Butterscotch Coconut Squares

Ingredients:
1 ½ teaspoons plus ½ cups butter, divided
1 package (11 ounces) butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup miniature marshmallows
½ cup flaked coconut

Directions:
Grease a nine inch square pan with 1 ½ teaspoons butter; set aside.  In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt the butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and remaining butter until smooth.  Cool for twenty minutes  Stir in marshmallows just until combined (do not melt).  Pour into pan; sprinkle with coconut.  Refrigerate, uncovered, for two hours or until firm.  Cut into one inch pieces.  Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 6 ½ dozen.

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons 2% milk
2/3 cup prepared vanilla pudding
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

• In a small bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full.  Bake at 350° for fifteen to swenty minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for ten minutes before removing to wire rack to cool fully  Cut in a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a small tip.  Fill with pudding.  Push the tip through the tops of cupcakes to fill with pudding.
• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil.  Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth.  Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache thickens slightly, about ten minutes.  Spoon over cupcakes.  Let stand until set.  Store in airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Makes 6 cupcakes.

Blueberry and Cheese Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
¼ cup water
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons grated lemon rind
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°.  Beat ½ cup butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 ¼ cup sugar, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
• Combine two cups of flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well.  Combine milk and water; stir well.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Mix at low speed after each addition until blended.  Gently stir in berries and cream cheese. Pour into greased nine inch square pan.
• Combine ½ cup flour and remaining three ingredients; stir well with fork.  Sprinkle over batter.  Bake at 375° for fifty-five minutes or until golden.  Serve warm, or let cool completely on wire rack.

Blueberry Citrus Cake

Ingredients:
1 package (18 ¼ ounce) yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 ½ cup fresh blueberries
1 Tablespoons grated lemon peel
1 Tablespoon orange peel
Citrus frosting:
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
2 Tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 cups whipped topping

Directions:

• In large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, orange juice, and oil; beat on low speed for thirty seconds.  Beat on medium for two minutes.  Fold in blueberries and peels.  Pour into two greased and floured nine inch round baking pans.
• Bake at 350° for twenty to twenty-five minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for ten minutes before removing from pans to wire rack to cool completely.
• For frosting, in small bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add confectioners sugar, orange juice, and peels; beat until blended.  Fold in whipped topping.
• Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake.  Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Berry Cheese Torte

Ingredients:
1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies (about twenty cookies)
¾ cup crushed vanilla wafers (about twenty-five wafers)
¼ finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 ¾ cup white grape juice
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cup fresh blueberries
1 ½ cup sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, wafer crumbs, walnuts, and butter.  Press onto bottom and 1 ½ inches up the sides of greased nine inch springform pan.
• Bake at 350° for eight to ten minutes until set.  Cool on wire rack.
• In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over grape juice; let stand for one minute.  Heat over low heat; stir until gelatin is dissolved.  Cover and refrigerate until partially set, about forty-five minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Spread over crust.  Place berries in large bowl; add gelatin mixture and gently stir to coat.  Spoon over cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.  Carefully run knife around edge of pan to loosen.  Remove sides of pan.

Makes 12 servings.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
5 to 6 medium apples
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ Quick oats
1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Grease a nine by thirteen pan; place sliced apples in layers in pan.  Mix the rest of the ingredients and sprinkle over apples.  Bake at 350° for thirty to forty minutes.