Macaroons--AMAZING!!!

Macaroons
14 oz. Coconut
½ c. ground toasted almonds
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
¼ t. salt
2 large egg whites
Chocolate melties  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix coconut, almonds, milk, vanilla and salt together in a large bowl.  Beat egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate smaller bowl.  Gently fold egg whites into mixture. Put parchment paper on two large cookie sheets and spray with Pam. Scoop mixture into 2 inch mounds on sheets.  It should make a little more than 2 dozen.  Cook for 20-25 minutes, switching sheet positions halfway.  They will look light brown and toasty when done.  Let cool completely.  Drizzle with melted chocolate melties.  Put in freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden chocolate.  Bring to room temp. and enjoy!!!!    

Pumpkin Custard Crumble

Tastes kind of like apple crisp, but with pumpkin. Pumpkin Crisp! Sooooo good!

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted

In a large bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, 1 c. sugar and spices. Whisk together and pour into greased 9x13 pan. In separate bowl, combine cake mix, brown sugar and remaining 1/2 c. sugar. Add melted butter and mix together until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top should be brown and crisp. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Magic Shell

Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping

1 1/4 Cups Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave about 1 minute (depending on your microwave). Allow to sit a few minutes to allow the heat of the oil to melt the chocolate chips and then stir until smooth. It will be runny. Pour into a bottle. Store in the refrigerator (though in the summer it’s likely to stay liquidy unrefrigerated). To serve, heat the glass bottle (open cap) in the microwave for 30 seconds until liquid. Stir and continue heating at 30 second intervals if not liquid after the first 30 seconds. Pour over your favorite ice cream and in a few seconds you will see magic!


I assign SUSANNA LANDON to make this recipe and report back. I know you've got coconut oil laying around....

Creamy White Chip Orange Cookies

I have a nestle toll house recipe book, and I found this recipe. It was so delicious! Here are my tips. Use real butter, it makes them so good. Add the flour slowely so you do not add too much. I added  the juice of half an orange for a more intense flavor.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teasp baking soda
1/2 teasp salt
1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 to 3 teasp grated orange peel
2 cups white chocolate chips
juice form 1/2 an orange (optional)

Beat butter, and sugars together. Add egg, orange peel , juice and mix. Slowely incorporate dry ingredients. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 -12 minutes or until tops are just slightly browned. Try and avoid over baking.
Merilee

Marshmallow Fondant

1 16 oz bag name brand marshmallows (Do not buy off-brand!!!!)
1 2lb bag of powdered sugar

Lightly spray a bowl big enough for the entire bag of marshmallows with cooking spray. Pour the marshmallows in and microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring after each interval until marshmallows are completed melted when stirred. Do not overcook. While the marshmallow are cooking tear off 2 pieces of Saran Wrap about 24" long each. Lay them on each other forming a "t". Spray the middle of the top piece with cooking spray then set aside. After marshmallows are completely melted begin sifting your powdered sugar into the melted marshmallows. it will not use the entire bag, only about 3/4 of it. Generously coat your hands with shortening to help prevent the marshmallows from sticking and dig in :) Knead the mixture with your hands until the marshmallows and powdered sugar are well incorporated into a dough. You will know you have enough powdered sugar when the dough is not sticky anymore as you knead it. When your fondant "dough" is not sticky put it in the middle of the prepared saran wrap. Wrap the top layer around the fondant then turn and wrap the bottom layer. This should ensure a nice air tight sealing around your fondant. Let sit for several hours or overnight before using.

One tip I'd add is do not put all of the powdered sugar in at once. I did, and my fondant was a bit too dry. Just knead it and keep adding sugar until it's no longer sticky. Check out the purse cake I made with this recipe!

Buttercream Frosting

1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup crisco shortening (get crisco brand but not butter flavored, it will make it runny)
1 T meringue powder (in cake dec in crafts at Walmart or at Michaels or Joanns)
1/4 t salt
1/2 t butter extract
1 t clear vanilla extract
About 6 T water

Add all ingredients but only about half of the water into a mixing bowl and start mixing. Slowly add water to get the right consistency, you will have to adjust amount depending on humidity. If you have a kitchen aid mixer that is the best, turn it on and leave it once you've added the water. Sometimes I leave it for several minutes. It gets nice and fluffy from the meringue powder being reconstituted.


This recipe is from my friend Melissa, who sells her cakes and cupcakes with this amazing frosting. It's great as written, but it also has an optional secret ingredient that slightly changes the flavor, so if you are interested, give me a call and I'll tell you what it is.

soft ginger-apple cookies

I tried a new recipe last night. These are so good that not only do I have to share, but I even took a picture to post!

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger*
Apple Buttercream frosting
Slivered crystallized ginger for garnish


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients, except flour and crystallized ginger, until blended (mixture will look curdled).
2. With mixer on low speed, add flour and beat just until blended; stir in crystallized ginger.
3. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until tops look dry. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
4. Spread a rounded teaspoon buttercream frosting on each cooled cookie. Sprinkle with slivered crystallized ginger. Refrigerate in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.

Apple Buttercream Frosting
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened
2 C. powdered sugar
1 T. apple juice
1/2 t. vanilla
Beat ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Then beat on high speed 1 minute until fluffy.


*I bought the crystallized ginger. I chopped it up as finely as I could. And then, as I was about to stir it in to the cookie dough, I chickened out and decided not to add it. They have a soft, subtle ginger taste without it and I didn't want to ruin it! But now I want to try another batch with the crystallized ginger and taste these babies in full strength!

Poundcake Pudding Dessert

Mix a large box of chocolate pudding with 2 1/2 cups milk. Fold in 8 oz. cool whip.
Crunch up 3-4 skor bars. Cut one pound cake into cubes.

Assemble dessert by layering pudding, cake, candy and repeat. Top with cool whip.



A couple notes: I made pretty little individual desserts in separate clear plastic cups and put a few valentine sprinkles on top for a church potluck and it was the first dessert gone. Also, pound cake at the grocery store can be a little pricey, but I just saw that the dollar tree store had it. If you can find them, It might be worth picking up a few and having them in the freezer ready to whip up this easy, quick treat.

Persimmon Cookies

1 c. margarine
2 c. sugar
4 c. sifted flour
2 c. nuts, chopped
2 c. raisins
2 eggs
2 c. persimmon pulp
2 t. soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. lemon
1 t. vanilla
Mix together persimmon pulp and soda, set aside. Cream margarine and sugar. To sifted flour add nuts, raisins and spices. Mix well with cream mixture. Add beaten eggs and persimmon pulp mixture. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonfulls on greased cookies sheet. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Grandma Harland's Donuts

(a Packard family Halloween tradition)

2 t shortening, melted
3/4 c sugar
2 well-beaten eggs
3/4 c milk
3 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
5 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Mix in milk. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well. Roll out to 3/8" thickness and cut out. Let rest 15 minutes. Fry at 375 degrees.

Grandma Harland is the grandmother of Mom's best friend Kathy McPherson.

Peach Dreamies

I recently went to a School potluck with Hans at one of his Professor's house. I made a yummy dessert and thought I would pass on the recipe.

Peach Dreamies

Peel and chop 5 fresh peaches(I'm sure you could use frozen as well.)
Add to that:
3Tbsp Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste

Defrost and roll out 2 puff pastry sheets. Cut large circles with a donut cutter. Spoon 1-2 Tbsp of peaches into center of a circle. Brush edges with a little water or milk, and top with another pastry circle. Fork edges to seal. Brush top lightly with milk or egg wash, and sprinkle with very coarse Baker's sugar. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.
Enjoy with a dollup of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Blackberry Ice Cream

adapted from Raspberry Ice Cream in The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 cups half-and-half
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
2 cups strained blackberry purée (from about 4 cups whole blackberries)
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Warm half-and-half and sugar in medium saucepan. Pour cream into large bowl and set mesh strainer over top. In separate medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into saucepan. Stir mixture constantly over med heat with heatproof spatula, scraping bottom as you stir until mixture thickens and coats spatula. Pour custard through the strainer and stir into cream. Mix in purée and lemon juice then stir until cool over ice bath. Chill thoroughly in fridge and churn ice cream according to ice cream maker’s instructions within 4 hours after making mixture (to preserve the fresh berry taste). Makes 2 quarts before freezing.


Oh my, this has to be one of the best homemade ice cream flavors I have ever made. The custard base made it nice and rich and it came out so smooth and fruity. It was definitely worth the work of straining all of the seeds and pulp to make the purée. I used a 1/2 pint of blackberries that I bought at the farmer's market and a 1 lb. bag of frozen blackberries (defrosted in fridge) from the grocery store to get 2 cups of purée. Even then, it was still a pretty pricey dessert, but so tasty!

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

These cookies are a BIG hit with ANY crowd. Delish!

350 degree oven, 10 minutes cooking time. Makes about 50 cookies.

1 C. Butter or Margarine
1 ¼ C. Sugar (divided)
1 C. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 t. Vanilla
2 ¼ C. Flour
¾ C. Cocoa Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
1 Bag of Rolo Candies unwrapped (For best results, freeze Rolos beforehand.)

In bowl, beat butter, 1 C. of the sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix till batter is smooth.
In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda.
Stir flour mixture into sugar-egg mixture to form soft dough.
Chill dough in fridge at least 1 hour. Place 1 T. dough in palm of hand and press flat. Place a rolo in center of dough and bring up sides of rolo until completely covered. Roll between palms to make a smooth ball, then roll ball in remaining ¼ C. sugar and place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until tops are cracked and firm.
Cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.