Pumpkin Cake

This is the most delicious cake I've had in a long time. It's delightfully moist and full of flavor. If you like carrot cake, you'll love this cake as the two taste very similar.

Recipe from Tammy's Recipes

• 1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
• 1-1/2 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. oil
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 C. flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs. Combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture.

Spread into a greased 9" x 11" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (You could also use a greased 15" x 10" x 1" pan at bake for 25-30 minutes.)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 5 T. butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tsp. milk
• Chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Sift and add powdered sugar. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Frost cake and sprinkle with nuts.

Printable Version

Chocolate Fudge Cake

I remember the first time I tasted this moist, velvety chocolate cake. We were in Iowa with my grandparents and, as always, we stopped by Aunt Frances and Uncle Don's farm for a visit. My aunt Frances is such a warm, hospitable lady. She always has some type of dessert ready for us to enjoy with a cup of coffee or fresh lemonade. I fell in love with this cake the moment I saw it -- and when I tasted it... OH! WOW! (Cinnamon is what makes this cake taste so special.)

Recipe from Aunt Frances Sowers (and she got it from my Grandma)

Put in big bowl and mix:

• 2 C. flour
• 1-1/2 C. sugar

Put in sauce pan:

• 1 C. butter
• 4 T. cocoa
• 1 C. water

Pour into flour-sugar mixture and mix well.

Add:

• 1/2 C. buttermilk
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Beat well and pour into greased 16" x 11" pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Frosting

Put in sauce pan; bring to a boil:

• 4 T. cocoa
• 4-6 T. milk
• 1/2 C. butter

Add:

• Powdered sugar (until thick)
• Chopped nuts, optional
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Printable Version

Pumpkin Pie

using homemade pumpkin puree 

After much deliberation, my family and I unanimously concluded that this pie was the most flavorful, satisfying pumpkin pie ever to excite our palates. It was the epitome of pumpkin pie perfection. While the other two pies I prepared for Thanksgiving were rather orange in color, this pie was a deep, rich brown. Furthermore, the flavor and texture was highly superior. Home-prepared pumpkin puree undoubtedly was the responsible factor in the difference in flavor! Make Your Own Puree!

Modified recipe from the label of Libby's canned pumpkin

• 1 9-in. pie crust
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 15 oz. homemade pumpkin puree
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine sugar and spices. In a larger bowl, beat eggs, then mix in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Blend in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts

A perfect dessert to enjoy with company and family! These scrumptious morsels go together effortlessly. After the tarts have finished baking, the centers will fall. In this case, it is a good thing. The fortunate mistake creates perfect little pockets for pie filling!

Recipe from Paula Deen 

• 16 vanilla wafers
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. sugar
• 2 pkgs. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling, chilled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; place paper liners in muffin tins.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy; add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lay one vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers.

Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with cherry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.

Homemade Ice Cream

It's important to beat eggs very well before adding the other ingredients. Raw eggs have never adversely affected our health, by the way. The ice cream needs to process in a machine or such only until it has frozen a bit, so as not to separate while freezing thoroughly. We use a Deni machine.

Original recipe by Naomi

• 2 eggs
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. half-and-half or evaporated milk
• 2 C. heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
  

Beat eggs until slightly foamy, add sugar. Blend in milks and vanilla. Transfer to ice cream canister and process in machine until set. Freeze until solid or desired thickness. Makes 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of ice cream.

Chocolate Milkshakes

We LOVE these milkshakes! They are rich, thick, and delicious and do so much for ice cream cravings. The ingredients are those that we always have on hand, so I get requests for milkshakes a few times each week. A real treat!

Recipe from Hillbilly Housewife

• 1-1/2 to 2 C. cold water
• 1-1/2 C. dry milk powder
  
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/4 C. baking cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 to 2 trays ice cubes, crushed
• 2 T. oil
• 5-second squirt cooking spray
• 1+ T. peanut butter
  

Place all ingredients in blender. Process for 1-2 minutes, scraping sides once or twice.

The oil is for emulsification purposes; may seem strange, but it works. As a word of warning, depending on your type of blender, well-crushed is might be necessary. Ours broke due to the wear and tear, and we had to replace some parts.

Banana Pudding

I've found that the pudding turns out best if every trace of egg white is removed from the egg yolks. If the egg whites cook with the pudding, little lumps will appear.
 
Recipe from Great-Grandma Addie Chisholm

• Vanilla wafers
• 6 bananas
• 3 eggs, separated
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 2 T. flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 C. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. butter
• Whipped cream

Place cookies on bottom and sides of one 9" x 13" dish so's to cover inside of dish well. Slice bananas and layer evenly over cookies. Separate eggs. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt; stir in milk. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Take 1/3 of hot mixture and, in a medium bowl, stir with egg yolks. Mix egg mixture with contents in saucepan; cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter, stirring until butter is melted. Pour pudding evenly over banana layer. Refrigerate until chilled; serve topped with whipped cream.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Recipe from Taste of Home's "Simple & Delicious" Sept/Oct 2007 magazine

• 1 C. mini marshmallows
• 1 C. chocolate chips
• 1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk

Combine ingredients in saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Serve over ice cream.

Peanut Butter Chip Brownie Cups

Recipe from Hershey's Cocoa "Easy Baking" cookbook

• 1 C. butter, melted
• 2 C. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 C. baking cocoa or special dark cocoa
• 1-3/4 C. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-2/3 C. peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; fill muffins tins with paper liners.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla, mix in baking cocoa. Combine dry ingredients, then mix well into chocolate mixture. Add 1-1/3 C. peanut butter chips.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until surface is firm. Immediately sprinkle with remaining peanut butter chips, pressing in slightly.

Frozen Chocolate Pudding Treats

Recipe from "The Jell-o Pages" cookbook

• 3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs
• 3 T. butter, melted
• 3-1/2 C. whipped cream
• 1/2 C. peanut butter
• 1 C. milk
• 1 (4-serving) pkg. instant chocolate pudding

Line 12 muffins cups with paper liners. Combine crumbs with butter; press 1 T. of mixture into bottoms of lined cups, top with 1 T. whipped cream. Gradually beat milk into peanut butter until smooth. Add pudding and stir until well blended, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon mixture into cups. Freeze.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Modified recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 2-1/4 C. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 C. shortening
• 1 egg
• 2/3 C. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F; grease and flour one 8" square dish.

Combine dry ingredients, cut in shortening. Beat egg, milk, and vanilla; add to flour mixture.

Bake 20-25 mintes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Serve with sugared strawberries (fresh or canned peaches can also be used) and whipped cream. 

Strawberry Cheesecake

Modified recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 15 graham crackers, crushed
• 3 T. butter, melted

• 4 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
• 1-1/2 C. sugar
• 3/4 C. milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 C. sour cream
• 1 T. vanilla
• 1/4 C. flour
  
  
• 1 pint strawberries
• 1/3 C. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; grease bottom and sides of one 9-in. springform pan.

Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter; press into bottom of prepared pan.

Ingredients for cheesecake need to be at room temperature. Beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Blend in milk, then mix in eggs, one at a time, just enough to incorporate. Stir in sour cream, vanilla, and flour just until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust.

Bake for one hour plus 15 minutes. After cooling, store in refrigerator.

For strawberry topping: Combine prepared strawberries and sugar in a pan; cook over medium heat until strawberries release their juice and a thick sauce is created. Place about 1/3 of strawberry sauce into a bowl and mash with a fork, spoon, or potato masher; combine all strawberry sauce together. Chill and serve over cheesecake.

Cherry Dream Cake

 

I made this cake for my oldest sister's last birthday. It's so creamy, fruity, and cold -- simply scrumptious!

Recipe from Taste of Home's "Quick Cooking Annual Recipes 2003" cookbook

• 1 package (18-14 oz) white cake mix
• 1 package (3 oz.) cherry Jello
• 1-1/2 C. boiling water
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 C. whipped cream
• 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; grease one 9" x 13" baking dish.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Cool cake for 3-5 minutes. Pole holes in cake with meat fork; gradually pour Jello over cake. Cool for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Beat cream cheese until light, fold in whipped cream; spread over cake. Top with pie filling. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Fudge Truffle Cheesecake

My little brother Timmy requested this cheesecake for his recent birthday. We adorned servings with cherry pie filling and whipped cream.

Recipe from Old-Fashioned Cake and Cheesecake Recipes (Bear Wallow Books)

• 1-1/2 C. vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/2 C. powdered sugar
• 1/3 C. baking cocoa
• 1/3 C. melted butter
  
• 1 C. chocolate chips
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
• 7 oz. sweetened-condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine crust ingredients; press firmly in 9-inch pie dish. Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually add condensed milk, beating until smooth. Add melted chips, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Pour over crust.

Bake for 1 hour plus 15 minutes, or until center is set. After cheesecake has cooled, store in refrigerator.

Apple Crisp

Recipe from Beverly Lewis' Amish Heritage cookbook

• 3 lbs. apples (about six)
• 1 T. (rounded) sugar
• 2/3 C. water
• 2 C. flour
• 3 C. brown sugar
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1 C. butter
• 1/2 C. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel and slice apples; arrange in a buttered 9x13-inch glass pan. Lightly sprinkle with sugar; top with water.

Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry knife. Sprinkle crumbs over apples; sprinkle chopped pecans over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and bubbly.