Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:
1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 pkg cinnamon graham crackers from box crushed and ground)
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup butter melted

Cake:
1 Package (2 layer size) yellow or white cake mix
1 cup of water
1/4 cup cooking oil (vegetable)
3 eggs



Directions:
For Streusel, in medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl combine cake mix, water, oil, eggs. Beat at low speed with electric mixer, just until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Pour half of batter into a greased (sprayed with Pam baking spray) 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture. Carefully spread remaining batter over streusel . Sprinkle with remaining streusel topping. Bake in a 350 degree oven 35-40 minutes or till toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Drizzle with powdered sugar icing. Serve warm.
Powdered Sugar Icing:
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
water
When making icing stir together ingredients with just enough water till of drizzling consistency. Drizzle onto cake when done. Cake tastes delicious without icing also!
Makes 12-16 servings.
Perfect for a brunch!

Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 Packages 8 ounce Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs
Nilla Wafers

*Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
*NOTE! Use Silver (Aluminum) Cupcake Liners only

Mix all ingredients except eggs, till no lumps with mixer
Then add eggs, Mix well.

Place one vanilla wafer in each cupcake liner and pour mixture over wafers 3/4 full.

*Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees
Remove from pan when cool
Chill in refrigerator
Top with canned cherries

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar (10x confectioners sugar) (plus additional for rolling in later)
2 Cups Flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla

Cream Butter and Sugar. Beat in the rest of the ingredients (will be stiff). Roll into 1" balls. Bake 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 13 minutes @ 375 degrees. (Don't let the tops brown). Roll in powdered sugar after slightly cooled (or shake in bag of powdered sugar) Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

**NOTE! I made these cookies this morning with "salted" butter, and omitted the added salt in the recipe. They still came out delicious! :)

Enjoy!
Louise

Pumpkin Bread

This is always such a treat in our house when the Fall season arrives...I decided to start baking a little early for the season! My daughter requested that I make my pumpkin bread (which is a wonderful recipe from my friend Denise!)..so, after she left for school this morning, I baked up a bunch of loaves!

PUMPKIN BREAD preheat to 325°

3 cups white sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1+1/2 tsp salt
Mix above ingredients in large bowl

1 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin (1 small can)
Blend these into above mixture

Add 3+1/2 c flour and mix well

Bake at 325° in 2 greased loaf pans for 1hour 15 min
or 1 hour for 4 small loaf pans

Enjoy!


**Edited to add...this morning I decided to put a little less of the mix in each loaf pan before baking..I was able to make 6 small loaves from this batch of mix!**

My Homemade Apple Pie

It is just about that time of year again...baking apple pies and the wonderful smell of Autumn in the air!
But, in this house, I have been baking apple pies all summer long.
This is the recipe I use.

*Preheat oven to 425 Degrees.

Ingredients:
Pastry for a two-crust pie (I cheat and use Pillsbury)!

Filling:
6 Cups thinly sliced, peeled Apples
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

In large bowl combine all filling ingredients. Mix lightly. Spoon into pastry lined pan. Top with remaining pastry. Fold edge of top pastry under bottom pastry, press to seal. Flute edge.Cut slits in several places in top of pastry. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 Minutes or until apples are tender and the crust is golden brown. About halfway through baking, I usually wrap the top edges around the pie with tin foil to prevent burning of the crust on the edges while it cooks.

I am so ready for a piece..are you?!

Butter Cookies

A recipe from my sweet friend Nancy. :)
These are the most delicious cookies and will melt in your mouth!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 lb. Butter (2 sticks)
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat together butter and sugar. Add flour and baking soda.
Use mixer or knead by hand to mix.
Add vanilla last.

Roll into balls approximately 1" in diameter.
Place on buttered (not sprayed) cookie tin. Flatten balls with a fork
dipped in flour.

Bake at 350 degrees until edges only are lightly browned.

HONEY APPLE CAKE

I found this recipe in an old Apple Recipe book I found upstate NY. When I serve it I cut the pan up into single serving size squares and put on a serving tray and dust with powdered sugar. The optional topping is yet another way to enjoy this dessert, if you like EXTRA sweetness!


Ingredients...
3 EGGS, beaten
2 cups SUGAR
1 cup VEGETABLE OIL
1/4 cup HONEY
1 tsp. VANILLA

3 cups SIFTED FLOUR
1/2 tsp. BAKING SODA
1 tsp. BAKING POWDER
1 tsp. SALT
1 tsp. CINNAMON
1/4 tsp. NUTMEG
1 cup CHOPPED NUTS
3 cups CHOPPED APPLES

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In a large bowl bet together the first five ingredients. In another bowl sift together the dry ingredients and stir into liquid mixture. Beat well. Fold in nuts and apples. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 X 2-inch pan. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Bake 45 minutes.

Optional Topping...
1 stick BUTTER (1/2 cup)
1 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/4 cup MILK
1/4 cup HONEY

Combine ingredients in a heavy-bottom sauce pan. Boil 2 1/2 minutes. Pour over cake while still hot. Sift powdered sugar on top. Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Fresh Whipped Cream. Enjoy warm!

Submitted by Nicole

PEACH COBBLER

This is a fantastic version of Peach Cobbler. Do yourself a favor and only use fresh peaches, not canned in juice. The most important thing about this recipe is not to overmix. This will cause the cobbler part to become doughy. Less is more! The kitchen will smell soooo good when this is in the oven, enjoy!

Ingredients...

1/4 cup + 2 Tb. Butter

2 cups Sugar

3/4 cup Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

Dash of Salt

1 tsp. Nutmeg

2 tsp. Cinnamon

3/4 cup Milk

2 cups Sliced Peaches, about 9 medium fresh Peaches.

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt BUTTER in 2 Qt. dish and set aside. Combine 1 cup SUGAR, FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT. Add MILK and BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER MIX - STIR GENTLY ONLY UNTIL INCORPORATED! Pour batter over BUTTER in baking dish. DO NOT STIR. Combine PEACHES, CINNAMON, NUTMEG and 1 cup REMAINING SUGAR. Spoon over batter and DO NOT STIR! Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

You will love this recipe! By using fresh peaches you will achieve the perfect dessert. I like to serve it with VANILLA ICE CREAM or HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM. Sprinkle a little bit of nutmeg over your topping and ENJOY!

submitted by Nicole