Moms Apple Dumplings

I have a very clear memory of sitting on top of the kitchen island counter stuffing apples with butter and cinnamon and sugar with my mom while our family was staying at Grandpas for a time. This would place me stuffing apples at the age of four. Something this yummy sticks in ones memory! I made moms recipe last night with fresh picked apples and thought I'd share the recipe here.

 Ingredients
1 pie crust (I used my gluten free flour blend to make my own, mom always used store bought)
3 large apples, cored
5 T cold butter, divided
3 T cinnamon sugar
1 cups water
1 T corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 t cinnamon

**Instead of corn syrup, mom used hard cinnamon candies (red hots, I believe). This made the dumplings a bit sweeter and a pretty red color, unfortunately I don't think red hots are gluten free?Ah well, the corn syrup instead makes for a deliciously sweet thick sauce.

Directions
Preheat oven to 425

Divide the pie crust dough into 3 equal parts and roll each out into a circle. Set each apple in the center of a crust and stuff the hallowed core with 1 T butter and 1 generous tablespoon of cinnamon and sugar. Wrap the dough around the apples and set them in a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.

In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup or red hots, and remaining 2 T of butter and bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid into the dish with the apples and bake for 40 to 45 minutes covered.Then bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Apples should be soft and crust should be cooked through.

I liked eating mine right out of the oven in a bowl with milk when I was a kid... or left over for a yummy breakfast. Last night we served them over vanilla ice cream and drizzled with home made caramel. 

Funnel Cakes!

I found this recipe online, and guess what? I used my gluten free flour mix and they turned out perfect!!! Love us some funnel cakes!
This chick cooks: funnel cakes

Easiest, Fastest Cheesecake

I knew this five minute, four ingredient cheesecake was going to be good when two of those four ingredients were cream cheese and sweet and condensed milk. Um, yum! It is incredibly rich and creamy. I served mine in cupcake liners, forgoing the graham cracker crust for gluten free purposes, and topped them with strawberries. I might call this a cheese mousse instead of a cheesecake because of the texture difference, but a cheese mousse doesn't sound nearly as appetizing for some reason. I second her advice to really let the cream cheese soften before making as those little cream cheese clumps are rather annoying.

Click here for this wonderful little recipe.

Thumbprint Biscuit Treat

The falling snow outside put me in the mood for a big pot of chili. And then a big pot of chili put me in the mood for biscuits. And while I was making biscuits, I realized that cinnamon rolls would have been better. So, I came up with this much easier, delicious treat that quite hit the spot, but that took half the time and made half the mess that preparing cinnamon rolls does.

Ingredients:
1 recipe for biscuits, dough prepared (I used Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix)
Cinnamon sugar
Butter, melted
Nuts (we used walnuts)
Dried fruit (I used dried cherries)

Shape the biscuit dough into balls and press your thumb into the center, not deep enough to create a hole in the bottom, just deep enough to leave an imprint. Fill this imprint with cinnamon sugar, nuts and dried fruit. Arrange biscuits onto a greased baking sheet and drizzle melted butter on top. Cook according to biscuit recipe instructions. Allow to cool slightly before serving with your favorite frosting or glaze. We just mixed powdered sugar with milk and a bit of vanilla. Yum.

A plate of biscuits and thumbprint biscuit treats- perfect for this snowy day!

Pudding whip cream frosting

1. Make the whip cream
2. Make the pudding
3. Fold the pudding into the whip cream. 

To make whip cream: 
Heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 T sugar
1 to 2 T coacoa powder (for chocolate whip cream)
Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk on high, with stand mixer or electric hand mixer, until stiff peaks form.

To make the pudding: (Easy version) 
 Buy a packet of instant vanilla pudding... or instant chocolate pudding, if you'd rather... and prepare it almost according to package instructions. You will need to use half the liquid it calls for, now you can use milk like it suggests, but it's better if you use half and half.

To make the pudding: (From scratch)
In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup half and half and 2 tablespoons corn starch, set aside.
Heat 3/4 cup half and half in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 T either honey or agave nectar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt. (Also 1/4 cup cocoa for chocolate variation.) As soon as it reaches a slight boil, add the corn starch mixture continuing to stir constantly until it thickens. Cover loosely and chill; pudding will continue to thicken in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling

Prepare your favorite chocolate cake in two 8 inch round cake pans. I make mine from scratch using this gluten free all purpose flour mix. The recipe I follow is Silvana's; from her Cooking for Isaiah cookbook and I don't have permission to reprint it here, although I'd highly recommend it! Really though, any chocolate cake recipe will do, gluten free or other wise. I've learned that checking a cake too soon will contribute to the center collapsing in, so try not to peek until you suspect it is done.

Make the raspberry filling:
1 12 oz pkg of frozen strawberries, or 12oz fresh raspberries.
1/2 cup + 1 T water
3/4 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice
2 1/2 T corn starch, dissolved in 1/2 cup of water

Combine all but the cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes; until the raspberries have completely broken down. Strain reserving the liquid and discarding the seeds and pulp. Return the liquid to the saucepan and add the cornstarch. Bring back to a boil and simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.

Once the cakes and the raspberry filling have cooled, assemble them by layering the raspberry filling between the two cake rounds. Top with desired frosting. We like vanilla pudding whip cream, but now that I think about it, I bet chocolate pudding whip cream would be good too!

Pumpkin Pie

1 whole, fresh pie pumpkin

Cut pumpkin in half without stem. Scoop out seeds and strings. Place cut side down on foil lined baking sheets. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 until tender about 90 minutes. Cool. Scoop out flesh and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Drain if too watery.

Beat together 1 1/3 cup smooth pumpkin with:
1 1/3 cup sweet condensed milk
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup hot water

Pour into a 9" pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees 55 to 65 minutes. (Center will still move slightly when done.) Cool and enjoy.

*Mashed pumpkin will last 5 days in refrigerator.

Chex Muddy Buddies

9 cups corn chex or rice chex
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Pour cereal into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Microwave chips, peanut butter and butter for one minute. Stir; microwave 30 seconds longer. Stir in the vanilla and pour mixture over cereal. Stir to evenly coat. Pour into two gallon resealable food storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in air tight container in refrigerator.

Taffy

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon some sort of flavoring (kool aid packets work well)
Food coloring as needed

Mix sugar, water and vinegar, cook without stirring until the hot liquid forms a ball when dropped into a glass of cold water. Add flavoring. Pour into a shallow, buttered dish. Cool until safe to handle. Pull and twist, and pull and twist, and pull and twist. Lay out on wax paper. 

Apple Pie

Mix together:
6 large, peeled and shredded apples
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pie spice
3 tablespoon flour

Pour the mixture into a pie crust and top with two tablespoons of sliced butter.

Mix together (mixture should be crumbly):
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine

Pour mixture on top of apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, until slightly browned.

Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert

Arrange 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan

Mix together:
3 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese
2   3.4 oz packages vanilla instant pudding
Fold in 8 oz cool whip

Spread half of this mixture over the graham crackers and top with 7 1/2 more sheets. Spread the remaining pudding mixture on top. Again, top with 7 1/2 more sheets.

Beat together: 1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons soft margarine
Add: 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Spread the chocolate mixture over graham crackers. Cover and chill for four hours before serving.

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

1 cup sugar
1/4 butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cocoa

Combine the above in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the following:
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups quick oats
Spoon out onto parchment paper and allow to cool.

Best Brownies (Jacob makes these)

1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly blended. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients and then the chocolate chips. Spread batter into a greased 9 by 13 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Giant Cookie Sundae

Link to the giant, gluten free, cookie in a skillet recipe

Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Mom used to make these for my birthday and decorate the top with white and dark chocolate ying and yangs. I felt so cool when she brought these for my class at school!

1 chocolate cake mix, prepared and poured into cupcake tins.

Mix:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
6 oz bag of tiny chocolate chips

Drop a small spoonful of the mixture onto the cupcake batter and bake as normal.

7 Up Cake

Mix 3 sticks of butter and 3 cups of sugar (no wonder I loved this so much.)
Add:
5 eggs
3 cups + 3 Tablespoons flour
3/4 cup 7 up
2 teaspoons lemon extract

Grease and flour a bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 60 to 75 minutes.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Moms favorite dessert. 

1/2 cup raisins
3 eggs, yolks and whites divided
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Precooked pie crust ( graham cracker crust?)

Cook raisins in water until soft, drain.
Combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour and sour cream and cook until it reaches a boil and has thickened. Add the raisins and vanilla. Pour into the pie crust.

Top with merangue and brown.

Is merangue just whipped egg whites and sugar?

Nutty Chocolate Pie Crust

1 1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 egg
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons water

Combine the above in a food processor until smooth. Pour into a bowl and add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons coacoa
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon gluten free flour
1 teaspoon sugar
Bake in a pie pan or spring form pan at 350 degrees until set.