Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Brian made this yummy dessert the other day that he got in an email the other day. You make it like you do a cobbler in the dutch oven. It's best to mix the cake mix some with the butter so you don't have clumps of uncooked cake mix just like a cobbler. He just cooked it in the oven in our big pot and he didn't line the pot with foil. He cooked it at 350 degrees for about an hour. It was really good!!!


 Ingredients:

1 can solid pumpkin (15 ounces)
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
Optional 1 cup chopped pecans (we did not add these)

Line dutch oven with heavy-duty foil and spray well with cooking spray. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into oven. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Pour melted butter evenly over whole cake. Place 6 hot coal pieces in a circle under the Dutch oven and about 20 pieces evenly around the outside of the lid on top for 50 to 55 minutes. Cake is done when the pumpkin custard is firm. Lift the foil out of the Dutch oven and place on a large dish to cool.

Scotch-a-roos

1 cup sugar
1 cup karo syrup

Bring to a boil and remove from heat and add:

1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice crispies

Smash gently into pan and top with:

1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chips
that have been melted together in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted.

Cranberry Cheese Squares

This is my mom's way of having cranberries on the table at Thanksgiving. It is really, really yummy!!!

2-3oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 tblsp. mayonaise
2 tblsp. sugar
1-1 lb. can whole cranberry sauce
1-9 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Blend cheese, mayo, and sugar. Whip cream until stiff and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add fruit and nuts. Fold in whipped cream to which powdered sugar and vanilla have been added. Pour into large pan and freeze for at least 6 hours. My mom uses a bread pan and it's easy to cut off slices. LOVE IT!!!

Lemon Squares

Cream together:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Bake in 9x13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Combine the following and pour over hot crust:
4 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup lemon juice

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes more or until set up nicely. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool, cut, and serve.

These are delicious and so easy to make! The crust is DIVINE!!! My mom got the recipe from her good friend Donna.

Pumpkin Bars

Mix together in large bowl:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
15 oz. can pumpkin

Mix together in separate bowl and add to egg and sugar mixture and blend well:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

FROSTING FOR PUMPKIN BARS

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
3/4 stick butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. cream or milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and spread over cooled bars. I suppose if you like pecans you could throw some in if you wanted to but I'm not a big fan of them in pumpkin bars! I just love the simplicity and deliciousness of these pumpkin bars! I can't think of Fall and Thanksgiving time without thinking of these!

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE BY MY SISTER-IN-LAW STEPHANIE

2 cups sugar 3 eggs
1 cup oil 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup cocoa
3 tsp. vanilla 2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup milk

Put together in order and beat flour and liquids a little at a time. Bake in 9x13 inch cake pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

HINT: Steph says she peels her zucchini and purees it so her kids can't see the flecks of green in the cake and they never know it's in there. It is a really delicious, moist cake! And so easy my 9 year old has made it twice!

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

about 3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. milk
1/4 cup cocoa

Beat 1/2 the sugar with shortening and butter. Gradually add milk. Beat and add vanilla. Add cocoa. Gradually add remaining sugar until the right consistency.

Mom's Coconut Cream Cake

I didn't take a good picture of this cake but hopefully you get the idea.

Cream together:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
Add:
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks (reserve egg whites)
2 cups flour add alternately with 1 cup buttermilk which 1 tsp. soda has been dissoved into.
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

Beat egg whites and fold into batter, do not over mix. Pour into three 9 inch layer cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and ice with cream cheese icing.

Icing

1/2 cup butter
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Put coconut on outside of iced cake. SOOOO delicious!!!

Lemon Jello Cake by Great Grandma Pray

This cake is one of my favorites! It is SO yummy! Tart...sweet...delicious!!!I just had to share!

Lemon Cake by Great Grandma Pray

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. lemon jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water

DO NOT follow cake mix mixing and ingredients directions! Mix all above ingredients and beat 5 minutes. Bake as directed on cake mix box. When done punch holes in top of cake. Mix: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup lemon juice and pour on top of cake while still warm. Cool and serve with or without cool whip. Delicious!!!

Grandma's Dutch Apple Pie

1 qt. peeled, sliced tart apples
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Single pastry shell

Topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

Mix apples, sugar and spices. Blend flour, cinnamon for topping, brown sugar, and butter, mixing to coarse crumbs. (Mine always ends up like more of a paste for some reason but it still is DELICIOUS!!) Place apples in pastry shell and sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 45 minutes.

This is my FAVORITE pie!!! Even my brother-in-law that doesn't like apple pie loves this pie! It's the best!

Dirt Cup Dessert

We made these for Matthew's birthday. I'm sure you have all had them and probably made them, too, but I'm putting them on here anyway.


You just need instant chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and gummy worms. You put the pudding in the bottom of a cup or a 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle the Oreos on top and then place gummy worms on top. I know...way too easy to really be considered a recipe but oh well. The kids love them! At Toddler Gym, Matty and Max made their own pudding in a ziplock bag. The lady figured out how much mix and how much milk each bag would need and then the kids put the mix and milk in the bag and sqeezed and played with the bag until all mixed and then you cut one of the corners of the ziplock and squeeze the pudding into the cup. They loved it! I'm not THAT brave with chocolate so I just made them myself but there's an idea for all you brave souls out there!