In a saucepan, combine:
1 package frozen mixed berries
2 Tbl honey
1 Tbl brown sugar
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon (more to taste)
Stir over medium heat until just at the boiling point. Cool for a few minutes, but serve still steaming over vanilla ice cream.
Stephanie served this simple yet decadent dessert for Easter in 2004. The sweet cream is very similar to the Mock Devonshire Cream, but it is softer and sweeter. The recipe serves four. Or one. It depends.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
2 (8 oz) containers of sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Directions
Combine sugar and gelatin in a medium saucepan. Stir in whipping cream and let stand one minute. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk for five minutes or until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Stir sour cream and vanilla into cooled gelatin mixture. Pour into a serving bowl. Cover and chill for three hours or until set. Serve by spooning into dessert dishes. Top with fresh berries.
We enjoyed Mock Devonshire Cream with apricot scones before we braved the craft extravaganza that was the 2002 Dade City Kumquat Festival. Makes about 3 cups.
Ingredients
½ cup cold water
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 cup chilled sour cream
1 cup chilled whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Place water in small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir mixture over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Let stand just until cool but not set, about 10 minutes. Place sour cream in medium bowl. Stir in gelatin mixture. Beat cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until soft peaks form; fold into sour cream mixture in 2 additions. Cover; chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
Doris saw a tip on “Martha” that would be extremely helpful with this potentially messy dessert: Grease the pan, then line it with parchment paper and grease that as well. When the brownies have cooled, invert the pan on a cake rack and peel off the parchment paper. Normally, these are difficult to get out of the pan neatly even when they are cooled completely, but they are delicious!
Ingredients
1 ½ sticks (12 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs (must be at room temperature)
2 Tbl water
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup all purpose flour
10 mini chocolate/peanut candy bars crumbled (Snickers fun size work well). These must be refrigerated about 20 minutes before crumbling.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 cake pan (aluminum is fine) with butter. With a spoon, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in water and vanilla. Sprinkle the salt and baking powder over the mixture, then mix in. Do the same with the cocoa, adding it in three separate batches. Finally, stir in the flour until just blended. This is a very oily mixture so a mixer would make it impossible to work with. Using a large chef’s knife cut the candy bars in half lengthwise, then in four cross cuts, and then chop them into a coarse crumble. Fold the crumble into the batter thoroughly. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 30 minutes until the center is set, the edges look a bit crusty and the top of the brownies start to crack a little. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
From Southern Living,” makes two dozen.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
4 (1-oz) unsweetened chocolate squares
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 Tbl vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
20 coarsely crushed peppermint candies
Directions
Melt butter and chocolate in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth; let cool. Beat eggs at medium speed for 2 minutes; gradually add 2 cups sugar, beating well. Add melted chocolate, flour, and next three ingredients; beat well. Stir in peppermint candies. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar. (You can also cut the brownies into circles with a biscuit cutter for a different look.)
Michelle and Bill brought these pretty pink bars to mine and Ken’s baby shower in September 2006. Her maternal Grandmother Choquette found this recipe, and the recipe was passed down to Michelle’s mother who used to make them to everyone’s enjoyment. Michelle says, “I think that these are worth the extra steps.”
Ingredients and Directions
2 cups of flour
1 cup butter
½ cup white sugar
Mix flour, butter and sugar together; the mixture will be crumbly. Pat into a 9×13 dish and bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350 oven.
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
¼ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 cup chopped walnuts
Beat eggs, yolk and brown sugar until fluffy. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Blend into egg mixture. Stir in cherries and walnuts. Spread over baked crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes longer. Cool.
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbl Crisco
3 ½ tsp cherry juice
milk
Beat sugar, shortening, and cherry juice together. Add enough milk to make the mixture into a spreading consistency.
Thanksgiving 2005, from “Paula Deen and Friends”
Ingredients
¼ cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup pecans, chopped
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Turn off heat, add brown sugar and stir until smooth. Stir in egg. Sift together flour and baking powder and stir into brown sugar mixture. Add vanilla and pecans. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. When cool, dust top with a sifting of confectioners’ sugar. After cutting into squares remove from pan and store in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
From “Better Homes and Gardens.”
This is a delicious mix of cheesecake and fruit with both pear and raspberry flavors. Take care, and the presentation will be beautiful. I used two large cans of pears, and the results were delicious.
Ingredients
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
2 Tbl lemon juice
5 medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam
½ cup butter, cut up
1 (14.5 oz) package gingerbread mix
1 egg yolk
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
Directions
In a large saucepan bring the water, the ½ cup sugar and lemon juice to boiling. Add pears. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in raspberry jam. Cool 1 hour. (If desired, cover and chill up to 6 hours.) Drain.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place gingerbread mix in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into mix until pieces are pea-sized. Stir in egg yolk just until combined. Remove and discard ½ cup of the crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes and then cool completely.
In a medium bowl beat cheese on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/3 cup sugar; beat until light. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined. Stir in lemon peel. Spoon about half of the cheese mixture into crust.
Spoon drained pears evenly over cheese mixture. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over pears. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes on rack. Loosen sides of pan. Cover; chill 2 to 24 hours. Remove sides of pan.
From the Pillsbury Book of Baking.
Ingredients
½ cup sugar
½ brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup peanut butter
2 Tbl milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
Direction
Cream sugars and butter together. Add peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg, and mix well. Add in flour and baking soda, and mix well. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in granulated sugar to press hatch-marks in the top of each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
Dad traditionally makes these around the holidays, but they are perfect any time of the year. He often adds chopped pecans and will make a batch especially for mom who doesn’t like chocolate chips: no chips, extra pecans.
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Since Dad died I’ve made these cookies a few times, and, unintentionally, those few times have been for new moms. After they are baked I realize, Oh, oatmeal is good for nursing mothers!
Alice and I recently baked them for the first time for our family, and when Ken tasted one he said it might be the best cookie he’s ever had, hands down. Better than Oreos?? Alice loves them because they have two of her favorite foods: oatmeal and brown sugar.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 egg
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6 oz milk chocolate chips
Directions
Melt butter, and combine with vanilla and egg. Then mix in both sugars. Add flour and baking soda. Mix well. Add the oats, and mix well. Lastly, blend in chocolate chips. Use a Tablespoon to scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
a little of each 