Smith Family Favorites: Dessert Style

I recently visited my younger brother in Illinois and while I was there, he inspired me to write a few posts with recipes that are a bit unique and beloved by our family.  Our family loves food, thanks to a mom who was a great (and, at times, innovative) cook!  I thought I’d start off with desserts.  None of this ‘saving the best for last’ nonsense!

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Cake Batter:

1 ½ C flour

1 C sugar

¼ C cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 C water

1 T vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 C oil

Mix; beat well.  Fill foil-lined muffin tins 1/3 full with batter. 

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 C sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat well, adding chips last to prevent melting.  Top each muffin cup with heaping spoonful of filling.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min.

Coconut Cream Cake

1 white cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 oz cream of coconut (not coconut milk)

8 oz Cool Whip

Flaked coconut

Bake cake mix according to directions. Poke holes in it while still hot.  Mix together cream of coconut and condensed milk.  Pour mixture over cake.  Allow to cool.  Spread Cool Whip over cake and sprinkle with flaked coconut.  Refrigerate til ready to serve.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

2 eggs, well beaten

1 C sugar

1 ½ C flour

1 tsp salt*

1 C sour cream

2 T cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Beat together; add ½ C boiling water.  Bake in 9x9 pan at 325 degrees for 20-25 min. 

*For 9x13, double recipe, but do not double salt.  Bake for 1 hr.

Frosting: (Vanilla Buttercream)

3 C powdered sugar

1/3 C marg/butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 T milk

Mix sugar & butter in medium bowl; stir in vanilla & milk.  Beat until smooth & spreadable.  Frosts one 9x13 cake. (I halve the recipe for the 9x9 cake above.)

Butterscotch Blondies

1 C butterscotch chips

¼ C marg/butter

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 C flour

¾ tsp salt

Melt chips & butter together (I use the microwave, stirring every so often).  Add brown sugar & cool for 5 min.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Spread into 9x13 pan & bake for 25 min at 350 degrees. (I put into a slightly smaller bar pan; otherwise the bars will be very thin.)

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

1 C marg/butter, softened

3 C oatmeal (I use quick oats for better consistency)

2 eggs

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

Chocolate filling:

1 C chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

½ C butter/marg

Cream sugars & marg/butter.  Add remaining ingredients & divide mix in half.  Spread half in an ungreased 9x13 pan.  For filling, combine all ingredients in saucepan & stir over low heat until melted.  Pour filling over mixture in pan, then sprinkle/crumble remaining mixture on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.  Let cool before cutting.

Texas Sheetcake Brownies

2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ C oil

½ C buttermilk

½ C butter/marg

4 T cocoa

1 C water

Frosting:

½ C butter/marg

4 T cocoa

6 T milk

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Chopped nuts, optional

Beat eggs & add sugar, then remaining ingredients.  Melt butter & water together.  Combine butter mixture with egg mixture.  Spread batter into a greased jelly roll pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  For frosting, bring butter, cocoa & milk to a rapid boil.  Remove from heat.  Add powdered sugar & vanilla.  Frost while brownies are hot & sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Mudballs

1 C peanut butter

½ C butter/marg

2 C powdered sugar

3 C rice krispies

1 tsp vanilla

1 C chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

Melt chips & butter together.  Add other ingredients & mix well.  Roll into balls & refrigerate for 15-20 min.  (This is great to make with kids!)

Mom’s Ice Cream Mix

6 eggs, beaten til foamy

½ C sugar per egg, added gradually

1 pint whipping cream

1 quart ½ & ½

½ tsp salt

2 T vanilla

Fill with milk up to line on canister

Granola Bars

1 C brown sugar

¾ C butter/marg

4 C oatmeal (I use quick oats for better consistency)

¼ C honey

1 C chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

½ C chopped pecans, optional

Melt butter/marg, then stir in brown sugar.  Add remaining ingredients, chips last to prevent melting.  Stir well.  Press firmly in an even layer into a 9x13 pan (I use a slightly smaller bar pan for thicker bars).  Bake for 25-30 min at 350 degrees or until golden brown.  Cool before cutting. 

Aunt Jeanie’s Fudge

3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla

Chopped walnuts, optional

Dash of salt, optional

Melt chips & milk in microwave, stirring occasionally.  Add salt (optional).  Add walnuts (optional).  Add vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread into 9x9 pan.  Cool & cut.

Fresh Peach or Strawberry Pie

Graham cracker crust or baked pie shell

Fresh fruit, ready to fill crust

1 C sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 C water

2-4 T peach or strawberry jello (I usually use regular, not sugar-free)

Cook sugar, cornstarch & water until clear.  Add jello.  Pour over fruit in pie shell or crust.  Chill.  Serve with Cool Whip.

Funfetti Cookies

1 pkg. Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
1/3 c. oil
2 eggs
1 can Vanilla Funfetti frosting

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine cake mix, oil, and eggs. Stir by hand until thoroughly moistened. Stir in sprinkles from cake mix (if separate). Use cookie scoop for desired size of cookies. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake 6-8 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheet. Frost while warm. Store in tightly covered container.