Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumplings with Mountain Dew

from Agatha Jenkins, because she's amazing 

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 8 pieces

2 tubes crescent rolls 

1 c butter, melted

1 1/2 c. White sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 can Mountain Dew 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
3. Melt butter and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings. (I usually use half the can. Also may sub sprite or other citrus  soda.)
4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

from Lauren's Latest https://laurenslatest.com/lemon-crinkle-cookies/ 

• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ⅛ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
3. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
4. *If using a non stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake
from https://www.culinaryhill.com/lemon-bundt-cake/

Cake:
1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) package instant lemon pudding
2/3 c water
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 t lemon zest

Glaze
3/4 c powdered sugar
1 T milk
1/2 t vanilla (I always go heavy on vanilla)
1-2 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Generously coat large Bundt pan with Baker's Joy spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and dry pudding.  Add water, oil, lemon juice, eggs, lemon zest; stir to combine.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.  Cool 15 mins in pan.  Invert onto cooling rack and cool completely.
For glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Add lemon juice until the glaze is thin enough to pour.  Drizzle over cooled cake and let glaze harden for at least 10 minutes.


** Every year when the lemons come off the trees at Grammers' house, we juice a bunch and freeze the juice in cubes to use all year.  But also while there's fresh lemon juice in the house, we make all the lemon recipes.  We made this delicious treat for Grandma Day on Great-Grandma's birthday a few times because chocolate isn't her favorite, but citrus is.  This is a springtime classic.

Pumpkin Brownies

We first had these at a family gathering with RoRo's birth family.  They're now a fall family favorite, and they always remind me of the love I felt at that party.

Pumpkin Brownies
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz package white chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (walnut, macadamia or favorite) - optional

Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.  Combine flour, soda, and spices; add to creamed mixture.  Add 1 1/2 cups of chips, and add nuts.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes in 9x13 greased pan, then cool completely.  (They tend to be gooey in the middle, so keep baking.)

Put remaining chips in a ziploc bag and microwave to melt on medium for about 30 seconds.  Knead until all lumps are melted.  Snip small hole in corner of baggie and drizzle over cut bars.

Green Stuff

Green Stuff
from Linda Castillo

1 stick butter, melted                     1 c. Cool Whip
1 c. flour                                        2 (small) pkg. instant pistachio pudding
1/2 c. chopped pecans                   3 c. milk
1 c. powdered sugar                      2 c. Cool Whip
1 8oz package cream cheese

Mix butter, flour and pecans for crust, and press into greased 9x13 glass pan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, and allow to cool.
Next mix powdered sugar, cream cheese, and 1 cup of Cool Whip together.  Spread this mixture over crust.
Mix pudding and milk togerher until smooth.  Pour over cream cheese layer, allow to set.
Spread the rest of the Cool Whip over the top and chill a couple of hours.


This was one of my dad's favorite desserts, and it's always a hit.  Goes over well at Easter and at Christmas, as well as anytime you need to take a dessert to an event.

Graham Cracker Roads

Graham Cracker Roads, aka Chocolate Eclair Pie
from a co-worker at my first full-time job, many moons ago.  I don't remember her name but I remember this recipe!

1 box graham crackers
2 3-oz packages vanilla pudding
1 8-oz container whipped topping
3 cups milk
1 can chocolate frosting, slightly thinned with 2 Tbs milk

Combine milk and pudding mix with a whisk.  Add in whipped topping and stir well.
Place one layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and cover with half of pudding mixture.  Place another layer of graham crackers, and cover with the rest of the pudding mixture.  Place a third layer of graham crackers and frost with thinned chocolate frosting.  Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.

*****

My helpers named this Graham Cracker Roads because they adore the job of laying graham cracker roads between the pudding mixtures.  Also this is one my father-in-laws most favorite treats that I make for him.  It's a great no-oven dessert for our hot summer evenings.

Grandmother's Cookies (secret recipe)

Grandmother's Famous Christmas Cookies
from Elsie Marie Rood Gephart
*Secret Family Recipe*

1 c. soft butter
1/2 c. whipping cream
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar (for dipping)

Mix well butter, cream and flour.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out dough 1/8" thick.
Cut with 1 1/2" cookie cutter.  Dip each side of cookie in granulated sugar, place on cookie sheet (on parchment paper) and prick with fork four times.  Bake 7 to 9 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool and put two cookies together with frosting.

Frosting:
Blend together
1/4 c. soft butter
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Adjust for consistency.

Famous Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce

Famous Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce
from the Ethington Family Cookbook, 1987

4 squares baker's chocolate
1 large can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt

Combine milk, sugar, and melted chocolate in sauce pan over low heat.  Cook 5 to 10 minutes or until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  BEAT until smooth and thoroughly mixed (beating with hand mixer is key).  Serve warm over cake or ice cream.  Makes 1 1/2 quarts.