Carrot Sheet Cake

Ingredients

Cake:
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup cooking oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, beat eggs, oil and sugar until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to egg mixture and beat well. Stir in carrots and walnuts if using.

Pour into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl until smooth; beat in confectioners’ sugar. Spread over cake.

Store in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
1 10-oz bag mini marshmallows or 5 cups
½ cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
12 ounce bag chocolate chips

Directions

Melt butter and marshmallows in a large pot. (Or melt in microwave in a large bowl.) After marshmallows are melted, stir in the peanut butter and stir until melted. Add in the Rice Krispies and stir until well coated. Press into a 9×13 inch pan and cool.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (or stovetop). Pour on top of the cool rice krispie treats. Yum!

Fudgy Brownies

From the Kitchen of Ananda Leinartas

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup milk ( I use 2%)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric stand-mixer, add the melted butter and cocoa powder. Blend until smooth.
3. Add the flour and sugar. Beat together then add eggs and vanilla. Mix just until combined. Don’t over mix. (Batter will be thick)
4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove brownies from oven and let stand 15 minutes before frosting. You want the brownies still warm when you frost them.
5. FOR CHOCOLATE FROSTING: Beat together all the frosting ingredients until smooth. Pour and spread over warm brownies. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Strawberry Rhubarb Ricotta Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups ricotta
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rhubarb, finely diced
• 1 cup strawberries, diced

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk (or if you have it, strawberry rhubarb sauce or jam)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a large loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. With a mixer, mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the Ricotta and mix well.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon juice.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Toss the strawberries and rhubarb with one tablespoon of flour.  Fold into batter.
6. Pour into the the loaf pan. Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Let cool in the pan before removing from the pan.
7. Combine the glaze ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled pound cake. Slice and enjoy!

 

Mom’s Cheesecake

From the Kitchen of Patricia Fitzgerald

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 to 3/4 stick of melted butter
1/2 cup sugar

Combine ingredients and press into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Cream Cheese Filling:
3 eight ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sugar

Blend together until smooth and creamy.  Pour on top of prepared crust.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes.

Sour Cream Topping:
1 16 ounce container of sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Combine thoroughly and spread on top of cheese cake.  Bake for 5 minutes at 475 degrees.

Cool completely and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  You can serve with strawberry or blueberry pie filling for an extra treat!

Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

• Grease and lightly flour 20-24 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.
• Fill muffin tins 2/3rds full. oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 30 cupcakes.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 20-24 cupcakes.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Mini Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice and ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and ground cloves
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease or line 36-cup mini tins.

Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined.  Add dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined.

Spoon the batter into the tins, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
1¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon whole milk (optional)

Beat sugars, butter, and salt until combined at low speed. Add the maple syrup in a slow stream. Add the vanilla. Increase speed to medium high beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, add milk to achieve a spreading consistency.

 

Shortbread

From the kitchen of Jean Fitzgerald, my grandmother

Ingredients
1/2 pound butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
White sugar for sprinkling

Directions
In large mixing bowl blend the sugar into the butter with a wooden spoon.  Slowly blend in the flour and salt.  Mixture will be very crumbly.  Press into ungreased 8×12 baking pan. Sprinkle with white sugar.

Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 40 minutes or until brown.  Take out of oven and slice into squares.  Allow to cool before removing shortbread from pan.

Makes about 36 bars.

Cheese Demi Muffins

From the kitchen of Adeline Leahy, my grandmother

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 24 mini muffin tins with nonstick spray well and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.

Mix:
2 8 ounce soften packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks

Beat 3 egg whites very stiff and fold into the mixture.

Fill tins almost to the top and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool (depression will appear)

Mix:
3/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Fill in the depressions in the tins.

Heat in oven for 5 minutes. Cool in tins and then remove very carefully.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with blueberry sauce if desired.

Coconut Ladoo

Adapted from Vegan Richa

The first time I had a Ladoo was in the Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram, Prasanthi Nilayam.  After day of singing bhajans (spiritual music), he blessed the ladoos and distributed them to the participants – a real treat! 

Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
2/3 cup ground raw sugar
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons coconut flour

Method:
Place coconut flakes in a blender or food processor until pulse for short cycles until coconut is the like granules. Add the cardamom.

Heat coconut milk in a medium sized pot at medium heat. Add sugar and salt and mix. Bring the mixture to a bubbling boil (about 4 mins).  Boil for another 4 minutes or until the mixture forms a thin thread. Take off heat.

Immediately add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut and cardamom mixture.  Mix well. Add the coconut flour and mix again. If the mixture appears too wet, let it cool for a minute. Then add more shredded coconut 2 Tbsp at a time. The mixture becomes less wet as it cools.

Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes then shape into balls with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture each.  Do not hesitate to form the balls as the mixture hardens as it cools.  Roll the balls in the remaining shredded coconut.   Cool completely.  Store in the refrigerator.

 

Creme de Menthe Cheesecake

This has become a holiday favorite in our family.

16 servings

Crust
1 3/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4  cup butter, melted

Filling
3 (8 ounce) packages softened cream cheese
3/4  cup white sugar
3  large eggs (at room temperature)
3/4  cup whipping cream (at room temperature)
1/4  cup green creme de menthe
1 cup mint chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine the two crust ingredients; mix well.  Press on the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until it is fluffy; slowly beat in sugar, beating until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition but be sure to not over mix.  Stir in the cream and liqueur until blended.  Add chips if you are using.  Pour into the crust-lined springform pan.  Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.  Then turn oven down to 200 degrees for about one hour or until softly set (or until the center cheesecake still has a slight jiggle when the pan is gently shaken).  Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door.  Leave the cake in the oven to slowly cool for about an hour.  Then refrigerate until serving.

Note: Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.  If they are not, you risk having large cracks in your cake.  Don’t worry, if that happens, it will still taste great.  And that’s all the matters!

Vanilla Chip Fruit Tart

From the kitchen of Patricia Fitzgerald

Crust:
¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1½ cups all purpose flour

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter & sugar until light and fluffy; blend in flour.  Press mixture onto bottom and up side of 12 inch round pizza pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely.

Vanilla filling:
1 pkg (12 ounce) vanilla milk chips
¼ cup half and half or whipping cream
1 pkg (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened

In microwave-safe bowl, microwave vanilla chips & half and half on high 1 to 1½ minutes or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Beat in cream cheese.  Spread on cooled crust.

Fruit topping:
Various fruits like pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, melon, etc. Arrange fruit on top of vanilla filling. Chill assembled tart until ready to serve.

Makes 10-12 servings.