Pineapple Coconut Pie

  Recipe from Taste of Home

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

 In a bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add the corn syrup, coconut, pineapple, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry shell. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly.) Cool on a wire rack. Chill before cutting. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 6-8 servings

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

 Yummy dessert perfect for the fall and holiday season.  Can be eaten warm or cold, with a scoop of ice cream or without.  Also, as noted in the list of ingredients, the caramel sauce is optional.  I added some on my serving the first day, but I thought it was already plenty sweet, so I don't think it's necessary.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

12 oz evaporated milk

4 eggs

1 1/2  c sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp salt

1 box yellow cake mix

1 c chopped pecans

1 c melted butter

Optional:  caramel sauce for topping

DIRECTIONS: 

In a bowl beat together pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spices.  Pour into lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Sprinkle top with yellow cake mix, followed by the chopped pecans.

Pour melted butter evenly on top of cake.

Bake 60-70 minutes at 350 degrees farenheit, or until top is lightly browned and custard is set.

Serve warm or cold.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from a family cookbook given to me by my husband's aunt.  These cookies are so yummy, a must try!  I usually make them without the nuts, but I'm sure they are delicious with them as well.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups sugar
2 cup butter
2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp salt
6 cup flour
3 cups chocolate chips (I usually do half white, half milk chocolate)
1.5 cups nuts (optional)

Mix first 3 ingredients together.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.  Combine the dry ingredients (except for chocolate chips and nuts) in a separate bowl.  Combine both wet and dry mixtures.  Add the chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 9-10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Cottage Cheese Salad

INGREDIENTS:
48 oz Cottage cheese
1 small package strawberry jello
1 tub (16oz) whipped cream
Strawberries, cut into slices

Add the cottage cheese and strawberry jello into a bowl, mix well.  Fold the whipped cream into your mix, and add strawberries.  Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spiced Pizzelles

You will need a pizzelle iron to make these yummy Italian cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c butter (one stick/8 tbsp)

2 eggs 

1/2 c pumpkin puree

1 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2  tsp pumpkin pie spice

dash of salt 

Preheat pizzelle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.  

In a bowl, mix the first five ingredients well, and then incorporate the rest of the dry ingredients.  

Drop a tablespoon of batter at a time on the preheated iron, and cook at desired temperature for about 30-40 seconds.  Remove cookie from pizzelle iron and cool.  You can eat the cookies like that or drizzle some melted chocolate over them.  Enjoy!

Buckeye Brownies

 I first tried these brownies last year in October.  Someone "booed" us and left a plate with this yummy treat outside our door.  They were delicious and I was determined to find out who had brought the treat so I could get a recipe.  I actually just barely found out last week who had brought it and she said that you can get a mixture for these at the store.  Who knew!

Anyway, I did a search online and the majority of recipes out there were pretty similar.  Definitely make these, they are delicious!!

Notes:  The layer of peanut butter is on the thick side.  If you don't want them like that, you can either double the brownie recipe or reduce the peanut butter mixture recipe.

If you want the little squares to look nicer, place the finished buckeye brownies in the refrigerator to completely cool and get firmer.  This will facilitate cutting them more perfectly later.

INGREDIENTS:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix (I used fudge brownies), plus the ingredients to make them (eggs, oil, water)
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips
6 tbsp butter

Bake the brownies according to the directions in the box.  When done, set aside to cool.  In a small mixing bowl, mix the peanut butter, 1/2 cup of softened butter and powdered sugar.  Spoon the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownies.  Use your fingers to spread it evenly over the brownies, set aside.  In a small saucepan (or use the microwave), melt the milk chocolate chips and the remaining butter together.  When ready,  pour the chocolate topping on top of the peanut butter layer, spread it evenly and let it set.  Enjoy!

Frog Eye Salad

This is a very simple and delicious recipe that I got from my mother in law.  Try it, you'll like it!

A few notes before making it:

1. I use the juice from the cans of pineapple that I add to the salad later.  You will not get 2.5 cups of pineapple juice from the cans so you can either open up an extra can of pineapple, or just add some of the juice from the mandarin oranges.  I usually end up with 2 or close to 2 cups of pineapple juice, and then complete the 2.5 cups by adding the juice from the mandarin oranges.

2.  The marshmallows, coconut, and whipped cream are really to your liking.  I definitely added more than a cup of miniature marshmallows and technically you can use the whole tub of cool whip if you want.  

3.  I usually skip the can of crushed pineapple, but it's really up to you if you want it with extra pineapple. 

4.  I've made the salad on the same day so rather than leaving the pasta and dressing to set overnight, I usually just start the pasta and dressing in the morning, leave it in the fridge for several hours and then finish it off in the late afternoon.  Either way works.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.

DRESSING:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 eggs, whisked
1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
2.5 cups pineapple juice (use the juice from the cans below)

Bring the above ingredients to a boil and stir constantly until thick.  Remember to add the whisked eggs at the beginning so you don't end up with strands of cooked egg if you add them when the juice has already gotten hot.  Set your dressing aside when done.

1 box Acini de Pepe pasta
1 cup (or more) miniature marshmallows
3 cans mandarin oranges, drained
16 oz tub cool whip
2 cans pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can crushed pineapple (optional)
1 cup coconut (shredded)

Follow directions on box for cooking the acini de pepe pasta.  When ready, drain, rinse, and then pour pasta in a large bowl.  Fold in dressing, cover, and let set overnight.  The pasta will absorb all the dressing.  Add the drained fruit, about 3/4 of the cool whip, marshmallows, and coconut.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c butter (room temperature)

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

1 c peanut butter

2 eggs

1.5 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c sugar (for coating)

milk chocolate candy melts (for dipping)   

Begin by creaming/mixing the first six ingredients (butter, sugars, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla).  Once mixed incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt), mix well.

When the dough is ready begin to make small balls, then roll them lightly on the extra sugar and place on a lined cookie sheet.  Flatten the cookies slightly with a crisscross pattern using a fork.  Bake cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes.

Once cooled, you may dip the cookie half way in the melted chocolate candy melts.  Let set.  Enjoy!!

 

Pineapple Pops

INGREDIENTS:
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple (with juice)
1.5 cups heavy whipping cream (whipped a bit)
1 lime
sweetened condensed milk

In a blender, add the pineapple, lime juice, and about two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk.  Blend well until the mixture is pretty smooth.  Add whipped cream, blend.  At this point try it and see how sweet it is.  If you would like your pops sweeter, add more sweetened condensed milk.  You may also replace the sweetened condensed milk with the sweetener of your choice.  When your mix tastes just right for you, pour into popsicle molds and freeze.  Enjoy!

Flan de Tres Leches

You can never go wrong with flan, it is absolutely delicious no matter the variations.

Try this flan, I'm sure you'll love it as much as we did!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 cans evaporated milk
1 can Media Crema (Nestle brand Table Cream)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 pkg cream cheese
10 Eggs

(1/2-1 cup Sugar (for caramel)

***

In a small saucepan, melt the sugar on medium heat until it becomes caramelized, pour on the bottom of a bundt pan.

                                                                               ***
Pour first 5 ingredients in blender, blend.  Pour contents on a bowl and beat/mix in the eggs.  Once all of your ingredients are well mixed, pour mix into the bundt pan.

Bake flan a Bain Marie for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, let cool, invert onto a cake platter.  Enjoy!!!!

Note: To bake a cake/custard A Bain Marie, you just need to insert the bundt pan into a larger container and partially fill the large container with water.

Lime Sheet Cake

 

I came across this recipe at a blog called Lil' Luna and I immediately knew I needed to give this cake a try.  Good thinking on my part, this cake is not only easy, but absolutely delicious!!!

You may find the recipe on her blog (along with a lot of other sheet cake recipes) by clicking HERE, or find the recipe below.

 INGREDIENTS:

CAKE:
1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients required for mix)
juice of one lime
1 (3oz pkg) lime flavored instant JELLO gelatin box

FROSTING:
1/4 c butter, softened
4oz cream cheese, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp (or more) lime juice
a few tsp lime zest

In a bowl, pour cake mix and JELLO powder.  Add the ingredients required for the cake mix as specified on the box (water, oil and eggs), as well as the lime juice.  Mix until all the ingredients are well mixed and you have a smooth cake batter (1-2 minutes).  Pour your cake batter evenly on a well greased half sheet/jelly roll pan (18" x 13").  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes.  Let cool.

While your cake is cooling make the frosting.  Start by mixing the softened butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla, lime juice, and lime zest.  Finish off by adding the powdered sugar.  If your frosting ends up being too thick, you may add one to two tablespoons of milk to thin it out.  You may also add more lime juice if you'd like.  I made mine without the milk and extra lime, and found it to be just perfect.

Frost your cake and sprinkle some more lime zest on the top to decorate.  Enjoy!

Coconut Flan (Flan de Coco)

INGREDIENTS:

1 can coconut milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk 

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1-1.5 cup grated coconut

1/2 cup sugar (for caramel)

***

In a small saucepan, melt the sugar on medium heat until it becomes caramelized, pour on the bottom of a bundt pan.

                                                                               ***
Pour first 4 ingredients in blender, blend.  Add coconut and blend for a few seconds.  Pour mix into a bundt pan.

Bake flan a Bain Marie for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, let cool, invert onto a cake platter.  Enjoy!!!!

Note: To bake a cake/custard A Bain Marie, you just need to insert the bundt pan into a larger container and partially fill the large container with water.

Pound Cake

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 c sugar
1 c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
5 large eggs
3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4  tsp salt
1 c milk or evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour the bottom and sides of tube pan, bundt pan, or 2 loaf pans, set aside.

In a large bowl beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs for a few minutes.  Then add flour, baking powder, and salt, mix well.  Slowly add milk and continue mixing until everything is well incorporated.  Spread batter in pan.

Bake in bundt pan for about 1 hour 10 minutes, loaf pans for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and place top side up.  Cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

For Lemon Pound Cake:  Substitute 1 tsp lemon extract for the vanilla.  Fold 1 tbsp grated lemon peel into batter.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

We were always on the search for a good chocolate chip cookie that was not only delicious, but that it wouldn't go flat.  Lucky for me, my friend Stephanie shared the perfect cookie recipe.  Lucky for you, she doesn't mind sharing it! These are some of the best chewy chocolate chip cookies you will ever have!  

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 c vegetable shortening (Crisco)

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt
2 1/4 c flour
Chocolate chips

In a medium size bowl, mix shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Incorporate salt, baking soda, and flour and continue mixing.  When the dough is ready, add chocolate chips to your liking.  Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Amish Caramel Popcorn

 Extremely addictive and delicious!

You can make it with regular "butterfly" popcorn, but we prefer to make it using "mushroom" popcorn.  I like to double the recipe and store the popcorn in large ziploc bags so we have some on hand for movie nights.  So yummy!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

14 c plain gourmet mushroom popped popcorn

1 c brown sugar

1/4 c honey (you can substitute for light corn syrup)

1/2 c butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking soda

Grease (I use butter) two 9x13 baking pans, add popcorn evenly, set aside.  Just FYI, you don't have to use 9x13 pans, just a baking pan/dish that is big enough to fit your popcorn. 

In a small sauce pan, add brown sugar, honey, and butter.  Boil for about 5 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat, add vanilla, mix well, then add the baking soda, mix well.  The caramel will get a little foamy when you add the baking soda.  Pour caramel evenly over popcorn.  Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour stirring every 15 minutes.  Pour popcorn over parchment or wax paper to cool down and separate.  Enjoy!!

Note:

1.  I have made the popcorn using both honey and light corn syrup.  They taste the same, so now I only make it with honey.

2.  Baking it for 45 minutes is plenty, unless you want your popcorn extra toasty :)

3.  Like I mentioned before, mushroom popcorn is perfect for this treat and the caramel coats it better than butterfly.

Blueberry Lemon Loaf

I found this recipe through "pinterest" and I have made it so many times.  

It's one of our favorites!  The recipe makes one loaf, so we usually triple it and give some away for others to enjoy as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 c flour, plus 1 teaspoon for blueberries
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt (or slightly less table salt)
1/2 c butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 c fresh or frozen blueberries

For the Syrup:
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp sugar

For the Glaze:
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a bowl, mix your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), set aside.  In a separate bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix until they are incorporated.  Continue with the milk and vanilla.  Once all the wet ingredients are well mixed, add your dry ingredients and mix just until everything is well incorporated and you have a cake batter.  Add the 1 teaspoon of flour to the cup of blueberries and fold into your batter.  Pour batter on a buttered and floured loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F., for about 50-55 minutes (bread will be light brown on top, and if you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should come out clean).

While bread is baking, make syrup by boiling the two ingredients (lemon juice and sugar) in a small pot.  Your syrup will be ready when sugar has dissolved and syrup thickens a bit (just a couple of minutes).  Set aside.

When bread is done, poke holes on the top using a skewer, and pour the syrup on top to make it moist.  Remember to pour the syrup slowly, so that the bread absorbs it well.  Let bread cool completely.

Mix ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over your loaf.  Enjoy!

Creamy Orange/Coconut Ice Cream

This ice cream is so easy to make and has mostly healthy ingredients.  

My family loved it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cup coconut milk
2-3 oranges
4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (or sugar)
1 tsp vanilla

Peel and section the oranges and place on a cookie sheet.  Place cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours.  Throw the somewhat frozen orange wedges and coconut milk in the blender along with the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk.  Blend until creamy and then pour your mix into your ice cream maker.  Follow directions on your ice cream maker.  Mine took about 20 minutes to be ready.  Enjoy!

Lime Cookie Dessert

 

This dessert is very easy to make and it's delicious!  Perfect combination of sweet and sour.  

You will need two packages of "galletas Marias" (Marias cookies) for this recipe.  You will find these cookies in the Latin aisle of your local super market (although I have also found them in the cookie aisle).  You can buy the individual packages, or buy them like I did in this 4-pack below. 

 INGREDIENTS:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 pkg cream cheese (you can add the whole pkg if you want), softened
8 tbsp lime juice (about 3 1/2 limes)
2 pkgs galletas Marias (Marias cookies)

With a blender, blend the milks, the cream cheese and lime juice until smooth and creamy.  Maybe start out with 5 tablespoons of lime juice and try it.  It's really up to you how much lime juice you want to add.  The lime juice will cut the sweetness and bring that tart flavor to your dessert.  I found 8 tablespoons of lime juice to be perfect to my liking.  Place a layer of Maria's cookies on an 8x8 baking dish.  I broke some cookies in half and quarters to try and fill the larger gaps.

 Pour a small layer of your milk and lime cream over the cookies.

 Continue layering, alternating between the cream and cookies.

Finish with a layer of cream at the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two to three hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Cherry Crisp

 

Quick, simple, and oh so yummy!

INGREDIENTS

1 box yellow cake mix

cherry pie filling (for homemade version click HERE)

1 stick butter, softened

chopped walnuts or almonds

Pour your cake mix in a bowl and add butter, mix well.  You will end up with a thick dough. Press two thirds of the dough firmly onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  Add cherry pie filling on top.  Crumble remaining dough with the chopped nuts and sprinkle evenly on top of the cherry filling.

Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  The crisp will get a light golden color.  Let cool a bit and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Cherry Pie Filling

Pretty easy to make and it goes great with so many recipes!

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups fresh pitted cherries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Red food coloring (optional)

Place pitted cherries in a cover saucepan and cook until cherries start releasing their juice.  Meanwhile mix the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.  When the cherries have released some of the juice, add your sugar and cornstarch mix.  Mix well, the juice from the cherries will thicken and you'll end up with the perfect consistency for pie filling.  Add some drops of red food coloring for a vibrant red color.  That's all, enjoy!!!