For the cream cheese lover...

Banana Nut Roll
(taken from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook)

This takes more time and effort than most desserts I make, but is definitely worth it! With a cream cheese filling And cream cheese glaze, it's pretty awesome!

This recipe is fairly detailed and a bit long, so instead of typing it all out, I decided to just have you click here instead! =)

Great cake!

Apple Dapple Cake
(recipe from my neighbor, Myrtle)

This is an easy, delicious cake that would be great served hot for breakfast, or for dessert or for a snack!

Ingredients:

Combine

1.5 cups of oil
3 eggs
2 cups of sugar
2 tsp. of vanilla

Add:

3 cups of flour
1 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of salt
2 to 3 tsp. of cinnamon
3 cups of chopped apples (or raisins)
1 cup of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Mix all together and pour into greased 13X9 pan.
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

If you like, you can add a sweet topping:

1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter

Heat and pour over cake while still hot.

The "So Easy" Dessert for any time!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars
(from Duncanhines.com)

The thing that I love the most about this recipe is that it uses a cake mix, so you don't have to get a ton of ingredients out and measure them all!! If you keep a cake mix on hand, you can whip these up anytime in just a few minutes!

Ingredients:

1 cake mix (I use french vanilla or butter pecan)
1/4 cup of butter (melted)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of water
2 eggs
1.5 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13X9 pan
2. Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Spread in pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

For a fancier look (if you're serving them on a platter or something in a single layer), you can drizzle them with chocolate.

For drizzle: Combine 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 2 tsp of shortening in a bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted. Drizzle over cooled bars.

Andrew's Cinnamon Buns

Originally a Betty Crocker recipe, our family has enjoyed these buns for years!
(Makes one dozen)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (approx 105 degrees)
1/2 cup lukewarm milk (same)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3.5 - 4 cups flour

Inside rolls:

1/4 butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar (as needed)
Cinnamon
Chopped walnuts or raisins if desired (plump raisins in boiling water for a few minutes before adding)

Glaze:

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add milk until glaze is desired consistency (should be able to drizzle off a spoon)

Directions:

Put water in a large bowl, add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Add milk, sugar, salt and egg and combine all ingredients. Add flour until it's the proper consistency for bread dough.

Place in fridge overnight to rise (if you want it to rise more quickly, put in a warm place for an hour or two) till dough doubles in size.

Punch dough down and knead it until all the bubbles are out. Add flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky.

Shape into an oblong shape (about 7 inches by 3 inches in diameter). Roll out until it's about 1/4 or 3/8 inch thick.

Spread generously with butter (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar (don't spread right to the edges. Sprinkle with cinnamon (lots).

Start at one of the long edges, and roll tightly, working back and forth along the edge to roll the dough to the opposite side. Pinch along the edge to keep the rolls sealed shut.

With a serrated knife, cut rolls in sections about 1 inch thick. Place on baking sheet (about 2 inches apart) and let rise in warm place for about 1.5 hours until double in size.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until little browned on top and bottom. Do not overbake.

Make glaze and drizzle it on while the rolls are hot.

Enjoy!

You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter

Creamy Reese's Pieces Dessert
(from Kraftfoods.com)

Ingredients:

12 Oreos, crushed,
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup of peanut butter
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (4 serving size) Instant Chocolate pudding
2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided
2 Tbsp. hot fudge ice cream topping
1/4 cup Reese's pieces candies

Directions:

Mix crushed cookies and melted butter. Press onto the bottom of an 8 inch square pan.
Put peanut butter in large bowl. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add pudding mixes. Stir several minutes until well blended and thickened. Stir in one cup (or more if you want!) of the Cool Whip. Spread over cookie crust. Top with Cool Whip.
Refrigerate for at least three hours.
When ready to serve, microwave fudge topping as directed on the jar, drizzle over dessert.
Sprinkle with candies.
Store leftovers in the fridge.

* For a more fun, less random "design", instead of heating the fudge sauce, put it into a decorators bag, or in a ziplock with a tiny corner snipped off, and you can "pipe" it onto the cake in the design of your choice or even write words with it!

Yummy, Chewy Brownies

World's BEST Brownies

(from my friend, Paul)

Ingredients:

3 sticks of butter (Do NOT, under any circumstance, use anything but Real Butter for this recipe!)
3 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1.5 cups of flour
1 cup of cocoa
3 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
Nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together , spread in greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350-400 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Butterfinger Trifle

Butterfinger Trifle(this is adapted from a Skor Trifle recipe from my sister in law, Stephanie)

This is a double recipe shown here

Ingredients:

1 8 inch pan of brownies
2 packages (3.5 oz each) of instant chocolate pudding
1 12 oz. Cool Whip
1 Large Butterfinger bar, or a bag of small ones

Directions:

Cut brownies into small chunks
Make pudding as directed, using 3/4 of a cup less milk.
Crumble the Butterfinger into small pieces.
Layer brownies on the bottom of a glass serving bowl.
Top with a layer of chocolate pudding.
Add a layer of Cool Whip.
Top with Butterfinger bits.
Repeat layers, ending with Butterfinger.
Refrigerate until serving.