Italian Anise Cookies

Ingr:

3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp anise extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat first 5 ingredients in a large bowl with mixer until blended. On low speed, beat in next 3 ingredients until blended. Drop teaspoons of dough 2 in. apart onto baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until bottoms are light golden. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool. Dip tops of cookies in Glaze and, while wet, sprinkle with nonpareils. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 weeks or freeze.



Glaze:
Whisk 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 4 to 5 tsp milk and 1 tsp anise extract in a small bowl until smooth.
Heat oven to 325°F. Coat baking sheet(s) with nonstick spray.2.

Sweet Cherry Crisp

Ingr:

6 cups pitted cherries

1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mixcherries with cornstarch and sugar in a baking dish (you can use any size, a smaller one will give you a thicker topping - I use 9 x 13 inch).Mix remaining dry ingredients in a small bowl. Cut in butter  to make coarse crumbs.Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, until golden brown, and filling is thick and bubbling over the topping. Serve with whipped or ice cream.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

Ingr:

1 (18-ounce) package Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, plus extra for sprinkling, if desired
3 tablespoons Chocolate Syrup
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate. Press 3/4 package cookie dough onto bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown; flatten down with back of spoon to form pie shell. Cool completely on wire rack. Spread 1/4 cup peanut butter over crust. Mix ice cream, remaining peanut butter and ¼ cup peanuts in a medium bowl. Spoon into cookie crust; spread evenly. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and additional peanuts. Freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bake remaining cookie dough according to package directions. Cool completely on wire rack; crumble cookies over top of pie.
Serve

Peach Custard Pie

Ingr:

1 baked pie shell, cooled

1 pkg vanilla pudding and pie filling

1/2 cup peach juice

1/2 cup milk

Peaches

Topping:

1 cup sour cream

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp peach juice

Pinch of coconut (optional)

Prepare pudding as directed except substitute 1/2 cup peach juice for some of the milk. Cool. Use fresh (sauted) or canned sliced peaches and arrange the slices in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour filling over peaches and topping over filling. Arrange pech slices on top in pinwheel pattern. Spinkle with coconut in center, if desired. Chill 2 hours. Serve.

Nana's Carmel-Iced Banana Bread

Ingr:

3-4 ripe bananas

2 cups sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk

1 tsp soda

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp vanilla

Mix milk and soda an pour over the bananas.Mix. Cream sugar and butter and add eggs. Add banana mixture and sifted dry ingredients. Add nuts and vanilla. Bake in an 8 x 12 pan at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Icing:
6 tbsp brownsugar
3 tbsp cream or milk
3 tbsp butter
Powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine first three ingredients and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Boil 1 minutes. Add enough powdered sugar to make a stiff froting. Add vanilla.

Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Squares

Ingr

1 cup water

1/2 c butter

1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sifted flour

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp soda

1 tsp grated orange rind

1/2 tsp salt

Combine water, butter and chocolate in pan and bring to a boil - stirring often. Remove from heat, stir to blend well and cool slightly. Mix flour and sugar. Blend into chocolate mix. Add eggs, sour cream, soda, orange rind and salt. Mix well. Pour into greased 5 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch pan. Cool. Spread with chocolate frosting. Garnish with sliveed almonds (optional)

Authentic Italian Cream Cake

Ingr:

3 1/2 cups shredded coconut

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces confectioners' sugar
1 - 8-ounce jar raspberry preserves
Heat oven to 325F. Grease and flour 3 - 8-inch cake pans. Spread coconut out on a cookie pan and bake about 3 minutes, toss and bake another 3 minutes, until coconut is lightly toasted. Set aside. Cream butter
and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Sift together flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla, 1/2 cup coconut and pecans. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake mixture. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in hot oven 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Invert on cooling racks until cool.

Frosting: Whip together cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually whip in the confectioners' sugar. When frosting the cake, spread frosting on top of bottom layer and middle layer, first. Spread raspberry preserves on the bottom of middle layer and top layer. Stack layers. Frost top and sides. Press the remaining coconut on outside of cake. Mange!

Aunt Marilyn's Applesauce Spice Cake

Ingr:

2 3/4 cup cake flour or 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 rsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pan. Blend dry ingredients. Add together shortening, water and applesauce. Beat 2 minutes. Scrape bowl and add eggs. Beat 2 more minutes. Stir in raisins ad nuts. Pour into pans. Bake layers 30-35 minutes or  a 9 x 13 inch pan 40-45 minutes. Cool.

Cathy's Best Chocolate Cake Ever (with Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting)

Ing:
1 cup butter, softened
2/1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
3 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk

Cream butter and sugar unil light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after eah addition. Add vanilla. Sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mix alternatively with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour into well greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees as follows:

for 3 - 9 inch pans - 30 to 35 minutes
for a 13 by 9 inch pan 55 to 60 minutes


Cream Cheese Frosting:

Blend together 3- 3oz pkg of softened cream cheese and 1/3 cup butter. Mix togetehr 6 cups sifted confectioners sugar and 1 cup cocoa. Add sugar mix to butter mix, gradually. Blend in 5 to 7 tablespoons of light cream.


Yum!

Strawberries Romanoff

Ingr:

2 quarts fresh strawberries

Sugar

1 Pt vanilla ice cream

1 cup whipping cream

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup Cointreau ( or Grand Marnier)

Wash and stem berries, sweeten to taste. Whip theice cream slightly. Whip th cream until very stiff and fold into ic cream. Add lemon juice and Cointreau, stir. Pour over berries. Serve in frosted bowls.

Molasses Cake

Ingr:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
2 c. sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. soda
1 tsp. mixed spices
1/2 c. milk
Cream butter and sugar. Stir in molasses beaten with egg. Resift flour with other dry ingredients. Add sifted ingredients alternately with milk. Bake cake in greased 9 inch tube pan in moderate oven 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Serve warm with raisin sauce.

RAISIN SAUCE FOR MOLASSES CAKE:
1 1/2 c. water
1/3 c. raisins
1/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg or lemon rind

Boil first 4 ingredients 15 minutes. Melt butter, stir in flour. Add sauce slowly. Stir until it boils. Add flavoring.

Peanut Blossoms

Ingr

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sgar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2tsps vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 10 oz pkg milk chocolate candies

Crem sugrs, butter and peanut butter. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Sift together flour, sod and salt. Stir into egg mix. Shape into balls and roll in white sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees. After removing from oven, immediately press a hershey's kisss into the center of each cookie. Makes 7 dozen.

Grandma Mariotti's Gugelhupf

Ingr:
1/2 cup dark seedless raisins
1/4 cup dark rum
2 pkg active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
2 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sifted flour
4 eg whites
1/8 cup blanched almonds

Soak rasins in rum for 1/2 hr. Drain well. Dissolve yeast with pinch of sugar in lukewarm water. Cream butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Stir in dissolved yeast. Beat in egg yolks one at a time.  Add lemon peel, vanilla, salt and risings. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, fold egg whites into yeast batter. Buter a 10 inch Gugelhupf or Bundt pan. Arranges almonds in a circle in the bottom of pan. Carefully spoon batter into pan. Allow to rise until doubled -- about 1.5 hours. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes in pan, then invert. Cool completely on rack. Dust lightly with confectioner's sugar. Serve.

Nana's Date Oatmeal Cookies

Ingr:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking owder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs well beaten

1/ cup milk

2 cups uncooked rolled oats

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup nuts

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, soda and spices, sifting twice. Cream the butter gradually adding the sugar and cream. Add the beaten eggs and stir in the oats and milk. Sift the flour over the dates, nuts and coconut. Mix well. Stir into the oatmeal mix. Drop by small tablespoonfuls onto lightly grease cookie sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until delicately browned. makes about 3 dozen.

Nana's Date and Nut Bars

Ingr:

3/4 cup sifted all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped nuts

2 cups chopped dates

Sift together first three ingredients. Add and mix in brown sugar. Add and mix well, eggs and butter. Stir in nuts and dates.  Spread in a well-greased 10 x 6 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees about 50 minutes. Remove from ovn. Cool. Cut in bars. Icing optional.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Ingr:
1 8 inch baked pie shell
3 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, well-beaten
1.5 oz, baking chocolate, in pieces
1 tbsp butter
2-3 bananas, sliced
1/2 cup sweetened whipping cream

Blend cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Slowly stir in milk and egg yolks. Add baking chocolate and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until thickened. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Cover bottom of pie shell with a small amount of filling. Place sliced bananas on top and cover with remaining filling. Place plastic wrap directly on top of pudding and chill. At serving time, add whipping cream and garnish as desired.

Nana's Never Fail Chocolate Cake

Ingr:
2 eggs
1 cup butter
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup sour milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water

Put all ingredients in a bowl in the order given. DO NOT MIX until LAST item is added. THEN mix thoroughly. Bake in a 9 by 13 inch greased and floured pan at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in middle come out clean -- about 35-40 min.

Cathy's Cannolis

Ingr:
1 3/4 unsifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp firm butter in small "peas"
1/4 cup Sutern (dry)

1 egg whit (slightly beaten)
Pizzelle iron or oil for frying

Ricotta filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese, whipped
3/4 cup unsifted powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup whipped heavy cream
1 tsp orange rind
1/4 cup chopped milk chocolate

Mix cannoli ingredients in order listed. Make cannolis with iron or fry, drain on paper towels and roll when still warm.

To make filling whip the ricotta cheese and powdered sugar, together, fold in vanilla, whipped cream, orange rind and chocolate pieces. Fill cannoli shell with pastry tube. Mange.

Cathy's Petite Babas au Rhum

Ingr:
2/3 c flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg Active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs (at room temperature)
1/3 cup flour
3/4 to 1 cup flour

Syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Jamaica Rum
1/2 cup water

Pastry or whipped cream
Slivered almonds
 
In a large bowl, mix first three ingredients. Heat milk, butter to 120 degrees and add to dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of mixer, scraping bowl, occasionally. Add 3 eggs and 1/3 cup flour. Beat at high speed 2 minutes. Add enough more flour to make a stiff batter. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Bring sugar, rum and water to a full boil, stirring often.Cool to lukewarm. Spoon batter into greased fluted cake pan, muffin or bundt muffin cups. Let rise just until batter fills cups (about 30 minutes). Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes for cupcakes, 25-30 minutes for cake. After taking from over, prick all over with fork. Pour rum syrup over cake.After syrup is absorbed, cool on wire racks. Top with whipped or pastry cream sprinkled with almonds

Nana's Pink Chiffon Pie

Ingr:
16 graham crackers (rolled fne)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (softened)

Filling:
1 pkg strawberry jello
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tall can evaporated milk
1 tsp grated lemon

Mix crust ingredients and press into a 9 inc pie plate. Chill.
Dissolve gelatin in hot water and add lemon juice and sugar. Let stand while whipping evaporated milk until stiff froth. Add gelatin mix and whip, again. Stir in lemon rind and pour into pie shell. Top withremaining crumbs. Chill in refrigerator 1-2 hours.