Kim's Favorite Lemonade Layer Cake

This recipe is originally from Cooking Light

Cake:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.

Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Terri Calvert's Celestial Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
2 C warm water
2 eggs
3 oz box instant chocolate pudding

Mix all od the above, and bake in a 9x13 pan for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cake will shrink away from teh sides as it cools, don't worry!

Topping:
Melt 1/2 C butter or margarine. Add 1 C powdered sugar. Fold in 8 oz Coolwhip. Spread on top of COOLED cake. Chop 4 Skor bars, and sprinkle on top. Store in the fridge.

Carmel Apple Dip

1 cup brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup butter
1/2 jar marshmallow cream

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil over stove, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow cream. Allow to cool. Serve with sliced apples.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is excellent as a dessert, with a meal or as a snack. The recipe below has been configured for the large size (29 oz) can of cooked pumpkin. This makes about 4+ loaves of bread (using an 8 1/2 x 5 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan - either glass or metal). In addition to being quick and easy, this recipe is flexible. If you are concerned about too many sweets, you can leave out the chocolate chips and/or cut the sugar by a cup without unduly affecting the taste. To increase the yield and make a lighter, fluffier bread or cake, beat with an electric mixer for an additional couple of minutes - this will add more air and give a larger amount of batter to cook (this is a variation on our grandparents trick of adding extra water to the soup in order to have enough to serve when company showed up unexpectedly at dinner time). Since pumpkins are a good source of beta carotene, this makes a healthy, as well as tasty, snack for children.

7 Cups Flour
6 Cups Sugar
4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
8 Eggs
4 Cups Pumpkin*
2 Cups Cooking Oil
1 1/3 Cups Water
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

*Can use a 29 oz can of cooked pumpkin (without spices - do NOT use canned pumpkin pie filling as that contains spices) or you could bake a pumpkin and use the cooked pumpkin vegetable

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Make sure these are all mixed together well.
Make a hole in the middle and add eggs, pumpkin, cooking oil and water. Mix well with a spoon or electric mixer until batter is smooth.
Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
Grease bread loaf pans or muffin pans and pour the mix into the pans. Fill the pans about 3/4 full with batter.
Bake for about 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Let pan cool for 5 minutes and then holding the pan with a pot holder, shake lightly until bread separates from sides and bottom of pan. Turn pan over and drop bread on a cooling rack to cool. If you do not intend to eat all the loaves right away you can wrap the individual loaves well in aluminum foil and store them in freezer until needed.

Orange Juice Frosting

2 cups confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Beat together confectioners' sugar and orange juice until spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies.

Peach Dessert

1 package vanilla waffers, crushed (or Keebler french vanilla cookies)
2 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cube butter, softened
7 or 8 large peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 pint whipping cream or 2 cups frozen cool whip topping, thawed

Crush the cookies with a rolling pin. Push them into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Mix together eggs, sugar, and butter. Spread carefully over the top of the crumbs. Peel and slice the peaches on top of the powdered sugar filling. Spread the whipped cream, which has been whipped and sweetened, over the top of the peaches. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serves 12.

Recipes from "L Cove" Ranch

These recipes are from Kent's Grandpa Leavitt. They are things he would make for Kent's family when they were children and visited the ranch.

Oatmeal Scotchies
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 C butter
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp water
1 1/2 C quick oatmeal
1 pkg butterscotch chips
1/2 tsp orange extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Set aside. Combine butter, sugar, eggs and water. Beat until creamy. Gradually add in flour mixture, oats, chips and orange extract. Drop rounded Tbsp onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Apple Crisp
Mix:
4 C sliced apples
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter
Spread mixture in a buttered baking dish (about 7x11 or 9x13 when doubled).
Mix with a fork or pastry blender:
3 Tbsp - 1/2 C flour
1/2 C quick oatmeal
1/2 C brown sugar
1/8 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 C butter or vegetable oil
Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

*Megan's tip: Always double this recipe, you won't regret it. Perfect for fall.

Susan's {never fail} Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb. butter or marg
2 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 Tb. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt (she halves this)
1 1/2 Tb. baking soda
6 C. flour
2 C. chocolate chips

cream butter, sugar and salt together in mixer.
add remaining ingredients
on greased cookie sheet, bake @ 350 for 10 minutes

Hummingbird Cake

Cake
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten slightly
¾ c. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped pecans
2-4 large ripe bananas (2 cups)
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
1 box ( 16 oz) confectioners’ sugar
Dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil. Stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in the pecans, bananas, pineapple and vanilla. Evenly divide batter between the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cook on wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out and cool completely.

For the Frosting:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in vanilla. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1 c. frosting over top. Place a second later on top. Frost top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Recipes from Susan Tanner

Whole Wheat Bread
5 cups hot water
2/3 c. oil
2/3 c. honey
3 T. yeast
2 T. salt
5 cups whole wheat flour.
Mix until smooth

Add:
2-4 T. dough enhancer
8-10 cups whole wheat flour (until dough pulls away from bowl).
(Susan uses 1 c. white flour to help with gluten).

Put oil on counter and knead. Roll into loaves. (4 medium loaves)
Let rise in bread pans about 30 min in a warm place. (Putting in oven dries them out).
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (Time depends on the size of the loaf).

Refrigerator Rolls
2 Tbsp yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1⁄2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. water
1⁄2 c. sugar
2 tsp. Salt
4 eggs
4 1⁄2 - 5 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water (sprinkle a little sugar on top). Combine the butter, sugar, salt and 1 c. water; melt, then cool. Add the yeat to the cooled ingredients. Add the eggs; mix. Add the flour; mix. Cover till double in size (about 1 hour). Punch down and refrigerate overnight. Mold 3 hours before baking. Bake 8 minutes at 400. Yield about 4 dozen dinner rolls or 3 dozen orange rolls.

Orange Rolls
1⁄2 c. butter, melted
1⁄2 c. sugar
Rind of 1 orange, grated
1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate

Combine the ingredients. Roll the dough in 2 large rectangles. Spread orange mixture on dough and roll dough to look like a tube. Cut in one inch slices and put in greased muffin tins. Frost with orange glaze while hot.

Split Pea (or Sausage) Soup
3 quarts water
1 lb. Split peas
1 lb. Sausage
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. Chopped potatoes
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of sage
pinch of rosemary

Cook peas until soft. Brown, drain, and rinse ground sausage. Add cooked sausage and vegetables about the last 30 minutes of cooking. You can add more water if it gets too thick.

Blond Brownies
1 c. butter, soft
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1⁄2 c. flour
1/4 c. coconut
chopped pecans, optional

Mix in order given. Bake at 350 for about 24 minutes in greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.

Burnt Butter Frosting
1/4 c butter, melted till golden brown
1/4 milk or cream
about 3-4 cups powdered sugar
shake of salt
1⁄2 tsp vanilla

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

2 ¼ c. sugar
6 T. lemon juice
7 T. orange juice concentrate
1 pt. heavy cream
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 t. vanilla
½ tsp. almond flavoring
2 c. fresh peaches, blended smooth (fresh, frozen works)

In a large bowl, combine sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, almond flavoring and peaches. Pour mixture into freezer tub and add milk to within 2/3 full. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes 4 quarts.

Lime Ice Cream

1 pint whipped cream

1 C sugar

3 t fresh line juice

3 T lime zest

Whisk together just until sugar dissolves. Do not over mix.  Freeze in plastic bin, at least 7 hours.

Peach and Blueberry Crisp with Spiced Pecan Topping

2 oz unsalted butter, softened
3 oz (2/3 c.) flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. table salt
2/3 c. coarsley chopped pecans
3 c. (~1 lb) room temp blueberries, washed/drained on paper towels
3 medium peaches (~1 lb) halved & sliced 1/2 in thick
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Butter a 9 in. square pan and set aside. Combine the four through cinnamon + 1/8 tsp. of salt. With your fingers work butter in until readily clumps together. Mix in pecans. In a large bowl mix blueberries and peaches together. In a small bowl mix sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Toss with fruit. Spread fruit into pan and then press streusal on top in small lumps. Bake at 375 F on the center rack until the fruit is bubbling in the center and the topping is crisp and well browned, about 45-50 min. Cool slightly and serve!

Pie & Cake Recipes from The Cooks Cook

Clea's Open Cherry Pie
Crust:
2 C flour
1/2 C brown sugar
1 C chopped nuts
1 C margarine

Mix crust in a mix master until crumbly. Pat in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Take a fork and break up crumbly. Pat back.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 C confectioner's sugar
2 pkg. (envelopes) Dream Whip
1 tsp vanilla

Beat dream whip as directed. Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla in another bowl. Mix together. Pour over crumble mixture. Cover with cherry pie filling. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Aunt Myrna's Apple Pie Filling

Key Lime Pie
1 baked 9 inch pastry crust
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 C fresh lime juice
3 large egg yolks (or 4)
3 large egg whites (or 4)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
6 Tbsp sugar
green food coloring

Combine milk and lime juice in a medium bowl. Blend in yolks. Turn into cooled crust. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, until whites form stiff glossy peaks. Spoon over filling. Spread to edge of crust to seal. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate.

Banana or Coconut Cream Pie
1/4 C cornstarch
2/3 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 C scalded milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp
1 C moist shredded coconut or sliced bananas in the bottom of a baked pie shell

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt. Gradually add milk and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Cook 2 minutes and remove from heat. Add small amount to egg yolks and stir (temper). Add yolks to remaining hot mixture and stir. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add butter and vanilla and cool slightly. Pour into cooked pie shell. Cover with waxed paper. Serve with whipped cream.

Aunt Alice's Picnic Cake
1 C dates, cut
1 tsp soda
1 1/2 C boiling water
1 C sugar
1 C margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 C brown sugar
6 oz chocolate chips
1 c chopped nuts

Add soda to dates, pour boiling water over. Cool. Cream white sugar, margarine and eggs until fluffy. Add date mixture, dry ingredients, and vanilla. Pour into a well-greased and floured 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
May press several half dates into batter before sprinkling with topping.

Texas Sheet Cake
Mix 2 C sugar, 2 C flour, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
Boil 2 cubes butter, 1 C water and 4 Tbsp cocoa in mocrowave.
Remove and add to dry ingredients.
Add 1/2 C sour cream, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp soda. Blend together. Batter will be thin.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes in a greased and floured sheet pan. Test with tooth[ick, and frost while warm.

Texas Sheet Cake Frosting
Melt 1 cube butter, 6 Tbsp milk, an 4 Tbsp cocoa in the microwave.
Add 1 C chopped nuts, 3 1/2 C powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla.

Womped Up Apple Cake
4 C chopped apples
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 C oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 C chopped nuts
raisins

Put all ingredients together. Stir well. Pour into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick margarine
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz cream cheese

Janalee's Carrot Cake
1 1/4 C oil
2 C sugar
3 eggs
2 C grated carrots
1 C crushed pineapple with juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
1 C nuts
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Cream oil, sugar and eggs together. Add the carrots and pinepple, mix well. Beat in dry ingredients, vanilla and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (For a gas stove 325 degrees.)

Carrot Cake Frosting
1 lb box powdered sugar
1 cube margarine
3 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Fern's Cream Filled Cupcakes
1 pkg. Devil's Food Cupcake Mix
Follow directions on box and bake. (See hints below.)

Mixture 1:
5 Tbsp flfour
1 C milk
5 Tbsp sugar
Milk sugar and flour together, add milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and refrigerate until very cold.

Mixture 2:
1/2 C margarine
1/2 C Crisco (no substitute)
3/4 C sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla, or more if desired
dash of salt
Beat on hig speed for 5 minutes. Add mixture 1 to mixture 2. Blend together with a mixer and you are ready to fill cupcakes. Fill from the topp fof the cupcake with decorator's tip #230. Fill AFTER have been baked and cooled.

Hints:
Use Devil's Food cake for better coloring and taste.
Don't fill pastry bag too full - you can control the flow better.
Bake in baking cups, filled only 1/2 full.
You can extend your batter to make about 40 cupcakes by adding 1 pkg dry Dream Whip, 4 eggs and 1 C water to cake mix.

Variation: Use sponge cake or yellow cake mix to make it like a Twinkie.

Dessert Recipes from The Cooks Cook

Clea's Apple Pudding with Sauce
2 C apples, grated
1 C raisins
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C melted shortening
1/2 C fruit juice or water
1 egg, beaten
1 C chopped nuts

Grate apple and mix with raisins. Sift flour and add dry other ingredients. Pour dry ingredients over apples and raisins. Add chopped nuts. Add fruit juice to beaten egg. Pour wet mixture over and mix until smooth. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Sauce:
1 1/2 C water
1/2 pkg (box) brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter
salt
vanilla
lemon

Thicken with cornstarch. Serve over pudding, topped with whipped cream and cherries.