Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups + 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 TBL heavy cream
• 1 TBL butter
• 2 TBL seedless raspberry jam
• Confectioners' sugar to taste

Directions:

1. Combine 1 1/3 cups of the chocolate chips w/the cream & butter in the top of a double boiler.
2. Cook over hot water until smooth, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in the jam.
4. Allow the mixture to cool, then freeze, covered w/plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Shape into balls.
5. Place on a cookie sheet.
6. Freeze until firm.
7. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips in a double boiler over hot water, stirring occasionally.
8. Using a wooden pick, dip the candy balls 1 at a time into the chocolate.
9. Place on a cookie sheet.
10. Chill until set.
11. Dust w/confectioners' sugar.

Brownie Balls

Ingredients:

• Brownie Mix
• Premade chocolate frosting or try peanut butter
• Semi-sweet or white chocolate chips
• Sprinkles, colored sugar

Directions:

1. Bake up a batch of brownies.
2. When they are cool, smash them up, leaving out the crispy edges.
3. Mix in 1/3 can chocolate frosting (about 1/2 cup).
4. Roll into one inch balls.
5. Dip in melted chocolate (white or dark) and place on waxed paper.
6. Sprinkle with colored sugar, decorator sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips.
   

Buster Bar Torte

Ingredients:

• 15 oz pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed
• 1/3 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
• 11 oz jar fudge ice cream topping
• 1 c. peanuts, chopped
• 8 oz Cool Whip
  

Directions:

1. Mix crushed Oreo's and melted butter; press in bottom of 9x13 pan.
2. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Soften ice cream and spoon onto frozen crust; spread evenly then return to freezer.
4. Slightly soften fudge topping in microwave; cool.
5. Spread over frozen ice cream.
6. Sprinkle with nuts; return to freezer.
7. Spread Cool whip over top; decorate with cookie crumbs.
8. Return to freezer or serve.

This tastes like 'DQ cakes'

Heart jam cutout cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1/3 cup strawberry jam
• powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl.
2. In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture, lemon juice, and zest. Beat, scraping down sides, until combined. Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Line several baking pans with parchment paper. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface until it's 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 11/2 inch heart shapes and place on prepared pans. For half the hearts, use 3/4 inch cookie cutter to cut a heart from center. Reroll these hearts and other scraps; repeat until all dough is used. Bake until golden 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
4. Spread jam on whole cookies. Dust cut-outs with powdered sugar. Sandwich together. Makes 6 dozen.
   

Rainbow Jello

Ingredients:

• 3 pkg. (3 oz. each) cherry gelatin
• 3 packets (.25 oz. each) unflavored gelatin, divided
• 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS plain yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups white grape juice
  

Directions:

1. For red layers: Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add cherry gelatin and 1 packet unflavored gelatin; stir until dissolved. Remove from stove. For pink: Transfer 2/3 cup red gelatin mixture to a bowl and whisk in yogurt. For white: Pour grape juice into a bowl. Sprinkle on remaining unflavored gelatin and let stand 5 minutes. Microwave on high about 1 minute, until gelatin has dissolved.
2. To assemble, pour 2/3 cup of red mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Top with half of pink and white mixtures, refrigerating for 15 minutes after each addition. Repeat process with remaining gelatin, ending with red. Refrigerate completely until set, about 2 hours or overnight.
3. Dip bottom of pan in hot water to loosen. Invert onto a cutting board and slice into cubes.
   

Marshmallow Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 2/3 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of salt

Directions:

1. Heat sugar, water and corn syrup to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat.
2. Simmer uncovered 4 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients until marshmallows are melted and texture is smooth.
4. 20 large marshmellows, cut into fourths, can be substituted for miniature marshmallows.
5. Use over ice cream or other desserts.
   

Seven Minute Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

Directions:

1. Put egg whites, sugar, water and syrup in top of double boiler.
2. Beat until mixed well.
3. Place over rapidly boiling water.
4. Beat constantly with electric beater while it cooks for 7 minutes or until it will stand in peaks when beater is raised.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Beat.
8. Fills and frosts 2 layer cake, 8 or 9 inch.
   

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pretzels, crushed
• 3 TBL + 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup margarine, melted
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 6 oz pkg strawberry gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 20 oz frozen strawberries

Directions:

1. Mix pretzels, 3 TBL sugar & melted margarine.
2. Put into a 9x13" pan.
3. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 10 minutes.
4. Let cool.
5. Cream softened cream cheese.
6. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar; fold in Cool Whip.
7. Put over cooled crust.
8. Chill.
9. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add thawed strawberries & pour on top of cheese layer.
10. Chill; cut in squares when firm.
    

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients & Directions

Crust:

• Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
• Roll out and bake on round stone or pizza pan at 350 for 15 minutes. (I use a jelly roll pan)
• Sauce: 8oz Cream Cheese
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 Tbl milk
• Beat and spread on crust

Toppings:

• Cut up fruit arrange on top, sliced strawberries, sliced kiwi, sliced bananas, pineapple pieces, mandarin oranges, blueberries.

Glaze:

• 2 Tbl cornstarch
• ½ cup of mandarin orange juice
• ¼ cup of pineapple juice or lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup sugar

Cook until clear and thick. Pour over pizza.

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar (divided)
• 1 3/4 cups egg whites (from about 12 large eggs) at room temp (separate when eggs are cold. 2 cups makes a higher cake)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Make sure rack is in lower 1/3 of oven.
3. Do not grease tube pan.
4. Stir flour with 3/4 cup sugar, set aside.
5. Place egg whites in a large bowl.
6. Add salt & cream of tartar.
7. Beat at low to medium speed until foamy.
8. Increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form.
9. With mixer running add remaining 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.
10. Beat well after each addition.
11. Beat until stiff peaks form when beaters are removed from whites, another 2-3 minutes.
12. Gently fold vanilla into whites with rubber spatula.
13. Sprinkle 1/2 of the flour sugar mixture over whites.
14. Fold in the mixture.
15. Do 15 strokes, rotating the bowl.
16. Repeat 3 more times, using remaining mixture.
17. Fold an additional 10 times.
18. Pour batter into 10" tube pan.
19. Run spatula through batter to remove any air pockets.
20. Smooth top.
21. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
22. Invert and cool.
23. 12 servings.
    

Toffee Brownie Trifle

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. 9x13 size brownie mix
• 1 small pkg. instant vanilla or cheesecake flavor pudding
• 1 small pkg. instant white chocolate pudding
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 1 8 oz. tub cool whip
• 2-3 Heath bars, chopped, or about 1/2 pkg. Heath bits
  

Directions:

1. Bake brownies as directed on package and let cool. Cut into 1 in. cubes.
2. Beat milk and pudding mixes together; then fold in cool whip.
3. Layer 1/2 brownies, 1/2 pudding mix, rest of brownies, rest of pudding mix. Add Heath bits to the top and serve. (If making ahead, don't add Heath bits until serving or they will become soggy.)

This is a must for all of the chocolate lovers out there. It is a rich dessert that keeps you snitching more. Warning: if you take this dessert to work, make sure you take the recipe too. (That is how I acquired this recipe.)

Heart's Desire Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 tube (17.3) large refrigerator biscuits
• 1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce
• 1-1/2 to 2 c. toppings: olives, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, etc.
• 1-1/2 c. (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1-1/2 c. (6oz) shredded cheddar cheese
  

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly spray with Pam.
2. On lightly floured surface, roll out each biscuit and shape into a heart.
3. Transfer to foil lined pan.
4. Spoon pizza sauce over dough within 1/4" of edges. Sprinkle with desired toppings and cheeses.
5. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 8 individual pizza's

Conversation Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. desired cake mix
• white frosting
• red, yellow, blue food coloring (any colors will work)
  

Directions:

1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions . Place liners in heart shaped muffin pan or place a marble/small ball of aluminum foil in a standard muffin pan, in between the cupcake liner and the pan.
2. Fill cups half full of batter.
3. Bake according to directions. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cool completely.
4. Divide frosting into fourths. Leave one white; color one bowl red, one yellow, one blue (or desired colors).
5. Frost cupcakes with colored frosting.
6. Decorate top with Valentine phrases using white frosting.