Strawberry Heaven Dessert

 

SERVINGS 15

1 pre-made angel food cake

1 (16 ounce) container Cool Whip

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry Jell-O gelatin dessert

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of sugar, cornstarch, Jello, lemon juice, and water.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

Set aside to cool slightly.

Stir in sliced strawberries.

Tear angel food cake into 1 inch pieces and toss with 2 cups of the Cool Whip.

Press into 9×13 inch pan (I use glass so you can see the pretty layers).

Set aside.

Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup remaining sugar, and vanilla in mixer bowl.

Beat until smooth.

Stir in remaining Cool Whip.

Spread evenly over cake layer.

Pour cooled strawberry mixture over cream cheese layer, spreading to cover cake evenly.

Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Note: You may substitute a 16 ounce bag of frozen whole strawberries, thawed and chopped, for the fresh strawberries.

3-2-1 MUG CAKE

IN A CANISTER COMBINE:

1 box Angel Food Cake mix

1 box Chocolate cake mix

(Any flavor of cake mix will do the second box, 

but 1 box MUST be Angel Food cake)

MIX WELL!

TO MAKE:

Place 3 TBS of dry mix in a mug.

Add 2 TBS water (or milk for richer taste)

Mix well.

Microwave for 1 minute.

Top with frosting, if desired, or ice cream.

Enjoy!

Lazy Day Peach Cobbler

1 stick butter or margarine.

1 cup milk.

1 cup sugar.

1 cup flour.

1 tsp baking powder.

A dash of salt.

1 qt sweetened fruit (peaches, cherries, blackberries etc).

First melt the butter in a baking pan.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and milk and pour over the butter. 

Cover the batter with fruit and DO NOT STIR - the batter will rise and will absorb the fruit flavor.

In a  350°preheated oven, bake for 1 hour and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream!

Hearty Kielbasa Supper

1 medium onion, cut into medium/large chunks 

1 LB kielbasa, cut into 1-1/2" chunks

8 red potatoes cut into quarters

4 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2" pieces

1 cup water

1/4 tsp pepper

2 TBS lemon juice

3 TBS parsley

In a large skillet using a little oil, cook onion until lightly browned and cooked.

Add the kielbasa, potatoes, carrots, water, and pepper.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Cover, simmer, 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in lemon juice.

sprinkle with parsley.

Serve hot.

Monkey Bread

 3 cans buttermilk biscuits (the non-flaky ones)

1 c. sugar

2 tsp. (to 3 teaspoons) cinnamon

2 sticks butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.

Melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When it's finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cool for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

Toll House Famous Fudge

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup (5-oz. can) Evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed)

2 TBS butter or margarine

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

Line an 8" square baking dish with foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan.

Over medium heat, bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Boil, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips, nuts (if adding), and vanilla;

Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until or until marshmallows are melted.

Pour into prepared baking dish.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.

Lift from pan, cut into 48 squares.

Soft Pretzels

1 cup milk

2 TBS unsalted butter

3 TBS light brown sugar, packed

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (or 1 pkt rapid-rise yeast)

2-1/2 to  2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp table salt

1/4 cup baking soda (for water/baking soda solution)

Topping

3 TBS unsalted butter, melted

3/4 tsp coarse salt 

Warm milk and butter in microwave or on stove top 

until the butter is just melted, about 90 seconds - do not boil.

Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment,

combine 2-1/2 cups flour with salt and yeast.

Mix on low until well combined, about 1 minute.

With mixer on low, gradually add warm milk mixture.

When dough forms a cohesive mass, switch to dough hook.

Knead, adding more flour as needed, until dough is 

smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl,

and cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size - 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper 

and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a 2 quart baking dish, combine the baking soda with 2- 1/2 cups warm water.

Stir until soda is dissolved; set aside.

Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Shape dough into a log and cut into 6 equal pieces.

Cover with a damp towel so dough doesn't dry out while shaping other pretzels.

Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 24 inch rope,

holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch.

Using two hands, gently dip each rope into the soda solution.

Allow any excess liquid to drip off, then form into a pretzel shape.

Form a U shape, then holding the ends of the rope, 

cross them over and under each other, making a twist in the center,

and press the ends onto the bottom of the pretzel.

Sprinkle evenly with the coarse salt.

Bake until golden brown, about 8 - 12 minutes... 

Watch bottoms carefully as they can burn easily.

Brush tops of baked pretzels with melted butter.

May be re-heated in microwave.

*YUMMY NOTE

For cinnamon-sugar pretzels, Omit coarse salt;

Brush tops of baked pretzels with cinnamon sugar.

(About 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon, combined.)

Makes 6 large pretzels