Chunky Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2001

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  
• Cream Cheese Frosting
  
• Chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in apple slices and 1 cup walnuts.
3. Spread into a greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting; sprinkle with walnuts, if desired. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 Ingredients:
•  1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
2. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until blended.
3. Stir in vanilla.

Butterscotch Haystacks

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 can (8.5 oz.) or 2 cans (5 oz. each) chow mein noodles
• 3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. LINE trays with wax paper.
2. MICROWAVE morsels in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR.
3. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.
4. Stir in peanut butter until well blended.
5. Add chow mein noodles and marshmallows; toss until all ingredients are coated.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared trays.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 lb.)
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Drizzle a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Cut cauliflower vertically into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange in a single layer on prepared pan. Drizzle cauliflower with remaining olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

**this is great on a lettuce salad

Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 
  1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  1/3 cup sugar
  1 egg
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  1 cup peanut butter chips
  
• CUPCAKES:
  1 cup sugar
  1 cup water
  1/3 cup canola oil
  1 tablespoon white vinegar
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  1/4 cup baking cocoa
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• Directions:
  
  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat the sugar, egg and salt until smooth. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips; set aside.
  For cupcakes, in a large bowl, beat the sugar, water, oil, vinegar and vanilla until well blended. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture and mix well.
  
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full with batter. Top each with about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

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Wiggly Pumpkins

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (6 ounces each) orange gelatin
• 2-1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• Candy corn
• Black licorice and/or gumdrops
  

Directions:

1. Dissolve gelatin in water; set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Whisk milk and pudding mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Quickly pour into gelatin; whisk until well blended.
3. Pour into an oiled 13-in. x 9-in. pan. Chill until set.
4. Cut into circles or use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter.
5. Just before serving, add candy eyes and mouths.

Yield: 14-16 servings.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 celery rib or broccoli stalk
• Sliced apples and assorted crackers
  
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheeses until smooth.
2. Stir in the cheddar cheese, paprika and cayenne.
3. Shape into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.
4. With a knife, add vertical lines to the cheese ball to resemble a pumpkin; insert a celery rib or broccoli stalk for the stem.
5. Serve with apples and crackers.

Yield: 2-1/2 cups.

Ghost Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 pound white candy coating, coarsely chopped


• 1 package (1 pound) Nutter Butter peanut butter cookies


• miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring occasionally.


2. Dip cookies into coating, covering completely. Place on waxed paper.


3. (Brush ends with a pastry brush dipped in coating where fingers touched cookies.)


4. While coating is still warm, place two chips on each cookie for eyes.


5. Let stand until set.

*** These make cute snowmen cookies. Justs add choc chip buttons and pipe a nose and scarf!

Black Cat Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) cake mix of your choice
• 1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting
• 48 nacho tortilla chips, broken
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• Assorted candies: yellow gumdrops, miniature marshmallows, pink Nerds candies and red Air Heads candies

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely.
2. Using a star tip, pipe frosting on cupcakes.
3. Use pointed tips of tortilla chips for cat ears and pretzel sticks for whiskers.
4. Slice gumdrops. For each eye, press a gumdrop slice onto a marshmallow.
5. Add Nerds candies for noses.
6. Cut Air Heads candies into mouth shapes; position on cupcakes.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin (OR 2 Cups prepared pumpkin)


• 2 cups sugar


• 3 eggs


• 1 stick melted butter or margarine


• 2 cups flour


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1 tsp cinnamon
  

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend well. Bake in greased 9x13 pan at 350* for 35 minutes.

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter or margarine

1 TBSP + 1 tsp milk

1 1/3 tsp vanilla

Beat until soft, then add powdered sugar until correct consistency to spread.

Southern Biscuits

Recipe from Food Network

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 2 tablespoons shortening
  
• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
3. Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)
4. Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Adapted from the American club, in Kohler, Wisconsin via Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1. Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.
2. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
3. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on a rack five minutes and then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl.
3. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended.
4. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until edges are firm.
8. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
9. Drizzle glaze over cookies.
10. For Glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, I tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.
    

Hootinany (German Pancake)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 stick of butter

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in oven. Mix rest of ingredients together and pour into hot butter. Bake for 20 mins. The sides get really high, puffy and golden brown.

We've been known to put slices of fried apples in the butter then pour the batter over and bake!

Apple Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter, chilled
• 1 apples - peeled, cored, shredded
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 TBSP milk
• 2 TBSP white sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• raisins (opt)
  

Directions:

1. Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Add shredded apple and milk. Stir to form a soft dough.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8 to 10 times. Pat into two 6-inch circles. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Score each into 6 pie-shaped wedges.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until browned and risen. Serve warm with butter.

Chunky Crockpot Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 10 large apples (I use Cortland), peeled, cored and chunked
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup sugar.
  

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in crockpot. Add water, cinnamon and sugar. Cook on HI 4-5 hours or on LOW for 8-10 hours.
   

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients: Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash -
peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 (32 fluid ounce) container
chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

• 
  

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Dutch Apple Pancakes

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

1 cup milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium green apples peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 375 F.
In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, flour and 2 tbs. sugar.In a heavy ovenproof skillet, melt butter Add apples, cinnamon and the remaining 1 tbs. sugar. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes, or until the apples are softened slightly. Remove pan from heat. Pour batter over the apples in pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the pancake is lightly browned and puffy.Dust with powdered sugar

• 
  

1. 
   

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 4 beaten eggs
• 1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
• 1 cup cooking oil

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. Spread batter in an ungreased 15x10 inch baking pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours on a wire rack. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• Beat together 1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened; and 1 tsp vanilla until light and fluffy.
  
• Gradually add 1 cup sifted powered sugar, beating well.
• Gradually beat in 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups additional sifted powered sugar to reach spreading consistency.