Tag: Desserts

Caramel Bread Pudding

Here is a favorite recipe that a friend of my Mom passed on to us. It is easy and good and a great way to use up that old bread.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices day-old bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place bread in a greased 2 quart baking dish. Combine water and brown sugar; pour over bread. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Old Fashioned Grapefruit Pie

Grapefruit Pie
Grapefruit Pie
My parents and in-laws both spent their winter months in warm climates; one in Texas, one in Arizona. Grapefruit was plentiful and they both enjoyed making this pie in hopes of using up some of their many grapefruit. So if you have lots of grapefruit and don’t know what to do with them, give this pie a try.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 3 ounce box strawberry or cherry jello
  • 3 grapefruit, sectioned and strained
  • 1 9″ pie crust, baked
  • Whipped topping

Directions
Cook sugar, water and cornstarch until thick and clear. Add box of Jello and stir until dissolved. Chill until mixture begins to set. Add grapefruit sections and pour into baked pie shell. Chill. Serve with whipped topping.

Swedish Kringler Coffee Cake

You don’t know what you are missing if you haven’t had Swedish Kringler Coffee Cake. Some people call it kringle or kringa, whatever you call it, it is one of my favorites. My husband’s Danish Grandmother used to make this and it was always a treat when she did.

Almond extract and sliced almonds are available at [ad#Myspice Hyperlink].

Ingredients
Crust

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons water

Filling

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cream
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions
Mix flour, butter and water as for pie crust. Press onto a jelly roll pan (11×14) or use cookie sheets and press into two 4 inch wide strips the length of the cookie sheet. For the filling: heat the water and butter to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, beating until smooth. Add the 3 eggs, 1 at a time and beat until smooth after each egg. Add almond extract. Spread over crust. Bake @ 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Beat icing ingredients. Spread on top of cake. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

This is a favorite recipe that is probably from the Vanilla Wafer. My Mom used to make it often and it was one of my Dad’s favorites. It is still as good today as it was back when I was a kid.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • dash salt
  • 3 eggs seperated
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups milk
  • 45 Nilla wafers, divided
  • 5 medium ripe bananas, sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler.
Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook uncovered over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
Reserve 12 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1 1/2 quart baking dish and cover with layers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers and sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining custard over bananas, continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with custard.
Beat egg whites on high w/ electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon over custard. Spread evenly to cover entire surface of custard and sealing well to edge.

Bake 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Cool slightly and top with reserved 12 wafers just before serving.

Old Fashioned Fruitcake

Fruit Cake is a joke among many and I agree that there are a lot of really bad fruitcakes out there. This is a favorite recipe from my Mom’s collection and this is a really, really good fruitcake. She used to make it every Christmas and we all looked forward to it. She would actually make it at the beginning of the month and keep it moist by wrapping it in cheesecloth that was soaked in wine. She would check it frequently and rewet the cheesecloth when it dried out. The recipe calls for liquor, but she always used some type of sweet wine. Try this fruitcake, you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound vanilla wafers, rolled fine
  • 1 pound raisins
  • 1 quart nuts, she used pecans and walnuts
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 pound candied fruits and dates
  • 1 Tablespoon liquor

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients and mix in the 1 Tablespoon of liquor. Line the bottom of one large loaf pan or 2 small loaf pans with wax paper. Refrigerate overnight. The next day remove cake from pans and wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in wine or liquor. Keep in refrigerator. If cheesecloth dries out, add more liquor. Keeps indefinitely.

Pecan Squares

Pecans
Pecans
Pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts. This favorite recipe is almost as good as pie. The best thing about bars is that you can cut them small and sample them all!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups pecans, chopped


Directons
In a large mixing bowl blend together flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup butter and salt until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile in another bowl combine eggs, syrup, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Spread evenly over hot crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Cool and cut into bars.

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sour Cream Raisin Pie

This pie was always a favorite of my Mom and Grandma. They both loved it and considered it the ultimate dessert. My Mom still orders sour cream raisin pie when she sees it on the menu at Baker’s Square, but she insists that hers is better!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup cornstrach
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks, beaten
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 baked pie shell
  • Whipped cream

Directions
Mix raisins, cornstarch, cinnamon, milk, sugar, nutmet, and salt together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add sour cream to beaten egg yolks and then add to mixture in saucepan. Cook until bubbly.
Add lemon juice and cool slightly. Pour into pie crust and chill until set, at least 3 hours or more. Top with whipped cream. Can decorate with pecan or raisins.

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake is making a comeback. This was the recipe that my Grandma and my Mom used to make. It was always a favorite recipe of ours. These directions are a bit odd, but I am posting just as the original recipe reads.

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 cup shortening (they always used Crisco)
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ounces of red food coloring
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour (for cake flour, 2 cups flour + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1 Tablepoon hot water
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar

Directions
Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add buttermilk & salt alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in hot water, mix with vinegar, holding over bowl as it foams. Quickly add mixture to batter. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round pans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup butter

Directions
Cook flour and milk until very thick, stirring constantly. Chill in refrigerator. Thoroughly cream sugar, vanilla, and butter until fluffy. Blend into chilled flour mixture. Beat until frosting is spreading consistency.
Store covered in refrigerator.

Chocolate Cherry Bars

Chocolate Cherry Bars
Chocolate Cherry Bars
I think this is a recipe that won the Pillsbury Bake-Off many, many years ago. It was indeed a family favorite recipe of my Mom’s. We loved it when she made these rich, gooey bars. They are easy and one of those recipes that you can whip up on a minute’s notice.

Ingredients for Cake

  • 1 package fudge cake mix
  • 1 can cherry pie filling
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 eggs beaten

Ingredients for Frosting

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 6 ounces chocolate chips


Directions
Mix together in a large bowl the cake mix, pie filling, almond extract and eggs. Pour into a greased and floured 13×9 inch pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 to 30 min.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips and mix until smooth. Pour over warm bars. Cool.