Pistachio Almond Pudding Cake

Standby cake for any occasion.  Easy to make - never fails!

Ingredients

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package (4 oz) Pistachio Flavor instant pudding

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 tsp almond extract

Blend all ingredients in large mixer bowl.  Beat 4 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer.  Pour into greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan.  Bake at 350  for 50-55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed and begins to pull away from sides of pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together 8 oz cream cheese and 1 box confectioner's sugar.  Add small amount of milk if needed.

Blueberry Crisp

You will love this dessert.  Easy and satisfying!

Ingredients

Cooking spray

For the filling:

4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries

For the crumble:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

3 tablespoons walnuts

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375.  Coat an 8 inch square glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.  Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cornstarch evenly in the dish.

Combine remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, vanilla, and blueberries in a large bowl, toss. Place in prepared dish. 

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup.  Combine flour and next 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse twice to combine.  Add butter; pulse 5 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Spoon topping evenly over blueberries, packing down lightly.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Serve with Cool Whip or ice cream.

Zucchini Muffins

Grated zucchini adds lots of moisture to muffins. These muffins are great any time....and good for you too!

Ingredients

	4 spray(s) cooking spray
	2 small uncooked zucchini
	1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	1/2 cup(s) whole-grain wheat flour
	1/4 cup(s) sugar, granulated
	2 tsp baking powder
	1/2 tsp ground ginger
	1/2 tsp table salt
	2 large egg white(s)   (I used two large eggs)
	2/3 cup(s) low-fat milk
	1/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar, dark-variety
	1/4 cup(s) walnut oil, or almond oil   (I used canola oil)
	2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Grate zucchini through the large holes of a box grater into a colander in the sink; squeeze out excess moisture by pressing down with a spoon.
• In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt.
• In a second bowl, whisk together zucchini, egg white, milk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla extract until sugar is mostly dissolved (might still be a little grainy).
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; stir with a wooden spoon just until there are no pockets of dry flour in the mixture. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
• Bake until browned, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool in tin for a couple of minutes before turning muffins out and cooling them on a wire rack. 

***Weight Watchers Weekly (November 11-17, 2012)

Mama's Pound Cake

After experimenting with many different pound cake recipes, this is the BEST I've found...

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Paula Deen's Recipe

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1  1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions


In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until mixture is light, about 2 minutes.  Stir in remaining ingredients until blended.  Drop batter by heaping tablespoonful on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned.

Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel

Hide these cookies!  If you don't they won't last long.....

Ingredients

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Table salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 12 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• 44 small soft caramel candies (12 ounces), such as Kraft
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• Large, flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour and 1/2 teaspoon table salt, and beat to combine. Press dough together in plastic wrap, then roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip each ball in beaten egg, and roll in coconut. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, and press an indentation into each with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove sheets from oven, and re-press indentations. Bake cookies until golden, 9 to 10 minutes more. Let cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough.
2. Place caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the caramels are melted and mixture is smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Spoon into indentations in cookies, and sprinkle with sea salt. Rewarm caramel if it hardens before all cookies are filled.

Cook's Note

Store in airtight containers for up to 2 days.

Black Russian Cake

Ingredients

• Cake
• 
  
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package moist yellow cake mix
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup Kahlua
• 3/4 cup water
• 
  

Glaze

• 1/4 cup Kahlua
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, white sugar, oil, vodka, 1/4 cup Kahlua, and water. Beat for four minutes. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
4. Make a glaze by combining 1/4 cup Kahlua and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Turn cake over on a cake plate. Poke cake several times with a fork. Cover with glaze, and dust with remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar.