Chocolate Cake and Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients:

• Kabob sticks
• 12-oz. pkg. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 24 bite-size pieces pound cake
• 24 bite-size pieces fresh fruit or berries, (pineapple, banana, melon, strawberries)
• Strawberry Sauce
• 1 can (10-oz.) frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
• 3 tablespoons or more sugar

Directions:

FOR KABOBS
LINE a baking sheet with waxed paper. MICROWAVE morsels and vegetable shortening in a medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute and stir. Microwave an additional 10- to 20-seconds, stirring until smooth. Dip cake pieces into chocolate mixture; shake off excess. Place on prepared baking sheet then drizzle tops with additional chocolate. Refrigerate until set. On skewers, alternately thread chocolate coated pieces of cake with pieces of fruit; refrigerate. Serve with Strawberry Sauce.

FOR STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
PUREE strawberries and sugar in blender until smooth.

Grilled Peaches

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 large fresh peaches with peel, halved and pitted
• 2 1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the white sugar, balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Simmer until liquid has reduced by one half. It should become slightly thicker. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place peaches on the prepared grill, cut side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the flesh is caramelized. Turn peaches over. Brush the top sides with the balsamic glaze, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the peach halves to individual serving dishes, and drizzle with remaining glaze. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.

3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
Mexican chocolate shavings and cocoa powder, garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a small saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt. Lower the heat and cook until caramelized to a golden brown. (Do not stir or touch the sugar, but swirl the pan to melt evenly.)

Pour into a metal flan mold or 9-inch cake pan. Turn the dish and swirl to evenly coat the bottom. Let caramel cool and harden.

Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the condensed and evaporated milks and Kahlua and whisk well to blend. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until set and just firm in the center but still jiggles slightly, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

To serve, run a thin sharp knife around the rim of the flan. Place a platter or large plate on top of the flan and gently flip over so the plate is on the bottom. Lift away the mold. Garnish with powdered cocoa and top with Mexican chocolate shavings.

Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/3 cup reduced-calorie margrine
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup egg beaters
• 3 1/2 cups bread
• 3/4 cup of quick oats, uncooked
• Vegetable spray
• 1/4 cup reduced margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rasins
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Combine milk, 1/3 cup margarine, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan; heat until margarine melts, stir occasionally. Cool mixture to 105 to 115 degrees. Combine yeast and warm water, let stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast, milk mixture, eggs, 1 cup flour, and oats in a large mixing bowl, mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead about 8 minutes, until smooth. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to grease the top. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size. Punch dough down, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide in half; roll each half into a foot square. Spread each half with 2 tablespoons margarine. Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon; sprinkle over each square. Roll up the dough and pinch to seal the seam. cut each roll into 1 inch slices place cut side down in a eight inch greased square pan . Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Then bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. Cinnamon rolls should be a golden color. Combine the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon of warm water until smooth, then drizzle it over the warm rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup of shortening
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate pieces
• 1 cup of peanut butter-flavored pieces
• 1 cup of macadamia nuts (optional)

Instructions:

In a large bowl beat butter and shorting on medium-high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking, soda and slat; beat until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla; stir in oats chocolate pieces, peanut butter pieces, and nuts with a wooden spoon.

Preheat oven to 350. Drop dough using 1/4 cup measure or scoop about 3 to 4 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes .

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups cooked, mashed carrots
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions: Combine the first 3 ingredients and beat at medium speed; then add eggs and carrots making sure to mix well. Next combine the flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Stir in the creamed mixture, coconut and pecans. Then drop by a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minute
This would be a great cookie to give out as a gift this Easter. You can wrap it up in cello and give it in a nice gift box or organza bag.

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whip butter until light and creamy. Gradually add sugar, then eggs, one at a time. Sift flour and soda together and add it alternately, with the buttermilk to butter mixture. Blend in the extracts. Pour into a greased and floured 10″ tube pan or bundt pan. Bake for 70 minutes. Cool completely in pan then turn out on cake plate.

For the marble look take half the mixture and mix with 2/3 cup cocoa. Pour light colored batter into bundt pan and then the cocoa batter into pan and swirl thru with a knife.

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 pint whipping cream
• 4 beaten eggs
• Whole milk

Your choice of flavorings, peaches, strawberries, banana, or chocolate

Combine all ingredients except milk, pour into chilled cylinder for your ice cream freezer. Add whole milk to the fill line on the cylinder and freeze.

Can use any kind of candy bar for a special treat instead of the flavorings listed above.

• 1  8-oz cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1  10-oz frozen strawberries
• 1  20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 sliced bananas
• 1 small container Cool Whip

In small bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar.  In large bowl, combine fruit and Cool Whip.  Fold in cream cheese mixture.  Freeze.  Let thaw for about 10 minutes before serving.

In mixing bowl beat eggs with fork, Stir in light cream or milk, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and vanilla, mix well.  Stir in flaked coconut. Pour in the pie shell (do not prick or brown) and cover edges with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and cook approximately 25 minutes more, till knife inserted off-center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly, top with whipped cream and serve. Store in refridgerator.