Aunt Ruth's Cookies

(Aunt Ruth)

1 batch of Lisa’s Favorite Chocolate Chip cookie dough
2 packages cream cheese (8oz each),  at room temp
1 cup sugar, granulated white
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Spread cookie dough in a 9x13, to cover the bottom. It does not need to be a thick layer. Pree cookie dough together to form bottom crust. Set aside.

Beat softened cream cheese on high speed in mixer, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, mixing well. Add eggs. Pour mixture onto cookie dough and spread out. Add another layer of cookie dough on top of cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is brown and cooked through. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

Butternut Squash Baked

(Jessica A.)

1 butternut squash, chopped in small sqaures
olive oil
a few shakes Mrs. Dash Italian style
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
onion

Spread butternut squash on baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining ingedients over top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min.

***Garlic Bread***

(recipe found here)

1 loaf of crusty French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 heaping Tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley, or dried (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley in a bowl. Make 1-inch thick slices into the bread, but do not go all the way through, just to the bottom crust. Put a teaspoon or two of the butter mixture between each slice. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in the oven.

Fondue

(recipe found here)

Best Ever Chocolate Fondue

½ (16 oz) can chocolate syrup
½ (13 oz) jar hazelnut-chocolate spread
½ cup milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons half-n-half

Dump everything into a medium micro-wave bowl and nuke for 1 to 3 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds. Pour into a fondue pot over sterno to keep warm. Serve with graham
crackers, pound cake cubes, pretzels, pineapple chunks, apples, pears, Etc.


Marshmallow Fondue
1 pkg mini marshmallows
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon almond extract

In a saucepan melt pkg. marshmallows with some heavy cream until smooth. Pour into fondue pot and serve with cubes of fresh fruit or Rice Krispie treats cut into cubes.


Caramel Fondue

1 large can evaporated milk
1 large bag Kraft caramels
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix over low heat until smooth and thick. Pour into fondue pot and serve with chunks of bananas, wedges of apples, and cubes of pound cake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cake (aka Buckeye Cake)

(Mandy H.)



Cake:
1 box Chocolate Fudge cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)
1 (3 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding
2 cups sour cream
5 eggs
1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I recommend ghirardelli)

In a large bowl, beat first 6 ingredients until well blended. Mixture will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into three greased 9” pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes. (Keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake). Cool completely. I actually like to pop them in the freezer for easy assembling.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing
Ingredients2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (I use an organic brand with no hydrogenated oil)
2/3 cup butter (11 Tablespoons)
1 3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6-8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (2 lb. bag/box is perfect)

Directions
Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.
Add peanut butter, milk and vanilla.
Gradually add 6 c. 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. Add more sugar (or milk) as needed until icing is desired consistency (should be firm enough to hold a shape but still smooth).

Keep icing 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. Re-whip before using.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:
First of all, if you don't have a canvas decorating bag and an extra-large star tip, I recommend getting one (you can get them at Wal-Mart, under $5 for all). The tip is Wilton size 1M. I use it for EVERYTHING. It makes super-fast, gorgeous cupcakes and is the very easiest way to decorate a cake (no crumbs!).

Place a small dab of frosting on a cake platter, set first cake layer on top (it's easiest to assemble if the layers are frozen but not necessary). Pipe out (or spread) frosting over top of layer and add next layer. Repeat with final layer. Spread a layer of frosting on the very top and sprinkle chocolate shavings on top (or chocolate chips or chopped reeses peanut butter cups!).

Using your large star tip, make stripes up and down the sides of cake. This is super-easy and you have no frosting crumbs! Hooray!

To finish, draw "S" shapes all around the top edge of the cake. Voila! You have decorated a professional looking cake in 5 minutes! Enjoy!

recipe found here