1 cup butter (no substitutions)

1 3/4 up sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1/2 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas ground nutmet

1 teas vanilla

In bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir into the creamed mixture. Knead dough for a few minutes on a floured board until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

Preheat oven to 325. On a lightly floured surface *(this is where I deviated from the recipe and used the shape and cut method), roll the dough hout to 1/4 ” in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 ” apart onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. Allow to cool on cookies sheets for 5 min before removing and putting on a wire rack to cool completely. I sprinkled powdered sugar over half of mine and the other half, I used cinnamon sugar to sprinkle over before baking………

3 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 tables melted butter

2  (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 medium banana, mashed

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tables banana liqueur (if you do not want to buy this, just use vanilla and decrease the amount to 1 tables)

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Sliced banana and toasted coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, combine crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter. Press into bottom and half-way up sides of 2 (12-cup) mini cheesecake pans. Bake 6 minutes. cool completely. *(Instead of doing this, if you are in a hurry, you can purchase the vanilla wafer crusts by the grahm cracker crusts at the grocery store. This recipe would fill 2 of these crusts)

Reduce heat to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cream cheesea and sugar with mixer at medium speed until creamy. Beat in mashed banana until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in liqueur and coconut. Spoon batter evenly into prepared crusts. Bake 20 minutes. *if using store bought crusts you will need to bake about 30 min. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. To serve remove from pans. Garnish with sliced bananas and toasted cocount and whipping cream.

*If using the store bought 9 in crust, you do not need to bake before filling the crusts with the filling. Just increase your cooking time to 30 minutes. You will also not remove from pans after the 2 hours of refrigeration. Just cut and serve directly from these pans. It is only the cupcake size pans which you would remove them from before serving.

These are addicting! One of my bestest friends brought these over one day and said that she made them for her grandchildren who are in their teens and every time they were in town, they requested these from her. They are simple to make and just hit the spot when you are hungry for something, but not too terribly sweet. Thank you Cora for introducing me to something else to have to give up when I have my first heart attack.

Melt in microward:

3 tables butter

10 oz miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

When melted, stir and add the following:

5 cups plain cheerios

1 cup M&M’s (peanut or plain)

Stir and press into a long glass pan (9 by 13). When cool, cut into squares.

These are without a doubt, my favorite brownies. I have been making them since the 1980’s and anytime I take them anywhere, they get rave reviews. A friend of mine, Linda Cooper served them to us after a baseball game one night when we were at her house. They immediately went on my list of “favs”. I think they will be on yours also.

Rocky Road Brownies

1 pkg. (4 oz) German Sweet Chocolate

5 Table butter, divided

1 pkg. (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 table flour

½ teas vanilla

¾ cup sugar

½ cup flour combined with ½ teas baking powder and ¼ teas salt

1 teas vanilla

¼ teas almond extract

Melt chocolate and 3 tables butter over low heat, stirring until melted. Set aside to cool.

Soften remaining 2 tables butter. Add cream cheese, creaming until light. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, beating until fluffy. Stir in 1 egg, 1 tables flour and ½ teas. Vanilla. Set aside.

Beat 2 eggs until lemon colored. Gradually add ¾ cup sugar, beating until thick. Combine the flour mixture. Add to egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in cooled chocolate, 1 teas vanilla, almond extract and if you want, ½ cup chopped nuts. Pour half of chocolate batter into a greased 8” square pan. Spread cheese mixture over this and top with remaining chocolate batter.

Bake at 350 for about 35 to 40 mins. While still hot, spread with ½ jar of marshmallow crème, then top with frosting, below.

Frosting:

1 sq (1oz) unsweetened chocolate, 1 ½ tables water and 1 tables butter 

1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ½ teas vanilla and ¼ cup egg substitute.

Combine chocolate, water and butter and melt in microwave for about 25 to 30 seconds.

Stir and add remaining ingredients. Pour over marshmallow layer as frosting hardens quickly.