You can find the Pioneer Woman's recipe Here
I only used two layers, but next time I will cut the layers in 1/2 and I will use a box cake mix.  My store bought cake was lacking in taste.


Ingredients:
1 whole Store-bought Angel Food Cake or Pound Cake
Nutella
Cool Whip, thawed in the refrigerator
Method:
Slice the angel food cake (rectangular) in half lengthwise. Use a found or square cutter to cut out pieces. Cut the pieces in half through the middle so that they are the same shape, but shorter. I did that, but I felt they could even be shorter. Spread Nutella on three thin slices of cake. Stack on top of one another and set on a dish in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the Nutella is set. Remove from the freezer and ice with soft Cool Whip, then place back into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Note from Pioneer Woman:  Make the cakes ahead of time, then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To serve, just pull them out 5-10 minutes before you need them!  I thought they needed more than 10 minutes. I would probably set them out before dinner and serve for dessert.  I would give it at least 30 minutes. The Nutella was very hard.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

You can find the recipe Here  I took this picture before I put on the icing.  I cut the cake in 1/2 and wrapped it in foil to freeze for a later time.





Printable Version

Ingredients:

1 (15.25 oz) package lemon cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) box instant lemon pudding

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F .
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the poppy seeds and pour batter into a bundt pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan for about 90 minutes before inverting onto a plate. If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar or top with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Just whisk to combine.

Peach Snack Cake

I found this recipe on Pinterest Here. Jud liked it better than me.  I thought it was good, but not great. I was looking for great.











Printable Version

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup granulated sugar plus 3 teaspoons, divided
2. 2 1/2 cups sliced peaches
3. 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
4. 2 cups flour
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
7. 1 1/2 cups whole milk
8. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method:

1. Spray an 8-x-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. 1. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and corn starch. Toss peaches in the mixture and coat evenly. Set aside.
3. 2. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together milk and butter. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
4. 3. Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish. Press sliced peaches into the cake batter and place some on top. Put in the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Notes

1. Peach Cobbler Snack Cake will keep up to 3 days stored in an airtight container.

Rocky Road Cookies

This recipe is from Carole Walker's "Great Cookies" cookbook.












Printable Version
Ingredients:
2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almonds
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2- 2 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows
Glaze:
1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons boiling water
Method:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift or stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set Aside.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar in a steady stream and beat 1 minute longer. to combine well. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, and add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk or sour cream. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix just until blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the almonds and chocolate chips.

Using a small ice cream scoop, portion out 6-8 cookies in mounds onto parchment lined cookie sheets Space them out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just starting to set on top. Remove from the oven and press nine or ten mini-marshmallows at random onto the tops. Return to the oven and bake for another 2 minutes or just until the marshmallows start to soften. WATCH CAREFULLY. Do not allow the marshmallows to become too hot or they will melt. These cookies are best slightly under baked.
Let rest on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes or until firm enough to handle before loosening with a large metal spatula. Remove to a wire cooling rack. I baked the cookies a total of about 10 min. removing the at about 8 min. to put the marshmallows on the cookies to return to the oven for another 2 minutes.

Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Melt together, stirring occasionally. Add the boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to a pouring consistency. Using a spoon or squeeze bottle, drizzle the glaze over each cookie. Let stand on the cooling racks until the glaze sets. Store in airtight containers, layer between sheets of wax paper for 5 days. Can be frozen.

Starbucks' Lemon Pound Cake w /Icing

We love Starbucks' Lemon Pound Cake so I Googled it and found this recipe by Todd Wilbur Here
The only thing I changed was to add 1 zested lemon to the cake batter.   You could also add one to the glaze.
He also forgot to tell you to add the vegetable oil.





Printable Version
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 lemon zested (optional)
Icing:
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Use an electric mixer to blend together eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, vegetable oil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into a well-greased 9X5" loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean. Make the lemon icing by combining ingredients in a small bowl with electric mixer on low speed.
When lemon loaf is cool, remove it from the pan and frost the top with the lemon icing. When the icing has set, slice the loaf into eight 1-inch-thick slices.

Custard-Filled Eclairs

We had chocolate eclairs at Becky and Bill Millers house. They were awesome. I made the mistake of thinking that I could make them even better by making my own custard instead of using her recipe.  BIG MISTAKE!  Don't ever try to make an awesome dessert even better. I am going to give you Becky's recipe which came from B.J. Wachel. Stick with this because it is really good and much easier.



Ingredients for Eclairs:
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Method:
Bring 1 cup of water and 1 stick of butter to a boil. Add 1 cup of flour and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and forms a ball.  Let cool. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time.  Drop the dough onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for approximately 30 minutes until light brown.

Ingredients for the Custard Filling:
1--6oz. box vanilla instant pudding mix
3 1/2 cups milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Method:
Beat the milk and vanilla pudding together until smooth. Add softened cream cheese and beat until incorporated and smooth.

Chocolate topping:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Method:
Heat the whipping cream until hot, but not boiling. (You can do it on the stove top or in the microwave)  Take it off the heat and add the chocolate chips. Continue stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It said to use mint chocolate chips.  I used Andes, Crème De Menthe Baking Chips. They turned out really good. I made up 1/2 the recipe to take to San Antonio, and froze the other 1/2.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies from Pinterest







Printable Version
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Mint Chocolate Baking Pieces- (I used Andes, Crème De Menthe Baking Chips)
Method:
1. Mix flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth.
3. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk
4. Add vanilla.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon.
6. Fold in the mint chocolate baking pieces.
7. Chill for 1 hour--(I did not do this and they turned out great)
8. Remove from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside
10. Roll the dough into balls. Place balls with about 3 Tablespoons of dough in each ball.
11. Bake 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and under baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Chocolate Cream Cheese Tunnel Cake

I found this recipe on Pinterest:  http://beautyandbedlam.com/easy-chocolate-cream-cheese-cake-with-hint-of-coffee/  I think next time, I would half the cream cheese filling. It was a little much for my taste.









Printable Version
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (8ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 - (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup cold coffee
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2/3 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 10 inch tube or bundt pan
1. Melt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips in double boiler over simmering water. (I just did mine in the microwave in 30 second increments)
2. With electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, milk, and melted chocolate
3. Beat until smooth. Set aside
4. Combine cake mix, coffee, oil, and eggs, and beat with electric mixer for 4 minutes.
5. Pour into prepared pan.
6. Sprinkle with nuts (optional)
7. Mound cream cheese mixture onto the top of cake mixture around the tube, but do not spread to touch sides of pan.
8. Bake 350 degrees about 55 minutes or until top springs back when pressed lightly in center
9. Cool upright in pan one hour before inverting.
To make glaze:
Heat 1/2 cup cream in small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Drizzle warm glaze over cooled cake. Store, covered, in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars

I got this recipe from food network's Trisha Yearwood. Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars
Jud and I were watching the show and decided that we really wanted some. I didn't have any butterscotch chips, but I had chocolate chips. She said on the show that they would work fine and since I had everything else it was a done deal.






Printable Version
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (I had old fashioned oatmeal so I just put it in the food processor and pulsed it a few times)
6 ounces butterscotch chips (I used chocolate chips)
Ingredients for glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
Directions for cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" X 13" baking dish. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt. Mix the oatmeal into the flour and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix well. Spread the batter in the baking dish using your hands to make it even. It is a little messy. Sprinkle the butterscotch or chocolate chips over the batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned around the edges.
Directions for Glaze:
Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and 1/4 cup peanut butter. Spread the glaze evenly over the warm bars. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.