Place first three ingredients in blender and blend until even crumbs. Dump into bowl. Melt butter and pour over top. Mix together until evenly moist. Dump into 9″ pie pan and press evenly up the sides and across the bottom. Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes, or fill and bake.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup oat bran (opt)
2 1/2 tsp (1 pkg) yeast (raw yeast if you have it, otherwise use active dry)
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Combine flours, flax, oat bran, yeast and salt. Stir together milk, brown sugar, butter and vanilla and heat until warm and butter is melted. When liquid is a wrist comfortable temperature, stir in to dry ingredients. Add egg and knead well. Cover and let rise about 1 hour (30-60 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is).

Roll out into a rectangle and spread with:
2 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Roll up like a jelly roll and cut into 12 even slices. Place in greased pan. Cover and allow to rise a second time. Bake at 350* about 25 minutes and until lightly brown on top.

Remove immediately from pan.

Glaze with the following:
2 Tbsp cream cheese (or use 1 – 2 Tbsp butter)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth and drizzle over top.

If you would like to get some raw yeast, try asking at your local bakery, or at your grocery store’s bakery. Sometimes they are willing to sell it by the pound, which can be much less expensive than off the shelf. Always helpful if you bake a lot!

Stir together flour and sugar. Cut in butter. Add vanilla. Press into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350*F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup of the whipped topping, and the powdered sugar together until smooth. Spread over crust.

Mix both the puddings together with the milk until it begins to set. Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill 1 to 2 hours in fridge.

Top with more whipped topping, chocolate shavings or chips, and fresh berries.

Prepare cake according to package directions and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.

Heat pineapple with juice, and sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Poke holes into hot, freshly baked cake with a fork and pour pineapple mixture over top. Let cool to room temperature.

Make pudding according to package directions, allow to set, and spread over cooled cake.

Spread whipped topping over the pudding.

Toast coconut on a baking sheet at 325*, stirring every few minutes, until some of the coconut begins to get light brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Chill at least one hour in the fridge.

Drain fruit and blot dry on paper towel. Stir all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate overnight or minimum 4 hours.

Fruit and Whipped Cream Salad
Stir together fresh sliced fruit and/or drained canned fruit cocktail with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and butter in microwave. Use a microwave safe container such as a pyrex casserole dish. Stir in sugar while hot. Allow to cool down a bit before beating in eggs. Stir in the flour and salt, then another 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 2 cups of the marshmallows and 1 cup of the walnuts. Scrape into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan and bake at 350*F for 25 – 30 minutes, just until toothpick inserted about an inch or two from the edge comes out clean. Sprinkle the top with remaining 1/2 cup marshmallows, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Press them gently down onto the top of the hot brownies, then return to oven for about 2 minutes until marshmallows get puffy. Cool and put into fridge until firm before cutting. Keeps best in fridge, or you can also freeze.

CHOCOLATE CAKE
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp soda
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate with water and milk in saucepan. Stir in sugar and continue to heat and stir until dissolved.

Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.

Beat eggs with mixer about 2 minutes. Add liquid ingredients alternately with flour mixture, mixing on low, in about 3 additions each.

Beat a minute or two at medium speed at the end.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans and bake at 325*F for about 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top springs back.

Cool about 10 minutes and remove from pan. When fully cooled, fill and frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Seven Minute Frosting, or another favorite.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 – 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter (can reduce), softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 Tbsp milk
2 1/2 – 3 cups icing sugar (take 1 lb box or bag and add until desired consistency).

Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium. Melt chocolate in pyrex cup in microwave just until softened. Add to cream cheese and butter mixture, as well as vanilla, milk, and a couple cups of icing sugar. Continue to add icing sugar and beat until desired spreading consistency is reached.

Generously fill and frost chocolate cake. Store covered in refrigerator.

My daughter’s 8th birthday cake….She decorated with white icing.

Bring a pot of water to a light boil. In another, smaller pot or heat-proof bowl that will fit over or in the pot of boiling water, combine sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Set over the boiling water and beat with mixer, starting at low and gradually increasing to high speed. Beat until the frosting forms stiff peaks (takes about 7 minutes – hence the name of the frosting). Remove from heat and beat in vanilla. Spread on cake or Whoopie Pies immediately.

Note: Seven Minute Frosting does have a tendency to crystalize a little after a couple days, and dry out a bit on the surface, so best fresh.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. corn starch or potato starch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda (I think you could reduce this to 1/2 tsp or even try omitting it altogether)
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp molasses (or honey or corn syrup)
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (superfine granulated is best)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg

Line two large baking pans with parchment paper, or grease and flour lightly. Preheat oven to 350*F.

Whisk together dry ingredients until well combined. In separate bowl, or pyrex measuring cup, stir together milk, molasses and vanilla. In another mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. (Can also beat by hand). Add egg and beat in.

On low speed (or by hand), add dry and wet ingredients alternately to creamed mixture, in about 3 or 4 additions each, scraping sides. Don’t overmix, just until well combined. Finally, beat about 20 seconds on medium.

Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out batter onto prepared pans, with generous spacing. These really spread out! You might need to use your pans twice, baking in two batches. You should get 12 big cookie/cakes.

Bake for 15 minutes. Check, and if still wet-looking on top, bake two more minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for a bit, and then carefully remove with a spatula and turn upside down, ready to spread the frosting.

Make Seven Minute Frosting and spread half of the cookies generously with frosting. Top with the other half of the cookies. Makes 6 Whoopie Pies. Wrap in plastic wrap to store.

Bread Pudding

6 slices bread (or more if thin/small slices), a day old (or so)
2 Tbsp butter or margarine (approx)
1/4 – 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (opt)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk

Toast bread (optional) and spread with butter or margarine. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Pull bread into pieces and put in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole or 8 x 8 pan. Sprinkle with raisins, if using. Beat together eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in milk. Pour over bread. Bake at 350*F for 65 – 70 minutes, or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.