Chocolate · Desserts

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

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This is an old common southern dessert that is so popular because of the hot summers there in the south. It is so easy, but tastes so cool and refreshing. Cora just sent this to me and apologized for using canned frosting. Before I call the Paula Deen food police on her for using canned frosting I thought I would copy it to the blog. I have to admit (please don’t tell anyone) that for this recipe I also use canned frosting. It just tastes perfect with the pudding and graham crackers and is such a fav when you take it to gatherings.  So let’s take a girlfriends oath that none of us will tell Paula that we are using canned frosting and lets get in the kitchen and make this right now. You won’t regret it for a moment.

1 box 3.5 oz. vanilla instant pudding

1 box 3.5 oz. chocolate instant pudding

3 cups milk

2 –  8 oz whipped topping (thawed)

1 box (16 oz) graham crackers

1 can (16 oz) chocolate frosting (don’t tell anyone it’s canned frosting!)

Mix each pudding with 1 ½ cups milk.  Fold 8 oz of whipped topping into each pudding.  Ina 9×13 glass pan, layer graham crackers, ½ vanilla puddingmixture, more crackers, ½ chocolate pudding mixture, crackers, remaining vanilla pudding, crackers and remaining chocolate pudding.  Top with layer of crackers and frost with chocolate frosting.  Refrigerate.  Best if made 8 hours before serving.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Starches

Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin

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These potatoes are such a different flavor from the traditional AuGratin potatoes and the creamy parmesan/whipping cream combo is just delicious. Goes well with filet mignon or pork chops or just as a side dish with a great green salad.

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1 tables minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 tables grated lemon peel

1/2 tsp each  salt and pepper

2 lbs red potatoes, very thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Combine first five ingredients. Layer a third of potatoes and 2/3 cup cheese mixture in a greased 8″ square baking dish; repeat layers. Top with remaining potatoes; pour cream over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture.

Cover and bake at 325 for 65 min.  Increase temp to 375 and uncover and bake 25 min longer or until top is golden brown. Let stand for 10 min before serving.

This recipe is taken from Taste of Home April/May 2012*

Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Island Cookie Bars

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These cookies are being made today.  I love the flavor of coconut and pineapple combined and these even have peanut butter and white chocolate in them, so how can they not be good. We have OOT company coming in Thursday and we just had some of our kids leave yesterday, after they were here for the weekend from Texas,  so am really in the baking mood . Most of you know that my dad passed away June 14th. Thank you for the sweet cards, texts or calls I received during that difficult time.

Before I write out the recipe, I just want to take a moment to encourage you to never keep thoughts of love or memories that you have shared with people that are important to you. At my dad’s memorial service, it was amazing to hear how many people talked of the influence he had on their lives and so many people came up to me during the week to tell me how much he loved me and talked about me and quite frankly it was a shock to hear. Being from the “old school” of not being very demonstrative or talkative, I knew my dad loved me, but not to the extent that people were sharing with me. It made me realize that there are many ways to convey love, other than just words. He was, in fact, a very quiet man, and it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk, but here were others that said that he would sit and talk with them about his family and how much he loved us. It was a little sad to hear all this from strangers and yet, at the same time, comforting also. It made me realize how important it is to share with your loved ones, while we can, how really important they are to us. So take a minute or two today to simply pick up then phone and share a memory that you have with someone or tell them how much you care about them. It will not only bless them, but you, as well…..then, sit back, grab a cup of coffee and pick up one of these little delights and thank the Lord for the people in your life that have blessed you and loved you.

 

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup natural peanut butter (this will have less oil and no sugar added to it because it is natural)

1/4 cup crushed pineapple, juices drained

2 tables butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 c sweetened flaked coconut

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In large mixing bowl, cream together sugars, peanut butter, pineapple, butter and vanilla. Beat in egg, gradually stir in flour mixture until completely combined. Fold in 1 cup of white chocolate chips, saving the 1/4 cup for top.

With dampened fingers, press the dough into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining white chocolate chips and press them down lightly.

Bake bars in a 350 oven for 22-25 min or until a wooden pick comes out clean, which you have inserted in middle of bars to test for doneness.

Turn oven to broil. Sprinkle coconut on top of bars. Broil for 30-60 SECONDS or until coconut begins to brown. Be very careful not to burn coconut.

Allow pan to cool completely on a wire rack and cut into 32 bars.

This recipe is from Just a Pinch and is a great bar to eat with banana ice cream or vanilla and drizzle caramel over the top of both.

 

Daily Thoughts

June 12th

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I will be returning to the blog sometime in the next two weeks. My dad is in the last stages of life and am headed to Texas to be with him and my mom. Please pray for my family as we go through this difficult time…will be back in a couple of weeks…until then, Southern love and hospitality to you…Trudy

Daily Thoughts

Walking To Get Butter

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I think that this is some kind of oxymoron, walking for exercise and to buy butter and eggs.  Most people around the great state of California walk everyday. You cannot go anywhere around Pasadena without seeing people walking to work, walking for exercise or just our for a stroll. Because the weather is just so amazing and cool, it invites us to just put our walking shoes on and head out. Some of our friends who live down the street actually walk to church every Sunday morning, a 40 min walk. I would have to do a lot of praying before I attempted that, but this morning, it was 57 outside, sunny and just so gorgeous, that I decided to put my earphones in and crank up the ole iPhone and listen to Sandi Patti and walk to the grocery store. Randy’s car is in the shop, so I am without a car today, which puts me at home. What do I do when I am home all day? I bake! So upon the realization that I only had 5 eggs, I realized that if I was going to do some heavy duty baking, I was going to have to go to the store and get more eggs and butter. When I think about that, it just seems weird. Most people you pass walking on the street are walking around with a bottled water, but no, not me, I am carrying my bag with cholesterol laden butter and eggs and sour cream! Maybe that is why all the cute little joggers stared at me when I was walking. At first I thought maybe it was the cute little walking outfit I had on, blue jeans with black paint splattered all over the front, new sparkling white tennies, pink earphones and a flamingo patterned hat…..now there’s a picture you can’t get out of your mind. But as I strolled along, humming Sandi Patti all the while, switching the butter and eggs from hand to hand, I realized that the “true walkers” were looking at my grocery items. I think they probably hadn’t see an exercise guru such as myself walking along, carrying butter and eggs. But….I made it home before they called the walking police after me. So am back home, looking at recipes to figure out which scones and pound cake to make today. Maybe tomorrow, I will walk past the grocery store to the fitness center……no, I just remembered, I went there once and promised myself I would never, ever go again: they threw me out when I brought everyone in  my exercise class a bag of cookies for all their hard work.

Uncategorized

Chocolate-Caramel Nut Cake

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You don’t even need frosting for this cake, as it has a gooey filling inside. Top each piece with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream! Scrumptious!!!

1 box Duncan Hines German Chocolate Cake mix

1 (14 oz) pacakage caramels

1/2 cup butter 

1/3 cup milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup milk chocolate morsels

Prepare cake mix according to package direction. Pour half of batter into a greased and floured 13×9″ pan and bake for 10 min at 350. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing caramels (the cake will not be done at this point)

Unwrap caramels. Combine caramels, butter and milk in a sauce pan; cook over medium heat until caramels are melted, stirring often. Spread over cake in pan.

Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chips over caramel mixture. Spread remaining cake batter evenly over top. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Cool in pan and then cut into squares to serve. Top with ice cream.

Chocolate · Desserts

One More Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Taken from Taste of Home, this is a absolutely awesome

dessert that was on the Taste of Home web page. Am going to make this just as soon as I can get to the store and buy peanut butter cups…

Ingredients

  • 20 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
  • 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
  • 15 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

Directions

  • Crush 16 cookies; toss with the butter. Press into an ungreased 9-in. square dish; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups.
  • In another large bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and remaining confectioners’ sugar on low speed for 2 minutes Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in remaining whipped topping.
  • Spread over peanut butter cups. Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over the top. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Yield: 12-16 servings.
Uncategorized

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Here is a great recipe that combines two great flavors, chocolate and peanut butter.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teas vanilla

1 (16 oz) package dark brown surgar

2 large eggs

2 cups flour

1 (12 oz) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating well until well blended. Add eggs and mix throughly. Stir in flour and morsels.

Drop dough by table 2″ apart onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.*

Bake at 350 for 13-15 min or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets and then remove to wire racks.

*Note  Parchment paper makes cleanup so easy and you can flip it over after the first use and bake omit again. Cookies may also be baked o lightly grease baking sheets if you do not have parchment paper.

Daily Thoughts · Desserts

FYI Regarding Chocolate Chip Cookies

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A friend of mine today brought chocolate chip cookies to MOPS and they were packaged so pretty.  As I began to talk to her and tell her how pretty the little bags of cookies looked all tied up with ribbon, she told me that they were just chocolate chip, BUT…that she had coarsely chopped pretzels into the batter. She likes the taste of sweet and salty and so she added some chopped pretzels to the batter. So there you go, another variation of our favorite little cookie…Just think how good they would then taste dipped in dark chocolate..YUM….think I’ll get off this computer and go make some. Thanks Shelley for sharing that idea with me.

Vegetables

Southwestern Squash Casserole

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This is just the old fashioned squash casserole kicked up a bit. Great for potlucks or company, this will add some spice to your dinners.

1 lb yellow squash, sliced

1 lb zucchini, sliced

1 cup water, sliced (just kidding, wanted to see if you were paying attention)

1 (10 3/4 oz) can Campbells cheddar cheese soup

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles (these are very mild, so pour in the whole can)

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tables taco seasoning

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup (4 oz) shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

Place first 3 ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap; pierce  wrap with a fork several times to vent and microwave at high 8-9 min until squash is tender. Drain very well.

Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Stir together cooked veggies, cheddar cheese soup, and next 5 ingredients and blend well with a spoon. Pour into a greased 11×7 in baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle evenly with rest of cheese.

Bake at 425 for 20 min ur until lightly browned.