Sauce; top with remaining cake layer, pecan side down. Spread Mascarpone Frosting over top of cake. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Caramel Sauce over frosting, and swirl sauce into frosting. Serve immediately.

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER SAUCE

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter 
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Cook cider in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Refrigerate up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

MARSCAPONE FROSTING

• 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl just until blended. Beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into mascarpone mixture.