Vanishing Oatmeal Date Cookies

Credit: "Jet" Watkins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups oats (either quick or old fashioned)
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• Powdered sugar
  

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add combined flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Stir in oats, dates, and nuts. Mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoon, roll in powdered sugar, and place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, give or take-- until golden brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

Shan's Dark Chocolate Cake

Credit: Shannon Cornelius

Ingredients for Cake:

• ½ c. natural cocoa powder
  
• ½ c. boiling water
  
• 2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
  
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
  
• ¾ c. unsalted butter—room temperature
  
• 1 ¾ c. sugar
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1 ½ c. sour cream

Ingredients for Frosting:

• 6 ounces dark chocolate—chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp. water
  
• ¾ c. sugar
  
• 4 large egg yolks
  
• ¾ tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter—cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature
  
• Grated dark chocolate (optional)

Directions for Cake:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
2. Whisk together the cocoa and the boiling water in a small bowl until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large deep bowl until well blended—the mixture will be dry. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour, just until well blended. Add the cocoa mixture and blend well. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan on wire racks for 20 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the racks and remove pans. Cool cakes completely before frosting.

Directions for Frosting:

1. Melt the chocolate with the water in a double boiler, set over about 1 ½ inches of simmering water, whisking until smooth. Transfer to a large deep bowl.
2. Heat the sugar with the egg yolks in another heatproof bowl over the same saucepan of simmering water, whisking constantly for about 4 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Whisk the sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture, add the vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes, or until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. Beat in the butter one piece at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frosting the cooled cake.
4. Top cake with chocolate shreds (optional).
5.Chill cake before serving.
(Courtesy of Luscious Chocolate Desserts!)

"Insanely Moist" Pumpkin Bread

Credit: Ashley Jernigan

Ingredients:

• 4 c. flour
  
• 3 c. sugar
  
• 2 tsp. baking soda
  
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
  
• 1 tsp. allspice
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  
• 1 c. oil
  
• 1 big can pumpkin
  
• 2/3 c. cold water
  
• 4 eggs

Directions:

Bake @ 350 for 1 hour. Bon appetit! (Makes 3 "insanely moist" loaves.)

Lemon Jello Cake

Credit: Grandma "Jet" Watkins

Ingredients:

• 1 small pkg lemon Jello

• 1 cup hot water

• 4 eggs

• 1 pkg lemon cake mix

• ½ cup melted margarine

For icing:

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar mixed with...

• ½ cup lemon juice

Directions:

Dissolve contents of Jello package in 1 cup hot water. Let cool. In mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add cooled Jello mixture and lemon cake mix alternately until blended. Then, stir in melted margarine. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. When done, puncture several times with a fork. Pour on icing while cake is hot.

Brownie Tarts

Credit: BYU Ward

Ingredients:

• 1 package chocolate fudge cake mix

• ½ cup melted butter

• 1 egg
• Fresh raspberries, strawberry slices, or chocolate sprinkles
  

For Mousse Filling:

• 1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix (4 oz. box)

• 1 cup half and half

• 1 container frozen whipped topping (8 oz.), thawed

Directions:

Heat oven to 325. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Use fingers to form small balls of dough and press into mini muffin pans, filling half full. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set. Remove from oven and use an inverted pop bottle or water bottle cap to make indentations while the cups are still warm. Let cool in pan until set. Remove from pan and cool completely before piping mousse filling into each cup. Top each tart with a fresh raspberry, strawberry slice, or chocolate sprinkles.

For mousse filling: Whisk together pudding and half & half. Stir in a few Tbsp whipped topping to lighten mixture, then fold in remaining topping.

Fettuccini Alfredo

Credit: Jan Wilson (Frost Family Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp margarine

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 Tbsp flour

• 1 ¼ cups milk

• ¼ cup cream cheese

• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus ½ cup

• 1 box fettuccini noodles, cooked and drained

Directions:

Melt margarine over med or med-low heat. Add garlic. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk while stirring with a whisk. Cook 8 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Stir in cream cheese. Add 1 cup parmesan cheese. Stir until cheeses melt. Toss with cooked fettuccini noodles and top with ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and pepper.

Peach Pie

Credit: Lauren Anderson

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 5-6 large peaches cut up without peel
• 2 prepared pie crusts

Directions:

Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and water. Boil until thick and clear (about 10 minutes-- it should barely drip from spoon). Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Place in 2 pie crusts. Put in fridge for about 30 minutes. Yum!