Sweet Cherrity Pie

Crust:
1 cup flour
½ cup nuts, finely chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened

filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ tsp. almond extract
1 cup icing sugar
2 cups prepared cherry filling (21 oz. can)
1 cup cream, whipped and sweetened

In ungreased 9×13 inch pan combine crust ingredients. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Stir once while baking. Reserve ½ cup crumbs for top. Using a spoon firmly press remaining warm crumb mixture into ungreased 9-10 inch pie pan. Chill crust.

In medium bowl, blend 1ast 3 filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over crust. Fold fruit filling into whipped cream. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Chill 1-2 hours. Store in fridge.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla, lemon or almond flavouring
1 tsp. Soda
4 ½ cups flour.

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, salt, flavour and soda. Add flour and shape dough into an oval roll and wrap in wax paper or place into a plastic bag. Chill at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Take out ¼ or less of the dough. Keep remaining dough chilled. On floured surface, roll to ¼ to 3/8 inch thickness. With floured cutter, cut dough. With spatula, lift cutter and dough. With thumb, rub cutting edge clean of dough. Then, using thumb, gently press dough into design of the cutter. Be very careful never to press closer than ¼ inch from edge of the cutter. Slap cutter down on table or cookie sheet and dough will come right out. Flour cutter before cutting next cookie. Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Cool thoroughly before decorating.

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

1 ¼ cups graham crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (250 g each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Mix crumbs and butter; press firmly into bottom of foil lined 13×9-inch baking pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Pour over crust. Gently drop jam by small spoonfuls over top of batter. Cut through batter several times with knife for marble effect.

Bake 40 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Makes 16 servings.

Tip: heat jam slightly before dropping over cheesecake batter.

Strawberry Chocolate Shortcakes

About 1 to 2 quarts strawberries, roughly chopped or sliced
1/2 cup sugar (use less if using the lower amount of berries or berries are very sweet)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1/2 cup cold milk
1 cup heavy cream
Powdered sugar to tasteIn a large bowl combine the fruit and sugar. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

For the whipped cream: put a mixing bowl and the mixers in the refrigerature.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (375 if using convection)

Into a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Mix well with fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and milk, and mix just until it comes together to form a sticky dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop the batter onto the sheet in generous 1/4-cup dollops. Leave two inches between each shortcake. If desired, smooth using the back of a spoon. Bake until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes.

In your chilled bowl, whip the cream to very soft peaks. Add some powder sugar and whip until desired stiffness. Keep cold until ready to use, or make just before serving.

Transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool. Carefully split the shortcakes horizontally and place the bottom half on each of 6 dessert plates. Top with a heaping tablespoon of berries and cream, then top with the remaining shortcake halves. Top with the remaining berries and cream. Serve immediately.

Makes six shortcakes.

Spicy Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1 ¼ cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
4 large eggs
1 ¾ cups pumpkin
½ cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
2 2/3 cups flour
Caramel icing

Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and flour bundt pan. Beat butter, sugar and cocoa until creamy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is fluffy. On low speed beat in pumpkin, milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add, beating just until blended. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert pan on rack and tap to release cake.

Cool completely. Spoon icing over cake so it runs down sides.

Special K Squares

½ cup corn syrup
½ cup sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
3 cups Special K cereal
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Butterscotch chips.

In saucepan bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter; stir well. Add Special K. cereal and mix. Spread in buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.
In small saucepan melt chocolate chips over low heat; add butterscotch chips and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Spread on top of Special K. mixture. Cool before cutting.

Sour Cream Spice Cake

For altitudes of 3,5000 to 6,500 feet.

3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. allspice
¾ cup water
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cups raisins
Icing sugar

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour oblong pan, 13x9x2 inches, or two 9-inch or three 8-inch round layer pans. Beat all ingredients in large mixer bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 3 minutes. Pour into pan(s).

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, oblong 65-70 minutes, 9-inch layers 50-55 minutes, 8-inch layers 40-50 minutes; cool. Frost with Brown Butter Frosting.

Cupcakes, Bundt Cake:
Use 2/3 of recipe. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes;

Skor Bar Cake

1 box of German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 – 12.25 oz. jar of caramel topping
4 Skor bars
2 cups cream, whipped

Prepare and bake cake according to box directions in a 13 x 9 pan. Combine milk and caramel together. While cake is hot, poke holes all over top of cake with a fork. Pour milk and caramel mixture over the top of cake.

When cake is cool, cover with whipped cream and sprinkle crushed candy bar over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Shortbread

1 cup butter
½ cup icing sugar
2 cup flour
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar together. Add flour and salt and stir until smooth. If refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. If refrigerated longer, take out 30 minutes before using. Roll into 1″ balls. Place on cookie sheet, flatten slightly to ½” thickness with glass dipped in flour. Bake15-18 minutes until lightly browned on bottom. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Chocolate Chunk: Add 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate before chilling

Lemon: Add 1 Tbsp. Lemon peel before chilling. Dust with icing sugar after baking.

Maple Walnut: Omit icing sugar; substitute ½ cup granulated maple sugar. Add ¾ cup chopped toasted walnuts.

Roti

2 cups flour
1 egg
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ cup ice cold water
1 Tbsp. melted butter
Sugar for sprinkling
Sweetened condensed milk for drizzling
Oil for frying

Sift flour into a hill on a clean surface. Make a well in the middle and add in egg, melted butter, ice water and salt. Use your hands to incorporate the mixture into dough. Knead until the dough is soft and form into balls about the size of a duck’s egg. Roll lightly in oil and let rest for three hours.

When you are ready to make the roti, roll each ball of dough as thin as it will go, forming a flat disk. Make a pile as you go.

Warm frying pan at high heat. Add in oil. Place in the roti, flatten with heavy plate if it puffs up. Fry until light golden brown on both sides. Remove the roti from the pan sprinkle with a little sugar and drizzle with the sweetened condensed milk.