Category: COOKIES, BARS & CANDY

Did I mention we're on diets around here? Easy Diet Cake & YummyToo!

We are on a diet around here, but today was hubby’s birthday and he needed a cake so I made this one. It’s one of our favorites.

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 large can crushed pineapple with juice

Mix them together, pour into a 13×9 baking dish and bake 30 minutes.

Voile’, a light and fruity dessert. If you want to get fancy spoon Comstock cherries over top before serving.

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars – Favorite Ingredient Friday

My cousin Jenn, made this recently so we have a picture courtesy of her.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine peanut butter, egg and oil until smooth. Add cake mix and mix well. Press 2/3 of mixture into bottom of 13×9 pan. Bake 10 minutes.

In a saucepan heat together butter, milk and chocolate chips over low heat until melted, blended and smooth. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Pour evenly over baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over chocolate mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting.

I have successfully experimented with this by changing the cake mix flavor and the chip flavors. Use your imagination.

Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy.

~*~Grandma's Oatmeal Chews~*~

2 cups oatmeal (quick or regular)
1 1/2 cups flour + 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel Ice Cream topping*
1/2 cup Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping*
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup Nestle’s milk chocolate chips**
1/2 cup walnuts

  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
  • Generously spray the bottom of a 10×15 jelly roll pan (stainless steel cookie sheet).
  • Combine oatmeal, 1 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, baking soda and butter. Mix until crumbly. Reserve 1+ cup of mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.
  • Combine butterscotch caramel topping with 1/4 cup flour and whisk until smooth. Drizzle this over prepared crust when removed from oven. In a complimentary pattern drizzle hot fudge. Top with raisins and chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Crumble reserve oat mixture over top.
  • Bake another 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

*You may need to microwave for 20-30 seconds so this is pourable
**I often interchange these for peanut butter chips for a little different flavor

Favorite Ingredient Friday

I’m trying to branch out this year on my blog. Cooking is an integral part of our everyday lives and can be fun and easy with a little prep. I thought that Favorite Ingredient Friday, hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy would be a fun and informative place to start.
This upcoming Friday Theme is ‘Pies’. So my recipe is for Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie, an original recipe I developed after a major banana and chocolate (2 of my most favorite ingredients) craving one day. It’s relatively quick and easy while giving the appearance that you spent all day in the kitchen. It’s a great dessert to serve to guests, they’ll think you spent all day preparing for them!

9-10″ deep dish pie plate sprayed with PURE – I like to use my Pyrex french white tart pan

4-8 Tablespoons butter

2-3 cups crushed gingersnaps and vanilla wafers mix (you decide which flavor you prefer)

1 regular size cool whip*

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups cold whole milk

1-5.1 ounce Jell-O Cheesecake flavored instant pudding

1/2 teaspoon rum extract

2 bananas

1 small baskets raspberries

1) Melt butter and mix into cookie crumbs. Push into bottom of pie plate firmly.

2) Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate chips and mix together with 1/3 of the cool whip until well mixed and smooth (microwave about 45 seconds, but you could use double boiler if you prefer melting the chocolate first and then adding cool whip). Spread on top of crumb crust.

3) Slice bananas and layer over chocolate layer saving a few for garnish if you like. If you save a few for garnish, be sure to douse them with lemon juice to prevent browning.

4) Mix together milk, rum extract and pudding mix. Whisk together until smooth and thick. Fold in 1/3 of the cool whip. Spoon over top of chocolate mixture.

5) Melt the other 6 ounces of chocolate chips and mix together with 1/3 of the cool whip until well mixed and smooth. Spread over pudding layer.

Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Just before serving garnish with cool whip, banana slices and raspberries. For a more decadent looking dessert add a few pieces of shaved chocolate.

*When I first take the cool whip from the freezer I slice it into thirds pie style and it makes it easier to work with.