Lemon Pound Cake

I *LOVE* Lemon Pound Cake. This one did not disappoint! YUMO!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12-18 servings

Ingredients
1 (16.5 – 18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
1 box (3.4 oz.) lemon flavored instant pudding mix
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
4 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
⅓ cup lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted


Instructions
To make the Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and pudding mix. Add oil, water and eggs. With an electric mixer, beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
To make the Glaze:
In a medium bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, powdered sugar, and melted butter until well mixed. Allow glaze to thicken slightly before pouring the glaze over the top of the cake.

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie

This was my Memama's Buttermilk Pie that I've always loved so much! Every time I make this pie, I'm always amazed how wonderful it tastes when it's SO simple! It is best served warm, but can also be served chilled, as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

I stick of melted butter
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients by hand with a whisk and pour into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the center is firm.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie

This recipe needed no tweaking, whatsoever. It is as equally delicious as it is simple. And want to hear a secret? I didn't even think I was going to like it. Boy was I WRONG! Amazing!!

½ c. cocoa
¼ cup cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla


Directions: Bake the pie shell by itself according to package directions until brown. Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar, salt and vanilla, then add milk gradually while stirring in a pot over med-high heat. Cook until thick, beating it smooth. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Put in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.

*Note: It may take a few minutes for the mixture to thicken in the saucepan. Be patient, it will happen. Also, make sure your pie shell is browned in the oven before putting the chocolate mixture in it to chill. Obviously from my picture, mine cooked have cooked a little longer. OOPS!

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake is not my absolute favorite, but my mom loves it and this is the best recipe I've come up with for this classic chocolate sheet cake. It's very moist for a homemade cake and the frosting is delicious! 

 

CAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
2 sticks butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING:

1 3/4 sticks butter
5 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional (it's just as good without if you don't like nuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add cocoa and cinnamon. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into 13 x 18″ sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the icing. If using nuts, chop them finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa and cinnamon, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the nuts, stir together, and pour over the cake while it's warm. It's important to make sure to pour the frosting while it's warm so it can blend together for optimal setting. You can let the frosting set or serve it warm. Either is fantastic! Enjoy!!

Strawberry Shortcake

Everyone knows about the shortcake cups you get at the grocery store, but NOTHING compares to homemade. This buttery and sweet bread melts in your mouth and makes the perfect fresh dessert! 

Strawberries 

I like to prepare the strawberries first and let them sit in the fridge for about an hour so the flavors can merry together. First, I cut up one pound of strawberries and then add 1/2 cup of sugar and about 4 tablespoons of water. Stir together until the mixture forms a light syrup. Place in the fridge for an hour. 

Shortbread 

Combine 2 and 1/3 cups of Bisquick mix with 2/3 cup milk, 4 tbsp melted butter, and 1/2 cup of sugar and bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. I place them in biscuit size circles for individual cakes.  

Whipped Topping

Cool Whip always works but fresh is best with this dessert! Take 1 cup of heavy cream plus 3 tablespoons of sugar and a splash of vanilla and whisk on high until you get a whipped cream consistency. 

Top the shortcake with whipped cream and the strawberries and voila! Perfect Strawberry Shortcake! 

Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

This is the easiest dessert you could ever make. It's inexpensive, full of flavor and feeds a lot of people. I got this from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, who I adore and I tweaked a couple of things. 

Ingredients:

1 regular can of crushed pineapple

2 regular cans of cherry pie filling

1/2 cup sugar 

2 sticks of butter

1 box of yellow cake mix

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix both cans of cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple with the juice and place in a 9X13 cake pan or glass dish. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top of the cherry pineapple mixture. Place the yellow cake mix on top of the cherry pineapple mixture and spread. From the two sticks of butter, slice squares of butter and place in rows on top of the cake mix. You want to make sure the butter covers most of the surface of the cake mix or it don't bake properly. Stick it I'm the oven for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. Yum! 

S'mores Krispy Treats

This recipe is awesome, easy, and will have your kitchen smelling like homemade waffle cones! Yum!!!

Ingredients:

12 oz box of Golden Grahams cereal

2 Hershey's Milk Chocolate candy bars

12 oz pkg mini marshmallows

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions: 

In a medium sauce pan, melt your butter and watch carefully for it not to burn. While your butter is melting, chop up your chocolate bars and set aside. You might want to put the chopped chocolate in the freezer for a few minutes to keep it from melting. Next, fill a large bowl with all of the Golden Grahams and set aside. 

Once your butter is completely melted, add in your 12 oz pkg of mini marshmallows. Stir continuously until melted. Once mixture is completely melted, add in the sugar and the vanilla and stir to combine well. 

Next, pour the marshmallow mixture over the Golden Grahams and mix well. Once the mixture is completely combined, add in your chocolate from the freezer and mix together. 

Pour into a 9 X 13 cake pan or dish and pat down to secure in place. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until set.

Enjoy!

*Note: wash your pans immediately. There is NOTHING harder to get off than hardened sticky marshmallow mixture. It hardens fast. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies! So yummy!!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts

2 6oz pkgs semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix thoroughly shortening, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. For a softer, rounder cookie, add 1/2 cup flour. 

Drop dough on cookie sheets with parchment paper for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly before moving from cookie sheet. Makes roughly 5 dozen cookies. 

Apple Enchiladas

Holy MOLY this was good! And SO easy!!!

Ingredients:

1 21oz can apple pie filling
6 8in flour tortillas
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water

Spoon about one quarter cup of pie filling into each of the tortillas. Sprinkle with cinnamon, tucking in edges and placing seam side down in prepared baking dish. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over enchiladas and let stand 45 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

*Note: Would be awesome with vanilla ice cream.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes. My brother always requests this as his birthday cake every year, and I request it about every other year. SO good!!




1 stick of butter
3 eggs
1 pkg Duncan Hines Pineapple Supreme cake mix
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
12 pineapple rings
1 small jar of marischino cherries
1 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Melt 1 stick of butter and pour evenly in the bottom of a 9X13 cake pan. Add the brown sugar on top of the butter, spread evenly. Place the pineapple rings on top of the brown sugar/butter mixture. Cut cherries in half and place each half of a cherry in the middle of the pineapple, cut side UP. Make the cake batter by mixing together the cake mix, eggs, water and vegetable oil. Pour the cake batter over the pineapple rings. Spread evenly and place in a 350 degree oven for 32-35 minutes. Cool. Once cool, place a tray firmly and centered on top and flip it over. Ta Daaaa! You have a beautiful and delcious Pineapple Upside Down Cake! :0)

Cherry Icebox Cake

This recipe is SO good, SO cheap and SO easy! It's always a hit!!

Ingredients:
20 Whole Graham Crackers
2 cups cold milk
1 pkg JELLO Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Filling (6 serving size)
1 and 3/4 cups thawed COOL WHIP
2 cans cherry pie filling

Directions:
Line a 13X9 inch pan with graham crackers. In a separate bowl, pour cold milk into bowl. Add pudding mix. Mix at low speed with a mixer and beat until blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Blend in Whipped topping. Pour mixture over graham crackers and spread evenly then repeat with layers of Graham crackers then mixture. Top with cherry pie filling and chill for 3 hours. Voila!

Pumpkin Pie

I made this pumpkin pie last year for Christmas and it was AWESOME!

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Banana Poppy Seed Cake

This cake is HEAVENLY!! I was surprised since it's a relatively light cake, but it's awesome. And SO easy!!

Ingredients:

1 pkg white cake mix
1 small box of Banana Cream Fat Free Sugar Free instant pudding mix
1/4 cup poppy seeds
2/3 cup no sugar added apple sauce
3 egg whites
1 egg w/yolk
1 cup water

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13X9 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine mix, pudding mix, poppy seeds, applesauce, egg whites, egg w/yolk and water into a large bowl. Mix well. If mixture is a little thick, no worries-the cake is very moist when baked. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 18-23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serves 12