Sundance Chocolate Cheesecake (by Sally Johnson)

3 or 4    8 oz. packages cream cheese
1-3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
6 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz semi sweet chocolate - melted
3 tlb. flour

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually beat in sugar and flour.  Add eggs and yolks one at a time.  Add salt and melted chocolate.  Blend well.  Use a chocolate cookie crust (crushed chocolate cookie or graham cracker and melted butter) in the bottom of a spring-form pan.  Pour into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Turn off oven and let set in oven for another 30 minutes.

Add your own toppings such as raspberry or cherry pie filling, chopped nuts, caramel, etc.

Orange Kissed Cookies :-)

***More ideas at http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/03/orange-kissed-cookies/ 


Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (add another 2 tablespoons for high altitudes)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. thawed orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest


Frosting
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 c.  thawed orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. softened butter
3 c. powdered sugar
2-3 drops orange food coloring (optional)


Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside. 
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a mixer, combine the white sugar and shortening.  Beat until well-combined.  Add the egg and beat well, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for about 1 minute or until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the orange juice concentrate and orange rind and mix well.
Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough/batter (the mixture will be VERY moist–thicker than a cake batter but thinner than traditional cookies) by the tablespoon-ful onto a lined, un-greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set and just starting to turn golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
For the frosting, combine the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Pipe or spread over the cooled cookies.
Yield: Approximately 36 cookies.

Queso Dip

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 can Nalley's chile

Microwave and stir until it is well blended. Dip tortilla chips. Enjoy.

Ginger Snap Dip (by Jean Kenyon)

8 oz. Cream Cheese
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 Cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Blend together. Dip Ginger Snap cookies. Enjoy

Kathy's Coconut Cupcakes (from Kathy VanSlyke)

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

FOR THE FROSTING:
1/4 cup margarine at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 cup unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl combine the oil, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until smooth. Fold in 1 cup coconut. Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes until they are slightly browned around the edges and spring back when touched.

For the frosting,cream the margarine until light and fluffy. Add the coconut milk and vanilla and combine. Add the sifted confecitoner's sugar and mix until smooth. Add the coconut and combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. Frost when cakes are cool.

Lazy Rolls [or how to make homemade rolls before school]

Lazy Roll Dough

In a stand mixer (I use a Bosch), combine 1 1/2 cups of warm water (warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot enough to kill it), 2 TBSP instant yeast, 1/3 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil), 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1 tsp. salt. Mix lightly and let set for 5 minutes.

Turn the mixer on and mix in 3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl but is still very soft.

Mix for 4-5 minutes.

Dump onto a lightly floured surface.

 

For lazy rolls, press the dough into a rectangle (about 9x12 or so). Use a pizza cutter to cut the hot dog way, lol, into 2 long strips. Cut each strip into 8

square-ish pieces and put on a greased or Silpat lined baking sheet (a quarter size jellyroll pan is perfect for one batch of rolls). Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Bake at 425* for about 10 minutes (8-12 is our average) until golden brown and no longer doughy.

For cheddar garlic twists, pat the dough into a rectangle twice as tall, but the same length as before. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt 4 TBSP butter. Stir in garlic powder to taste (1/2 - 1 tsp) and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix well. Crumble over dough and press lightly. Fold the dough in half, capturing the cheesy mixture inside. Press to seal. Cut into 16 strips, twist each strip and place on a greased or silpat lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar. Bake as before.

These really are so easy and pretty much fool proof!  They stay soft for a couple of days unlike ordinary homemade rolls.  Happy Baking!



Holiday Cranberry Salad (from Rosanne Porter)

1 (12 oz.) pkg of fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, with juice
2 cups sugar
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In large bowl, stir together the cranberries, pineapple (with juice) and sugar. Let stand for about an hour, to let sugar dissolve, and then pour the mixture into a strainer over a bowl. Let drain, covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. (Note: The drippings make a wonderful cranberry punch, when mixed with lemon-lime soda.)

Before serving, whip the cream until soft peaks form. In a large bowl, mix together the cranberry mixture, marshmallows, and nuts. Fold in the whipped cream and store in refrigerator until serving.