Dr Pepper Cake

Cake

1 c. butter

1 c. Dr Pepper

2 c. cake flour (regular will work)

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. cocoa

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

Heat together butter and Dr Pepper, until butter is melted, but DO NOT BOIL.  Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and cocoa into mixing bowl.  In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla.  Add the hot cola mixture to the dry ingredients and blend well.  Lastly, add the egg mixture, mixing well.  Pour into a sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.  About 5 minutes before the cake is done, make the frosting.

Frosting

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. Dr Pepper

3 T. cocoa

2 1/2 - 3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

Heat butter, cocoa and Dr Pepper together.  Add nuts, vanilla and powdered sugar.  Blend until smooth.  Spread immediately on hot cake.

Dr Pepper Brownies

Ingredients
1 c. butter
1 c. Dr Pepper
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. cocoa
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Heat the butter and Dr Pepper until melted.  Do not boil.
Mix dry ingredients.
Combine buttermilk, soda and vanilla.
Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients.  Then add Dr Pepper mixture.
Bake in greased 18X12 ban for 2530 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting (optional)
Bring to boil 1/2 cup butter, 6 Tbs. Dr Pepper and 3 Tbs. cocoa.  Add 1 box powdered sugar.  Spread on warm brownies and cut into squares when cool.

Jeri's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 c. chortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sifted flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 c. chocolate chips

Directions
Cream the shortening, sugars, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Stir the flour, salt and soda into the cream mixture.
Add 1c. chocolate chips.
Bake at 375 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Poppy Seed Wine Cake

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup oil
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sherry
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions:
Combine ingredients in order listed. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or tube pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool. After cake cools, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Will stay fresh and moist for about a week. Freezes well.

Original French Cheesecake

Crust:
2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces (optional)
1/4 cup real butter

Cheesecake Filling:
2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 275. Line a 9 inch cheesecake pan with foil. Cut and trim so that cake can be removed easily for cutting. Spray foil lined pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place vanilla wafer crumbs and nuts in food processor to make course crumbs. Add melted butter and process for 10 seconds to combine.
3. Press vanilla wafer crust into pan base and bake on center oven rack for 12 minutes.
4. Combine cream cheese and sugar. Blend well then add eggs, cream, sour cream and vanilla to cheese mixture. Blend until smooth.
5. Pour cheesecake batter into prepared cheesecake pan and bake on center oven rack for 60 minutes (center will jiggle). Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven one more hour. Remove from oven and cool, double cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
6. Before serving, thaw and cut into 16 slices.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans crescent roll dough

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Beat the cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape the each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.
Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar together with the cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the cheesecake.
Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) spice cake mix
1 can (15 ounces) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 container (16 ounce) prepared cream cheese frosting
assorted sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
Blend cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and water in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread cupcakes with frosting.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know why, but these have become my favorite chocolate chip cookies! Sometimes I add a touch of almond extract, too.
Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup real butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Place sugars, butter, eggs, and vanilla in mixer bowl. Mix well. Gradually add baking soda, salt, and flour to sugar mixture and mix about 2 minutes. Add chocolate chips and mix well.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
Dough freezes well.

Milky Way Ice Cream

2 bags Milky Way mini’s
2 cups milk
1 pint whipping cream
2 cans Eagle Brand
more milk as needed

Pour 2 c milk, 1 bag and almost all of the second bag of Milky Way mini’s into a pan and melt. After the candy completely melts, pop it into the refrigerator to cool. After it cools, add it and all the other ingredients to ice cream maker. Then add milk until you reach the fill line.

This ice cream takes a while to make. Your machine will probably run 1 ½ hours. Just keep it going until the maker just about stops running.

Red Hot Cinnamon Jello

1 cup water
½ cup red hots
1 pkg (small) cherry Jello
1 cup applesauce

Bring water to boil; remove from heat. Add red hots and stir until dissolved. Stir in Jello; stir until dissolved. Stir in applesauce. Refrigerate until set.

Caramel Shortbread Squares

2/3 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. white sugar
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
2 T. light corn syrup
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
1-1/4 c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1-1/4 cup flour until evenly crumbly. Press into 9" square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. All to cool completely.

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil stirring frequently. Continue to boil (and stir) for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust. Cool until it begins to firm.

Melt chocolate and pour over caramel layer. Cover the layer completely. Chill. Cut into small squares. Enjoy with milk - it's rich!!!

Nana's Blueberry Banana Cream Pie

2 pie crusts
2 packages Dream Whip (requires milk and vanilla)
6 bananas
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 can blueberry pie filling

Make your own crust (that's really the secret) or just buy the Pillsbury ready made. Allow to cool completely!
In one bowl, make 2 packages of dream whip-following directions,
when finished put the bowl in the fridge.
In another bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar together until blended with NO LUMPS.
Fold ingredients of both bowls together - use the blender and get it
very whippy and ALWAYS KEEP COOL. Slice the bananas thinly and lay them out on the bottom of each pie crust (3 in each pie). Pour half of the mixture on top of the bananas in each pie. Put half of the can of blueberry filling in each pie, in a circle centered on top of the cream (leaving some cream showing)
It's best if you leave in the fridge for a couple of hours before eating,
as mixture gets very creamy! Eat it up! Enjoy one pie yourself and share the other with a friend.

From my friend Lori Morales

The World's Best Jello Salad

6 oz blackberry (or grape) Jello
2 cups hot water
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 can blueberry pie filling
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 pint sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

Dissolve Jello in water and add the rest of the ingredients. Chill until set (it sets fast). Beat cream cheese with sour cream, vanilla, and sugar until soft peaks form. Spread on Jello. Refrigerate until serving time.

From Grandmother

Chocolate Pie

Filling:
2 cups white sugar
5 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter
1 pie crust

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/4 white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, whisk together 2 cups sugar, cocoa and flour. Blend in evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat egg yolks and stir into pan. Add butter and heat just until butter is melted on medium heat. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 35-40 min or until pie is not "wobbly" when shaken.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating constantly, until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue on pie. Return pie to oven and bake until meringue is golden.
Also good with cool whip instead of meringue!!

From my friend Amie Finch

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg

Yep... that's it! Mix and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.
An Aubrey & Daddy favorite!

Hello Dollies

1 stick butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup coconut
1 cup pecans or walnuts (chopped)
1 cup chocolate chips or a mixture of chocolate and butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in pan and let melt in oven while preparing other ingredients. When butter is melted, mix in graham cracker crumbs and press into bottom of pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over crust, spreading evenly.
In order, pour coconut, nuts and chips over sweetened condensed milk. Press mixture down. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until top starts to brown.

From my friend, Rachel Stacy

Banana Pudding

8 oz. sour cream
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups whole milk
1 (16 oz.) package vanilla wafer cookies
4 bananas, peeled and sliced

In a large mixing bowl combine sour cream, whipped topping, pudding mix and milk. Stir well. In the bottom of trifle bowl or a glass serving dish, put a layer of cookies, then a layer of the pudding mixture, then a layer of bananas. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. Refrigerate until serving time. Enjoy!

From Elizabeth Jay